[Givony/ESPN] Execs ring the alarms on 2027 draft

[GSWFan1994]

Via Jonathan Givony/ESPN:

Execs ring the alarms on 2027 draft

After a banner 2026 class (read more here), executives are concerned about what's next

Bleary-eyed executives have barely had a chance to turn the page on the 2025 NBA draft class. Still, they are already moving full throttle into the next draft cycle, with a busy summer in store headlined by FIBA tournaments, grassroots events, sneaker company camps and college practices.

The most forward-thinking of those executives are already ringing alarm bells in their front offices for the 2027 NBA draft, which appears to be an especially weak group of rising high school seniors and international players born in 2007 and 2008.

"This is one of the weakest high school classes I've seen in a long time," one grizzled talent evaluator with extensive experience in the amateur youth space told ESPN.

"There might not be a single All-Star in this group, and after the first few prospects, I'm not sure how many NBA starters I see either from the other five-star recruits. New players always emerge, but by now we usually have a pretty good idea of who the most elite prospects are, and it's looking like slim pickings, even more so than the weak 2024 NBA draft, which at least had several high-end international prospects we could point to."

College coaches making the rounds at summer league have echoed similar thoughts, saying they've been largely underwhelmed by the lack of star power among prospects ranked at the top of the 2026 recruiting class. This is causing them to plan on being even more aggressive in the transfer portal rather than spending significant sums on five-star prospects who might not be good enough to make impacts as freshmen at the college level.

This development could also have major implications on how aggressive NBA teams decide to be in dangling 2027 first-round picks while potentially repressing the appetite for teams considering tanking their way to a high draft pick. It also puts significant pressure on rebuilding teams to ensure they are in position to land in the talent-rich top five of the 2026 draft, which features five All-Star or franchise-caliber prospects: high-schoolers Darryn Peterson, AJ Dybantsa, Cam Boozer, Nate Ament and Mikel Brown.

NBA teams are hoping to find new prospects who emerge at next week's FIBA U18 EuroBasket tournament in Belgrade, Serbia. Last year's event yielded six first-round picks, not including a seventh international prospect in Egor Demin, who would have participated had his Russian national team not been banned because of the war in Ukraine.

[HotelVitale]

Not sure what this poll is about, I doubt any of us know enough about the 2027 draft class to have independent opinions here. It's definitely and demonstrably true that some draft classes are weaker than others, in the sense that there are fewer sure things or stand-out athletes etc, and I don't think there's any reason to doubt Givony's general take or think he's just making BS up.

Givony's title here seems pretty dumb though. Why would the response to something that happens every year being weaker than average be panicking and 'sounding alarm bells' as opposed to just like adjusting expectations and strategy accordingly. Which is the type of thing the article actually talks about.

[Clav]

Every team has the same players to evaluate, these types of reports just make me think that if franchises perform due diligence with scouting and prospect targeting, there's always a chance they find the exact player they need. If a franchise fails in that, well it is kind of on them.

I guess, there may not be the "Wemby" prospect but you cannot tell me that players will not be NBA players from this class, there are always ballers out there hungry for a chance and this entire circus is their motivation to get it together.

PS - It's 2 years away, so my advice to the 26-27 draft class - put in the work in the gym double for 700 days - because you might be a Lottery pick if you absolutely cook this year and next.

[Johnny Bball]

Why would anyone be terribly concerned a draft year sucked, 2 years away. Its one year.

[Invictus88]

Why would anyone be terribly concerned a draft year sucked, 2 years away. Its one year.

Well... if you are trying to trade a player away for picks it might make you ask for a FRP from 2028 instead of 2027... I didn't think this would be hard to come up with as a reason. Am I missing something?

[Johnny Bball]

Why would anyone be terribly concerned a draft year sucked, 2 years away. Its one year.

Well... if you are trying to trade a player away for picks it might make you ask for a FRP from 2028 instead of 2027...

Sorry... why does this make me concerned. As a fan. The poll question...

[Invictus88]

Why would anyone be terribly concerned a draft year sucked, 2 years away. Its one year.

Well... if you are trying to trade a player away for picks it might make you ask for a FRP from 2028 instead of 2027...

Sorry... why does this make me concerned. As a fan. The poll question...

