Draft 2026 NBA Draft Prospects Thread

[spurraider21]

"Lopez? That's a nickname! Family name is Lopezarelli!"

What part of the boot you from, Karim?

 

[BatManu20]

If we're going the younger route, I'm still firmly on the Cenac train btw. Give me Naz Reid 2.0 over Lopez or whoever else in the 16-20 range unless a big fish slides.

 

[Arguendo]

I'd agree with what you say if we're talking about prospects who would likely spend most of their rookie scale contracts recovering or developing rather than being productive and you get little to nothing out of it. But if you think you have a gem and you feel like they can contribute during their rookie contract, just take them and deal with it later.

When the time comes, there could be several avenues: 1) you sign them to a friendly extension if they're willing (like say a Jalen Johnson) 2) you trade them (at a profit) for cost-controlled role players or assets 3) you may realize they're so good you're better off trading someone you considered part of your core for assets. All of those are good problems to have.

In the case of Quaintance though, I'm scared shitless of his injury history, but I trust the Spurs organization when it comes to medical stuff even more so than scouting, so I would be ok if they took him.

Agree and I don't think it'll change all that much, the change occurred when they got Wemby. Pre-Wemby they had every incentive to swing for the fences, high-risk, high-reward guys. Role players offered little to no benefit then.

I don't think they've planned for that since Wemby, but they also haven't really needed to make a decision with Steph and Harp sitting there except for what to do at #8 and #14. Pre-Wemby, they use #8 & take another swing, with Wemby you trade that for a 2031. Even with Wemby they liked the value at #14, and took a swing on a project.

IMO they will draft the what they think is the best combo of talent + value + likelihood to contribute. Pre-Wemby that heavily favored talent, now it favors value + contribution but that was the case with CB.
If they get an injury/health ? guy that falls and they like the value, they'll take him like OKC with Topic. It's one of the good problems if they work out. After the #4/#5 pick is all a crapshoot anyways.

 

[Uriel]

Lopez does seem like such a Wright pick tbh. Probably the odds on favorite to be a Spur if he makes it to the mid-teens.

I would agree… if he makes it to pick #19. Which he won’t.

 

[OK Computer]

Mitch: “the more people that can dribble, pass, shoot - the more you can be plug and play and different configurations and whatever player environment shape you want to play out of…”

-this comment raises Swain up my rankings. I didn’t mean to exclude him in my last one. It lowers my guy Zuby, unless he shoots lights out for the remainder of the NCAA tournament. He is an excellent player but Mitch might want more evidence of shooting more than what we’ve seen so far.
-every game there are comments by every player about the offcourt chemistry. I ask once again why anyone would want to mess that up. Barnes said two days ago everyone is “loud in the locker room, not just KJ”. To me, this excludes introverts like Karim. Yaxel remains out because of his immature nature.
-as I said last night, it was a masterclass in defense. Everyone was rotating and in their defensive stance on the perimeter. I think the team will continue to have fast feet on defense (with exception to the center)

Updated rankings
1. Ament
2. Carr
3. Swain
4. Haugh
5. JJ
6. Zuby
7. Tounde
8. Hannes
9. Cenac
10. Mara
11. Maleek Thomas

 

[Guru of Nothing]

Mitch: “the more people that can dribble, pass, shoot - the more you can be plug and play and different configurations and whatever player environment shape you want to play out of…”

-this comment raises Swain up my rankings. I didn’t mean to exclude him in my last one. It lowers my guy Zuby, unless he shoots lights out for the remainder of the NCAA tournament. He is an excellent player but Mitch might want more evidence of shooting more than what we’ve seen so far.
-every game there are comments by every player about the offcourt chemistry. I ask once again why anyone would want to mess that up. Barnes said two days ago everyone is “loud in the locker room, not just KJ”. To me, this excludes introverts like Karim. Yaxel remains out because of his immature nature.
-as I said last night, it was a masterclass in defense. Everyone was rotating and in their defensive stance on the perimeter. I think the team will continue to have fast feet on defense (with exception to the center)

Updated rankings
1. Ament
2. Carr
3. Swain
4. Haugh
5. JJ
6. Zuby
7. Tounde
8. Hannes
9. Cenac
10. Mara
11. Maleek Thomas

I think your personality analysis is a weak link in your bag. We're talking about a 17 year-old kid who moved halfway around the world from northern Mexico to New Zealand to play basketball with grown men. I think a little leeway is called for. Looks to be a guy who will fit well in any NBA locker room.

