2026 NBA draft thread

[mvossman]

I don’t understand something about this thread. Just a couple of weeks ago posters were giving their best picks and analysis etc etc. Now a few weeks removed from March Madness and a lot of these same guys are changing their opinions based on talking heads on podcasts.

Anyone else seeing this?

I'm not sure the opinions have changed that much, but to the degree that they have I think its more about looking deeper into it in general and at least in my case being at least partially swayed based on reasonable arguments made in places like this board.

[GATA]

The more I watch Steinbech, the more I see a lot of Kevin Love

[F Gump]

However, if Schmitz really said that they will look at players who would go higher if there is a redraft in a future year, the more it looks like they will take some high ceiling guy even if his current floor is lower than Flemings or Burries.

Yes,  Schmitz really said that they will look at target players who they think would ultimately go higher if there is a redraft in a future year. That's their approach.

But it was not an idea that they will want to take a wild swing at some once-in-a-million outcome. 

Instead, it's the mindset that they will be selecting the player who they think (based on their homework over many years) will be the best player in year 3-4-5-and-on as they continue to develop and mature rather than look for the one who is the best in college right now or is likely to be best right up front as a rookie. Of course, those may be the same player. But there was no sense in his words that they will be taking wild hope-for-a-miracle swings with their pick. It's going to be a product of YEARS of observation on most of those players.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

The Thunder also hold the 12th and 17th picks in a loaded draft, and there have been rumblings for weeks that they want to package them and move up — some have reported Oklahoma City is targeting Duke power forward Cam Boozer. But Boozer projects to go in the top three, which means leaping from 12 to the front of the lottery. A more realistic target might be 7-foot-3 Michigan center Aday Mara. Or maybe they keep one pick and flip the other for a future first to keep the assets coming.


But Presti rarely settles. The Thunder are sitting on a mountain of future picks and approaching a major financial crossroads. Some consolidation is going to be necessary. League sources widely expect the Clippers to listen to trade-down offers for the fifth pick. So maybe there’s a deal to put together with 12, 17, and a player to get there. And then from the fifth pick, can OKC build an overwhelming offer to get up into the top three? Could that deal include a 24-year-old All-NBA player?

[Chicagojk]

Wasserman big board rankings.  Surprise Okorie at 8.

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2543...t-rankings

[mvossman]

Wasserman big board rankings.  Surprise Okorie at 8.

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2543...t-rankings

Not high on Brown and really not high on Ament.  This board seems to be going against the trend of Brown, Ament and Mara going early.

[Winter]

Wasserman big board rankings.  Surprise Okorie at 8.

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2543...t-rankings

There's no way Bennet Stirtz is going #13 is there?

... and Okorie at #8 with Brown dropping to #11 just seems way out of whack.

[dirkfansince1998]

There's no way Bennet Stirtz is going #13 is there?

... and Okorie at #8 with Brown dropping to #11 just seems way out of whack.

For people with an analytic based approach it makes sense. Okorie was better than Brown last season. And he checks the boxes on indicators that tend to translate to success in the NBA. Combination of 3-point volume, rim pressure, FTAr...and so on.

Swain is really high on some boards for the same reason. Ignoring bigs him and Okorie are the elite self created rim pressure options in this draft.

[Winter]

For people with an analytic based approach it makes sense. Okorie was better than Brown last season. And he checks the boxes on indicators that tend to translate to success in the NBA. Combination of 3-point volume, rim pressure, FTAr...and so on

All that was true three months ago. Wasserman's response to that is he "overlooked" him.

If he's #8, then every mock draft has been overlooking him for that long. While I have no doubt that Okorie is solid first-round pick (and probably in the top 20), the #8 is just a stretch for me.

[dirkfansince1998]

All that was true three months ago. Wasserman's response to that is he "overlooked" him.

If he's #8, then every mock draft has been overlooking him for that long. While I have no doubt that Okorie is solid first-round pick (and probably in the top 20), the #8 is just a stretch for me.

Overlooked in the sense that during the season no one cared about Stanford. Now that it is all about watching film and studying spreadsheets he is rising.

[Winter]

That NBA draft experts didn't care about Stanford is pretty unconvincing. They cared enough about Santa Clara enough to have Allen Graves in the first round over a month ago.

I get it that he's probably better than was originally slotted in March, but I'm having a hard time finding any other mock slotting him above #15.

[F Gump]

The Thunder also hold the 12th and 17th picks in a loaded draft, and there have been rumblings for weeks that they want to package them and move up — some have reported Oklahoma City is targeting Duke power forward Cam Boozer. But Boozer projects to go in the top three, which means leaping from 12 to the front of the lottery. A more realistic target might be 7-foot-3 Michigan center Aday Mara. Or maybe they keep one pick and flip the other for a future first to keep the assets coming.


