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Why Trevor Lacey entering the draft isn't an illogical choice

Why Trevor Lacey entering the draft isn't an illogical choice

NC State guard Trevor Lacey isn't likely to be selected in this June's NBA draft. He would be the centerpiece of a preseason top 20 Wolfpack team if he returned to school.

So clearly Lacey made a bad decision Wednesday when he announced he was forgoing his final year of college eligibility and entering the draft, right? Well, not necessarily.

Lacey will turn 24 in October, young by real-life standards but not for a pro basketball prospect. He'd be 25 by the start of his first professional season if he returned to NC State as a fifth-year senior making him as much as six years older than fellow draft prospects.

For Lacey, staying in school would mean forfeiting another year of earning potential, something that is a lot tougher to do as a 24-year-old than it is at 19 or 20. The window to make money playing pro basketball is only so long, and Lacey doesn't want to waste another year of it even if it means trying to fight his way onto an NBA roster as an undrafted free agent or heading overseas to play in Europe or Asia.

Whereas younger prospects can sometimes improve their draft stock and their initial NBA salary by returning to school, Lacey doesn't have that same room for growth. Scouts have watched Lacey for years and have a pretty good idea of what he is as a prospect: A scorer who excels at making tough shots off isolation plays but lacks the size, length or elite athleticism to be more than a fringe NBA prospect.

The downside to Lacey's decision is that he could have enjoyed a special season at NC State had he came back as a fifth-year senior.

Seven of the Wolfpack's top eight scorers from a 22-win team would have been back had Lacey opted to return. They also add West Virginia transfer Terry Henderson, who is nearly the outside shooting threat that lone departee Ralston Turner was but also is a more versatile scorer.

NC State can still make the NCAA tournament without Lacey, but the second-team All-ACC pick won't be easy to replace. He averaged 15.7 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.5 assists last year, his first with the Wolfpack after sitting out the previous year following a transfer from Alabama.

A few minutes after NC State released that Lacey was leaving, Lacey sent the following two tweets.

NC State fans have every right to be disappointed, but they should cut Lacey some slack.

This was a tough decision. It wasn't an illogical one though.

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Jeff Eisenberg is the editor of The Dagger on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at daggerblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!