2026 NBA draft thread

[Winter]

On the other hand, what if you actually took Burries and Carr?

You gave Burries a year with Kyrie to take the reins eventually at the point, and your backcourt is now Burries and Carr. You'd need to add another big somehow, maybe another PG for insurance, but the spacing problem is almost certainly solved. You've got solid trade pieces to get the rotation right. You've got playmaking skills and with Flagg, Burries, Kyrie, Marshall, and even Carr.

This won't happen, but I enjoyed thinking about it.

[KillerLeft]

So far down what list? The media/tankathon boards? There’s no way to know how all 30 teams have these guys stacked. It’s just as likely that these “late risers”, as labeled by the media, have been in consideration ahead of the talking heads for months now, no?

That's a fair point, actually. 

But, I kind of think (assume?) that the constant and consistent list with only minor, tedious variations from outlet to outlet originates from pretty substantially sourced information. 

And, my point wasn't to talk about THIS "list," so much as it was to consider and discuss RBWS's point as a concept. IF, as you suggest, those guys might have been high on some team's board all along, then taking them wouldn't haven't anything to do with the "hype based pressure" he wanted to discuss. At least the way I took his meaning.

[Smitty]

I just used the ESPN mock draft simulator for the first time. You can trade picks. I did the trade back option with OKC and ended up with:

12) Burries (G)
17) Carr (W)
30) Ejiofor (F)
48) Suigo ©


Yeahh... I can get on board with something like that for sure.

On the other hand, what if you actually took Burries and Carr?

You gave Burries a year with Kyrie to take the reins eventually at the point, and your backcourt is now Burries and Carr. You'd need to add another big somehow, maybe another PG for insurance, but the spacing problem is almost certainly solved. You've got solid trade pieces to get the rotation right. You've got playmaking skills and with Flagg, Burries, Kyrie, Marshall, and even Carr.

This won't happen, but I enjoyed thinking about it.

Great minds. I went through the same thought exercise the other day. Then Carr blew up and the scrimmage… so who knows.

[F Gump]

I think on the court performance is a much bigger impact to player evaluation than combine.

This ^.

Every actual NBA scout and draft evaluator says that the Combine is something they regard as more of a singular data point and less of something decisive to rank players by. For the most part, they have been watching these top guys for YEARS and have MANY prior facts that have already framed a working evaluation. The measurements are new info, but maybe not as much to the scouts as to us. 

My analogy: in the high school race to determine a valedictorian, the final exam in the last semester counts, and a really good or bad one might move you up a bit or down a bit, but it doesn't outweigh everything else prior to that date.  

I suspect there's a ton of knee-jerk - or maybe even misdirection - in what we are getting fed this week, about who is impressing and who is falling, and by how much.

[hakeemfaan]

https://x.com/thehoopherald/status/20550...69851?s=46

[Smitty]

The Golden State Warriors are “intrigued” by 19-year-old prospect Karim Lopez with the No. 11 pick, per @MarcJSpears

Lopez is projected to be the first Mexican-born player taken in the 1st round, making his jersey a guaranteed “hot seller” in the Bay Area.

(Via @957thegame)

[Mavs2021]

https://x.com/thehoopherald/status/20550...69851?s=46

LOOOOOOOOOL.

Good we take the tall one at #30.

[Mavs2021]

The Golden State Warriors are “intrigued” by 19-year-old prospect Karim Lopez with the No. 11 pick, per @MarcJSpears

Lopez is projected to be the first Mexican-born player taken in the 1st round, making his jersey a guaranteed “hot seller” in the Bay Area.

(Via @957thegame)

...and let´s all be grateful Cuban is not the Mavs majority owner, cause you know we´d have cultured into the play-in and taken him at #13 to sell jerseys.

[Smitty]

@NBADraftWass
Updated Mock Draft after the NBA Combine

https://t.co/CUEeIE1aMO


This is one of the best mocks I've seen when it comes to how I view it going. A few differences here and there, but overall, this feels like it'll start to become the consensus with time.

