2026 Draft Stuff

[babyjax13]

1. WAS: AJ Dybantsa (shades of: peak Pascal Siakam, Jaylen Brown, Rudy Gay) [range: 1-2]
AJ takes really long strides and is physically explosive, but a lot of his dribble moves are extremely slow. A lot of this is because he always takes long strides, even when doing things like spin-moves, etc., but that results in no leverage for moves that require smaller movements. All of that to say: an NBA team should be able to do a lot with his dribble drive game. They will tighten up the handle and clear up some of the awkward movement. What is promising, is that his shot is looking smoother as the season goes on. It is not exactly amazing, but he should not be a non-factor from three. Defensively he has a lot of tools, but there are some decision-making issues to work through. In the second half of the season his shot has improved, and he is correcting some of the movement issues I identified above. These are good signs that further development will help him maximize the potential of his frame and skillset.

2. UTA: Darryn Peterson (shades of: Bradley Beal, Ray Allen) [range: 1-3]
To start the season he was not explosive at all, he just looked like a really skilled scoring guard. This was confusing because in high school he was explosive and good as a lead guard. Now we are seeing some of the explosiveness come back - though he really is not playing as their lead guard. His shot is gorgeous: repeatable, fast, consistent. He can score from three levels, he has deceptive handles and body movements, he changes speed and direction at the right time, etc. He isn't selfish, he is always directing traffic for his team on and off-ball. Defensively he has good anticipation and lateral speed, he should be a plus on that end as a guard. I love him, I am convinced he is a star. Later season thoughts: wow, that was not a good season. There are obviously large injury concerns and over time his facilitation became worse. I still think there is more on-ball creation there, but I can see Peterson sliding given how bad his Freshman season was. I think there is a reasonably chance he slides to closer to 7, but I will be keeping him top-4 in my mock. I am still bullish on the upside, but there is risk here.

3. MEM: Cameron Boozer (shades of: Kevin Love, old Blake Griffin, Alperin Sengun) [range: 1-3]
Boozer isn't an explosive athlete, he isn't fluid like modern power forwards, but he is just an incredibly good basketball player. At the power forward position he is a good passer who can act as an offensive hub. He is often directing his teammates on defense, as well. In almost every situation he makes the right decision. Physically he is strong, an excellent rebounder, and I think he is mobile enough to not be a liability defensively. If he can physically play center that will increase his value in the NBA - I think he is strong enough, but he can't really provide rim protection. I buy that he will be a functional three point shooter in the NBA, and over time he may even be very good. I don't buy that he will step in and shoot 40% from 3 or anything close to that in his first few years, nor do I think he is going to create a lot of shots for himself on the perimeter (he will need them created). Whoever drafts him is getting an excellent player, but he might require some work to build the best possible team around (e.g., he would be fantastic next to Jaren Jackson or Alex Sarr).

4. CHI: Caleb Wilson (shades of: Joe Smith + passing, early career Pascal Siakam) [range: 2-4]
Offensively is a nice passer with a good handle for his size - though it could stand to tighten up a bit if he is going to be more of an on-ball player. I think that is going to be important, as I doubt he becomes a major threat as a shooter. From the midrange his jumper looks okay, so I do think it will project out over time, but he will be his most impactful if he can score off of drives consistently (I suspect this is the swing skill that determines if he is a good roleplayer, or something more). Defensively he is extremely mobile, and is a tenacious rebounder. He can switch onto guards and UNC will sometimes have him hound whoever is bringing the ball down the court. I think this has confused his role a bit on defense, though, as he tends to get lost (and I think part of this is the complexity of his role). Another concerning thing is that he bites on almost every pumpfake. I am pretty high on Wilson, but he is riskier than the top 3. I do think he is the perfect personality for Memphis, though.

5. LAC (IND): Keaton Wagler (shades of: Steve Smith, Mike Miller) [range: 5-8]
Wagler is an amazing shooter off the bounce or in spot up situations. He has some physicality when driving that allows him to finish, and he has a better handle than a lot of players who are primarily shooters (e.g., Klay Thompson). Lots of people are high on his court vision and see him as a pure point guard, but I think most of his reads are pretty basic and he doesn't have an incredibly advanced handle to reliably break down a defense at this point. I see him more in the mold of shooting guards who offer very nice secondary creation and who can hit a variety of shots off the dribble or on the move. EDIT: in the second half of the season he is operating much more as the primary facilitator at Illinois. The returns are pretty promising, he is showing more ability to break down a defense and has more opportunities to demonstrate that he is a plus passer. I am not buying that he is elite, but I do think there is some potential in there for a lead guard which puts him firmly above Kingston Flemings for me (who is just smaller).

6. BRK: Darius Acuff (shades of: Deron Williams, Stephon Marbury, Jarret Jack) [range: 5-8]
I love watching Acuff. Offensively he settles his team and dictates pace. He can create his own shot on the perimeter or in the midrange, and he is a fairly physical finisher (though not some above-the-rim savant like Rose). I think he is going to have a lot of value as a true point guard, and I love seeing someone in that archetype coming into the NBA. Defensively he doesn't generate steals and I don't think he is particularly aware despite his clear basketball IQ on offense.

7. SAC: Mikel Brown Jr (shades of: LaMelo Ball, Immanuel Quickley) [range: 5-8]
At his best can dictate the pace of play on offense. He takes a bit too many off-the-dribble threes for my tastes, but he isn't a complete loose canon with his shot selection and does create opportunities for others by getting into the lane and keeping a live dribble. He isn't so fast that he is turning the corner on everyone, but he can attack a defense. I think he will be a pretty big threat from three even if the percentages could be better with improved shot selection. Defensively he has pretty fast hands and can get some nice poke-aways, but I don't think he will be an asset on that end. I am always looking for guard who, when they play, really dictate the pace of the game. Brown can do that pretty well, so I think there is quite a bit of upside here.

8. ATL (NOP): Kingston Flemings (shades of: Monta Ellis) [range: 7-13]
I am not as high on him as consensus. He has a really nice shooting stroke, is lightening quick and not selfish. Defensively he competes but I think he will get physically bullied at the next level a bit and he has a narrow frame. I don't like how high his dribble is and there isn't a lot of deceptiveness to it. He will need to get some more advanced handles as he develops and that might take a few seasons. Someone may fall in love with the BPM and draft him top 5 which isn't a crime, but I have him more in the 7-10 range.

9. DAL: Brayden Burries (shades of: Jrue Holiday, Marcus Smart) [range: 8-13]
Plays very under control. Not the best handle for a guard, but it is functional. Good at attacking a bent defense and can get into the lane sometimes with his handle. Nice jumper, very physical, should be an excellent complimentary player on offense. Defensively he is fundamentally sound and, again, very physical. He fits that archetype of the defensive guard that has been so valuable as a "1" or a "2" in the NBA for the last 15 years. I think he also has some upside to be a pretty good scorer, so there could be someone closer to Jrue/Derrick White than the Marcus Smarts of the world, but I think the floor is high enough that a team would probably keep him long term if they can even if he doesn't absolutely "hit". I think Atlanta prefers him to Brown given that they moved on from Young.

