2026 NBA Draft (1 Viewer)

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12.​

Neoklis Avdalas, SG/SF, Virginia Tech
Freshman
2025-26 stats: 16.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, 6 assists in four games

Avdalas' 33-point breakout on the road against Providence put the NBA on notice, as he deftly navigated ball screens, knocked down five 3s and showcased his upside as a 6-8 playmaking wing. While he's not especially fast or adept at beating defenders one-on-one -- a factor that creates some skepticism in his projection -- NBA teams are always in search of big playmakers, and Avdalas has begun to demonstrate that in an outsized role. Continuing to make shots from long range and establish his value without the ball will be key. He fits the blueprint from a size and skill perspective, and will have a chance to go high in the draft if he can assuage those concerns.

Portland sits in the middle of the pack in the West and will convey its selection to Chicago if the Blazers make the playoffs and the pick falls between 15 and 30.
 

13.​

Braylon Mullins, SG, UConn
Freshman

Mullins remains out with an ankle injury but is on track to return in the coming weeks, and NBA teams will be eager to assess him in a college setting. His excellent 3-point shooting, both off movement and off the bounce, gives him a calling-card skill, plus he's a tough competitor with positional size who can chip in defensively. UConn has historically done well featuring its shooters under Dan Hurley and will need him to make an impact, positioning him for a potential one-and-done season if things go smoothly.
 





player headshot

Labaron Philon PG

Alabama • Fr • 6'3" / 175 lbs​

Projected Team​

Portland

PROSPECT RNK​

19th

POSITION RNK​

7th

PPG​

21.5

RPG​

3.3

APG​

4.8

3P%​

39.4%
Not every prospect who returns to college actually enhances his draft stock -- but Philon definitely has. The sophomore guard is averaging 21.4 points, 4.9 assists and 3.2 rebounds through 26 appearances while playing more on-the-ball for Alabama than he did last season. The results of that move have been encouraging. Philon is a candidate to be the SEC's Player of the Year. He's third in the league in scoring for a team that's alone in second in the conference standings.
 
UKRAINEFAN said:
Yeh, Steinbach seems like a good choice. Only 19 but seems NBA ready. Rebounds the hell out of the ball and has good hands.
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Thinking more about this. Yes, he is a monster on the boards but I'm thinking on defense he's not big enough to guard bigs and not quick enough to guard wings.
 
I see that Lendeborg made the game winning shot for Michigan today. I know he is somebody who people have suggested we might draft. Have to like a guy who is willing to take a clutch shot and make it!. I was lukewarm on him cuz I was looking at the Tankathon ratings and they had his rebounding as a negative. But he has a 17% rebounding rate and 8.5 rebounds per 36. That seems a bit better than average? I think the only reason he would be available for us is his age? But Lillard was a 4 year player. But why did he stay in school so long? ( i did read he only started playing competitive basketball as a senior in high school)
 
UKRAINEFAN said:
But why did he stay in school so long? ( i did read he only started playing competitive basketball as a senior in high school)
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He wasn't guaranteed a first round selection last season, partly due to being from a smaller school.

Meanwhile, he was offered NIL money from Michigan that was worth more than a 2nd round pick's salary and possibly even more than a late 1st round player's salary (which was amongst the earliest he was projected to go). Naturally, he's projected to go higher now and stands to gain even more money due to staying an extra year so he could play within a more competitive environment.
 
"We're so interested in this draft because it's so deep. There's a lot of impact players," an Eastern Conference scout said.

"And [the 2027] draft isn't looking so good. You never know, there are players in every draft, but this year is like a double draft," a West scout said.
www.espn.com

NBA intel: Execs, scouts on Peterson, Dybantsa, top draft prospects

Here's what league insiders are saying about Darryn Peterson, AJ Dybantsa and more top NBA draft prospects.
www.espn.com www.espn.com
 
It really seems like Acuff and Wagler have moved up into that top group. Acuff's getting called the best guard John Calipari's ever coached, and I see a little Dame in his game but he reminds me more of Jalen Brunson.

I've also been reading and hearing that scouts have elevated their evaluations of Flemings and Mikel Brown, so that some teams/scouts/draftniks think this draft has a really strong top eight with not a lot of separation.

If that's true, this might be the draft for the ages.
 
