2026 NBA draft thread

[Chicagojk]

Yes, Philon has been excellent.   Last year he was in a support role and has taking the reins this year.  I know they are not remotely close to the same player but he sort of moves similar to SGA.  

There are several good freshman pg though.   A little down is Acuff from arkansas and Burries from Arizona.  Burries looked like he had a game against Philon last night.   Both of these freshman are physical, athletic guards.

[F Gump]

Yes, Philon has been excellent.   Last year he was in a support role and has taking the reins this year.  I know they are not remotely close to the same player but he sort of moves similar to SGA.  

There are several good freshman pg though.   A little down is Acuff from arkansas and Burries from Arizona.  Burries looked like he had a game against Philon last night.   Both of these freshman are physical, athletic guards.

I found out that game was on ESPN, so I was able to catch some of it. While Philon's stats were good, for me he failed the eye test. My big concern is that while he has all the tools, he didn't appear to me to have the focus and energy that I would expect from a top draft pick. It looked like he lights up when he has the ball, then is a non-player the rest of the time. Too many turnovers. Maybe it was just that game (or what I saw of it), as an exception, but based on that, I would definitely hesitate to spend a top-10 pick on him.

I wasn't looking for Burries, but I heard his name a lot and he was doing some good stuff.

[Chicagojk]

I found out that game was on ESPN, so I was able to catch some of it. While Philon's stats were good, for me he failed the eye test. My big concern is that while he has all the tools, he didn't appear to me to have the focus and energy that I would expect from a top draft pick. It looked like he lights up when he has the ball, then is a non-player the rest of the time. Too many turnovers. Maybe it was just that game (or what I saw of it), as an exception, but based on that, I would definitely hesitate to spend a top-10 pick on him.

I wasn't looking for Burries, but I heard his name a lot and he was doing some good stuff.

I read more about Burries who was a top recruit.  He started the year slow but has been playing better.  One of the knocks about him is he is an old freshman.  Already 20 and will be 21 by the start of next season.

[Dirknows]

Lot of CBB last night. Ament from Tennessee does not look super impressive, he plays very upright. Was bummed Mikel Brown sat out that game. Braylon Mullins from UConn looks like he could be very good. Has a good looking shot, plays pretty good defense too from the 2 guard spot. Seemed like business as usual for the top guys in Boozer, Dybantsa and Wilson from their stat lines didn’t see them play. Petersen sat for KU again.

[SleepingHero]

I'm looking at guys in the 10-16 range because we can't be sure the Mavs will pick in the top 10. And there are some intriguing players who right now are outside the typical top 10 at this point.

Unfortunately, the problem with falling in love with any of these guys after the top 3-4 is that the better they play, the more likely it is that the Mavs might not end up picking high enough to get them. So I don't want to get too interested in any of them.

However ....

My favorite outside the top 10 is a PG named Philon from Alabama. His lack of a reliable shot last season (he's a soph) as well as the fact he's not a freshman is probably what has kept him lower ranked. Right now he's at 16. (I just noticed they are playing the #1 team right now, not sure if it's on TV.) I think his shot has been better this year (he's a soph) so he may land much higher by the time we get to May. But sometimes guards fall a bit. So far he's my cutoff - hoping the Mavs get "Philon or better" when all is said and done.

I remember Philon from last years draft cycle. He elected to return to college to work on his game and this year has basically doubled his production across the board. Surprisingly he is right around the same draft pick range that he was last year, if anything a bit lower. Is that a testament to this draft class, or to Philon's cap as a prospect?

Of the guys not in the top 10, I only really have two thus far: Neoklis Avdalas- a 6'9 wirey point forward that resembles Luka to a terrifying accuracy at times and Hannes Steinbach- 6'10 PF from Wurzburg, Germany a place that we are intimately familiar with producing good prospects. 

I suppose old habits die hard.

[Chicagojk]

Lot of CBB last night. Ament from Tennessee does not look super impressive, he plays very upright. Was bummed Mikel Brown sat out that game. Braylon Mullins from UConn looks like he could be very good. Has a good looking shot, plays pretty good defense too from the 2 guard spot. Seemed like business as usual for the top guys in Boozer, Dybantsa and Wilson from their stat lines didn’t see them play. Petersen sat for KU again.

I am only speaking from snap judgements but I agree about Ament.   Man does he look like the Hawks former #1 pick.  I think it is going to be very important for him to go to a good organization and one who isn't going to expect a finished product early.   If he goes to the wrong organization, I could see it ending badly.    

I think Wilson is also interesting.  He has some wowzer plays every game.    Although, I think he is far from finished.   

I have not seen enough of Peterson, but I really like the snippets of AJ that I have seen.  He and Coop would be a supercharged Tatum and Brown combo.

[Chicagojk]

First game for Kentucky big man. Will be 18 to around draft day after being a freshman at 17.

Not much of a shooter but is a defensive dynamo. If he can recover from injury he may be a high lottery pick

https://www.instagram.com/p/DSf-v4xEWRq/?img_index=1&igsh=OXF4YjdpNDZxczJz

[khaled1987]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQPlLIaHobM

Interesting prospect if we are drafting outside of the tope 10. Seems to have a good defense, good 3pt shot, fairly decent ball handling and passing but lacks explosiveness.

[khaled1987]

https://youtube.com/watch?v=2urQFDB1Mj0

He was mentioned before due to being German & Wurzburg native.

He is a good scorer, rebounder and a passer. Shooting 3 well but on small sample size (suggesting it is likely selective shooting) and 74% FT shooter. I think he can be a goid shooter too. Fairly athletic and has potential on the defensive end but he isn't there yet from what I've read.

