Draft 2026 NBA Draft Prospects Thread

[BatManu20]

Luigi Suigo — 7'3 250 lb. Italian Center who declared for the draft a couple days ago. Just turned 19 years old. Has a 7'5 wingspan and a 9'3 standing reach. Currently moving up draft boards quickly. He's been projected in the mid-late 20's the past couple weeks but with multiple guys dropping out of this draft, he'd likely move up into the early 20's at the latest if* he keeps his name in.

This is a sleeper pick for the Spurs imo. One of the more high-upside prospects in this draft. He's a stretch-5 with an elite physical profile and decent mobility for his size, and he shows legit flashes of 3PT shooting. Still needs more development and isn't quite there yet, but the long-term upside is there though.

Like most guys his size (Mara, Krivas, etc.), mobility is his biggest question mark. Defending in space will be an issue for him at the NBA level. But he's got tools you can't teach and the 3PT shooting flashes look real You're not going to find many better developmental prospects for a backup Center.

*Only caveat is he's currently being heavily recruited by multiple schools, so decent chance he withdraws his name from the draft before the June 13th deadline. And with as much as guys are getting paid at the college level now thanks to NIL, I fully expect him to commit to one of them (like BYU, who's heavily recruiting him) and try to play himself into a Lottery Pick next year in a weaker class tbh.

NBA comp: Old man version of Brooke Lopez

https://twitter.com/x/status/1986143222197068003

https://twitter.com/x/status/2022035588875272646

https://twitter.com/x/status/2046978631822413986

 

[rascal]

Cenac (and to a lesser extent, Morez) are offering no resistance to Robert Williams if they’re seen as bigs who can masquerade as C’s. Gobert will probably bully them down low, too. This draft is becoming bare, unfortunately. If the Spurs are going to address a need, it’s better to do it when there’s full confidence in a player. I don’t know if they’ll find full confidence in Cenac.

How about Tarris Reed? He's a solid low post player with size weight and lenght.

 

[onechance87]

Think Cenac will be gone by 20 tbh, esp if he shoots it well at the Combine. One of the more high-side picks in the draft. Morez Johnson Jr. has grown on me quite a bit but there's a decent chance he's gone by 20 too tbh. Think the younger guys are gonna be flying off the shelf in the top-20.

Will surely somebody else decent will drop to us then.My goodness i hope we dont draft koa peat.

 

[Uriel]

What is the source for that? I don't remember reading anything close to it.

A podcast from the E-N that came out after the draft.

 

[scott]

I like Reed a lot (just not with #20). Saw him last year at the Maui Invitational and he is the guy who impressed me while Karaban and McNealy definitely did not

 

[OK Computer]

How about Tarris Reed? He's a solid low post player with size weight and lenght.

One of my top picks with our 2nd. (Provided we don’t draft a big already with our 1st)

Luigi Suigo — 7'3 250 lb. Italian Center who declared for the draft a couple days ago. Just turned 19 years old. Has a 7'5 wingspan and a 9'3 standing reach. Currently moving up draft boards quickly. He's been projected in the mid-late 20's the past couple weeks but with multiple guys dropping out of this draft, he'd likely move up into the early 20's at the latest if* he keeps his name in.

This is a sleeper pick for the Spurs imo. One of the more high-upside prospects in this draft. He's a stretch-5 with an elite physical profile and decent mobility for his size, and he shows legit flashes of 3PT shooting. Still needs more development and isn't quite there yet, but the long-term upside is there though.

Like most guys his size (Mara, Krivas, etc.), mobility is his biggest question mark. Defending in space will be an issue for him at the NBA level. But he's got tools you can't teach and the 3PT shooting flashes look real You're not going to find many better developmental prospects for a backup Center.

*Only caveat is he's currently being heavily recruited by multiple schools, so decent chance he withdraws his name from the draft before the June 13th deadline. And with as much as guys are getting paid at the college level now thanks to NIL, I fully expect him to commit to one of them (like BYU, who's heavily recruiting him) and try to play himself into a Lottery Pick next year in a weaker class tbh.

NBA comp: Old man version of Brooke Lopez

https://twitter.com/x/status/1986143222197068003

https://twitter.com/x/status/2022035588875272646

https://twitter.com/x/status/2046978631822413986

Is he going to be gone by 20, too? breh, you think everyone will be gone by 20.

 

[scott]

One of my top picks with our 2nd. (Provided we don’t draft a big already with our 1st)

Is he going to be gone by 20, too? breh, you think everyone will be gone by 20.