But Presti rarely settles. The Thunder are sitting on a mountain of future picks and approaching a major financial crossroads. Some consolidation is going to be necessary. League sources widely expect the Clippers to listen to trade-down offers for the fifth pick. So maybe there’s a deal to put together with 12, 17, and a player to get there. And then from the fifth pick, can OKC build an overwhelming offer to get up into the top three? Could that deal include a 24-year-old All-NBA player?

Doing a series of moves to get to a certain pick is something that Presti has shown he can and will do, when he wants a player. 

One huge obstacle, however, is that it's not a lock a team in the top 3 would step away from the opportunity to get to draft one of those top 3 guys. The leap from 5 to 3 (or maybe even 2) - and doing it using a player (or players) with a large salary - seems quite iffy. If I'm the other team's GM, I probably going to prefer the guy on the rookie salary, far more than the highly [perhaps over-]paid veteran, as I build from the bottom. We'll see.

And I am intrigued by the idea of Presti having to get the pick from UT and wrestling with Ainge. That would be interesting.

[dirkfansince1998]

That NBA draft experts didn't care about Stanford is pretty unconvincing. They cared enough about Santa Clara enough to have Allen Graves in the first round over a month ago.

I get it that he's probably better than was originally slotted in March, but I'm having a hard time finding any other mock slotting him above #15.

Not defending Wasserman. That was my own explanation. I watched some NCAA basketball this year but obviously not Stanford (maybe 1-2 games). Started to notice him when I looked at the numbers/metrics of other top tier prospects. Okorie was up there with the best prospects of the class again and again. Shot creation. Second only to Dybantsa. Rim scoring. On the same level as Boozer.

A post from april...

To get back on topic. Can anyone explain why Ebuka Okorie isn't in the lottery PG/SG conversation. Stanford not being competitive? Size concerns?
Watching tape and maybe 1-2 full games this season he might be the most explosive guard in the entire draft. Certainly has the quickest first step. Not the worst shooter. Pesky defender. 

[Chicagojk]

I saw the Mavs had a pre draft workout scheduled with Okorie.   I wouldn't take much stock on comes in for a workout.  Mavs have #9 and #30 and they should be able to get a lot of guys in for a workout outside the top 5-6.    Okorie is interesting.  I loved his highlighits, but never saw a full game from him.  Just off highlihts you can make the case he deserves to be in the lottery group range of guards.  Although that is tricky just by using highlights.   I wish he was closer to 6'3ish.    Even with the long wingspan, the height is tough.

[Winter]

I saw the Mavs had a pre draft workout scheduled with Okorie.   I wouldn't take much stock on comes in for a workout.  Mavs have #9 and #30 and they should be able to get a lot of guys in for a workout outside the top 5-6.    Okorie is interesting.  I loved his highlighits, but never saw a full game from him.  Just off highlihts you can make the case he deserves to be in the lottery group range of guards.  Although that is tricky just by using highlights.   I wish he was closer to 6'3ish.    Even with the long wingspan, the height is tough.

You want to see first-round players you're interested in. Things change, people make trades, teams move up or down.

In a recent post, Dan had Okorie in an OKC trade down to the Mavs at #17 I think. I thought it was as good or better idea than other things I'd seen. It's really too bad so many guards are lined up in the top #15. If he went back to school, he might be an easy top 5 lottery pick

[F Gump]

One note about the way the Mavs might be looking at things. I think from the hints dropped in interviews that they are going to be looking for (prioritizing) players who they think can defend at an average-or-better level. They didn't say this at all, but as I consider the possibilities in light of what I think I'm hearing, I am guessing that if he ended up being available, they would have no interest in Acuff, for that reason. It seemed that strong. And I think it's probably wise to consider the other possible players we think they might draft through that same sort of lens.

[DanSchwartzgan]

Would we take Wallace and control of our 2028 pick for number 9?

I’m trying to create something where they use 12/17 and something to get to 5 and then use 5 & 9 to get Boozer?

[windjc]

Would we take Wallace and control of our 2028 pick for number 9?

I’m trying to create something where they use 12/17 and something to get to 5 and then use 5 & 9 to get Boozer?

What is obsession with Presti and OKC on this board?. Who the F cares?!?

[DanSchwartzgan]

What is obsession with Presti and OKC on this board?. Who the F cares?!?

The obsession is a team with a shortage of guards thinking of deals with a team that has too many guards.

[Smitty]

@MavsFilmRoom
CBS Sports’ Adam Finkelstein on Brayden Burries:

“The interesting thing is that so far he hasn’t taken a lot of workouts. There are teams higher in the lottery that would be interested in working Burries out, and yet there’s growing speculation he may prefer Dallas.”