 

[Exstatic]

Jacquez is one of the front-runners for 6MOY, a quite productive NBA player. Podz is also a quite productive NBA player. It's not like either went the Chris Duarte route. I'd be very happy to draft an older guy who turned out like Jacquez or Podz, tbh.

My point isn’t that they’re bad, it’s that they’re about what they came into the league as.

Depending on where our pick falls, I might or might not be happy with a Podz Jaquez outcome. My thought is, if you’re over 21, you should be drafted about there, or later.

 

[bozhemoi]

Mitch: “the more people that can dribble, pass, shoot - the more you can be plug and play and different configurations and whatever player environment shape you want to play out of…”

-this comment raises Swain up my rankings. I didn’t mean to exclude him in my last one. It lowers my guy Zuby, unless he shoots lights out for the remainder of the NCAA tournament. He is an excellent player but Mitch might want more evidence of shooting more than what we’ve seen so far.
-every game there are comments by every player about the offcourt chemistry. I ask once again why anyone would want to mess that up. Barnes said two days ago everyone is “loud in the locker room, not just KJ”. To me, this excludes introverts like Karim. Yaxel remains out because of his immature nature.
-as I said last night, it was a masterclass in defense. Everyone was rotating and in their defensive stance on the perimeter. I think the team will continue to have fast feet on defense (with exception to the center)

Updated rankings
1. Ament
2. Carr
3. Swain
4. Haugh
5. JJ
6. Zuby
7. Tounde
8. Hannes
9. Cenac
10. Mara
11. Maleek Thomas

I don't know who we'll pick, but your thought seems pretty spot on. The offense is looking like it's really hard to handle for teams right now. We're getting really close to the beautiful style, although with a different feel, where everyone is attacking and moving. We'll need players who can process things pretty quickly, know where to hit weak gaps and take advantage of covers. We've seen Devin get much better at reading where to lob to Vic, for example. Castle was already superb at cuts and getting into gaps from his UConn days. I think Harper is really good at this already but will get better (he's not the best at seeing passes yet, but will). Bryant has surprised me and will get better.

The team can't use ball stoppers or guys who will freeze or hesitate. I can't really say who on that list fits, but definitely agree with the overall gist.

 

[bozhemoi]

Adding: one thing I like about Dev and Harper in particular lately is that they can generate offense from a standstill. This is something we struggled with at times even in the old days. Dev has gotten good at setting up his mid-range if needed, and his release and lean are kind of hard to contest. Those will be needed at times.

 

[Uriel]

We keep debating Yaxel vs Haugh vs Cenac vs Lopez vs Peat, but given the way Atlanta's been playing, we may not even have a choice and just end up picking whichever one of them is left on the board

 

[BatManu20]

https://twitter.com/x/status/2036177041150845114

 

[spurraider21]

We keep debating Yaxel vs Haugh vs Cenac vs Lopez vs Peat, but given the way Atlanta's been playing, we may not even have a choice and just end up picking whichever one of them is left on the board

right into Cameron Carr range

 

[scott]

My point isn’t that they’re bad, it’s that they’re about what they came into the league as.

Depending on where our pick falls, I might or might not be happy with a Podz Jaquez outcome. My thought is, if you’re over 21, you should be drafted about there, or later.

Yep, I think we have a strong agreement here. Especially where the Spurs will be drafting, and the team we'll be drafting the player into, having a ton of remaining upside shouldn't be our main concern.