PCmor7 said:
It really seems like Acuff and Wagler have moved up into that top group. Acuff's getting called the best guard John Calipari's ever coached, and I see a little Dame in his game but he reminds me more of Jalen Brunson.

I've also been reading and hearing that scouts have elevated their evaluations of Flemings and Mikel Brown, so that some teams/scouts/draftniks think this draft has a really strong top eight with not a lot of separation.

If that's true, this might be the draft for the ages.
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This draft is loaded I doubt a team out there would do it but it’s so good that I’d be willing to trade a 1-2 1st rounders to move up in the draft. If you are a rebuilding team and need 1st rounders would you consider moving down by acquiring 1-2 first rounders? Acuff would be my dream target thinking he’d be in the 3-6 range.
 
UKRAINEFAN said:
Really like Lendeborg in our range, What's not to like except his age? Does everything at 6' 9" with excellent wingspan. Can switch on D. shoots, handles the ball, passes well., rebounds Smart,
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Looking at the guys on the some of the mocks in our range and I like him too ... seems like a guy that will always be on a winning team, just never the stand out star.
 
1 Eye Jack said:
This draft is loaded I doubt a team out there would do it but it’s so good that I’d be willing to trade a 1-2 1st rounders to move up in the draft. If you are a rebuilding team and need 1st rounders would you consider moving down by acquiring 1-2 first rounders? Acuff would be my dream target thinking he’d be in the 3-6 range.
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Just say no to 6'3" guards who are allergic to playing defense! I know he might be an amazing scorer but we've seen how this goes, in this day and age you have to have guys that play both ends of the court!
 
I've mentioned this guy a couple of times before. He's my sleeper in this draft if he comes out in so far as the guy that could be outside the lottery and wind up being a star. I think he'd be in the top 10 this year if not for the car accident, and probably top five.

I have seldom seen a player have Alijah Arenas' natural feel for scoring and the ability to string together combinations to create space and either get to the hoop or to get to spots on the floor. He shoots one of the softest shots in this class, too. He has enough awkwardness in his game that it often works to his benefit.




 
PCmor7 said:
I've mentioned this guy a couple of times before. He's my sleeper in this draft if he comes out in so far as the guy that could be outside the lottery and wind up being a star. I think he'd be in the top 10 this year if not for the car accident, and probably top five.

I have seldom seen a player have Alijah Arenas' natural feel for scoring and the ability to string together combinations to create space and either get to the hoop or to get to spots on the floor. He shoots one of the softest shots in this class, too. He has enough awkwardness in his game that it often works to his benefit.




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I automatically don't like him because....USC (Los Angeles)

Of course, by the same token that means I would have liked Bill Walton so I guess I'd be willing to take a shot.
 
HailBlazers said:
That sucks.
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I'm very much on track to cross that bridge if we ever come to it.

The other play-in teams have a lot of post season experience and we have shown no ability to take care of the basketball on offense. Vet teams exploit a team like us who turns the ball over so much a lot more in post season games than they do in the regular season.

I'm rooting for our guys, so we'll either get playoffs for the first time in 5 years or we'll get a lotto pick in this stacked draft.

The other thing that happens if we make the playoffs is that all of our future picks open up. If we like a guy enough around where we would have been picking I'm sure the Thunder would give up one of their two mid FRPs for a future FRP and a future SRP.
 
PCmor7 said:
I've mentioned this guy a couple of times before. He's my sleeper in this draft if he comes out in so far as the guy that could be outside the lottery and wind up being a star. I think he'd be in the top 10 this year if not for the car accident, and probably top five.

I have seldom seen a player have Alijah Arenas' natural feel for scoring and the ability to string together combinations to create space and either get to the hoop or to get to spots on the floor. He shoots one of the softest shots in this class, too. He has enough awkwardness in his game that it often works to his benefit.




Click to expand...

I like this idea of looking for a star and have my doubts about a safe guy like Lendeborg ever being one; and I know Tankathon ratings have limitations, but I also notice they have pretty good predictive value, and this guy has terrible ratings. Maybe not enough data? https://www.tankathon.com/players/alijah-arenas
 
They probably won't run it back completely, but the 9-man rotation looks good.

Dame, Scoot
Shae, Jrue.
Tou, Grant
Deni, Grant
DC, Williams

Sidy, Tisse, Yang, Vit, Wesley Love, Kris
 
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