Can see a Lauri Markkanen potential there. He is surely worth considering if we are out of the top 8

[Knutsen]

Mikael Brown, Nate Ament. Im pretty confident (pyhsical and mental health permitted) they´ll all be All-Stars.

Scary thing is that the Thunder are more likely to get one of those guys than us, thanks to the incompetence of the Clippers…

[Winter]

https://youtube.com/watch?v=2urQFDB1Mj0

He was mentioned before due to being German & Wurzburg native.

He is a good scorer, rebounder and a passer. Shooting 3 well but on small sample size (suggesting it us likely selective shoiting) and 74% FT shooter. I think he can be a goid shooter too. Fairly athletic and can has potential on the defensive end but he isn't there yet from what I've read.

Can see a Lauri Markkanen potential there. He is surely worth considering if we are out of the top 8

He looks good. Where is he generally slotted in mock drafts? ESPN has him at #25

[Mavs2021]

He looks good. Where is he generally slotted in mock drafts? ESPN has him at #25

Mid to late 1st round. That´s why I want 2026 picks. There is so much talent here. Best case he could be another Sengun.

[khaled1987]

He looks good. Where is he generally slotted in mock drafts? ESPN has him at #25

Tankathon and nbadraft.net both have him at 15

[Chicagojk]

https://youtube.com/watch?v=2urQFDB1Mj0

He was mentioned before due to being German & Wurzburg native.

He is a good scorer, rebounder and a passer. Shooting 3 well but on small sample size (suggesting it is likely selective shooting) and 74% FT shooter. I think he can be a goid shooter too. Fairly athletic and  has potential on the defensive end but he isn't there yet from what I've read.

Can see a Lauri Markkanen potential there. He is surely worth considering if we are out of the top 8

Thanks for sharing these.  He does look good and fluid.  Question is can he play Pf in the pros.

Man watching some of these videos I like the vandy Tanner kid but he will probably return to school.  I really like Haugh from Florida.  Older prospect but he is going to be an elite winning role player.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6rOat_QTw0&pp=0gcJCU0KAYcqIYzv

My sleeper guy is Mullins from UConn.  Just started playing due to injury, but he is going to go higher than he is being mocked now.

[Chicagojk]

Man, I think I like AJ the most in this draft. I haven’t seen enough of the Kansas kid.

Although the more I watch of Boozer and how he thinks the game it would be awesome to see him Cooper play off each other

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=pZc8rfg-Ujc

[Dirknows]

Man, I think I like AJ the most in this draft.  I haven’t seen enough of the Kansas kid.

Although the more I watch of Boozer and how he thinks the game it would be awesome to see him Cooper play off each other

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=pZc8rfg-Ujc

I’m not even looking at the top-3 guys at this point, looking 8-12 range and hope Quintance and someone else play themselves into a slot above us and pushes Flemings or Mikel Brown down to us somehow.

[khaled1987]

Thanks for sharing these.  He does look good and fluid.  Question is can he play Pf in the pros.

Man watching some of these videos I like the vandy Tanner kid but he will probably return to school.  I really like Haugh from Florida.  Older prospect but he is going to be an elite winning role player.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6rOat_QTw0&pp=0gcJCU0KAYcqIYzv

My sleeper guy is Mullins from UConn.  Just started playing due to injury, but he is going to go higher than he is being mocked now.

Would you prefer him to be PF or C? 

And do you prefer Turner or Acuff? I've a tendency to trust PG who worked under Calipari in tye draft process.

[Chicagojk]

Would you prefer him to be PF or C? 

And do you prefer Turner or Acuff? I've a tendency to trust PG who worked under Calipari in tye draft process.

I would say PF but I really have not seen him play.  I think a mobile versatile PF would be better than a c who isn’t really a rim defender but I could be wrong what type of player he is.

I thin Acuff is rated higher and seems to be rising.  I sanding know if Tanner is a first round pick right now.

[Winter]

I would say PF but I really have not seen him play.  I think a mobile versatile PF would be better than a c who isn’t really a rim defender but I could be wrong what type of player he is.

I thin Acuff is rated higher and seems to be rising.  I sanding know if Tanner is a first round pick right now.

I read that one of the reasons Acuff is rising is that he was largely "under-exposed" (which I read to mean that no one was really promoting him well). It turns out that he is much better at getting other players involved and running the PG position than was assumed earlier. His shooting stats are very good, he runs the floor well, and doesn't give up on defense. The only issue is that he's 6'3"... but it's a pretty strong looking frame.

And the caliber of opponents he's faced has not been lost on people. He could end up breaking somewhere between 10-14 in the lottery.

Against Houston (#3 defense in the nation)

Acuff was 27 pts, 5 reb, and 7 assists for Ark

In that same game

Kingston Flemings was 21 pts, 6 rebs, and 5 assists for Houston

Houston is a good team, and Flemings rightly slotted as a better PG in the draft, but those two are going to be picked close to each other I think.

[Winter]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQPlLIaHobM

Interesting prospect if we are drafting outside of the tope 10. Seems to have a good defense, good 3pt shot, fairly decent ball handling and passing but lacks explosiveness.

Just saw some interesting commentary from a podcast saying Wagler may end up in the lottery if he keeps up this play.

He's 6'6" combo guard who has gotten so good at playmaking, that he's taken away some of the duties of the PG at Illinois. Good shot from the perimeter (currently 42% from the perimeter and averages almost 5 attempts a game), and very good all-around player that's really surpising people.

Both he and Darius Acuff seemed to be the players moving up the most at present. Both may be available within the Mavericks pick area.