Draft 2026 NBA Draft Prospects Thread

[BatManu20]

Been looking at guys projected in the 14-20 range as that's probably where that ATL pick is going to wind up. And one prospect who's caught my eye is Karim Lopez. He's a 6'9 200+ lb PF from Hermosillo, Mexico (would be an immediate fan-favorite in SA tbh), has a reported 7'2 wingspan, and currently plays for the New Zealand Breakers of the NBL. Just turned 18 in June. Very active defensively and is currently shooting 41% from 3 on 3 attempts per. Biggest question mark with him though will be his defense against NBA-level athletes. He plays hard, but does he have the foot-speed to say in front of guys? That's my biggest concern with him. Kid has some tools though and looks like a promising Stretch-4 that could be a nice developmental piece, although the Spurs may (hopefully) be looking to make a move for a veteran or just a more "ready now" player can come in and help us compete immediately.

Lopez is currently projected in the 10-20 range of the First Round.

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[ambchang]

there are multiple guys im seeing clips of that are 6’9+, jump out of the gym and can shoot the ball. If we hit on a guy like that, it’s a wrap. Our 3 guards with Vic and a long 3&D who can do 3 and D…that sounds like perfection tbh. Bryant probably more of a backup 3/4 hybrid which is fine. Need a real dude to play the 4. I’d even kick tires on MPJ tbh if we aren’t liking our draft position.

I thought you'd want someone with BBIQ?

 

[BatManu20]

Another player I'm really intrigued by is Yaxel Lendeborg (wild name tbh). Talented two-way player who has good size for the PF position at 6'9 240 lb with a 7'4 Wingspan. He's a stretch-4 who does a little bit of everything. Shoots the 3, attacks the basket, has a low-post game, good finisher in transition, and plays hard and blocks shots on the defensive end. If you follow CBB then you know who he is. He was the #1 player in the Transfer Portal this year out of UAB and chose Michigan. Averaged 18 Pts / 11 Rbs / 4 Asts / 2 Blks / 2 Stls on 52% FG% & 36% from 3 on 2 attempts per last year. Has a solid chance of being a consensus All-American this year. The glaring negative though is his age. He'll be one of the of the oldest players in this upcoming draft at 23 and a half years old. We all know most NBA teams draft for potential so he's going to slide down draft boards, but he's still projected as a mid-FRP and I personally think that him being more pro-ready could actually benefit us as the Spurs are ready to win now.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1979346262593016014

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[mo7888]

Another intriguing player is Yaxel Lendeborg (wild name tbh). Good size for the PF position at 6'9 240 lb. He's a stretch-4 who does a little bit of everything. Shoots the 3, attacks the basket, has a midrange game, good finisher in transition, and plays hard on the defensive end. If you follow CBB then you know who he is. He was the #1 player in the Transfer Portal this year out of UAB and chose to transfer to Michigan. Averaged 18 Pts/ 11 Rbs/ 4 Asts/ 2 Blks / 2 Stls on 52% FG% & 36% from 3 on 3 attempts per last year. Has a solid chance of being a consensus All-American this year. The glaring negative though is his age. He'll be one of the of the oldest players in this upcoming draft at 23 and a half years old. We all know most NBA teams draft for potential so he's going to slide down draft boards, but I personally think that him being more pro-ready could actually help us as the Spurs are ready to win now.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1979346262593016014

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I'm pretty sure he'll be on our board. He's pretty intriguing if some of the higher upside guys are off the board.

 

[BatManu20]

I'm pretty sure he'll be on our board. He's pretty intriguing if some of the higher upside guys are off the board.

Agreed. Swiss-army knife stretch-PF who would fit seamlessly on this Spurs team imo. Seems like a high-character kid too based on the interviews I've seen. I think PATFO will definitely be interested and will being him in for a pre-draft workout/interview.

 

[Ariel]

Yeah, Yaxel Lendeborg sounds like a much more plausible target than Caleb Wilson, he's the kind of older player that slips through draft boards in favor of younger players with more perceived upside, good target if the pick is outside the lottery.

 

[Shmurs]

I thought you'd want someone with BBIQ?

Just not being negative IQ is a good start. I’ll take “average “

 

[BatManu20]

Tuned into the Michigan game tonight to watch Lendeborg and came away more impressed with their 20 year-old starting Center Aday Mara. The 7'3 255 lb. Spaniard has a freakish 7'7 wingspan and an equally freakish 9'6" Standing Reach. Dude is long as hell.

The UCLA transfer dropped an impressive 18 Pts / 14 Rbs / 6 Asts / 5 Blks / 1 Stl stat line tonight on 73% shooting from the field against Wake Forest in his second game of the season. Was by far the best player on the floor for either team.

