Ben Simmons 'making it official' on declaring for NBA draft, will hire agent

LSU star forward, and potential No. 1 pick Ben Simmons is declaring for the 2016 NBA Draft, he told ESPN's Jeff Goodman.

"I'm making it official," the freshman told ESPN on Sunday night.

Simmons also said he will hire an agent, meaning he can't back out of his decision. Reports surfaced recently of Simmons hiring Rich Paul of Klutch Sports, who also represents LeBron James, but there's been no confirmation.

The 6-foot-10 Australian was the top recruit in the class of 2015, and carried tremendous hype entering his first collegiate season. Though he encountered individual success, the Tigers struggled, finishing 19-14 and missing out on a tournament berth.

Simmons averaged a double-double, and was the only player in the country to average over 19 points, 11 rebounds, and four assists.

The consensus No. 1 overall selection entering the season, Simmons now faces the possibility of falling to No. 2 to the rising stock of Duke's Brandon Ingram, but Simmons almost certainly won't fall any farther than that, if he falls at all.