Maryland’s Justin Jackson to work out with Raptors ahead of NBA Draft decision deadline

Maryland forward Justin Jackson will work out with the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday, according to The Baltimore Sun’s Don Markus.

Jackson has until Wednesday to decide whether he’ll stay in the 2017 NBA Draft or return to Maryland for his sophomore season, so this means he likely won’t release his choice before Tuesday night at the earliest. Fans could be in for a repeat of last year’s events, when Melo Trimble waited until late into the night before choosing to return to Maryland.

Jackson quietly declared for the draft without issuing a statement or press release through the school, and earned positive reviews during his time at the NBA Draft Combine. Two ESPN analysts said they think he’ll end up back at Maryland, but post-combine workouts could change that. Jackson is not listed on DraftExpress’s 2017 NBA mock draft.

The Raptors are Jackson’s hometown team, and a top-40 offer from them could be hard to ignore. They have the Nos. 23 and 54 picks in the draft. Jackson likely wouldn’t leave if he’s only promised the latter, but if Toronto promises to take him with the No. 23 pick, he’d likely be gone. However, there’s no reporting to suggest the Raptors have thought about doing either of those things.

In other Maryland-related draft news, InsideMDSports’ Jeff Ermann reports that Melo Trimble will skip his previously scheduled workout with the Lakers.