Landing a Podz or Jaime around pick #20 for us this year (which is right around where both of these guys got picked) would be a huge W for us.

 

[OK Computer]

I think your personality analysis is a weak link in your bag. We're talking about a 17 year-old kid who moved halfway around the world from northern Mexico to New Zealand to play basketball with grown men. I think a little leeway is called for. Looks to be a guy who will fit well in any NBA locker room.

I think this has to be looked at from two angles. First is how I’m reading Karim Lopez. That’s coming from interviews I’ve watched, including the one you shared. I’m pulling from small clips, not a full evaluation, so I’m aware of the limitations. From what I’ve seen, I don’t hear as many team-first type answers compared to other prospects, and his demeanor reminds me of Luka Samanic. More reserved, pretty stoic, and at times it can come off a little arrogant. That’s not me saying that’s who he is, it’s just a surface-level read based on limited exposure, not a behavioral evaluation. There are people whose job it is to do that, and I’m not one of them. This is more of a hunch than anything.

Second is the Spurs side of it. If any of that read is even somewhat accurate, I just don’t see him being high on their list. We’ve already seen how things went with a similar type of player in Samanic. I also think under Mitch the tolerance for certain things, like language barriers or slower cultural adjustment, might not be the same as it was under Pop. The Spurs have been consistent about valuing certain traits, and I think that still plays a role in who they bring in.

At the end of the day, I’m not claiming this is fact. It’s just how I’m reading it right now, and I’ll adjust if I’m wrong like I always do year after year. The goal has always been to get as close to accurate as possible, not perfect, because that’s not realistic unless you’re actually working in the Spurs’ front office.

If I didn’t see any concerns with Karim, he’d slot in after Tounde and before Hannes.

1. Ament
2. Carr
3. Swain
4. Haugh
5. JJ
6. Zuby
7. Tounde
8. Karim
9. Hannes
10.Cenac
11. Mara
12. Maleek Thomas

 

[OK Computer]

I feel like Swain could be CB’s sparring partner similar to how Castle has Harper (and vice versa). I think Swain has the closest body type, strength, and speed to CB out of all the prospects. Iron sharpens iron - I think they would make each other better.

 

[onechance87]

I think this has to be looked at from two angles. First is how I’m reading Karim Lopez. That’s coming from interviews I’ve watched, including the one you shared. I’m pulling from small clips, not a full evaluation, so I’m aware of the limitations. From what I’ve seen, I don’t hear as many team-first type answers compared to other prospects, and his demeanor reminds me of Luka Samanic. More reserved, pretty stoic, and at times it can come off a little arrogant. That’s not me saying that’s who he is, it’s just a surface-level read based on limited exposure, not a behavioral evaluation. There are people whose job it is to do that, and I’m not one of them. This is more of a hunch than anything.

Second is the Spurs side of it. If any of that read is even somewhat accurate, I just don’t see him being high on their list. We’ve already seen how things went with a similar type of player in Samanic. I also think under Mitch the tolerance for certain things, like language barriers or slower cultural adjustment, might not be the same as it was under Pop. The Spurs have been consistent about valuing certain traits, and I think that still plays a role in who they bring in.

At the end of the day, I’m not claiming this is fact. It’s just how I’m reading it right now, and I’ll adjust if I’m wrong like I always do year after year. The goal has always been to get as close to accurate as possible, not perfect, because that’s not realistic unless you’re actually working in the Spurs’ front office.

If I didn’t see any concerns with Karim, he’d slot in after Tounde and before Hannes.

1. Ament
2. Carr
3. Swain
4. Haugh
5. JJ
6. Zuby
7. Tounde
8. Karim
9. Hannes
10.Cenac
11. Mara
12. Maleek Thomas

Well i think yaxel should be option to draft going off this take.Yaxel dont strike me as a me player and more of a team player who knows
his role and has his teammates back.You say spurs wont draft him cause hes ghetto.Yet we got david jones garcia on this team who
talking trash and throwing hands in the fibacup last year in the summer.Which dont seem like spurs material to me as well.