One big outlier for me was having the Spurs pick Suigo at 20. Much higher than I have him. I've been mocking Cenac there, who goes at 22. At 30, he goes with Peat, which is where I have him slotted. 30/31, but I think he should go back to school.

[Mavs2021]

@NBADraftWass
Updated Mock Draft after the NBA Combine

https://t.co/CUEeIE1aMO


This is one of the best mocks I've seen when it comes to how I view it going. A few differences here and there, but overall, this feels like it'll start to become the consensus with time.

One big outlier for me was having the Spurs pick Suigo at 20. Much higher than I have him. I've been mocking Cenac there, who goes at 22. At 30, he goes with Peat, which is where I have him slotted. 30/31, but I think he should go back to school.

Let´s hope they take him at #20. Means the Mavs effectively pick at #29. The guy is 7´4 moves like a glacier, is an okayish shotblocker and rebounder for his size and shoots mediocre 56/21/70. Another agents hype job like when they wanted to convince people Hayes should be the #1 pick. Guess it worked, cause he should have been picked 8th, just in the G-League draft.

[Winter]

@NBADraftWass
Updated Mock Draft after the NBA Combine

https://t.co/CUEeIE1aMO


This is one of the best mocks I've seen when it comes to how I view it going. A few differences here and there, but overall, this feels like it'll start to become the consensus with time.

One big outlier for me was having the Spurs pick Suigo at 20. Much higher than I have him. I've been mocking Cenac there, who goes at 22. At 30, he goes with Peat, which is where I have him slotted. 30/31, but I think he should go back to school.

I guess you have to slot Peat there since there's no commitment yet, but I have to think he's back in school after this combine clunker.

I cannot look at video and think Karim Lopez is a lottery pick. I just don't see that.

[Smitty]

@NBADraftWass
Updated Mock Draft after the NBA Combine

https://t.co/CUEeIE1aMO


This is one of the best mocks I've seen when it comes to how I view it going. A few differences here and there, but overall, this feels like it'll start to become the consensus with time.

One big outlier for me was having the Spurs pick Suigo at 20. Much higher than I have him. I've been mocking Cenac there, who goes at 22. At 30, he goes with Peat, which is where I have him slotted. 30/31, but I think he should go back to school.

The hypothetical trade back with OKC in this scenario, again comes down to Flemings or Carr+Morez?
Not that you'll know for sure, in real time, who will be there...

Which for me, I stay and pick Flemings. That's the thing isn't it, you don't know who will be there at 12/17.

[Chicagojk]

@NBADraftWass
Updated Mock Draft after the NBA Combine

https://t.co/CUEeIE1aMO


This is one of the best mocks I've seen when it comes to how I view it going. A few differences here and there, but overall, this feels like it'll start to become the consensus with time.

One big outlier for me was having the Spurs pick Suigo at 20. Much higher than I have him. I've been mocking Cenac there, who goes at 22. At 30, he goes with Peat, which is where I have him slotted. 30/31, but I think he should go back to school.

that would be awesome.   I don't expect Peat to fall that much and I would also trade up for him.  I get the concerns.  I have them as well.  Although for a top recruit at 19 who fit into a great team there is a lot to work with.  It just may take some time.   Getting him at 30 would be an awesome roll of the dice.

Even the second round pick is a good gamble.   It would be an redshirt year for him on a two way, but even as an older prospect he had showed some NBA comparisons.

[Winter]

The hypothetical trade back with OKC in this scenario, again comes down to Flemings or Carr+Morez?
Not that you'll know for sure, in real time, who will be there...

Which for me, I stay and pick Flemings. That's the thing isn't it, you don't know who will be there at 12/17.

Mine would be the Carr-Morez pick, but I said yesterday if they pick Flemings who am I to argue.