10. MIL: Nate Ament (shades of: Chandler Parsons, Deni Avdija) [range: 6-13]
A lot of the raw materials you want to see from a skill-perspective are there. He has a fine handle for a 4/3 and isn't selfish. He isn't an outlier playmaker, passer, or ball handler, but he will fit into an offense and with a live dribble is a threat to score from the freethrow line and in. He can be pretty aggressive attaching the rim despite his really thin stature which bodes well for his translation to the NBA. Defensively he can get caught ball watching, or buried under the basket by stronger players. OTOH he has a lot of length and he can be somewhat disruptive with it. He offers a bit of secondary rim protection and can disrupt passing lanes. His shooting touch at the beginning of the year was alarming and he is still prone to some bad misses. I think he really needs some time to shoot, but an NBA team should be able to work on this with him. I don't think he will be an elite shooter, but probably a slightly below-average to average 3-point shooter. However, he should create quite a bit of rim pressure once he is more physically developed and I also think he will have some nice secondary playmaking potential. Skillwise he is more of a 4/3 than a 3/4 and I think that the same is true of his physical tools - I am not sure he can get fast enough laterally to be a primary wing defender, but he can get strong enough to handle 4s and he is mobile enough to switch. I don't think that he is a star, and that was kind of the hope going into the season - that he would be the 4th player off the board and have an outside shot at an excellent freshman season. Instead, Caleb Wilson took that role in the draft, and I think a few other freshman have looked better. That said, many of those freshman are guards and Ament's physical tools and position just make him more useful if he is a long-term starter, relative to a small guard who is a long-term starter but not a transcendent star. He can't create his own shot on the perimeter which is a huge limiting factor for his offensive potential.

11. GSW: Hannes Steinbach (shades of: bigger, better Kyle Filipowski, Chris Kaman with a 3) [range: 11-17]
Steinbach is a bit of a weird one to me. On offense and defense he is a tremendous rebounder, very physical. He is also reasonably mobile and a good passer for a center. Defensively he doesn't seem like a defensive anchor, but I think he has more value than guys like Nikola Vucevic on that end. Wingspan is probably going to matter a lot for whether he breaks into the top-10 or drops a bit, but he seems like a nice starting center for a team but likely not a star.

12. OKC (LAC): Morez Johnson (shades of: Isaiah Stewart, Precious Achiuwa) [range: 12-19]
I really disliked him in international play, but at Michigan he showed an improved shot that I think projects out to NBA three in the long term and is a mobile and switchable defender. I have some doubts about his ability to be a full-time starting center, as well as his ability to be a plus rebounder.

13. MIL (MIA): LaBaron Philon (shades of: Dennis Schroder, George Hill) [range: 10-16]
Excellent at maintaining his dribble. Relentlessly attacks the defense, none of his movements are passive or without purpose and he creates a lot of pressure in the center of the court. He can get to the rim, but also has a variety of creative finishes short of getting to the rim. Excellent at keeping defenders on his back. Jumper has come a long way. Not selfish, but still a more scoring-oriented point guard. The way he attacks the middle of the floor reminds me a bit of Dame, but Philon is not that level of shooter. Defensively he seems to have a pretty long wingspan and he is fast and physical, but he is also a bit on the smaller side for the NBA. I am not sure he can be a starting point guard, but I do think there is a chance that he is and that he is worth taking a first round flier on. I would not take him top-10.

14. CHA: Yaxel Landeborg (shades of: PJ Washington, Keegan Murray) [range: 11-17]
I really like the handle for a player of his size and I believe that the shooting will continue to improve. He takes a lot off the dribble for Michigan and can hit them, but he will take less in the NBA. He is quite old as a prospect, so what you see is what you get, but I think he is more interesting than similarly old prospects (e.g., Duarte) in that he has a desirable skillset and can defend 3/4s.

15. CHI (POR): Cameron Carr (shades of: Shaedon Sharpe, Gerald Green, but not quite as athletic as either) [range: 10-19]
Carr has improved a lot this season, though some of the things he does well were visible during the few games he played for Tennessee. He is a good shooter, though takes a few too many while not just dribbling, but really fading away, etc. Should be a good slasher in the NBA, but the lack of spacing at Baylor made that a bit more difficult. I think there is a chance that in a better team context he showed even more and was in contention for top-10. Defensively he is really long and can block some shots, but he doesn't generate as many steals as he should and I think he will really struggle to adjust to the physicality of the NBA.

16. MEM (PHX): Christian Anderson [range: 16-28]
Beautiful quick trigger on the jumper and has a reasonable but unspectacular handle for a point guard. Keeps the ball moving and throws some nice entry passes, but he is not some transcendent passer. Functional both on ball and off which will be appealing to a lot of teams. He feels like a good choice for someone who could outperform their draft position.

17. OKC (PHI): Aday Mara (shades of: Donovan Clingan) [range: 11-19]
Extremely slow and has some awkward movement tendencies. Could be more physical. Near the rim, he can have soft hands and finish, but I don't really trust his non-at-rim shooting, and I don't think he is anything more than an average roller. His size and soft hands allows him to get some lobs. Defensively he can block shots you don't expect him to get to - but as you would anticipate, you don't want him to switch. I think he is so painfully slow that he will also get taken advantage of some in drop coverage. The athletic testing is really helpful for him, but I think top-10 is an ambitious placement.

18. CHA (ORL): Jayden Quaintance (shades of: Robert Williams, Theo Ratliff) [range: 17-35]
JQ has no discernable skill on offense other than being a decent passer. He has terrible hands, farts up jumpers off his heels all the time, can't hit freethrows, and won't ever stretch the court. Hypothetically he has fantastic physical qualities that could make him a good rim-runner and lob threat, but he has been so injured that it isn't clear he can or will be able to do that. Defensively he can be disruptive and switch a bit. Very good shot-blocker, and I Think he will be a good rebounder. A best case outcome is something like Robert Williams. I think a team will draft him too high, I certainly would not take him lottery, and I really wouldn't start considering him until the mid-20s. There is a lack of centers in this draft which may boost JQ a bit.

19. TOR: Chris Cenac (shades of: Bobby Portis, Wendell Carter Jr.) [range: 12-20]
Cenac has a nice jumper and is a relentless rebounder. The shooting percentages don't look great, but if you look at other centers who have become floor spacers it isn't all that out of line. I think the rebounding and steals are really promising r/e effort, and his measureables suggest that he should be a better shot blocker than he was at Houston. Given that he played next to Tugler, I think the blocks were depressed a bit.

20. SAS (ATL): Karim Lopez (shades of: Naji Marshall, Jalen Johnson) [range: 16-24]
Has developed a nice handle this season and has some court vision. Shot is ugly and rigid and percentages are poor but not alarming. Lopez is 6-8, and he can dribble + pass. He can kind of shoot, if he ever gets that part of his game on track there is a reasonable amount of upside. Good athlete with nice footwork. As a vertical athlete I think he is above average but not amazing.

21. DET (MIN): Ebuka Okorie [range: 16-26]
Okorie is extremely fast and can generate his own shot in the paint or on the perimeter. Interior finishing could improve but draws a ton of fouls. I don't think he makes advance reads as a passer so being on a team with a bigger distributor could really maximize him. I don't have a ton of confidence in his defense given the size.

22. PHI (HOU): Koa Peat (shades of: Aaron Gordon) [range: 17-26]
I think Peat's short jumper demonstrates some soft touch even though there is some stiffness in the shoulders and it is flat. I have some irrational faith that he will develop a shot. Defensively he doesn't get many stocks, but he is incredibly switchable and in the right place. Offensively he cuts, gets offensive rebounds, and is a decent passer.

23. ATL (CLE): Sergio de Larrea [range: 16-26]
Fantastic passer and legitimate point guard skills at 6-7. Jumper has improved quite a bit, fun floater game, but won't get to the rim and finish through contact. Defensively seems likely to be a bit of a liability, but I think the connective skills on offense are enough for him to get drafted as high as the late lottery.

24. NYK: Dailyn Swain [range: 17-27]
I am not as sold as other people, I don't believe much in the shot. However, the rest of the tools are pretty interesting and I think betting on the shot coming around is perfectly fine in the 20s.

