Top star is keeping his options open regarding his future, but he made it clear to Auburn Undercover’s Nathan King that if he doesn’t make it to the NBA for the 2025-26 season, he’ll return to Auburn.
When discussing his draft plans, he said, “Just try to move up on the boards and try to get me a guaranteed contract. If that doesn’t work out, just go back to Auburn and do what we did last year and run it back again.”
Reflecting on his successful freshman season, he added, “A blessing to be part of a team like that. Obviously we accomplished the goals we had. We fell short, but that season was nothing short of a blessing. Everything we went through, the downs and ups, it was worth it. I can say not a lot of people had the freshman year I had.”
Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl took a more cautious approach in discussing Pettiford’s future. “The lottery will come out before the combine, so we’ll know who’s drafting 20 through 30,” Pearl explained. “We’ll have an idea going into Chicago, where Tahaad will play in the combine, to see who’s drafting 20 through 30 — if there’s some interest for a smaller point guard among those ball clubs.”
Pettiford’s potential return to Auburn would be a major boost for the Tigers, akin to the excitement generated by Johni Broome’s return last year. While key players from the Final Four team have moved on, a battle-tested Pettiford would make Auburn one of the most dangerous teams in any conference next season.
Even if he doesn’t get drafted in June, Pettiford is viewed as an NBA talent, and his return would fuel hopes that Auburn could finally make a deep run in the postseason next year.