Luke Kennard Declares for 2017 NBA Draft, Will Hire Agent

Duke Blue Devils guard Luke Kennard officially declared for the 2017 NBA draft on Thursday, the school announced on Twitter. 

According to ESPN.com's Jeff Goodman, Kennard will sign with an agent and remain in the draft pool. 

Kennard put together a solid freshman season, but he really blossomed as a sophomore to the tune of 19.5 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game on 49.0 percent shooting from the field and 43.8 percent shooting from three. 

"Luke's been terrific," Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski said in early March, per the program's official Twitter account. "He's been one of the best players in the country. He's been consistently excellent. That's the biggest compliment I can give him."

An Associated Press second-team All-American selection, Kennard will enter the draft process as a fringe lottery prospect with room to grow. 

At present, the 20-year-old clocks in at No. 18 overall on the big board of Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman. 

"There are questions concerning his potential to defend starting guards, get his shot off cleanly and finish at the rim," Wasserman wrote. "But between his shooting, passing, sneakiness and competitive edge, there are enough reasons to think Kennard can stick in an offensive-minded supporting role."

A 6'6'' frame and 6'5'' wingspan (h/t DraftExpress.com) will hinder Kennard's ability to play small forward at the next level, but he has the shooting chops and foundational skills necessary to operate as a solid shooting guard moving forward. 

For more news, rumors and related stories about Luke Kennard, Duke and the NBA draft, check out the NBA draft and Duke streams on Bleacher Report's app.