Vanderbilt's Aaron Nesmith Declares for 2020 NBA Draft

Vanderbilt forward Aaron Nesmith announced his intention to enter the 2020 NBA draft and hire an agent, forgoing his final two seasons of eligibility.

Kyle Boone of CBS Sports tweeted the statement Nesmith released Thursday:

Nesmith averaged 23.0 points and 4.9 rebounds on 51.2 percent shooting, including 52.2 percent from three, in 14 games last season before missing the remainder of the campaign with a foot injury.

Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman ranked Nesmith as the No. 17 overall prospect in the 2020 class on his latest big board. He projects as a 3-and-D prospect who will need others to create shot opportunities for him on the perimeter. Nesmith finished his career at Vanderbilt with 75 turnovers and just 58 assists.

Teams will likely view him as a career role player, which will limit how high he can move up draft boards. He's also lacking in elite athleticism that would stand out among a group during the combine.

That said, this is widely considered a mediocre draft. Playoff teams simply looking to find a reliable contributor for their rotation should take a long look at Nesmith, who has a smooth stroke from distance and excels coming off screens. 

Given the proliferation of threes around the NBA, Nesmith should find himself a long-term spot on a team's bench and could be a sleeper in this class.