25. LAL: Meleek Thomas (shades of: Jordan Clarkson) [range: 19-28]
Thomas can generate his own shot and has some length as a small guard defender. He has a deceptive handle and movements and is a creative scorer. Defensively his length can be disruptive and he gives good effort, but I am not sure he has the frame or awareness to be elite on that end.

26. DEN: Bennett Stirtz [range: 21-28]
Stirtz is a really nice shooter and can attack a bent defense. He can't really break down a defense with his dribble, but he is an acceptable table-setter on offense. I think he will look best on a team that has another guard who takes a lot of ball-handling responsibilities and he can play the role of completing 'hockey assists' and hitting open threes.

27. BOS: Tarris Reed Jr.
Reed doesn't have any standout skills, but he is strong, fairly mobile, and always in the right place. I think a team looking for someone who can be a decent backup center will snap him up ASAP.

28. BRK (DET): Allen Graves
Graves is slow, plays a lot of back to the basket, doesn't have an advance handle, and doesn't look like an outlier shooter (high percentage, low volume). That said, he is also very cerebral when he plays and is a "right place, right time" player despite being so young. I am lower on him in the draft than most because I think he needs two or three years to develop his body, but I think a team who is in the midst of a rebuild and has a late first/early second should consider him.

29. CLE (SAS): Isaiah Evans
Evans has a quick trigger and a nice shooting stroke. He can attack a bent defense but doesn't have a super advanced handle or amazing athleticism. Defensively I don't love him and I think he will get burned a lot by smaller guards, and has too narrow of a frame to be ideal guarding 3s.

30. DAL (OKC): Ryan Conwell
Strength has become a huge quality smaller guards need to have, and Conwell has it in spades. He is a fantastic shooter who does just enough on-ball to keep things moving, and his strength defensively allows him to switch up. He is a good rebounder for his size and generates some steals (though not an outlier amount). He is also just heady and mature, and I think a team late in the first should seriously consider him as I feel fairly confident he is an NBA player.

31. NYK (WAS): Henri Vaaseer
32. MEM (IND): Joshua Jefferson
33. MIN (BRK): Jack Kayil
34. SAC: Alex Karaban
35. SAS (UTA): Zuby Ejiofor
36. LAC (MEM): Richie Saunders
37. OKC (DAL): Malique Lewis
38. CHI (NOP): Baba Miller
39. HOU (CHI): Trevon Brazil
40. BOS (MIL): Jaron Pierre
41. MIA (GSW): Keyshawn Hall
42. SAS (POR): Felix Okpara
43. BRK (LAC): Tre White
44. SAS (MIA): Braden Smith
45. SAC (CHA): Quadir Copeland
46. ORL: Emmanuel Sharpe
47. PHX (PHI): Jaden Bradley
48. DAL (PHX): Otega Oweh
49. DEN (ATL): Jakobe Gillespie
50. TOR: Bruce Thornton
51. WAS (MIN): Tobi Lawal
52. LAC (CLE): Tre Donaldson
53. HOU: Vsevolod Ishchenko
54. GSW (LAL): Nate Biddle
55. NYK: Ugonna Unyenso
56. CHI (DEN): Izaiyah Nelson
57. ATL (BOS): Tamin Lipsey
58. NOP (DET): Maliq Brown
59. MIN (SAS): Kylan Boswell
60. WAS (OKC): Trey Kaufman-Renn

Thijs De Ridder*
De Ridder can't be drafted because he was auto-eligible in 2025, which I think is interesting enough to note, because I would have him in this draft, otherwise. This also applies to Sananda Fru.

Could also be drafted
Seth Trimble
Rafael Castro
Malik Reneau
Lamar Wilkerson
Cade Tyson
Donovan Atwell
Jaden Henley
Bryce Hopkins
Keiba Keita
Nick Martinelli
Tyler Nickel
Malik Dia
Darrion Williams
Tyler Bilodeau
Peter Suder
Tucker DeVries
Milos Uzan

Probably not getting drafted, but could be NBA players:
Nick Boyd
Donovan Dent
MJ Collins
Dillon Mitchell
Jaxon Kohler
Kashie Natt
Michael Ajayi
Tyon Grant-Foster
Chad Baker-Mazzara


Guessing 2027 [parenthesis is the highest I think they can be drafted by round]: Motiejus Krivas (1st), Billy Richmond (1st), Braylon Mullins (1st), Miikka Muurinen (1st), Trey McKenney (1st), Jalen Harrelson (1st), Alijah Arenas (1st), Tomislav Ivisic (1st), Jasper Johnson (1st), Jack Kayil (1st), Isiah Harwell (1st), Thomas Haugh (1st), Omer Maier (1st), Massamba Diop (1st), Dame Sarr (1st), David Mirkovic (1st), Meleek Thomas (1st), Tounde Yessoufou (1st), Billy Richmond (1st), Rueben Chinyelu (1st), Tyler Tanner (1st), Jacob Furphy (1st), Neoklis Avdalas (1st), Patrick Ngongba II (1st), Matas Vokietaitis (1st), Noa Kouakou-Heugue (1st), Jojo Tugler (1st), Dash Daniels (1st), Milan Momcilovic (2nd), Nikolas Khamenia (2nd), JT Toppin (2nd), Shon Abaev (2nd), Mario Saint-Suprey (2nd), Tyler Tanner (2nd), Donnie Freeman (2nd), Talis Soulhac (2nd), Darius Adams, Eric Reibe (2nd), Moustapha Thiam (2nd), Cayden Boozer (2nd), Darren Harris, Niko Bundalo, Johann Grunloh (late 1st, early 2nd), Silas Demary (late 1st, early 2nd), Malachi Moreno (late 1st, early 2nd), Amari Allen (2nd), Declan Duru (2nd), Flory Bidunga (2nd), Jeremy Fears Jr. (2nd), Alex Condon (2nd), Kanon Catchings (2nd), Mihailo Petrović (2nd), Boogie Fland (2nd), Magoon Gwath (2nd), Ian Jackson (2nd), Silas Demary (2nd), Karter Knox (2nd), Pryce Sandfort (2nd), Myles Bird (2nd), Andrej Stojakovic (2nd), Kwame Evans (2nd), Cole Rosario (2nd), Taylor Bol Bowen (2nd), Coen Carr (2nd), Eric Dailey (2nd), Zvonimir Ivisic (2nd), Tahaad Pettiford (2nd), Aden Holloway (2nd), Joson Sanon (2nd), PJ Haggerty (2nd), Mackenzie Mgbako (2nd), Robert Wright (2nd), Caleb Foster (2nd), Baye Ndongo (2nd), Blake Harper (2nd), Adrian Wooley (2nd), Jarin Stevenson (2nd), Aaron Bradshaw (2nd), Ognjen Srzentic (2nd), Michael Ruzic (2nd), Mouhamed Faye (2nd), Pavle Backo (2nd)

2027: Jordan Smith (1st), Tyran Stokes (1st), Caleb Holt (1st), Taj Ariza (1st), Ikenna Alozie (1st), Daniel Jacobson, Quron Elliott, Adam Atamna, Fallou Mbow

[babyjax13]

Big Board (plausible high-end upside)
These spots are very soft/provisional right now. I expect guys to be in the tier I have them, or one above/below.

