2026 NBA Draft (1 Viewer)

[1 Eye Jack]

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.

Really like him too

 

[1 Eye Jack]

Koa Peat from Arizona looked really good last night. 3 point shooting would be a concern but doesn’t look bad, he fits our system, 6’8” high energy, good rebounder, , good defender, can play multiple positions and dunks everything.

 

[UKRAINEFAN]

If we had a second round pick, I would love this guy: watching him play for St. John's today; he is a monster!

Zuby Ejiofor​

 

[PCmor7]

Koa Peat from Arizona looked really good last night. 3 point shooting would be a concern but doesn’t look bad, he fits our system, 6’8” high energy, good rebounder, , good defender, can play multiple positions and dunks everything.

Buck Williams in another life.

 

[PCmor7]

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

Tankathon's ratings are stat-driven. You can't evaluate Arenas on stats, considering in the last year he was both in a car accident that required he be placed into a coma and then tore his meniscus over the summer. That injury was supposed to keep him out six-to-eight months, yet he returned for the seccond half of the season.

He was generally considered one of the top dozen recruits in his class before the injuries.

 

[UKRAINEFAN]

Beginning to doubt whether Lendeborg will be available when we pick. Really burning it up today.

 

[PCmor7]

Beginning to doubt whether Lendeborg will be available when we pick. Really burning it up today.

Could happen, but I'd be surprised. And that's not any disparagement on Lendeborg. It's just that he's coming out in a special draft and there are off the top of my head nine players I can't see him being drafted over -- Dybantsa, Peterson, big Boozer, Wilson, Acuff, Wagler, Flemings, Brown and I'm going to put Ament in there because I just think he's a very mobile 6-10 who has some ability to shoot off the dribble, has played pretty well in the second half of the season and has some similar qualities but is four years younger. And I don't think a great NCAA tournament's going to change that much -- these guys all have a book of evaluation out there now.

At that point, you're basically saying that one or two teams would have Lendeborg as the next prospect on their board, and, if he's the guy the Blazers would want, I'd take those odds. There are a lot of players closer to Lendeborg in prospect status than Lendeborg is to those first nine players.

I wouldn't be surprised if there might be some teams that look at his teammate, Morez Johnson, and prefer him. He's a similar skillset, better rebounder, almost identical in size but again considerably younger.

Certainly a team could fall in love with Lendeborg and draft him in the top 10 when no one is predicting that. You can't do anything it that happens, but I doubt it will. I think there's a better chance that someone becomes a believer in the potential of Chris Cenac and drafts him in the top 10 than Yaxel Lendeborg.

 

[UKRAINEFAN]

Could happen, but I'd be surprised. And that's not any disparagement on Lendeborg. It's just that he's coming out in a special draft and there are off the top of my head nine players I can't see him being drafted over -- Dybantsa, Peterson, big Boozer, Wilson, Acuff, Wagler, Flemings, Brown and I'm going to put Ament in there because I just think he's a very mobile 6-10 who has some ability to shoot off the dribble, has played pretty well in the second half of the season and has some similar qualities but is four years younger. And I don't think a great NCAA tournament's going to change that much -- these guys all have a book of evaluation out there now.

At that point, you're basically saying that one or two teams would have Lendeborg as the next prospect on their board, and, if he's the guy the Blazers would want, I'd take those odds. There are a lot of players closer to Lendeborg in prospect status than Lendeborg is to those first nine players.

I wouldn't be surprised if there might be some teams that look at his teammate, Morez Johnson, and prefer him. He's a similar skillset, better rebounder, almost identical in size but again considerably younger.

Certainly a team could fall in love with Lendeborg and draft him in the top 10 when no one is predicting that. You can't do anything it that happens, but I doubt it will. I think there's a better chance that someone becomes a believer in the potential of Chris Cenac and drafts him in the top 10 than Yaxel Lendeborg.

I guess either way, it's a great draft to be in, Either we get a guy like him or it pushes some really good guy into our laps? Watching Duke, U Conn. This guy Tarris Reed is projected 2nd round; I think that's another indicator of how strong this class is.

 

[PCmor7]

I guess either way, it's a great draft to be in, Either we get a guy like him or it pushes some really good guy into our laps? Watching Duke, U Conn. This guy Tarris Reed is projected 2nd round; I think that's another indicator of how strong this class is.

Indeed.

I saw Iowa State's Milan Momcilovic declared for the draft. He's 6-8, 225. Shot 48.7% from 3 this year. While attempting 7.5 3s per game. Shot 54.5% from 2 to give him an effective FG% of 67.2%. He was just mocked to be taken 45th.

He's not even the best player on their team. Josh Jefferson is 6-8, 230 and averaged a little more than 16 ppg and 7 rpg to go with 4.8 apg -- one of the better passing bigs I've seen in the last decade. He got hurt in the first round of NCAAs or else I think they probably beat Tennessee. He's kind of Lendeborg without the length that makes Lendeborg such a problem on defense, but similar body and style of play. He, too, is an older prospect, having just completed his senior year of college.

Jefferson had crept into the teens in some mocks around midseason but has dropped to the late first round since. Again, I think it's more about other prospects rising than him not doing something. If a young player answers some question about their game and evaluators see more upside, they're going to go for the young guy over Lendeborg or Jefferson if they are close.

If you asked me who I'd pick between Ament and Lendeborg, I'd take Lendeborg. You kind of know what you're getting. I think almost all NBA GMs would take Ament, though, because they'd see his upside as being superior.

I think Ament and Cenac are the two biggest great-or-bust prospects in this draft. I think there's so much variation on how good they could be. I look at Cenac and I see a potential Bam Adebayo or at least Clint Capella, but he's also a player that doesn't seem to know what he is or wants to be yet, and if he's not in the right system I could also see him playing overseas in five years. On pure talent, though, he's top five in an average draft year.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

Beginning to doubt whether Lendeborg will be available when we pick. Really burning it up today.

He'll drop because of how badly 24-year-old draftees have historically performed.

 

[UKRAINEFAN]

He'll drop because of how badly 24-year-old draftees have historically performed.

You're probably being a smartass, right?

 

[Rastapopoulos]

You're probably being a smartass, right?

Just smart. But seriously, they don't have a good history. The last obvious case would be Chris Duarte in the 2021 draft who was 24 when he played his first game. He looked solid in his rookie year but then... vanished.

 

[Rastapopoulos]

Tankathon's ratings are stat-driven. You can't evaluate Arenas on stats, considering in the last year he was both in a car accident that required he be placed into a coma and then tore his meniscus over the summer. That injury was supposed to keep him out six-to-eight months, yet he returned for the seccond half of the season.

He was generally considered one of the top dozen recruits in his class before the injuries.

I dunno - there's a family history of batshit craziness that makes me leery.

 

[UKRAINEFAN]

Just smart. But seriously, they don't have a good history. The last obvious case would be Chris Duarte in the 2021 draft who was 24 when he played his first game. He looked solid in his rookie year but then... vanished.

Ohhh. I thought maybe some of your favorite second round guys had been 24. Isn't he actually 23?

 

[Everything Beagle]

So which UCONN player are we drafting this summer?