I'm a basketball nerd (one of the reasons I'm on this board) so I like discussing things like this... I think if you were to ask your question literally anywhere else you'd get overwhelming agreement. But maybe not here?

[azcatz11]

Via Jonathan Givony/ESPN:

Execs ring the alarms on 2027 draft

After a banner 2026 class (read more here), executives are concerned about what's next

Bleary-eyed executives have barely had a chance to turn the page on the 2025 NBA draft class. Still, they are already moving full throttle into the next draft cycle, with a busy summer in store headlined by FIBA tournaments, grassroots events, sneaker company camps and college practices.

The most forward-thinking of those executives are already ringing alarm bells in their front offices for the 2027 NBA draft, which appears to be an especially weak group of rising high school seniors and international players born in 2007 and 2008.

"This is one of the weakest high school classes I've seen in a long time," one grizzled talent evaluator with extensive experience in the amateur youth space told ESPN.

"There might not be a single All-Star in this group, and after the first few prospects, I'm not sure how many NBA starters I see either from the other five-star recruits. New players always emerge, but by now we usually have a pretty good idea of who the most elite prospects are, and it's looking like slim pickings, even more so than the weak 2024 NBA draft, which at least had several high-end international prospects we could point to."

College coaches making the rounds at summer league have echoed similar thoughts, saying they've been largely underwhelmed by the lack of star power among prospects ranked at the top of the 2026 recruiting class. This is causing them to plan on being even more aggressive in the transfer portal rather than spending significant sums on five-star prospects who might not be good enough to make impacts as freshmen at the college level.

This development could also have major implications on how aggressive NBA teams decide to be in dangling 2027 first-round picks while potentially repressing the appetite for teams considering tanking their way to a high draft pick. It also puts significant pressure on rebuilding teams to ensure they are in position to land in the talent-rich top five of the 2026 draft, which features five All-Star or franchise-caliber prospects: high-schoolers Darryn Peterson, AJ Dybantsa, Cam Boozer, Nate Ament and Mikel Brown.

NBA teams are hoping to find new prospects who emerge at next week's FIBA U18 EuroBasket tournament in Belgrade, Serbia. Last year's event yielded six first-round picks, not including a seventh international prospect in Egor Demin, who would have participated had his Russian national team not been banned because of the war in Ukraine.

I'm concerned enough that I won't sleep well. This is worse than any geopolitical situation we're currently in...so yeah, I'm concerned. Unless you think Gabe Nesmith is a baller and will save this class....so what is your opinion?

[Yallbecrazy]

Just wait until February of 2027 and count how many freshmen have a bpm above 8.0.

[JRoy]

Can’t be worse than 2000.

[AleksandarN]

Via Jonathan Givony/ESPN:

Execs ring the alarms on 2027 draft

After a banner 2026 class (read more here), executives are concerned about what's next

Bleary-eyed executives have barely had a chance to turn the page on the 2025 NBA draft class. Still, they are already moving full throttle into the next draft cycle, with a busy summer in store headlined by FIBA tournaments, grassroots events, sneaker company camps and college practices.

The most forward-thinking of those executives are already ringing alarm bells in their front offices for the 2027 NBA draft, which appears to be an especially weak group of rising high school seniors and international players born in 2007 and 2008.

"This is one of the weakest high school classes I've seen in a long time," one grizzled talent evaluator with extensive experience in the amateur youth space told ESPN.

"There might not be a single All-Star in this group, and after the first few prospects, I'm not sure how many NBA starters I see either from the other five-star recruits. New players always emerge, but by now we usually have a pretty good idea of who the most elite prospects are, and it's looking like slim pickings, even more so than the weak 2024 NBA draft, which at least had several high-end international prospects we could point to."

College coaches making the rounds at summer league have echoed similar thoughts, saying they've been largely underwhelmed by the lack of star power among prospects ranked at the top of the 2026 recruiting class. This is causing them to plan on being even more aggressive in the transfer portal rather than spending significant sums on five-star prospects who might not be good enough to make impacts as freshmen at the college level.