Tier 1 (future MVP candidate):
AJ Dybantsa

Tier 2 (all NBA + multi-time all star):
Darryn Peterson
Cam Boozer
Caleb Wilson

Tier 3 (multi-time all-star):
Darius Acuff

Tier 4 (maybe an all-star, probably a good starter)
Mikel Brown
Brayden Burries
Nate Ament

Tier 5 (solid starter)
Keaton Wagler
Kingston Flemings
Hannes Steinbach
Cameron Carr
Lebaron Philon
Sergio de Larrea

Tier 6 (Low-end starter/high-end bench player)
Chris Cenac
Yaxel Landeborg
Karim Lopez
Koa Peat
Aday Mara
Morez Johnson
Jayden Quaintance
Christian Anderson

Tier 7 (high-end bench player, 6th/7th man)
Isaiah Evans
Baba Miller
Ebuka Okorie
Bennett Stirtz
Meleek Thomas
Ryan Conwell

Tier 8 (solid rotation player, 7th-9th man)
Seth Trimble
Tre White
Trevon Brazil
Dailyn Swain
Richie Saunders
Allen Graves
Tarris Reed Jr.
Alex Karaban
Malique Lewis
Jaron Pierre
Vsevolod Ishchenko
Henri Vaaseer
Joshua Jefferson
Brayden Smith
Jack Kayil
Quadir Copeland
Jakobe Gillespie
Tobi Lawal
Keyshawn Hall

Tier 9 (end of rotation, 9th-10th man)
Kylan Boswell
Emmanuel Sharpe
Felix Okpara
Zuby Ejiofor
Ugonna Unyenso
Nate Biddle
Keiba Keita
Jaden Bradley
Tre Donaldson
Bryce Hopkins
Otega Oweh
Izaiyah Nelson
Trey Kaufman-Renn

Tier 10 (fringe-NBA player: gleague/two-way)
Lamar Wilkerson
Nick Martinelli
Malik Dia
Bruce Thornton
Darrion Williams
Malik Reneau
Cade Tyson
Tyler Nickel
Nick Boyd
Tyler Bilodeau
Donovan Atwell
Rafael Castro
Milos Uzan
Donovan Dent
Tamin Lipsey
Dillon Mitchell
Maliq Brown
Jaden Henley
Peter Suder
Tucker DeVries
MJ Collins
Jaxon Kohler
Kashie Natt
Michael Ajayi
Tyon Grant-Foster
Chad Baker-Mazzara

[babyjax13]

Quoting this to have my preseason ranks to see how much things change.

For now this is just a loose, semi-ordered list of players that interest me. There are certainly players I am not aware of that should be here.

Tier 1 (one of these players will probably go first)
Tier 2 (probably top-10)
Tier 3 (probably lottery)
Tier 4 (maybe lottery)
Tier 5 (possibly first round)
Tier 6 (outside chance at first round)

1. Darryn Peterson
2. AJ Dybantsa
3. Cameron Boozer
4. Caleb Wilson
5. Nate Ament
6. Mikel Brown Jr.
7. Tounde Yessoufou
8. Chris Cenac
9. Koa Peat
10. Karim Lopez
11. Brayden Burries
12. Yaxel Landeborg
13. Dame Sarr
14. Keyshawn Hall
15. Hannes Steinbach
16. Neoklis Avdalas
17. Bennett Stirtz
18. Sergio de Larrea
19. Mikka Muurinen
20. Isiah Harwell
21. Jacob Furphy
22. Thomas Haugh
23. Tomislav Ivisic
24. Isaiah Evans
25. Jayden Quaintance
26. Boogie Fland
27. Karter Knox
28. Baba Miller
29. Tahaad Pettiford
30. Myles Bird
31. Darius Acuff
32. Mihailo Petrović
33. Dash Daniels
34. David Mirkovic
35. Maleek Thomas
36. Christian Anderson
37. Shon Abaev
38. Noa Kouakou-Heugue
39. Magoon Gwath
40. Baye Ndongo
41. LaBaron Philon
42. Joson Sanon
43. Ian Jackson
44. Donovan Dent
45. Adrian Wooley
46. Kylan Boswell
47. Darrion Williams
48. Braden Smith
49. Jojo Tugler
50. Patrick Ngongba II
51. Milos Uzan
52. Coen Carr
53. Kam Williams
54. Mackenzie Mbako
55. Dailyn Swain
56. Malique Lewis
57. Trey Kaufman-Renn
58. Alex Karaban
59. Richie Saunders
60. Zvonimir Ivisic

Could also be drafted
61. Tre Donaldson
62. Otega Oweh
63. Michael Ruzic
64. JT Toppin
65. Alex Condon
66. Blake Harper
67. Caleb Foster
68. Trevon Brazil
69. PJ Haggerty

UDFA material
70. Chad Baker-Mazzara
71. Milan Momcilovic
72. Robert Wright
73. Tyon Grant-Foster
74. Bruce Thornton
75. Eric Dailey
76. Motiejus Krivas
77. Jarin Stevenson
78. Morez Johnson Jr.
79. Aaron Bradshaw

Still evaluating
Malachi Moreno
Joshua Lewis
Tyler Kropp
Tucker DeVries
Andrej Stojakovic
Paul McNeil
Kwame Evans
Donnie Freeman
Michael Ajayi
Tobi Lawal
Diego Garavaglia
Xaivian Lee
Ognjen Srzentic
Ryan Conwell
Silas Demary
Aday Mara
Jaylin Stewart
Anthony Robinson II
Tamin Lipsey
Tyler Harris
Mouhamed Faye
Mathieu Grujicic
Thierry Darlan
Jalil Bethea


Other names of interest: Hamad Mousa, Efeosa Oliogu, Fernando De Los Santos, Bryson Toller, Johann Gruenloh, Jahel Trefle, Dan Skillings Jr., Rowan Brumbaugh, Elzie Harrington, Kyan Evans, Malik Dia

Guessing 2027: Braylen Mullins (1st), Kole Rosario (1st), Trey McKenney (1st), Fallou Mbow (1st), Nikolas Khamenia (1st), Jalen Harrelson (1st), Alijah Arenas (1st), Omer Maier (1st), Mario Saint-Suprey (2nd), Talis Soulhac (2nd), Darius Adams, Eric Reibe, Cayden Boozer, Jasper Johnson, Darren Harris, Niko Bundalo, Declan Duru (2nd), Flory Bidunga (2nd), Moustapha Thiam (2nd), Kanon Catchings (2nd)
2027: Jordan Smith (1st), Tyran Stokes (1st), Luigi Suigo (1st), Caleb Holt (1st), Taj Ariza (1st), Ikenna Alozie (1st), Daniel Jacobson, Quron Elliott, Adam Atamna

[Chuck Everett]

Quoting this to have my preseason ranks to see how much things change.

For now this is just a loose, semi-ordered list of players that interest me. There are certainly players I am not aware of that should be here.

