Shareef O'Neal Announces Decision to Stay in 2022 NBA Draft, Begin Working Out for Teams

The son of LSU great Shaquille O'Neal will begin conducting workouts with NBA teams in the coming weeks, showcase versatility

LSU transfer Shareef O’Neal has made his decision after announcing his departure from the Tigers in March. The son of NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal will keep his name in the 2022 NBA Draft and begin conducting workouts with teams in the coming weeks.

O’Neal, who entered the transfer portal while also putting his name in the NBA Draft pool, received interest from schools such as Jackson State, Texas Southern and Memphis over the last few months.

The 6-foot-10 forward played sparingly during his time with LSU due to constant nagging injuries, but his upside at the next level is sure to have teams interested. With tremendous length and versatility, O’Neal has shown flashes of his potential when healthy.

The former four-star recruit originally committed to UCLA out of high school, redshirting his freshman campaign due to open heart surgery. After a stint with the Bruins, O’Neal announced his departure, taking his talents to his father’s alma mater.

He transferred to LSU and played 24 games in two seasons, with injuries holding him back during his time with the Tigers. In 2021-22, O'Neal played in 14 games and averaged 2.9 points and 2.1 rebounds per game after returning from injury in January.

Despite not getting much time during his collegiate career at both UCLA and LSU, his father Shaquille firmly believes in the upside of his son, detailing what he feels he can do at the next level on TNT's "The Big Podcast with Shaq”.

“What people don’t know is — I know, I have a Giannis with a jump shot,” O’Neal said about his son. “That’s how I raised him. I have a Giannis Antetokounmpo with a jump shot, but people don’t know. So, hopefully he gets to go to a place where he can showcase his talent so people can see who he really is.”

O’Neal will conduct workouts with a number of NBA teams in the coming weeks, hoping to showcase what he can bring to the table at the next level. When healthy, O’Neal has the ability to be a versatile two-way player.