2026 NBA DRAFT CLASS

SkyHook · Post #781 » by **SkyHook** » Thu Apr 23, 2026 1:06 am

tmorgan wrote:
BlazersBroncos wrote:My hot take is that Mor Massamba Diop has a chance to be the Hansen Yang of this draft. Proj 31-45 type that finds his way into the 15-20 or so range.

We’ve had a bunch in the past, but we always need Mor Diops.

I’ll see myself out.

I'm always here for a good pun. Or even one like this.

BostoNZ · Post #782 » by **BostoNZ** » Thu Apr 23, 2026 1:26 am

SkyHook wrote:
tmorgan wrote:
BlazersBroncos wrote:My hot take is that Mor Massamba Diop has a chance to be the Hansen Yang of this draft. Proj 31-45 type that finds his way into the 15-20 or so range.

We’ve had a bunch in the past, but we always need Mor Diops.

I’ll see myself out.

I'm always here for a good pun. Or even one like this.

GSWFan1994 · Post #783 » by **GSWFan1994** » Thu Apr 23, 2026 1:14 pm

I wonder if it's a matter of time before the NCAA allows trades between teams, and eventually sets salary cap rules (limits on NIL spending) over time as well.

SkyHook · Post #784 » by **SkyHook** » Thu Apr 23, 2026 1:23 pm

Dash Daniels is among those who haven't yet declared for the draft. Has anyone heard how he's leaning? If he's in, I'd love to pick up a late first or early second to nab him.

https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/tracking-2026-nba-draft-decisions-aj-dybantsa-darryn-peterson-dunderclassmemn-declarations/

SkyHook · Post #785 » by **SkyHook** » Thu Apr 23, 2026 1:27 pm

GSWFan1994 wrote:I wonder if it's a matter of time before the NCAA allows trades between teams, and eventually sets salary cap rules (limits on NIL spending) over time as well.

Hard to see trades without multi-year NIL contracts which preclude declaring for the draft.

TheSuzerain · Post #786 » by **TheSuzerain** » Thu Apr 23, 2026 10:52 pm

SkyHook wrote:
GSWFan1994 wrote:I wonder if it's a matter of time before the NCAA allows trades between teams, and eventually sets salary cap rules (limits on NIL spending) over time as well.

Hard to see trades without multi-year NIL contracts which preclude declaring for the draft.

a buyout system seems way more likely.

Chuck Everett · Post #787 » by **Chuck Everett** » Fri Apr 24, 2026 4:10 pm

All right, my main man Veesar is in the draft. Now just need Krivas and we should have a run on bigs in the 18-30 range.

Edit: Krivas chose to remain at Arizona. Veesar made the right decision transferring to UNC. He started all year and will end up going in the first round.

babyjax13 · Post #788 » by **babyjax13** » Fri Apr 24, 2026 5:10 pm

Luigi Suigo declared! That is a huge addition : )

Felixians4 · Post #789 » by **Felixians4** » Sat Apr 25, 2026 3:41 am

babyjax13 wrote:Luigi Suigo declared! That is a huge addition : )

Pavle Backo too, Mega/Miško Ražnatović 18yr old big

FarBeyondDriven · Post #790 » by **FarBeyondDriven** » Sat Apr 25, 2026 9:24 am

Read on Twitter

?s=20

more losses. A few still likely to come. Sarr is going back to Duke which is surprising. Hard to know at this point who is actually going to be at the NBA combine. No doubt about it, this class has been decimated by NIL like no other before it. Looking more and more like 2003 every day.

BigGargamel · Post #791 » by **BigGargamel** » Sat Apr 25, 2026 7:06 pm

Well, the top of the draft is still going to be very good, but second rounds are becoming more and more useless.

wco81 · Post #792 » by **wco81** » Sat Apr 25, 2026 7:57 pm

Haven't there been players who went back to school hoping to improve their position for the next draft class and either got injured or had a worse season?

Maybe it's more with football where the risk of injury is great.

Any player who thinks they can earn a big second contract is better off entering the league sooner, to start that meter on getting out of their rookie contract. That extra year of $4-5 million will pale in comparison to a second contract because unless they're a total bust, they'd get at least $5-10 million in the first year of their second contract.

namlede · Post #793 » by **namlede** » Sun Apr 26, 2026 4:53 am

I think Caleb Wilson is the most talented player in the last 2 drafts. Whenever I watch him I just see a supremely talented athlete with great flexibility, great body control. He is a bit raw but if he has a great work ethic I don’t see a ceiling. He can be a true disruptant in all phases of the game while being a great #2 option or a good #1 option.

