Paul Mulcahy pulls name out of NBA Draft: Will Rutgers guard return?

There was a bit of light shined on the Paul Mulcahy situation on Thursday but gray areas remain nonetheless.

The NBA released a list on Thursday sharing the name of 108 players that have elected to withdraw their names from the 2023 NBA Draft. Mulcahy’s name was on the list, meaning that he will not be apart of the draft but he has not officially shared his plans for next year. Mulcahy did not publicly announce his withdrawal.

This news came one day after Cliff Omoruyi announced his return to Rutgers for his senior year ahead of the deadline. Like Omoruyi, Mulcahy holds options such as attempting to sign a contract overseas. Unlike Omoruyi, Mulcahy has the option of entering the transfer portal as a graduate student. Of course, the Scarlet Knights saw Cam Spencer take this option.

Mulcahy decided to follow the course of many Scarlet Knights in recent years and test the waters of the NBA Draft while maintaining his eligibility. While Mulcahy worked out with many teams individually, he was not invited to the NBA Draft Combine or G-League Elite Camp.

Mulcahy has spent the last four years at Rutgers. He has played in 121 games, making 81 starts and averaging 27.5 minutes per game. Inconsistency has been an issue for Mulcahy and all aspects showed last year.

There were times where Mulcahy was able to takeover a game. Of course, a 17-point performance against Michigan State at Madison Square Garden comes to mind, where Mulcahy took over down the stretch. Rutgers struggled from there, losing six of eight games heading into the Big Ten Tournament, and Mulcahy averaged just over five points per game during that stretch.

With that being said, Mulcahy returning would boost Rutgers further. The Scarlet Knights addressed a need in the transfer portal by adding Noah Fernandes. He gives Rutgers another option to handle the ball and score off the dribble. Derek Simpson is expected to take a step forward as a sophomore as well. If Mulcahy returns, Rutgers would have many options in the backcourt.

Mulcahy would be able to play off the ball but that does not mean that this would be permanent. He has been near the top of the conference in assists per game over the last two years with 5.3 in 2021-22 and 4.9 in 2022-23.

It is unknown when Mulcahy will publicly share his plans for next season but do not expect one this week. When the announcement is made, it will continue to shine a light on the expectations and hype around this Rutgers team next season.