Tier 1 (one of these players will probably go first)
Tier 2 (probably top-10)
Tier 3 (probably lottery)
Tier 4 (maybe lottery)
Tier 5 (possibly first round)
Tier 6 (outside chance at first round)

1. Darryn Peterson
2. AJ Dybantsa
3. Cameron Boozer
4. Caleb Wilson
5. Nate Ament
6. Mikel Brown Jr.
7. Tounde Yessoufou
8. Chris Cenac
9. Koa Peat
10. Karim Lopez
11. Brayden Burries
12. Yaxel Landeborg
13. Dame Sarr
14. Keyshawn Hall
15. Hannes Steinbach
16. Neoklis Avdalas
17. Bennett Stirtz
18. Sergio de Larrea
19. Mikka Muurinen
20. Isiah Harwell
21. Jacob Furphy
22. Thomas Haugh
23. Tomislav Ivisic
24. Isaiah Evans
25. Jayden Quaintance
26. Boogie Fland
27. Karter Knox
28. Baba Miller
29. Tahaad Pettiford
30. Myles Bird
31. Darius Acuff
32. Mihailo Petrović
33. Dash Daniels
34. David Mirkovic
35. Maleek Thomas
36. Christian Anderson
37. Shon Abaev
38. Noa Kouakou-Heugue
39. Magoon Gwath
40. Baye Ndongo
41. LaBaron Philon
42. Joson Sanon
43. Ian Jackson
44. Donovan Dent
45. Adrian Wooley
46. Kylan Boswell
47. Darrion Williams
48. Braden Smith
49. Jojo Tugler
50. Patrick Ngongba II
51. Milos Uzan
52. Coen Carr
53. Kam Williams
54. Mackenzie Mbako
55. Dailyn Swain
56. Malique Lewis
57. Trey Kaufman-Renn
58. Alex Karaban
59. Richie Saunders
60. Zvonimir Ivisic

Could also be drafted
61. Tre Donaldson
62. Otega Oweh
63. Michael Ruzic
64. JT Toppin
65. Alex Condon
66. Blake Harper
67. Caleb Foster
68. Trevon Brazil
69. PJ Haggerty

UDFA material
70. Chad Baker-Mazzara
71. Milan Momcilovic
72. Robert Wright
73. Tyon Grant-Foster
74. Bruce Thornton
75. Eric Dailey
76. Motiejus Krivas
77. Jarin Stevenson
78. Morez Johnson Jr.
79. Aaron Bradshaw

Still evaluating
Malachi Moreno
Joshua Lewis
Tyler Kropp
Tucker DeVries
Andrej Stojakovic
Paul McNeil
Kwame Evans
Donnie Freeman
Michael Ajayi
Tobi Lawal
Diego Garavaglia
Xaivian Lee
Ognjen Srzentic
Ryan Conwell
Silas Demary
Aday Mara
Jaylin Stewart
Anthony Robinson II
Tamin Lipsey
Tyler Harris
Mouhamed Faye
Mathieu Grujicic
Thierry Darlan
Jalil Bethea


Other names of interest: Hamad Mousa, Efeosa Oliogu, Fernando De Los Santos, Bryson Toller, Johann Gruenloh, Jahel Trefle, Dan Skillings Jr., Rowan Brumbaugh, Elzie Harrington, Kyan Evans, Malik Dia

Guessing 2027: Braylen Mullins (1st), Kole Rosario (1st), Trey McKenney (1st), Fallou Mbow (1st), Nikolas Khamenia (1st), Jalen Harrelson (1st), Alijah Arenas (1st), Omer Maier (1st), Mario Saint-Suprey (2nd), Talis Soulhac (2nd), Darius Adams, Eric Reibe, Cayden Boozer, Jasper Johnson, Darren Harris, Niko Bundalo, Declan Duru (2nd), Flory Bidunga (2nd), Moustapha Thiam (2nd), Kanon Catchings (2nd)
2027: Jordan Smith (1st), Tyran Stokes (1st), Luigi Suigo (1st), Caleb Holt (1st), Taj Ariza (1st), Ikenna Alozie (1st), Daniel Jacobson, Quron Elliott, Adam Atamna

Any updates on this so far?

[babyjax13]

Quoting this to have my preseason ranks to see how much things change.

For now this is just a loose, semi-ordered list of players that interest me. There are certainly players I am not aware of that should be here.

Tier 1 (one of these players will probably go first)
Tier 2 (probably top-10)
Tier 3 (probably lottery)
Tier 4 (maybe lottery)
Tier 5 (possibly first round)
Tier 6 (outside chance at first round)

1. Darryn Peterson
2. AJ Dybantsa
3. Cameron Boozer
4. Caleb Wilson
5. Nate Ament
6. Mikel Brown Jr.
7. Tounde Yessoufou
8. Chris Cenac
9. Koa Peat
10. Karim Lopez
11. Brayden Burries
12. Yaxel Landeborg
13. Dame Sarr
14. Keyshawn Hall
15. Hannes Steinbach
16. Neoklis Avdalas
17. Bennett Stirtz
18. Sergio de Larrea
19. Mikka Muurinen
20. Isiah Harwell
21. Jacob Furphy
22. Thomas Haugh
23. Tomislav Ivisic
24. Isaiah Evans
25. Jayden Quaintance
26. Boogie Fland
27. Karter Knox
28. Baba Miller
29. Tahaad Pettiford
30. Myles Bird
31. Darius Acuff
32. Mihailo Petrović
33. Dash Daniels
34. David Mirkovic
35. Maleek Thomas
36. Christian Anderson
37. Shon Abaev
38. Noa Kouakou-Heugue
39. Magoon Gwath
40. Baye Ndongo
41. LaBaron Philon
42. Joson Sanon
43. Ian Jackson
44. Donovan Dent
45. Adrian Wooley
46. Kylan Boswell
47. Darrion Williams
48. Braden Smith
49. Jojo Tugler
50. Patrick Ngongba II
51. Milos Uzan
52. Coen Carr
53. Kam Williams
54. Mackenzie Mbako
55. Dailyn Swain
56. Malique Lewis
57. Trey Kaufman-Renn
58. Alex Karaban
59. Richie Saunders
60. Zvonimir Ivisic

Could also be drafted
61. Tre Donaldson
62. Otega Oweh
63. Michael Ruzic
64. JT Toppin
65. Alex Condon
66. Blake Harper
67. Caleb Foster
68. Trevon Brazil
69. PJ Haggerty

UDFA material
70. Chad Baker-Mazzara
71. Milan Momcilovic
72. Robert Wright
73. Tyon Grant-Foster
74. Bruce Thornton
75. Eric Dailey
76. Motiejus Krivas
77. Jarin Stevenson
78. Morez Johnson Jr.
79. Aaron Bradshaw

Still evaluating
Malachi Moreno
Joshua Lewis
Tyler Kropp
Tucker DeVries
Andrej Stojakovic
Paul McNeil
Kwame Evans
Donnie Freeman
Michael Ajayi
Tobi Lawal
Diego Garavaglia
Xaivian Lee
Ognjen Srzentic
Ryan Conwell
Silas Demary
Aday Mara
Jaylin Stewart
Anthony Robinson II
Tamin Lipsey
Tyler Harris
Mouhamed Faye
Mathieu Grujicic
Thierry Darlan
Jalil Bethea


Other names of interest: Hamad Mousa, Efeosa Oliogu, Fernando De Los Santos, Bryson Toller, Johann Gruenloh, Jahel Trefle, Dan Skillings Jr., Rowan Brumbaugh, Elzie Harrington, Kyan Evans, Malik Dia

Guessing 2027: Braylen Mullins (1st), Kole Rosario (1st), Trey McKenney (1st), Fallou Mbow (1st), Nikolas Khamenia (1st), Jalen Harrelson (1st), Alijah Arenas (1st), Omer Maier (1st), Mario Saint-Suprey (2nd), Talis Soulhac (2nd), Darius Adams, Eric Reibe, Cayden Boozer, Jasper Johnson, Darren Harris, Niko Bundalo, Declan Duru (2nd), Flory Bidunga (2nd), Moustapha Thiam (2nd), Kanon Catchings (2nd)
2027: Jordan Smith (1st), Tyran Stokes (1st), Luigi Suigo (1st), Caleb Holt (1st), Taj Ariza (1st), Ikenna Alozie (1st), Daniel Jacobson, Quron Elliott, Adam Atamna

Any updates on this so far?