 

[Vienna]

I doubt Steinbach will be there at pick 18-20, but if he was, picking him makes a lot of sense considering the roster situation in season 2027-28 or the season after this. 2026/27 he will take whatever the departure of KO and BB leaves on the table regarding 3rd stringer minutes and he can play some Austin games as well. depending on his development, it opens some helpful scenarios as a young replacement for Kornet, who might then be traded 2027, or will be out 2028. saves some money as well.
Steinbach has a high floor, he should, worst case, become a (healthy) Mo Wagner and he doesn't need to have a high ceiling, because he wouldn't get a role big enough for that with this Spurs team anyway.
(this makes him a better fit than Cenac, but Cenac will likely be gone before Spurs pick as well)

I still think trading the pick will be the first option for the Spurs. but if they use the pick, they won't look at 2026-27, maybe not even at 2027-28. this IMO rules out all players who are 21 or older on draft night, even if some interesting players will be available at the pick. (like Jefferson or Haugh)
Lopez makes most sense IMO, but he will likely be gone. Amari Allen might be the alternative, his measurements will be crucial. and I like the idea of Isaiah Evans, who will need some time to develop his body, so an extended timeline fits.
(he will always be on the skinny side, but he is tough. remindes Tayshaun Price at Kentucky)

 

[OK Computer]

Well i think yaxel should be option to draft going off this take.Yaxel dont strike me as a me player and more of a team player who knows
his role and has his teammates back.You say spurs wont draft him cause hes ghetto.Yet we got david jones garcia on this team who
talking trash and throwing hands in the fibacup last year in the summer.Which dont seem like spurs material to me as well.

It’s more than one thing with Yaxel. We didn’t invest a pick into DJG - the stakes are higher when using a pick.

I think with any player we like, we’re willing to look past their flaws and obvious red flags. He posts a nice stat line one night and nothing else matters after that for some people. That’s a natural thing that happens in sports and fandom.

It’s not false that year after year there are NBA players that don’t work out due to unprofessionalism or non-basketball related things. It’s also not false that the Spurs are very conservative and risk-averse when it comes to this sort of thing. I’m just putting two and two together when it comes to this analysis. As I said above - I can only work on becoming confident about things but I cannot work on being 100% right. I’m confident Yaxel (more than twice as confident about him than Karim) will be passed up if he is available when the Spurs pick. For funsies, I’m willing to take a bet with anyone on that.

 

[BatManu20]

Gonna suck seeing this guy on OKC's roster next year tbh.

https://twitter.com/x/status/2036790213088092189

 

[LeBowen]

Gonna suck seeing this guy on OKC's roster next year tbh.

https://twitter.com/x/status/2036790213088092189

No way they're going to have two rookie bigs on the roster.
They'll replace Hartenstein with someone cheaper and have Sorber as his backup.

 

[SpursBills]

I doubt Steinbach will be there at pick 18-20, but if he was, picking him makes a lot of sense considering the roster situation in season 2027-28 or the season after this. 2026/27 he will take whatever the departure of KO and BB leaves on the table regarding 3rd stringer minutes and he can play some Austin games as well. depending on his development, it opens some helpful scenarios as a young replacement for Kornet, who might then be traded 2027, or will be out 2028. saves some money as well.
Steinbach has a high floor, he should, worst case, become a (healthy) Mo Wagner and he doesn't need to have a high ceiling, because he wouldn't get a role big enough for that with this Spurs team anyway.
(this makes him a better fit than Cenac, but Cenac will likely be gone before Spurs pick as well)