This development could also have major implications on how aggressive NBA teams decide to be in dangling 2027 first-round picks while potentially repressing the appetite for teams considering tanking their way to a high draft pick. It also puts significant pressure on rebuilding teams to ensure they are in position to land in the talent-rich top five of the 2026 draft, which features five All-Star or franchise-caliber prospects: high-schoolers Darryn Peterson, AJ Dybantsa, Cam Boozer, Nate Ament and Mikel Brown.

NBA teams are hoping to find new prospects who emerge at next week's FIBA U18 EuroBasket tournament in Belgrade, Serbia. Last year's event yielded six first-round picks, not including a seventh international prospect in Egor Demin, who would have participated had his Russian national team not been banned because of the war in Ukraine.

The executive

[NZB2323]

Why would anyone be terribly concerned a draft year sucked, 2 years away. Its one year.

Well... if you are trying to trade a player away for picks it might make you ask for a FRP from 2028 instead of 2027... I didn't think this would be hard to come up with as a reason. Am I missing something?

Okay…but “ringing alarm bells,” asking if “people are concerned,” and asking if it’s too much “gloom and doom” is a bit much for a draft class being weaker where a GM shouldn’t prioritize trading for picks in it.

There are weak draft classes all the time. It’s the normal ebb and flow of things. This report and this thread are sensationalist.

[peZt]

Thats a lot of bad draft classes in a short amount of time. US Basketball really is in shambles, not able to produce superstar level talent anymore. Haven't been able to since like 2013 or something. Tatum and Ant are the closest things to a superstar. In the last 12 drafts, that's crazy

Adam Silver better pray Flagg, AJ Dybantsa, Dylan Harper or Darryn Petersen are the real deal. Cause the NBA desperately needs some american talents to challenge the top international ones.

Who are the best u32 american players today? Probably
Tatum
Ant
KAT
Jaylen Brown
Brunson

Can you find a period in the NBA where the top five under 32 was worse than this? Probably would have to go back to the 80s.

And of course the ratings keep going down and down. The 40 year old KD, LeBron and Curry generation can't carry the league anymore and there is no one to take over the torch. In a league that is designed around superstars carrying it and drawing the mainstream audience. That's a recipe for disaster when you dont have the superstars anymore. And the ratings are proof of that


And I blame 2 things:
Kids that dont go outside to play anymore, so kids dont develop their skills playing streetball anymore and 2) AAU ball. Kids dont play outside anymore so the only touchpoint to Basketball is basically High School and AAU. But the development programs there are very clearly not good enough to make up for that lack of talent development that was done on the streets in the past. AAU ball and High School teams that are coached by a random dad with 0 clue what it means to develop a talent are not good enough environments to develop superstar level talent and its getting more and more clear

[dhsilv2]

Can’t be worse than 2000.

As a fan, this is kinda the standard. If we're talking 2000 bad, we need to worry. If not...whatever.

[Saints14]

Obviously there's plenty of time for guys to break out but scouts are pretty good at this stuff, they were saying similar things about the 2024 draft years in advance and at least through their rookie year that turned out to be true. Hopefully 2026 is as good as advertised

[NZB2323]

Can’t be worse than 2000.

As a fan, this is kinda the standard. If we're talking 2000 bad, we need to worry. If not...whatever.

Do we though?

We need to spend our time worrying that a draft class 2 years from now might be as bad as 2000 because…we simply cannot live with the fact that a draft class could be that bad?

[Stan]

If you're worried about a draft class from 2 years from now, you need to reevaluate your life.

[dhsilv2]

Can’t be worse than 2000.

As a fan, this is kinda the standard. If we're talking 2000 bad, we need to worry. If not...whatever.

Do we though?

We need to spend our time worrying that a draft class 2 years from now might be as bad as 2000 because…we simply cannot live with the fact that a draft class could be that bad?

The 2000 draft set the talent pool of the NBA back. it's imo a big reason why the early 00's were such a terrible era for basketball. So in terms of a summer thread...yes it's worth worrying about. You know...summer level worry. Not real world.

[Frank Dux]

This is a whole lot of nothing. Also two years is a long time, some of these kids will have growth spurts and will take a leap skill wise.

Sure, Lebron James isn’t coming out that class, but you’ll probably see some very good players.

[Charlie Sollers]

If you aren't concerned about this I don't know what to say. This is probably one the biggest crisis in NBA history.