2026 NBA DRAFT CLASS

[Chuck Everett]

So, another name I think scouts are going to get a good look at this season is Dailyn Swain, 6'8 wing for Texas. He followed Sean Miller from Xavier but he looks like a prototype 3/D player. So far this season he's filling up the stat sheet with boards and assists.

Wouldn't shock me if Sam Presti was scouting him pretty heavily during the season. Guy looks like a future pro to me.

Wasn't sure if anyone mentioned his name yet.

Historically he hasn't been able to shoot at all. If it is real this is a huge improvement and that probably moves him from the conversation of being a mid/late 2nd to a late 1st/early 2nd prospect. He reminds me a bit of Kyle Anderson.

He's starting to string together some really solid games. I expect he'll end up making all-SEC. Again, watch out for OKC here.

[Chuck Everett]

Another guy, I think we should keep an eye on is Pharrel Payne. 6'9 250 playing for Buzz Williams at Maryland (second year as he played at A&M last year). Kind of a bruiser, very athletic, dunks everything and has gotten better every year in college. He would be perfect to play behind (and sometimes with) guys like Wemby, Chet, Mobley.

My comp is Isaiah Stewart, but obviously not as gifted as Beef Stew or Adem Bona, but could follow a similar career path. Just someone strong and relentless on the glass, but has some good size. Would also fit in Denver backing up Gordon. I mean, they're getting nothing out of Nnaji (still) and Daron Holmes (sadly, the Achilles might have done him in)

His numbers this year are ridiculous: 74% from the field. 81% from the line (on 8.5 attempts per game). There's something to work with here and he should have a real shot to be drafted late first/early 2nd round.

[tontoz]

I think Cameron Carr needs his own thread. He reminds me a bit of Vince Carter.

[babyjax13]

I think people are higher on Kingston Flemings than me. What am I missing? What I have seen so far makes me say...like I could see him in the late lottery at the highest, but more likely he is competing with a ton of guards to be first of the board among them in the teens?

[King Ken]

I think people are higher on Kingston Flemings than me. What am I missing? What I have seen so far makes me say...like I could see him in the late lottery at the highest, but more likely he is competing with a ton of guards to be first of the board among them in the teens?

3 level scoring
Explosive
Can get to any spot at will without screens
His BBIQ
Good feel for the game
His body greatly developed. He's much better at 6'4 190 than he was at 6'2 165.
Can play on and off the ball
Can defend 1 and 2
Fits the Tyrese Maxey prototype but is much better than Maxey was at the same stage. Much better.
Elite teammate

Easily one of the best PGs I've evaluated.

To me, I really never seen anything like this top 5 which is the 3 potential cornerstones and two elite prospects in Wilson and Flemings. Its not like 6-25 isn't amazing either, it is. This class is a class if you can get an extra 1st in, get it now.

[Chokic]

Very impressed by flemings. The least heralded of the three houston cougars recruits. Reminds me mix of jalen brunson and maxey. Nothing too flashy about his game just get buckets and makes the right passes/plays. Lottery pick.

[EvanZ]

Very impressed by flemings. The least heralded of the three houston cougars recruits. Reminds me mix of jalen brunson and maxey. Nothing too flashy about his game just get buckets and makes the right passes/plays. Lottery pick.

Funny to me how quickly people have latched onto Flemings, but we're so slow to come around to Fears last year. They're basically the same size, and I would say Fears is the better athlete. Not sure I get the disconnect.

[Chokic]

Very impressed by flemings. The least heralded of the three houston cougars recruits. Reminds me mix of jalen brunson and maxey. Nothing too flashy about his game just get buckets and makes the right passes/plays. Lottery pick.

Funny to me how quickly people have latched onto Flemings, but we're so slow to come around to Fears last year. They're basically the same size, and I would say Fears is the better athlete. Not sure I get the disconnect.

Fears is definitely more dynamic between the two. I think the main difference is fears played on a oklahoma team where they werent expected to be that good until after the fact whereas flemings emerged as one of the best freshman in the country on a prominent team w/ national spotlight and high expectations coming into the season. Flemings is already arguably the best player on Houston team and anybody saying that they saw tbat coming would be lying to you.

[tontoz]

Very impressed by flemings. The least heralded of the three houston cougars recruits. Reminds me mix of jalen brunson and maxey. Nothing too flashy about his game just get buckets and makes the right passes/plays. Lottery pick.

Funny to me how quickly people have latched onto Flemings, but we're so slow to come around to Fears last year. They're basically the same size, and I would say Fears is the better athlete. Not sure I get the disconnect.

