JT Toppin to Return to Texas Tech for Junior Season, Forgo 2025 NBA Draft

Texas Tech forward JT Toppin announced Wednesday he's returning to the Red Raiders for the 2025-26 season.

According to CBS Sports' Matt Norlander, Toppin "is expected to be paid" approximately $4 million through NIL agreements during the 2025-26 season.

Toppin averaged 18.2 points on 55.4 percent shooting along with 9.4 rebounds this season. Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman projected the sophomore to go 28th in his most recent 2025 NBA mock draft.

"Scouts admire JT Toppin's ability to consistently produce and work hard to earn paint buckets," Wasserman wrote. "He scored 20-plus points in each of Texas Tech's three NCAA tournament games, using his signature one-two punch of physicality and one-handed touch.

"Florida's bigs did make life tough for Toppin inside, and it did raise some questions about the translatability of his style of scoring at 6'9". Some of the push shots he typically hits just didn't fall, however, and a pair of pick-and-pop threes highlighted some capable shooting range."

Considering he was projected as a possible first-round pick, many in Lubbock, Texas, might've thought they'd seen the last of Toppin. Instead, he's seemingly another example of how the NIL has shifted the paradigm.

Securing Toppin's return is big for head coach Grant McCasland after junior forward Darrion Williams reportedly entered the transfer portal and chose to explore his NBA options. Williams was the team's second-leading scorer (15.1 points) and rebounder (5.5 boards).

McCasland has utilized the portal to great effect. Toppin, Williams and Chance McMillian all started their college careers elsewhere before moving to Texas Tech.

The transfer portal will be invaluable toward building a roster good enough to make a deep NCAA tournament run again, and having Toppin is a great start.