UCLA junior guard Jonah Bolden has informed the coaching staff that he has opted to play professionally this season and will forgo his final two years of eligibility, the school announced Tuesday.
The 6-foot-10 Bolden will look to play for one season in Europe and then enter the 2017 NBA Draft, according to Australian reporter Olgun Uluc.
“Jonah came to us and expressed his desire to play professionally, and obviously, there are some other issues that went along with that, but I’m not allowed to talk about that due to the privacy of the young man,” UCLA assistant coach David Grace said on The 4 Quarters Podcast, referencing Bolden’s well-documented NCAA eligibility issues.
Bolden played in 31 games, making 11 starts, during his one season with the Bruins (2015-16). He averaged 4.6 points and 4.8 rebounds per game.
In September 2014, the NCAA ruled Bolden a partial qualifier.
The issue for Bolden — who committed to UCLA in December 2013 — related to the fact that his clock expired before he graduated high school in the United States. Bolden began at Findlay Prep before transferring and finishing up at Brewster (N.H.) Academy.
