2026 NBA draft thread

[Smitty]

Saw this on Twitter.  Different ways to skin a cat, but this has been a direction for a while.   Personally, I like the smaller guards and wish they would make a comeback.   All these names though are big and physical.  Even Cason Wallace is 6'4 with a a 6'9 wingspan

guards closing the game tonight
harper - 6’5”
castle - 6’6”
vassell - 6’5”
sga - 6’6”
caruso - 6’5”
jdub - 6’5”

Does this change how you view Flemings at all? He's been mocked to the Mavs a ton.

[Chicagojk]

Does this change how you view Flemings at all? He's been mocked to the Mavs a ton.

It would not for me.   I had Flemings and Wagler as my guys I liked the most after the top 4.  I was worried about Acuff's height but with his on the record measurements, I would also include him in this group.   I didn't think any would reach 9.  I think all have question marks to their game.

After that, I have Brown, Burries and Ament as my next grouping.  All have bigger question marks than the first three.   

Maybe I change my mind before the draft, but that is what I am thinking now.   Not sure if I have someone else join this third group.

[RasheedsBigWhiteSpot]

Saw this on Twitter.  Different ways to skin a cat, but this has been a direction for a while.   Personally, I like the smaller guards and wish they would make a comeback.   All these names though are big and physical.  Even Cason Wallace is 6'4 with a a 6'9 wingspan

guards closing the game tonight
harper - 6’5”
castle - 6’6”
vassell - 6’5”
sga - 6’6”
caruso - 6’5”
jdub - 6’5”

Well, let's understand how that happened:
SA has a literal alien on their back line, which allows them to get away with it. And then OKC simply matched up. I don't think Caruso would have gotten as many minutes if the Spurs had Cooper instead of Harper (I mean, do people realize how close the NBA came to Basketball Armageddon? Wemby and Cooper is quite literally "game over" for a decade".

That said, after watching that game, there's ZERO reason to be building the Mavs for a run in the next few years. The varsity teams have the court right now and they're not giving it up anytime soon.

[mvossman]

So after watching all this video, checking mock drafts, and podcasts, I have come to the sad conclusion that almost no player is all that impressive after the top 4. I like several players, but I'm not a fan of any of the PGs, think Burries is OK, and the best value (not necessarily the best rookie player) is probably below #9 and is not a PG.

At this point, I just figure that Schmitz and Masai know what they're doing, and I'll cheer their choice.

Strange, I have had the opposite experience.  I have come around on Brown and Burries and now think all 5 of these guards have a good chance at being a quality starter at the next level with upside to be more.  No doubt the best value will be past 9 (probably is in every draft).  That's why I'm glad we have another pick and now have folks running the show who are notorious for finding value later in the draft.

[myconsumerclub]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEm5KiMIMnk 2026 NBA Mock Draft with trades | FULL TWO ROUND NBA Mock Draft | Utility Sports Discord Mock Draft

He has us taking Wagler at 9 and Tarris Reed Jr at 30

[Winter]

They might be good players. I'm just saying that none of them really stand out to me an a way that makes me want to be "invested" in them before the draft.

[Scott41theMavs]

They might be good players. I'm just saying that none of them really stand out to me an a way that makes me want to be "invested" in them before the draft.

Well, good, because then if it's a guard, you'll be happy with whoever they pick.

[Winter]

Well, good, because then if it's a guard, you'll be happy with whoever they pick.

Yep. I expect it to be a guard if they pick #9, and I'm not particular about which one really with this group. 

In fact, if they didn't pick a guard, I would assume they have their eye on a PG in free agency. Whatever they do, I'll be OK with it until proven otherwise.

[Smitty]

[Smitty]

[HoosierDaddyKid]

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/4879...tsa-boozer


NBA mock draft post combine.

[Smitty]

@PolymarketHoops
Rival teams believe that the Milwaukee Bucks have been acting as if they will have several selections in this year’s draft, per @JeremyWoo

[vfromlmf]

Lendeborg looks like the only guy in this draft with any hope of defending Wemby. I'll be interested to watch Anunoby try to guard him if both teams make it to the Finals.