Those 19 picks before us will be the longest 40 picks of our life where the Top 60 prospects all get taken

 

[BatManu20]

Sam Presti should should still be a Spur tbh.

https://twitter.com/x/status/2048531882447655220

 

[CGD]

Sam Presti should should still be a Spur tbh.

https://twitter.com/x/status/2048531882447655220

Meh. The 20th pick in 2027 will be ass. And Joker will still be there in 2029.

Honestly, aside from the LAC swap next year (also meh bc of the weak draft), I think this is the last year of quality FRP in the OKC war chest.

 

[100%Duncan]

Sam Presti should should still be a Spur tbh.

https://twitter.com/x/status/2048531882447655220

Im not phased by this tbh. The other picks however

 

[onechance87]

Been lurking long before I ever posted, and I often don't agree with your takes, but I think we may be the biggest Morez Johnson Jr. fans on this forum. He just seems like the best fit to me, as a casual observer.

Once you get to pick 20, it's a bit of a crapshoot, tho. People get paid a lot of money to pick terrible players for a reason. So unless we're particularly high on someone, at this range, I just don't see the appeal in adding another wing. Since we're gambling anyway, we need someone big who can do more than just be big far more than we need another small forward who can sort of squeak in as an undersized big.

Yup...can help the team set screens.Can help wemby with getting physical with other bigs in boxing out and getting rebounds.
Not afraid of contact and goes hard at the rim to score and helping defend the rim.If he can knock down the outside shots
he would be the perfect fit.Curious to see what his measurements are and how he does at the nba combine soon.

 

[spurs3223]

Yup...can help the team set screens.Can help wemby with getting physical with other bigs in boxing out and getting rebounds.
Not afraid of contact and goes hard at the rim to score and helping defend the rim.If he can knock down the outside shots
he would be the perfect fit.Curious to see what his measurements are and how he does at the nba combine soon.

Yeah it's almost measurement season! When we sucked it was one of the more exciting events of the basketball year. Glad to be on the other side now, though.

I think we agree 100% here., including questions about his 3 ball. As OKComputer rightfully pointed out, volume often matters more than percentage when drafting for shooting. Morez is a low volume 3 point shooter with decent percentages, so we'll just have to see how it pans out.

 

[ulosturedge]

Seems the pool is shrinking a bit. I feel like the priority is either a Center who can run the floor and has adequate defense or looks teachable, or a stretch 4 who can shoot outside and has adequate defensive skills. But if the right people aren't available for those 2 categories then go for BPA and get a (6'5 minimum)Wing that shows the most talent. Last option is if some super steal falls to us and we can use as trade bait. But at pick 20 don't think that last option will likely play out.

 

[rascal]

Tankathon has OK City drafting Lendeborg, Carr and Tarris Reed. Have the Spurs drafting Peat and Veesaar over Reed. Nice draft for OKC if that were to happen, don't like the Spurs picks at all.

 

[bozhemoi]

Tankathon has OK City drafting Lendeborg, Carr and Tarris Reed. Have the Spurs drafting Peat and Veesaar over Reed. Nice draft for OKC if that were to happen, don't like the Spurs picks at all.

Yeah if that happens it's basically lol city. OKC gets terrific players, the Spurs get nada.

 

[Thoodee]

any chance of packaging all out picks in exchange for the bulls 15th pick? Would love Chris Cenac Jr.

 

[LeBowen]

any chance of packaging all out picks in exchange for the bulls 15th pick? Would love Chris Cenac Jr.

Bulls changed their front office and I guess that the first order of business was blocking Wright's number.

Hornets have #14 and #18, maybe that's the move up target. But then again, maybe they're also looking to move up with those two picks.
Grizzlies have #6 and #16, they'd probably be willing to move down a few spots from #16.

 

[scott]

I'm personally more interested in the opposite... finding a team without an FRP who wants to move in for a future FRP and a swap.

Teams without an FRP as of now:

HOU
Either IND or LAC
MIN
NOP
ORL
PHX
POR

IND and MIN are probably the two I'm least interested in (but, ironically enough have been our most reliable trade partners in recent years)... but I'd still do it.

Give me a 2029 swap (our only pick between 2028 and 2031 that doesn't have a swap enhancer attached) and a 2032 FRP and we good.

 

[BatManu20]

https://twitter.com/x/status/2048863910917263688

 

[Corso]

I'm in the trade the pick for the future right now.
All we really need is a 3RD STRING C and maybe a PF they can get anywhere.
They probably will just get a Wing and roll while signing some goob for C.