I have made some updates. Most of it is adding some of the good freshman and taking out ones that aren't getting any burn. I've only gotten to watch about 15 games this season so not a ton to base movement off of. I've dropped Yessoufou and Lopez a bit and added Flemings. I also keep moving Tomislav Ivisic up I really think he will be a starting caliber center for a team - not an elite one - but a really versatile and useful player who can pop out to three and move the ball, kind of in the Nurkic mold.

[azcatz11]

Quoting this to have my preseason ranks to see how much things change.

Any updates on this so far?

I have made some updates. Most of it is adding some of the good freshman and taking out ones that aren't getting any burn. I've only gotten to watch about 15 games this season so not a ton to base movement off of. I've dropped Yessoufou and Lopez a bit and added Flemings. I also keep moving Tomislav Ivisic up I really think he will be a starting caliber center for a team - not an elite one - but a really versatile and useful player who can pop out to three and move the ball, kind of in the Nurkic mold.

Have you guys seen Brayden Burries yet? He is having a disappointing season although his past few games have been good with the shot going in. He was very highly ranked but looks very small for college (even) although he's a good defender. I'm just wondering why he was labeled as a 1 and done when he's a 3-4 year college player IMO

[babyjax13]

Any updates on this so far?

I have made some updates. Most of it is adding some of the good freshman and taking out ones that aren't getting any burn. I've only gotten to watch about 15 games this season so not a ton to base movement off of. I've dropped Yessoufou and Lopez a bit and added Flemings. I also keep moving Tomislav Ivisic up I really think he will be a starting caliber center for a team - not an elite one - but a really versatile and useful player who can pop out to three and move the ball, kind of in the Nurkic mold.

Have you guys seen Brayden Burries yet? He is having a disappointing season although his past few games have been good with the shot going in. He was very highly ranked but looks very small for college (even) although he's a good defender. I'm just wondering why he was labeled as a 1 and done when he's a 3-4 year college player IMO

I've watched him twice. He is one of the guys that I might remove from the mock, I was hoping he would start to pick up as the season goes because I loved him before the season and I thought he looked really good in the red v blue game.

[Chuck Everett]

I have made some updates. Most of it is adding some of the good freshman and taking out ones that aren't getting any burn. I've only gotten to watch about 15 games this season so not a ton to base movement off of. I've dropped Yessoufou and Lopez a bit and added Flemings. I also keep moving Tomislav Ivisic up I really think he will be a starting caliber center for a team - not an elite one - but a really versatile and useful player who can pop out to three and move the ball, kind of in the Nurkic mold.

Have you guys seen Brayden Burries yet? He is having a disappointing season although his past few games have been good with the shot going in. He was very highly ranked but looks very small for college (even) although he's a good defender. I'm just wondering why he was labeled as a 1 and done when he's a 3-4 year college player IMO

I've watched him twice. He is one of the guys that I might remove from the mock, I was hoping he would start to pick up as the season goes because I loved him before the season and I thought he looked really good in the red v blue game.

I kind of think about him like Jared McCain, who I really didn't like coming out of Duke and yet, he seems like he can at least play on the next level. Burries archetype is at a crossroads right now in the NBA. Is he a straight up shooting guard or a combo guard that can play the 1 for stretches?

I need to see more. The size for his skillset is a minus, IMO.

[Chuck Everett]

Have you guys seen Brayden Burries yet? He is having a disappointing season although his past few games have been good with the shot going in. He was very highly ranked but looks very small for college (even) although he's a good defender. I'm just wondering why he was labeled as a 1 and done when he's a 3-4 year college player IMO

I've watched him twice. He is one of the guys that I might remove from the mock, I was hoping he would start to pick up as the season goes because I loved him before the season and I thought he looked really good in the red v blue game.

I kind of think about him like Jared McCain, who I really didn't like coming out of Duke and yet, he seems like he can at least play on the next level. Burries archetype is at a crossroads right now in the NBA. Is he a straight up shooting guard or a combo guard that can play the 1 for stretches?

I need to see more. The size for his skillset is a minus, IMO.

So Burries just destroyed Alabama and had his best game of the season. You think he read the slander?

[babyjax13]

Have you guys seen Brayden Burries yet? He is having a disappointing season although his past few games have been good with the shot going in. He was very highly ranked but looks very small for college (even) although he's a good defender. I'm just wondering why he was labeled as a 1 and done when he's a 3-4 year college player IMO

I've watched him twice. He is one of the guys that I might remove from the mock, I was hoping he would start to pick up as the season goes because I loved him before the season and I thought he looked really good in the red v blue game.

I kind of think about him like Jared McCain, who I really didn't like coming out of Duke and yet, he seems like he can at least play on the next level. Burries archetype is at a crossroads right now in the NBA. Is he a straight up shooting guard or a combo guard that can play the 1 for stretches?

I need to see more. The size for his skillset is a minus, IMO.

Hopefully he keeps it up. Some of these Freshman will decide ro wait until the 2027 draft to declare, though, given that it is much softer up top. I think some of these Freshman who are struggling will find a groove as the year goes.

[babyjax13]

I've watched him twice. He is one of the guys that I might remove from the mock, I was hoping he would start to pick up as the season goes because I loved him before the season and I thought he looked really good in the red v blue game.

I kind of think about him like Jared McCain, who I really didn't like coming out of Duke and yet, he seems like he can at least play on the next level. Burries archetype is at a crossroads right now in the NBA. Is he a straight up shooting guard or a combo guard that can play the 1 for stretches?

I need to see more. The size for his skillset is a minus, IMO.

Hopefully he keeps it up. Some of these Freshman will decide ro wait until the 2027 draft to declare, though, given that it is much softer up top. I think some of these Freshman who are struggling will find a groove as the year goes.

Burries is looking more like I thought he would, I'd be pretty thrilled if I were a team in the 14-20 range and needed a guard who could play defense and offer secondary playmaking + some three-level scoring against rotating defenses.

[azcatz11]

I kind of think about him like Jared McCain, who I really didn't like coming out of Duke and yet, he seems like he can at least play on the next level. Burries archetype is at a crossroads right now in the NBA. Is he a straight up shooting guard or a combo guard that can play the 1 for stretches?

I need to see more. The size for his skillset is a minus, IMO.

Hopefully he keeps it up. Some of these Freshman will decide ro wait until the 2027 draft to declare, though, given that it is much softer up top. I think some of these Freshman who are struggling will find a groove as the year goes.

Burries is looking more like I thought he would, I'd be pretty thrilled if I were a team in the 14-20 range and needed a guard who could play defense and offer secondary playmaking + some three-level scoring against rotating defenses.

Well guys - I think I jumped the gun on Burries. He was flat out awful to start the year but since around Thanksgiving he's been really, really good.

I think he's gotten used to the physicality of the college game. Aside from his 28 point performance last night, his defense has been his most impressive attribute this season.

Depending on his measurables, he's entering that lotto conversation

[babyjax13]

Hopefully he keeps it up. Some of these Freshman will decide ro wait until the 2027 draft to declare, though, given that it is much softer up top. I think some of these Freshman who are struggling will find a groove as the year goes.

Burries is looking more like I thought he would, I'd be pretty thrilled if I were a team in the 14-20 range and needed a guard who could play defense and offer secondary playmaking + some three-level scoring against rotating defenses.

Well guys - I think I jumped the gun on Burries. He was flat out awful to start the year but since around Thanksgiving he's been really, really good.

I think he's gotten used to the physicality of the college game. Aside from his 28 point performance last night, his defense has been his most impressive attribute this season.

Depending on his measurables, he's entering that lotto conversation

Hopefully we see some similar jumps here players start meeting expectations a bit more (Yessefou and Cenac have both been okay, but I'd like to see them get better through the season).

