RALEIGH, N.C. — NC State freshman guard Matt Able has announced he intends to enter the NBA Draft, while also entering the transfer portal ahead of the 2026 season, Dushawn London of 247Sports reported on Monday morning.
The 6-foot-6, 205-pound guard played just one season with the Wolfpack, averaging 8.8 points and 3.4 rebounds per game as a true freshman. Able shot 41.6 percent from the floor and 35.5 percent from behind the arc, finishing with 24 points on 9-of-20 shooting in the two games in the ACC Tournament.
Able’s decision to enter the transfer portal and test his draft stock comes after the decision by Will Wade to exit the Wolfpack program and head back to LSU. His final comments in Dayton — prior to Wade’s decision and Justin Gainey eventually being hired — suggested he had plans to return.
“We can accomplish a lot. We had a really good team this year and it sucks that we’re going home, but we can make it farther, for sure,” Able said. “I love it. I love Raleigh. I love NC State. It’s a great area and I’m really sad to see it end like this, but I love it here.”
Able becomes the first player who participated during the 2025-26 season to enter the transfer portal, but he will join Cole Cloer in the portal once it opens. Much like Cloer leaving the door open for a possible return, Able indicated he’ll keep the Wolfpack as an option if he doesn’t stay in the NBA Draft or transfer to another school.
It was likely that he would have entered the portal regardless of the decision by Wade given issues behind the scenes down the stretch, so transferring to LSU likely isn’t the destination, either. Wherever Able lands in the portal or in the NBA, he’ll be a coveted piece to any puzzle with his combination of size, shooting and maturity to make an impact at any level of the game.
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