ROballer · Post #794 » by **ROballer** » Sun Apr 26, 2026 6:03 am

BigGargamel wrote:Well, the top of the draft is still going to be very good, but second rounds are becoming more and more useless.

Lol no. Terrible take.

You do realize we're coming after a draft that literally had the following players play decent chunks of minutes for stretches or even most of the season as rookies?

Ryan Kalkbrenner
Sion James
Micah Peavy
Maxime Raynaud
Jahmir Watkins
Javon Small
Kobe Sanders
Will Richard
Jahmai Mashack

Plus others who played more sparingly but still played. And some who weren't even drafted like Dylan Cardwell, Caleb Love, Ryan Nembhard.
What do all of these guys have in common? Seniors.

There's never not gonna be a pool of seniors to be drafted in the second round, especially now with NIL involved and players staying in college more and more.

You don't judge a draft by the star potential alone and the underclassmen crop. That's not how it works. You need to find the role players as well. Even those aged 22-24 coming in.
Older. But prone to be ready to go from the start.

2026 is decent as well in the second round in terms of seniors. Will be more of the same as the previous one.
You will get ready to play guys for some teams.

And that will happen every single season from now on with the NIL effect.

damedash09 · Post #795 » by **damedash09** » Mon Apr 27, 2026 10:08 pm

Read on Twitter

Cammo101 · Post #796 » by **Cammo101** » Mon Apr 27, 2026 10:32 pm

damedash09 wrote:

Read on Twitter

They should. Unless you are a top 20 pick, why would you not stay in college and get paid way more than G-League guys to continue to improve?

moss_is_1 · Post #797 » by **moss_is_1** » Mon Apr 27, 2026 11:45 pm

damedash09 wrote:

Read on Twitter

This draft went from "wow, there's so many guys throughout" to now being very meh after maybe pick 40.

A lot of those international guys made the right choice to enter the draft, despite not being great prospects. They get a chance to show something and be brought over, or a team can hold there rights for a couple years as they develop.

BigGargamel · Post #798 » by **BigGargamel** » Tue Apr 28, 2026 5:05 am

ROballer wrote:
BigGargamel wrote:Well, the top of the draft is still going to be very good, but second rounds are becoming more and more useless.

Lol no. Terrible take.

You do realize we're coming after a draft that literally had the following players play decent chunks of minutes for stretches or even most of the season as rookies?

Ryan Kalkbrenner
Sion James
Micah Peavy
Maxime Raynaud
Jahmir Watkins
Javon Small
Kobe Sanders
Will Richard
Jahmai Mashack

Plus others who played more sparingly but still played. And some who weren't even drafted like Dylan Cardwell, Caleb Love, Ryan Nembhard.
What do all of these guys have in common? Seniors.

There's never not gonna be a pool of seniors to be drafted in the second round, especially now with NIL involved and players staying in college more and more.

You don't judge a draft by the star potential alone and the underclassmen crop. That's not how it works. You need to find the role players as well. Even those aged 22-24 coming in.
Older. But prone to be ready to go from the start.

2026 is decent as well in the second round in terms of seniors. Will be more of the same as the previous one.
You will get ready to play guys for some teams.

And that will happen every single season from now on with the NIL effect.

OK cool, a few guys belong in the NBA. The amount of potential in the second round and UDFA's is still way down from previous years. It's the underclassmen that you can snatch in the 2nd round, they've basically evaporated.

tmorgan · Post #799 » by **tmorgan** » Tue Apr 28, 2026 5:27 am

namlede wrote:I think Caleb Wilson is the most talented player in the last 2 drafts. Whenever I watch him I just see a supremely talented athlete with great flexibility, great body control. He is a bit raw but if he has a great work ethic I don’t see a ceiling. He can be a true disruptant in all phases of the game while being a great #2 option or a good #1 option.

So you think Caleb Wilson is more talented than Cooper Flagg, do you?

Noted.

BigGargamel · Post #800 » by **BigGargamel** » Tue Apr 28, 2026 6:16 am

https://sportsgamingrosters.com/2026-nba-draft-early-entrants/

This is the early entrants list I am using for mock draft purposes. I removed the guys who have already transferred to other schools. Maybe only Flory Bidunga could be considered a fringe first rounder. This list is guys who I am taking seriously as actual early entrant candidates, and all foreign prospects. List is a lot shorter than previous years. Only 43 players, and some of those guys will withdraw, especially most Euros.