An Auburn basketball player has a surprising change of plans regarding the NBA Draft

On April 4, Auburn guard Mustapha Heron announced he was entering the 2018 NBA Draft and intended to sign an agent. With the draft entry deadline looming, it appears Heron’s plans have changed significantly.

The New York Times’ Adam Zagoria reported Heron is withdrawing from the draft and will instead transfer from Auburn. The latest news is an unexpected one for Heron, whose signing with an agent would have meant his college career was over.

Heron joined Auburn prior to the 2016-2017 season as the Tigers’ first five-star signee in program history. The 6-5, 218-pound Heron was the Tigers’ leading scorer as a freshman and again as a sophomore, averaging 16.4 points per game in 2017-2018 to help Auburn reach the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2003.

Heron will have two years of eligibility at his next school.

Heron’s news comes in what should be a string of decisions made by four Auburn players. Austin Wiley has already decided to return to the Tigers, while Bryce Brown and Jared Harper have yet to announce whether they will remain in the NBA Draft pool or return to school.

This story was originally published May 29, 2018 at 11:29 AM with the headline "An Auburn basketball player has a surprising change of plans regarding the NBA Draft."