[Chuck Everett]

Burries is looking more like I thought he would, I'd be pretty thrilled if I were a team in the 14-20 range and needed a guard who could play defense and offer secondary playmaking + some three-level scoring against rotating defenses.

Well guys - I think I jumped the gun on Burries. He was flat out awful to start the year but since around Thanksgiving he's been really, really good.

I think he's gotten used to the physicality of the college game. Aside from his 28 point performance last night, his defense has been his most impressive attribute this season.

Depending on his measurables, he's entering that lotto conversation

Hopefully we see some similar jumps here players start meeting expectations a bit more (Yessefou and Cenac have both been okay, but I'd like to see them get better through the season).

So what's that big board looking like now, good sir?

[babyjax13]

Well guys - I think I jumped the gun on Burries. He was flat out awful to start the year but since around Thanksgiving he's been really, really good.

I think he's gotten used to the physicality of the college game. Aside from his 28 point performance last night, his defense has been his most impressive attribute this season.

Depending on his measurables, he's entering that lotto conversation

Hopefully we see some similar jumps here players start meeting expectations a bit more (Yessefou and Cenac have both been okay, but I'd like to see them get better through the season).

So what's that big board looking like now, good sir?

Nothing too revolutionary - haven't watched as much as I would like - but I am firm on AJ at 1 at this point. I probably have Acuff and Burries a bit higher than consensus (although both have been rising - I was late on Acuff and early on Burries) and Flemings a bit lower (just not my cup of tea, I think there are some issues with the ball handling and shot volume that makes him more of a combo-guard than a point guard). Also much higher on Brown - I still have him about where I did pre-season. Right now my top 10 is probably:

1. Dybantsa
2. Peterson
3. Boozer
4. Wilson
5. Brown
6a. Ament
6b. Wagler (still sorting these two)
8a. Acuff
8b. Burries (still sorting these two)
10a. Flemings
10b. Carr (leaning Flemings b/c of age)

I actually love the 11-15 of this draft, too. I think it is closer to what most draft's 8-12 picks look like. Yessefou/Peat/Steinbach. Had hopes that those three would be a bit better. Yessefou just isn't a good enough shooter, Peat hasn't shown that he can expand his range yet, and I am not sold on Steinbach being an above-average defensive center ... but all of them have some stuff I really like.

There are other interesting guys, too. I think I am way higher on Tomislav Ivisic than everyone else, right now I have Landeborg in front of him but I am not sure I will by the end of the season. I am kind of worried about my placement of Yaxel because of the age. He reminds me a lot of PJ Washington, but is he as good? If he is, a pick in the 10-18 range is awesome, but if he isn't, I think there are some guys with higher upsides.

I need to do a second look on basically everyone after 20. Avdalas needs a second look (I have seen a lot of Philon, think ultimately I will have him over Avdalas - probably will have de Larrea higher, too). Somehow Amari Allen sucks every time I watch him and Taylor Bol Bowen always has his best possible games

Very low on Quiantance, think he needs another year in college to show anything - I like Morez Johnson way more than I thought. I've hated watching him in FIBA play, but he is stretching the court now and I think he really benefited from that experience. Think he will be in the kind of Paul Reed/Beef Stew spectrum.

I know you really like Swain, I have a second look at him on my list, too.

I love some of the senior point guards, I think one of Braden Smith and Kylan Boswell will have a long NBA career. I think I have some different opinions on some of the big centers - I don't really like Mara or Krivas, but I do like Vokietaitis a lot?

[Chuck Everett]

Nothing too revolutionary - haven't watched as much as I would like - but I am firm on AJ at 1 at this point. I probably have Acuff and Burries a bit higher than consensus (although both have been rising - I was late on Acuff and early on Burries) and Flemings a bit lower (just not my cup of tea, I think there are some issues with the ball handling and shot volume that makes him more of a combo-guard than a point guard). Also much higher on Brown - I still have him about where I did pre-season. Right now my top 10 is probably:

1. Dybantsa
2. Peterson
3. Boozer
4. Wilson
5. Brown
6a. Ament
6b. Wagler (still sorting these two)
8a. Acuff
8b. Burries (still sorting these two)
10a. Flemings
10b. Carr (leaning Flemings b/c of age)

I actually love the 11-15 of this draft, too. I think it is closer to what most draft's 8-12 picks look like. Yessefou/Peat/Steinbach. Had hopes that those three would be a bit better. Yessefou just isn't a good enough shooter, Peat hasn't shown that he can expand his range yet, and I am not sold on Steinbach being an above-average defensive center ... but all of them have some stuff I really like.

There are other interesting guys, too. I think I am way higher on Tomislav Ivisic than everyone else, right now I have Landeborg in front of him but I am not sure I will by the end of the season. I am kind of worried about my placement of Yaxel because of the age. He reminds me a lot of PJ Washington, but is he as good? If he is, a pick in the 10-18 range is awesome, but if he isn't, I think there are some guys with higher upsides.

I need to do a second look on basically everyone after 20. Avdalas needs a second look (I have seen a lot of Philon, think ultimately I will have him over Avdalas - probably will have de Larrea higher, too). Somehow Amari Allen sucks every time I watch him and Taylor Bol Bowen always has his best possible games

Very low on Quiantance, think he needs another year in college to show anything - I like Morez Johnson way more than I thought. I've hated watching him in FIBA play, but he is stretching the court now and I think he really benefited from that experience. Think he will be in the kind of Paul Reed/Beef Stew spectrum.

I know you really like Swain, I have a second look at him on my list, too.

I love some of the senior point guards, I think one of Braden Smith and Kylan Boswell will have a long NBA career. I think I have some different opinions on some of the big centers - I don't really like Mara or Krivas, but I do like Vokietaitis a lot?

Philon is so hard to pin down. He does so many things well with the ball and he has good size. That seems like a guy who becomes a pro and everyone says, he should have gone higher. Maybe a similar career to DeJounte Murray, but his handles are so much better and so his shot at the same age.

Wouldn't shock me if he was a guard none of the other top guards wanted to work out against. I don't see it as possible, but if he fell to Denver at 22, they would be over the moon.

[babyjax13]

Nothing too revolutionary - haven't watched as much as I would like - but I am firm on AJ at 1 at this point. I probably have Acuff and Burries a bit higher than consensus (although both have been rising - I was late on Acuff and early on Burries) and Flemings a bit lower (just not my cup of tea, I think there are some issues with the ball handling and shot volume that makes him more of a combo-guard than a point guard). Also much higher on Brown - I still have him about where I did pre-season. Right now my top 10 is probably:

1. Dybantsa
2. Peterson
3. Boozer
4. Wilson
5. Brown
6a. Ament
6b. Wagler (still sorting these two)
8a. Acuff
8b. Burries (still sorting these two)
10a. Flemings
10b. Carr (leaning Flemings b/c of age)

I actually love the 11-15 of this draft, too. I think it is closer to what most draft's 8-12 picks look like. Yessefou/Peat/Steinbach. Had hopes that those three would be a bit better. Yessefou just isn't a good enough shooter, Peat hasn't shown that he can expand his range yet, and I am not sold on Steinbach being an above-average defensive center ... but all of them have some stuff I really like.

There are other interesting guys, too. I think I am way higher on Tomislav Ivisic than everyone else, right now I have Landeborg in front of him but I am not sure I will by the end of the season. I am kind of worried about my placement of Yaxel because of the age. He reminds me a lot of PJ Washington, but is he as good? If he is, a pick in the 10-18 range is awesome, but if he isn't, I think there are some guys with higher upsides.

