Khalif Battle Shares Strong Feelings About Decision to Transfer to Gonzaga originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Gonzaga guard Khalif Battle spoke to assembled media on Friday ahead of his NBA pre-draft workout with the Sacramento Kings, his sixth workout of the cycle.
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Battle reported he is anticipating 12-14 more workouts as well as he tries to play his way into the second round of the NBA draft, which will take place on June 26.
Battle spoke about his decision to transfer to Gonzaga for his final season of eligibility, having spent one year at Butler, three injury-riddled seasons at Temple, and one year at Arkansas before joining Mark Few’s club.
“My decision was strictly for this moment right here,” Battle said. “I can’t name an unsuccessful Zag at the next level…I think being a Zag was the best decision I ever made.”
Battle started 31 out of 35 games last year for the Zags, averaging 13.6 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game. He led the WCC and finished third in the country with a 93.2% free throw percentage, and his 58 made threes was second on the Zags and 11th in the conference.
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Although he did not get an invite to the G-League Elite Camp or NBA draft combine, Battle did participate in the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament (PIT) alongside Nolan Hickman and was one of the daily MVP winners with a strong 23 point performance in a scrimmage.
Battle’s positional size, scoring instincts, and elite ability to not only get to the free throw line, but shoot over 90% while there, should get him at least a summer league invite and could land him in the G-League or on a two-way contract.
But, with the amount of guards who opted to pull out of the draft to return to college – including Tahaad Pettiford, Labaron Philon, Boogie Fland, and Milos Uzan – Battle’s chances of sneaking into the back end of the draft have increased as well, especially if he ends up working out for over half the teams in the NBA over the next three weeks.
Related: WATCH: Steele Venters Posts Workout Video While Recovering From Season-Ending Injury
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 8, 2025, where it first appeared.
