San Diego State’s Miles Byrd was included on the list of invitees to the upcoming NBA Draft combine after the full group was revealed this past weekend.
A redshirt sophomore, Byrd was an All-Mountain West selection after breaking out to average 12 points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals per game. Against Colorado State in January, Byrd showcased what makes him an intriguing pro prospect. He finished the game with 25 points, seven steals and six rebounds while knocking down five of his nine three-point attempts. With Byrd’s length, perimeter shooting skills and defensive ability, he’s been thought of as a great fit in today’s modern NBA.
A four-star recruit out of Lincoln High School in Stockton, Byrd chose the Aztecs over Minnesota, Washington, Colorado State and Santa Clara. He took a medical redshirt during San Diego State’s run to the national title game in 2023. Last season, Byrd played in 34 games while averaging four points and three rebounds.
San Diego State had a strong month of April while working to rebuild next season’s roster. After losing point guard Nick Boyd to the transfer portal, San Diego State was able to convince star forward Magoon Gwath to withdraw from the portal and return for another season as an Aztec. Gwath had previously announced his plans to enter the NBA Draft with Byrd but has since withdrawn to have arthroscopic knee surgery.
San Diego State added point guard Sean Newman Jr., shooting guard Latrell Davis and forward Jeremiah Oden from the college basketball transfer portal while also securing a commitment from top 100 high school prospect Elzie Harrington.
75 prospects earned invites to the NBA combine with Byrd joining Colorado State’s Nique Cllifford and Nevada’s Kobe Sanders as the lone selections from the Mountain West Conference.
San Diego State has not had a player drafted into the NBA since Malachi Flynn went No. 29 overall to the Toronto Raptors in the 2020 Draft. Flynn, Kawhi Leonard (2011) and Michael Cage (1984) are the three Aztecs to be first round NBA selections in program history.
When asked his plans for the offseason back in February, Byrd did not hesitate.
“No portal for me,” he said. “If I’m coming back to college, I’m coming back to SDSU…Maybe do pre-draft stuff with my agency and see where that takes me.”
He’s held to that and will now have the coming weeks to showcase his skills to NBA teams before deciding to take the pro path or return to a loaded roster at San Diego State.
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