Tim Hardaway Jr. Entering NBA Draft, Forgoing Senior Year At Michigan

Tim Hardaway Jr. is getting into the family business — the NBA.

The University of Michigan star has declared for the NBA draft, forgoing his senior season and following in his father’s footsteps in going to the league.

Tim Hardaway Jr. said the decision to enter the NBA draft came after a lot of contemplation.

“I gathered as much information as possible, and I felt that going to the NBA was the right decision,” said Hardaway, who made the decision on Tuesday. “I talked to my coaches, heard what they were told from the NBA, and talked to a lot of other people.”

Hardaway and the Wolverines fell just short of the national title this year, taking a No. 4 seed in the NCAA tournament and riding it all the way to a near-upset of the top-ranked Louisville Cardinals. Along the way Hardaway earned a number of honors, including being named First Team All-Big Ten.

Having a father play in the NBA and go through the draft process is a big benefit, Tim Jr. said.

“That’s huge, because my dad has been through all of this and can give me advice,” he said. “And he’s like a dad to this whole team, so the other guys facing this know that they can go to him and he will help them as well.”

Hardaway’s teammate Trey Burke has already declared for the NBA draft, and they could be joined by freshmen Mitch McGary and Glenn Robinson III still.

“I haven’t talked to Mitch and Glenn much at all,” Hardaway Jr. said. “They have enough to listen to as it is, so I’ve given them some distance. If they needed any advice from me or from my dad, we’ll always be there.”

Tim Hardaway Jr. is projected as an NBA lottery pick.

“It was really tough, because there is all kinds of talk out there about where I might get picked and what might happen,” Hardaway Jr. said. “I just focused on what I could deal with, and made my decision based on that.”

Tim Hardaway Jr. joins the NBA after averaging a career-best 14.5 points in the 2012-13 season.