Bruce Pearl couldn’t give many specifics, but he didn’t rule out the possibility of star center Johni Broome returning to Auburn next season.

“Sure,” Pearl said Thursday when asked if Broome has a chance to come back. “Absolutely. It’s one of his options would be to come back.”

Broome led Auburn in scoring this year at 16.5 points per game. Auburn’s season ended abruptly in the first round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament with an upset loss to No. 13 seed Yale.

Broome declined to answer questions from reporters in the locker room after the Yale game.

This was Broome’s second year at Auburn after transferring from Morehead State and the best season of his college career. He was named to the All-SEC first team and the SEC Tournament MVP after Auburn won the championship in Nashville.

Broome greatly improved as a shooter and a passer this season with career highs by significant margins in both assists per game and 3-point shooting percentage. He has previously looked into the NBA Draft in past offseasons and decided to return to Auburn.

He has also talked this season about how seeing Broome improve as a shooter and passer were what scouts were looking for. He’s done that. Though, most prognosticators still view Broome as a second-round if he is drafted at all.

“You’ve gotta weigh what the NIL could be versus what being on a two-way contract or a second round or Europe or things like that,” Pearl said. “I think that’s something his family is in the process of doing.”

As Pearl described, it would likely take a hefty financial package of Name, Image and Likeness deals to keep Broome in college. He has been through the NBA process before and the answers of what type of contract awaits him will be compared to what type of money he could make in college.

It’s a decision that could still drag out over the offseason. Broome’s potential return would give Auburn a potential SEC preseason player of the year candidate for next season. His status will have a significant impact on Auburn’s transfer portal plans and roster build for next season.

Auburn will lose forward Jaylin Williams — the winningest player in Auburn history — as he is out of eligibility. Backup center Dylan Cardwell will determine if he wants to stay at Auburn for his final year after graduating in December or use his graduate transfer year elsewhere. Or move on from college basketball entirely.

After Auburn lost to Yale, Cardwell said he was uncertain of his plans for next year. He said he would begin thinking this week.

Auburn’s big men are its biggest question mark at this point in the offseason.

K.D. Johnson is the only Auburn player to leave thus far other than those out of eligibility. Johnson entered the transfer portal on Tuesday.

Matt Cohen covers Auburn sports for AL.com. You can follow him on X at @Matt_Cohen_ or email him at [email protected]