Purdue's Carsen Edwards Declares for 2019 NBA Draft, Will Hire Agent

Purdue Boilermakers guard Carsen Edwards declared for the NBA draft Sunday with an announcement on his personal Twitter account:

According to Jeff Goodman of Stadium, he will sign an agent as well.

Edwards is a fascinating prospect. The 21-year-old junior averaged an impressive 24.3 points, 2.9 assists and 1.3 steals in the 2018-19 season, shooting just 39.3 percent from the field but 35.5 percent from three. And he saved his best for last, averaging an absurd 34.8 points in the NCAA men's basketball tournament, which included two 42-point games.

One of those came in the Elite Eight against Virginia, though the Boilermakers fell just short to the Cavaliers in overtime, in part because of an errant pass late in the game from Edwards. But the loss didn't diminish his sheer brilliance in that showdown.

That was college. The question NBA scouts and front offices will be asking is whether the 6'1" Edwards translates to the NBA.

His size will be a concern, as will a lack of playmaking and turnover issues (3.1 per game this year). At his size, Edwards' ideal position would be at point guard, but his skill set translates to playing off the ball. His upside may be as instant points off the bench, a la Lou Williams.

Sam Vecenie of the The Athletic believes Edwards will carve a role for himself in the NBA, in large part because of his ability to create shot opportunities both on-ball and off:

"The way that he sprints off of pin-downs and baseline screens is special, and allows him to create more separation from his defender than most. Combine that with his ability to stop on a dime, lift with perfect balance, and fire with ease, and you're talking about a player who should be a weapon as a shot-maker away from the ball. Then, throw in that he has a bevy of counter-moves when he's on the ball to create separation going backward, from behind-the-back crossovers to hesitation pull-ups, and throw in his range out to 30-feet, and you're talking about a genuine off-the-bench scoring guard who should be lethal to opposing defenses."

Vecenie isn't alone in believing Edwards' skill set translates to the next level:

Given Edwards' ability, it seems likely he'll slide into the back of the first round of this June's NBA draft. At the very least, a team will take a chance on him.