Anunoby is close to Lendeborg's size but the player with nearly identical measurements isn't even a wing ... it's Bam Adebayo.

I understand he'll turn 24 ahead of his rookie season but he's going to be a defensive monster who can guard 1-5. At a minimum he'll be a taller, younger, cheaper PJW.

[Winter]

Lendeborg looks like the only guy in this draft with any hope of defending Wemby. I'll be interested to watch Anunoby try to guard him if both teams make it to the Finals.

Anunoby is close to Lendeborg's size but the player with nearly identical measurements isn't even a wing ... it's Bam Adebayo.

I understand he'll turn 24 ahead of his rookie season but he's going to be a defensive monster who can guard 1-5. At a minimum he'll be a taller, younger, cheaper PJW.

The age thing has never bothered me much. I get why you wouldn't want to do that, and I don't expect the Mavs to pick Lendeborg. But there is something to be said by giving Flagg a talented player who almost certainly can do the needed work.

[windjc]

Wemby had a great game but he could have scored 100 points had he just gotten under the basket against Caruso like he did twice in the last 2 minutes of double overtime.

How did the Spurs not take advantage of that ridiculous matchup for the first 53 minutes of the game??

I can’t imagine if Luka was on that team instead of Castle. Wemby would average 80 points a game and force every team to play zone.

[F Gump]

Practical draft question - is there anyone in this draft who might be highly capable of slowing Wemby? Mara? Yaxel? Someone else?

There's 2 reasons to consider that...
1 Now that they want to win, Mavs will need such a solution
2 OKC also needs a solution, and you might be able to score big by letting them trade up and use pick 9 to get the guy they need. As in, how much will they be willing to offer, if they come calling and you drive a really hard bargain?

[Winter]

The best defender on the best defensive team in college basketball was Morez Johnson. Even Yaxel said as much in an interview (Sam Vecenie echoed that in a podcast).

Wemby is a different animal of course, but ... it's Morez Johnson - a guy quick enough to switch, and equipped with all the length measurements. Still might not be tall enough, but Johnson moves well enough laterally. I suspect some western team has targeted him for just that situation. I've never seen Mara play away from the basket, so I'm guessing he's not the answer even with his size.

[mvossman]

Practical draft question - is there anyone in this draft who might be highly capable of slowing Wemby? Mara? Yaxel? Someone else?

There's 2 reasons to consider that...
1 Now that they want to win, Mavs will need such a solution
2 OKC also needs a solution, and you might be able to score big by letting them trade up and use pick 9 to get the guy they need. As in, how much will they be willing to offer, if they come calling and you drive a really hard bargain?

I don't know that there is anybody, and I would not want to impact my draft strategy based on another teams player, but if you are looking for a guy with a chance I don't think it would be either of those two.  Winter is right that their teammate probably has the best shot at slowing him down. They could probably have him at 12 without trading down, but I'm not sure that's who they would target to begin with.

[loki]

The best defender on the best defensive team in college basketball was Morez Johnson. Even Yaxel said as much in an interview (Sam Vecenie echoed that in a podcast).

Wemby is a different animal of course, but ... it's Morez Johnson - a guy quick enough to switch, and equipped with all the length measurements. Still might not be tall enough, but Johnson moves well enough laterally. I suspect some western team has targeted him for just that situation. I've never seen Mara play away from the basket, so I'm guessing he's not the answer even with his size.

To add to the difficulty, whoever manages to slow Wemby down needs to shoot well enough to consistently drag him out of the paint. Otherwise he'll still smother your offense. 5-out might be mandatory moving forward.

[F Gump]

I don't know that there is anybody, and I would not want to impact my draft strategy based on another teams player, but if you are looking for a guy with a chance I don't think it would be either of those two.  Winter is right that their teammate probably has the best shot at slowing him down.  They could probably have him at 12 without trading down, but I'm not sure that's who they would target to begin with.

My point about OKC had nothing to do with trying to define their strategy and who they need - it's not a scenario of drafting Willie Anti-Wemby and then dangling him, but rather of having a pick they might desperately want.

Should we risk who is at 9 we we like, if they are willing to be overpaying considerably?

If you don't think there is anyone at 9 that OKC might desperately want, that answers that.