Fears is definitely more dynamic between the two. I think the main difference is fears played on a oklahoma team where they werent expected to be that good until after the fact whereas flemings emerged as one of the best freshman in the country on a prominent team w/ national spotlight and high expectations coming into the season. Flemings is already arguably the best player on Houston team and anybody saying that they saw tbat coming would be lying to you.

Also Fears had issues with efficiency and turnovers that Flemings hasn't had, at least not yet. If i remember right Fears struggled once conference play started, then boosted his stock during the conference tourney.

[babyjax13]

Very impressed by flemings. The least heralded of the three houston cougars recruits. Reminds me mix of jalen brunson and maxey. Nothing too flashy about his game just get buckets and makes the right passes/plays. Lottery pick.

Funny to me how quickly people have latched onto Flemings, but we're so slow to come around to Fears last year. They're basically the same size, and I would say Fears is the better athlete. Not sure I get the disconnect.

I also think - for me at least - one game of watching Fears and he just looked on a totally different level than everyone else he was playing against/with. I see that less with Flemings - but boy does he fit into a team concept and play intelligently. It's not that I don't like him, and maybe it is the excellence of Houston that is making it hard after a first and second watch, but I just don't see a guy that is challenging to be top-5. Who knows, maybe by the end of the year I will be completely captured by him, but not yet. But given that people like him so much I will probably make a larger effort to see more. Thanks all!

[BigGargamel]

At first glance, this looks like a poor international class, but that's only because a lot of those guys came to play college here.

Dame Sarr
Hannes Steinbach
David Mirkovic
Neoklis Avdalas

All look like solid first round guys. Probably missing a couple others as well.

[BigGargamel]

Oh, and the Thunder currently have three times as many lottery picks in one of the deepest drafts in the past 20 years than they do losses on the season.

How did the rest of the NBA let them get away with this? LOL.

[Chi town]

I think people are higher on Kingston Flemings than me. What am I missing? What I have seen so far makes me say...like I could see him in the late lottery at the highest, but more likely he is competing with a ton of guards to be first of the board among them in the teens?

3 level scoring
Explosive
Can get to any spot at will without screens
His BBIQ
Good feel for the game
His body greatly developed. He's much better at 6'4 190 than he was at 6'2 165.
Can play on and off the ball
Can defend 1 and 2
Fits the Tyrese Maxey prototype but is much better than Maxey was at the same stage. Much better.
Elite teammate

Easily one of the best PGs I've evaluated.

To me, I really never seen anything like this top 5 which is the 3 potential cornerstones and two elite prospects in Wilson and Flemings. Its not like 6-25 isn't amazing either, it is. This class is a class if you can get an extra 1st in, get it now.

Well said.

Kid is a winner.

[Chi town]

I think Cameron Carr needs his own thread. He reminds me a bit of Vince Carter.

Agreed. Elite hops and length. Plays aggressive. His D could be a game changer. Believe in his shot too. Could develop into movement shooter. Still think he’s more athlete than hooper right now. He’s also a junior. Think I read he was a late bloomer physically.

[Chi town]

What’s the take on Veesarr from UNC?

Like how he moves and how he can pass.

[babyjax13]

What’s the take on Veesarr from UNC?

Like how he moves and how he can pass.

I like him as a second round pick. The shooting looks nice, he has some size.

[___Rand___]

I like Flemings from Houston. He's a bit undersized at 6'3" and skinny, but the kid's clutch almost single-handedly brought Houston back in that game against Vols. For a young freshman to show that big-game clutch instincts is HUGE IMO. I want THAT on my team. I want HIM on my team.

[tmorgan]

Some smart team that’s not obsessed with age will get an immediate solid contributor in Yaxel. Does everything pretty well.

[Threezus]

Im gonna be honest if the Hawks are going to ever decide to move on from Trae. This is the draft to do it in it is absolutely loaded. If you can get a really high 2026 1st in a trade back for him. You almost have to pull the trigger to give the Hawks 3 picks in the top 15 or so and maybe 2 in the top 5 to 10.

[babyjax13]

Im gonna be honest if the Hawks are going to ever decide to move on from Trae. This is the draft to do it in it is absolutely loaded. If you can get a really high 2026 1st in a trade back for him. You almost have to pull the trigger to give the Hawks 3 picks in the top 15 or so and maybe 2 in the top 5 to 10.

Considering that he is expiring I do not think Atlanta will be able to get that kind of return.