I need to do a second look on basically everyone after 20. Avdalas needs a second look (I have seen a lot of Philon, think ultimately I will have him over Avdalas - probably will have de Larrea higher, too). Somehow Amari Allen sucks every time I watch him and Taylor Bol Bowen always has his best possible games

Very low on Quiantance, think he needs another year in college to show anything - I like Morez Johnson way more than I thought. I've hated watching him in FIBA play, but he is stretching the court now and I think he really benefited from that experience. Think he will be in the kind of Paul Reed/Beef Stew spectrum.

I know you really like Swain, I have a second look at him on my list, too.

I love some of the senior point guards, I think one of Braden Smith and Kylan Boswell will have a long NBA career. I think I have some different opinions on some of the big centers - I don't really like Mara or Krivas, but I do like Vokietaitis a lot?

Philon is so hard to pin down. He does so many things well with the ball and he has good size. That seems like a guy who becomes a pro and everyone says, he should have gone higher. Maybe a similar career to DeJounte Murray, but his handles are so much better and so his shot at the same age.

Wouldn't shock me if he was a guard none of the other top guards wanted to work out against. I don't see it as possible, but if he fell to Denver at 22, they would be over the moon.

He is tough for me. He looks like that player who ends up too good to be a backup, but not good enough to be a starter. But his handle and shot have improved so much in college that a bit of outlier development in either during his rookie contract could make him outperform my expectations. I kind of expect a Dennis Schroder or Tyus Jones level player?

[azcatz11]

Nothing too revolutionary - haven't watched as much as I would like - but I am firm on AJ at 1 at this point. I probably have Acuff and Burries a bit higher than consensus (although both have been rising - I was late on Acuff and early on Burries) and Flemings a bit lower (just not my cup of tea, I think there are some issues with the ball handling and shot volume that makes him more of a combo-guard than a point guard). Also much higher on Brown - I still have him about where I did pre-season. Right now my top 10 is probably:

1. Dybantsa
2. Peterson
3. Boozer
4. Wilson
5. Brown
6a. Ament
6b. Wagler (still sorting these two)
8a. Acuff
8b. Burries (still sorting these two)
10a. Flemings
10b. Carr (leaning Flemings b/c of age)

I actually love the 11-15 of this draft, too. I think it is closer to what most draft's 8-12 picks look like. Yessefou/Peat/Steinbach. Had hopes that those three would be a bit better. Yessefou just isn't a good enough shooter, Peat hasn't shown that he can expand his range yet, and I am not sold on Steinbach being an above-average defensive center ... but all of them have some stuff I really like.

There are other interesting guys, too. I think I am way higher on Tomislav Ivisic than everyone else, right now I have Landeborg in front of him but I am not sure I will by the end of the season. I am kind of worried about my placement of Yaxel because of the age. He reminds me a lot of PJ Washington, but is he as good? If he is, a pick in the 10-18 range is awesome, but if he isn't, I think there are some guys with higher upsides.

I need to do a second look on basically everyone after 20. Avdalas needs a second look (I have seen a lot of Philon, think ultimately I will have him over Avdalas - probably will have de Larrea higher, too). Somehow Amari Allen sucks every time I watch him and Taylor Bol Bowen always has his best possible games

Very low on Quiantance, think he needs another year in college to show anything - I like Morez Johnson way more than I thought. I've hated watching him in FIBA play, but he is stretching the court now and I think he really benefited from that experience. Think he will be in the kind of Paul Reed/Beef Stew spectrum.

I know you really like Swain, I have a second look at him on my list, too.

I love some of the senior point guards, I think one of Braden Smith and Kylan Boswell will have a long NBA career. I think I have some different opinions on some of the big centers - I don't really like Mara or Krivas, but I do like Vokietaitis a lot?

Philon is so hard to pin down. He does so many things well with the ball and he has good size. That seems like a guy who becomes a pro and everyone says, he should have gone higher. Maybe a similar career to DeJounte Murray, but his handles are so much better and so his shot at the same age.

Wouldn't shock me if he was a guard none of the other top guards wanted to work out against. I don't see it as possible, but if he fell to Denver at 22, they would be over the moon.

He is tough for me. He looks like that player who ends up too good to be a backup, but not good enough to be a starter. But his handle and shot have improved so much in college that a bit of outlier development in either during his rookie contract could make him outperform my expectations. I kind of expect a Dennis Schroder or Tyus Jones level player?

You guys think Braden Smith can sneak into the 1st round? I hate Purdue but this kid is their whole team and I haven't seen anyone run an offense like him for awhile....why can't he be a good backup PG?

[babyjax13]

Philon is so hard to pin down. He does so many things well with the ball and he has good size. That seems like a guy who becomes a pro and everyone says, he should have gone higher. Maybe a similar career to DeJounte Murray, but his handles are so much better and so his shot at the same age.

Wouldn't shock me if he was a guard none of the other top guards wanted to work out against. I don't see it as possible, but if he fell to Denver at 22, they would be over the moon.

He is tough for me. He looks like that player who ends up too good to be a backup, but not good enough to be a starter. But his handle and shot have improved so much in college that a bit of outlier development in either during his rookie contract could make him outperform my expectations. I kind of expect a Dennis Schroder or Tyus Jones level player?

You guys think Braden Smith can sneak into the 1st round? I hate Purdue but this kid is their whole team and I haven't seen anyone run an offense like him for awhile....why can't he be a good backup PG?

Towards the beginning of the year I felt that way (that he could sneak into the 1st) but he is absolutely tiny. He is 6-0 180, TJ McConnell is 6-1 190, Trae Young is 6-2 160, Brunson is 6-2 190 ... It is really hard to be as small as he is and play 20 minutes a game, the guys who do are real outliers. I do think he is a solid backup, but probably still a second round pick. Could he easily be one of the 30 best players in the draft? I actually think he will be, but it would be hard to not role the dice in the first round who has better measurables.

[Chuck Everett]

He is tough for me. He looks like that player who ends up too good to be a backup, but not good enough to be a starter. But his handle and shot have improved so much in college that a bit of outlier development in either during his rookie contract could make him outperform my expectations. I kind of expect a Dennis Schroder or Tyus Jones level player?

You guys think Braden Smith can sneak into the 1st round? I hate Purdue but this kid is their whole team and I haven't seen anyone run an offense like him for awhile....why can't he be a good backup PG?

Towards the beginning of the year I felt that way (that he could sneak into the 1st) but he is absolutely tiny. He is 6-0 180, TJ McConnell is 6-1 190, Trae Young is 6-2 160, Brunson is 6-2 190 ... It is really hard to be as small as he is and play 20 minutes a game, the guys who do are real outliers. I do think he is a solid backup, but probably still a second round pick. Could he easily be one of the 30 best players in the draft? I actually think he will be, but it would be hard to not role the dice in the first round who has better measurables.

So here's the thing with Smith. He's clearly better from a basketball perspective than a Tyus Jones type, however, he needs to find the right situation where a coach is going to give him the ball as a backup and ask him to organize the offense when he comes into a ball game.

So with that in mind, Minnesota is an obvious choice from a personnel standpoint, but Finch abhors developing young players, so unless Braden had absolutely no learning curve, he probably would never play.

Indiana is the next team. They value passers. Orlando still needs a backup PG and has for years. Nets don't really have a backup for Traore either, although we don't know their draft position yet.

Clippers could use a backup for Garland. Kings have Devin Carter and Killian Hayes.

Honestly, Braden's best bet may be to end up undrafted like Fred Van Vleet and Austin Reaves, so he and his agent can pick the organization where he can be the most successful.

And yes, I do believe he deserves a shot to have an NBA career. His size doesn't bother me if we expect him to be a career backup.