 

[BatManu20]

Tankathon has OK City drafting Lendeborg, Carr and Tarris Reed. Have the Spurs drafting Peat and Veesaar over Reed. Nice draft for OKC if that were to happen, don't like the Spurs picks at all.

That'd be an insane draft tbh and honestly Yaxel makes a lot of sense for them as a Dort replacement. He's old but he's a plug-and-play starter for them at the 3/4 assuming Dort walks, and then they could even run some jumbo lineups of SGA/J-Will/Yaxel/Chet/iHart that no other teams could match. Could also see them going Mara though if they lose iHart in Free Agency. Either way, it's annoying how much draft capital they continue to have.

 

[Ariel]

I'm personally more interested in the opposite... finding a team without an FRP who wants to move in for a future FRP and a swap.

Teams without an FRP as of now:

HOU
Either IND or LAC
MIN
NOP
ORL
PHX
POR

IND and MIN are probably the two I'm least interested in (but, ironically enough have been our most reliable trade partners in recent years)... but I'd still do it.

Give me a 2029 swap (our only pick between 2028 and 2031 that doesn't have a swap enhancer attached) and a 2032 FRP and we good.

Rumors are the league is leaning towards an 18 team lottery, with the bottom 10 having a flat 8% chance each. If this is the case, swaps from a team that may potentially be in that bottom third of the league should become a lot more valuable, as you'd have as good of a chance as anyone to get a franchise altering talent. I might be tempted to go even for multiple swaps for a pick if all the best prospects are gone, say swaps in 27 through 29 plus a swap in 32. Or like you said, a pick and a swap, provided it's from the right team. But the draft has thinned out, I think there will be value at 20 but some of those options are now gone so it's worth considering all possibilities.

 

[scott]

Rumors are the league is leaning towards an 18 team lottery, with the bottom 10 having a flat 8% chance each. If this is the case, swaps from a team that may potentially be in that bottom third of the league should become a lot more valuable, as you'd have as good of a chance as anyone to get a franchise altering talent. I might be tempted to go even for multiple swaps for a pick if all the best prospects are gone, say swaps in 27 through 29 plus a swap in 32. Or like you said, a pick and a swap, provided it's from the right team. But the draft has thinned out, I think there will be value at 20 but some of those options are now gone so it's worth considering all possibilities.

I agree. Swaps will be more valuable, but by the token so will far out picks where natural variance makes them less predictable. The supposed new lotto format means you no longer need to worry about how bad your trade partner will be, you'll have a 18/30 (For now) shot at a lotto pick) and a 10/30 shot at the best possible odds.

Of course, If Top-10/Top-18 protections still exist (as I'm sure they will), it may become easier for a team that owes you a pick to get out of the bottom 10 to avoid handing you a top lotto pick (because they will be others trying to get into the Top 10 to get better odds or to mazimize getting into the protection window)...

Whatever stupid decision the league makes about the new rules, I hope the announce them soon because it's going to have a significant impact on the trade market.

Brian Wright had that elite level foresight to lock up all those swaps in advance.

 

[rascal]

Has there been a team in recent years that traded an unprotected first and a pick swap for the number 20th pick or lower? It seems a bit optimistic to get that package back for 20.

Spurs still need frontline depth and hope they use the 20th pick on a frontline player. Really would like to see two pf/c added to next year's roster via the draft.
Don't let beating Portland think the Spurs can just punt the draft picks for future picks and not try to get better now.

 

[scott]

Has there been a team in recent years that traded an unprotected first and a pick swap for the number 20th pick or lower? It seems a bit optimistic to get that package back for 20.

Spurs still need frontline depth and hope they use the 20th pick on a frontline player. Really would like to see two pf/c added to next year's roster via the draft.
Don't let beating Portland think the Spurs can just punt the draft picks for future picks and not try to get better now.

You are correct about the return for #20. More accurate would be one FRP (OKC traded #24 to SAC in exchange for the Spurs 2027 FRP which projects to be at the end of the draft... but SAC are also idiots, so who knows).

There are lots of ways for the Spurs to add a front court player. No need to reach for one at #20, but if one they like is there... sure. I just don't like what the talent is looking at at #20 except for maybe Jefferson, but I'm also not a draft expert. I like the Options at #35 better (specifically Reed or Zuby) but who knows if we'll even use that pick... I hope we do.