I still think trading the pick will be the first option for the Spurs. but if they use the pick, they won't look at 2026-27, maybe not even at 2027-28. this IMO rules out all players who are 21 or older on draft night, even if some interesting players will be available at the pick. (like Jefferson or Haugh)
Lopez makes most sense IMO, but he will likely be gone. Amari Allen might be the alternative, his measurements will be crucial. and I like the idea of Isaiah Evans, who will need some time to develop his body, so an extended timeline fits.
(he will always be on the skinny side, but he is tough. remindes Tayshaun Price at Kentucky)

I think where I'm at on Steinbach is that while I think he's going to be legitimately good, his fit on this current roster might be too tough for me to take him after some other guys. As outlandish as it sounds, I think the 4th least likely to be traded guy long term after Wemby, Castle, and Harper is Keldon Johnson and the Hannes-Keldon pairing is just so bad defensively that it probably outweighs his offensive potential. I didn't realize this a while ago, but Hannes when playing as the lone big allows 70% FG at the rim and this is against college players. If you play him alongside another big you are basically playing Keldon as a wing and taking away a ton of the strengths that he has playing the PF position this year and expose the fact that both Keldon and Hannes are both below average shooters for a wing and PF respectively, although they are probably above average in this respect for PF and center, respectively.

Now, Hannes is still very young, but he does not have the anthros to beat the allegations of being a poor rim protector at the next level. I can't think of any guys who were poor rim protectors in college who ended up being decent rim protectors as pros, although if we can come up with some examples that would certainly change my outlook on Hannes. The best one I can think of is maybe Brook Lopez however he has the size and anthros to beat the aforementioned concerns and also his rim protection in college was still not terrible.

 

[BatManu20]

No way they're going to have two rookie bigs on the roster.
They'll replace Hartenstein with someone cheaper and have Sorber as his backup.

Could actually see iHart signing a multi-year deal to stay in OKC at a lower starting salary and then figuring it out later tbh. Think they're gonna try hard to keep him. If he does dip though, Mitchell Robinson is the only UFA Center that's worth a damn imo. Maybe Ayton. Don't think they'd have any interest in guys like Drummond, Nurkic, Jaxson Hayes, etc.

 

[Vienna]

I think where I'm at on Steinbach is that while I think he's going to be legitimately good, his fit on this current roster might be too tough for me to take him after some other guys. As outlandish as it sounds, I think the 4th least likely to be traded guy long term after Wemby, Castle, and Harper is Keldon Johnson and the Hannes-Keldon pairing is just so bad defensively that it probably outweighs his offensive potential. I didn't realize this a while ago, but Hannes when playing as the lone big allows 70% FG at the rim and this is against college players. If you play him alongside another big you are basically playing Keldon as a wing and taking away a ton of the strengths that he has playing the PF position this year and expose the fact that both Keldon and Hannes are both below average shooters for a wing and PF respectively, although they are probably above average in this respect for PF and center, respectively.

Now, Hannes is still very young, but he does not have the anthros to beat the allegations of being a poor rim protector at the next level. I can't think of any guys who were poor rim protectors in college who ended up being decent rim protectors as pros, although if we can come up with some examples that would certainly change my outlook on Hannes. The best one I can think of is maybe Brook Lopez however he has the size and anthros to beat the aforementioned concerns and also his rim protection in college was still not terrible.

Marc Gasol is the name you look for.

 

[Ariel]

People lamenting that Karim Lopez, Mara, Cenac, Steinbach, Haugh, Lendeborg won't be available by the time Spurs pick... we're sure there's like 15 players going in the 11-20 range, I'd be great for those claiming their favorite prospect won't be there to say who will be to tell whether it's actually bad news... or good news.

I don't see a clear no fail prospect in the teens but I think there are many good bets to be very legit players all the way to the late first round, and you can make a similarly good case for/against most of them, so I have them about the same tier. Of course not everyone will end up on the right side of history, but if you take 10 people and you have random combinations of 2/3 players evenly distributed, that speaks to the parity of the class.

 

[BatManu20]

https://twitter.com/x/status/2036793235482280005