Tyler Lydon Declares for 2017 NBA Draft

Syracuse Orange forward Tyler Lydon declared for the NBA draft Wednesday on his Twitter page:

Lydon was a sophomore during the 2016-17 season and averaged 13.2 points and 8.6 rebounds per game.

While his field-goal percentage (47.9 to 47.3) and three-point percentage (40.5 to 39.5) slightly dipped, his per-game totals were an improvement from his freshman season when he posted 10.1 points and 6.3 boards a night.

Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman ranked Lydon No. 26 on his big board and provided a scouting report for the versatile forward:

"For the most part, Lydon looked similar to what he looked like last year—limited as a shot-creator, but dangerous as a shot-maker. He'll earn his money shooting the three-ball, which he converted at a 39.8 percent clip through 71 career games. His value spikes if he can improve his playmaking skills from the stretch 4 position."

DraftExpress projected Lydon to go No. 23 overall in its most recent mock draft.

At 6'9", Lydon can serve as a matchup problem at the power forward position for some NBA bigs. He can force them out of their comfort zone in the paint with his outside shooting prowess, which in turn will create penetration lanes for his teammates.

Lydon can also battle for boards down low and help protect the rim, as his 1.4 blocks per game this season indicated.

Jon Rothstein of FanRag Sports noted Lydon will sign with an agent, which would prevent him from changing his mind and returning to Syracuse before the draft.