[Chicagojk]

Going to be an important month for him. If healthy, he is going to cause sleepless nights for gm’s going from upside to injury health.

https://x.com/will_rucker3_ad/status/205...76505?s=46

[Winter]

Going to be an important month for him.  If healthy, he is going to cause sleepless nights for gm’s going from upside to injury health.

https://x.com/will_rucker3_ad/status/205...76505?s=46

I can't tell entirely. As gifted as is - and man is he gifted - he had a real clunker of a game before he got injured. He was terrible. I think it's going to be more than health. I don't think he's a guy who is going to understand the NBA right away.

[Smitty]

@DraftDeeper
2026 NBA MOCK DRAFT POST COMBINE "WHAT WOULD I DO" EDITION

My latest "what would I do" mock after the 2026 NBA Draft Combine based off MY board and projections... Yes this would get SPICY at the top and throughout! #NBA #NBADraft

[Chicagojk]

that would be awesome.   I don't expect Peat to fall that much and I would also trade up for him.  I get the concerns.  I have them as well.  Although for a top recruit at 19 who fit into a great team there is a lot to work with.  It just may take some time.   Getting him at 30 would be an awesome roll of the dice.

Even the second round pick is a good gamble.   It would be an redshirt year for him on a two way, but even as an older prospect he had showed some NBA comparisons.

Peat is really interesting.   Youngest of 7.  Dad played guard in the NFL and his siblings played sports a high levels.    Sam Vecenie said Peat's team are re-working his shot.  it was needed.  His three was ugly.  His mid range shot looked much better.  So, you can expect a lot of bumps in the road.

His stats at Arizona was good, but not eye popping (especially rebounds), but I heard Vecenie say earlier in the year that outside of Boozer, Peat was the biggest winner in his class.  4 state titles.   Mutliple team USA titles.   Then he goes to Arizona and they are the top team for most of the year.   His stats across the board in High school, team usa and Arizona are not #1 types but just good production.

[DanSchwartzgan]

@NBADraftWass
Updated Mock Draft after the NBA Combine

https://t.co/CUEeIE1aMO
 

Brown had a good combine and as I suspected is moving up the board.  That means someone has to fall.  It feels like Flemings is bearing the brunt of that with Wagler also possibly getting nicked by a spot.  It is really hard to mock shorter guards like Acuff and Flemings to LAC and Brooklyn based on what they already have on their team.  As the article argues, Acuff may just be too promising to pass up even if LAC already has Garland.  Brown and Wagler can both play off ball some, so either makes sense for Brooklyn.  

Flemings already had some questions around his 3 point mechanics and volume.  Add in his short arms and I can see him being passed by both SAC and ATL.  SAC needs a guard, but it feels like whoever is left from among Acuff, Brown and Wagler goes there.  If anyone is sensitive about positional size at PG, it is ATL.  I like them to take Mara whichis being mocked a good bit.

If ATL goes big, I like being in position to have two of these guards to choose from.  Almost all of the guards at Flemings size who have found success in the NBA have longer arms.  But, he brings rare speed and jumping ability.  He's a tough call.  The Locked-On guys love his personality, which I think counts for something and he was really good from 3 at the combine.  I think it is a tough call between Flemings and Burries and I'm not upset at either of them being a Mav at #9.

This whole thought process got me to thinking...we tend to focus on who we want.  I'm curious who people least want to drop to #9.  Let's imagine ATL does take a guard.  Who would bother you the most if we are "stuck" with him?  

Where the

[Winter]

The PGs in this draft lottery concern me some. Acuff is kind of special in a certain way, but comes with warts. Brown may not be a good fit for some teams, and may really struggle running an NBA offense. Flemings and Brown may just turn out to be serviceable PGs - nothing special. They're are not all going to "hit" as good lottery picks. I'm not sure how our FO is going to see these players and how they project going forward.

It seems to me several of the position players like Burries, Carr, and a few others are easier to see as Mavs impact players. But I will have to trust that whatever vision this FO has, it's going to be a lot more educated than a fan's evaluation gleaned from Youtube.