Not an explosive athlete so that will be his biggest limitation at the next level, but he's fluid and coordinated enough that he's not a huge liability at the college level either. Defensively he moves his feet decently well and flips his hips fluidly to stay in front of smaller players. Was solid defending the PnR tonight which surprised me, but can he do it against NBA-level athletes? That will be the difference in him being a starter or him being a backup spot-minutes guy off the bench.

Offensively, he positions his body well to seal defenders off and keeps the ball high when he catches it near the rim so defenders can't strip him (much like Timmy used to). Kid is a very good passer and has nice touch around the basket as well. He's not just tall. He's skilled and shows glimpses of really nice footwork in the post. Has a consistent little jump hook with nice touch when he's in the paint area too.

High-IQ player who seems to have a good understanding of the game already. Showed off a couple nice touch passes as well, including a lob to Lendeborg from the top of the key. His defense is where he makes his money though. He might be the best shot-blocker in CBB this season. His size and length really gave WF problems all night tonight. The question will be can he defend in space in today's NBA and defend the PnR. That alone will determine his future.

Bleacher Report has him going 18th Overall in their latest Mock. Will be keeping an eye on him moving forward.

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[BatManu20]

Kid is a good passer. He's got some Pau Gasol in him in that regard.

 

[Robz4000]

Way early but God damn this draft is starting to look stacked as fuck, and of course OKC could have three first round picks this year ...

 

[Ariel]

Not an explosive athlete so that will be his biggest limitation at the next level, but he's fluid and coordinated enough that he's not a huge liability either, at least not tonight. Moves his feet well and flips his hips to stay in front of smaller players. Offensively, he positions his body well to seal defenders off and keeps the ball high when he catches it near the rim so defenders can't strip him (reminds me of Timmy in this regard tbh).

High-IQ player who seems to have a good understanding of the game already. Showed off a couple nice touch passes as well, including a lob to Lendeborg from the top of the key. His defense is where he makes his money though. His size and length really gave WF problems all night tonight.

He's skilled and smart, but he moves like he's got wooden legs and lead feet, don't think he'll be as effective with more ground to cover and a faster pace in the NBA.

 

[BatManu20]

He's skilled and smart, but he moves like he's got wooden legs and lead feet, don't think he'll be as effective with more ground to cover and a faster pace in the NBA.

Yea I mean that'll def be the question with him obviously. Can he play in space in today's NBA. At worst I think he'll be a serviceable backup C, but need to see more of him against better competition at this level first. I'll def be watching him vs. Duke in a few weeks to see how to fairs against future NBA talent.

 

[BatManu20]

Won't be a Spur but damn this kid's going to be good. 6'5 PG with an elite offensive game already at 18 years old. Currently projected as a top-6 pick. If I'm Memphis, I'm letting Ja be tank-commander this season with his suckage and then aiming for this kid in the draft as his replacement.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1988449724756545966

 

[mo7888]

Way early but God damn this draft is starting to look stacked as fuck, and of course OKC could have three first round picks this year ...

It may be the best we've seen if you judge it through the end of the lottery.

 

[Shmurs]

Won't be a Spur but damn this kid's going to be good. 6'5 PG with an elite offensive game already at 18 years old. Currently projected as a top-6 pick. If I'm Memphis, I'm letting Ja be tank-commander this season with his suckage and then aiming for this kid in the draft as his replacement.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1988449724756545966

He’ll make a perfect wizard. A guy with no particular differentiated skill or natural ability who will look great once every 15 games.

 

[BatManu20]

He’ll make a perfect wizard. A guy with no particular differentiated skill or natural ability who will look great once every 15 games.

Mr. Body, is that you?

Kid's averaging 19/7/4/1 on 52/32/95 Shooting Splits at 18 years old while being the primary focus of every opposing team's defense… And he excels in PnR. He's going to be just fine lol.

 

[BatManu20]

Yet another two-way 6'9 230+ lb. PF prospect who's off to a piping hot start this season is J.T. Toppin out of Texas Tech. The 20 year-old lefty out of Dallas is averaging a monster 33 Pts / 13 Rbs / 4 Asts / 2 Blks / 3 Stls on 61% FG% after 2 games. Those numbers aren't sustainable and will come down as the season continues obv, but the talent is obvious with this kid. His bread-and-butter is his low-post game. That's where he does most of his damage. Has really soft touch around the basket and out to the mid-range. Likes to use the glass and excels at it. He's also a very good Offensive Rebounder as well.

Defensively, he's very disruptive and uses his athleticism and 7'1 Wingspan to block shots around the rim. He also uses that length to disrupt the passing lanes and rack up Steals, as shown by his career averages of 2 Blks/1.4 Stls per game.

By far the biggest question will be his 3PT shooting. He was a career 33% 3PT shooter coming into this season on only 1 attempt per (although that number jumps to 39% on catch and shoot 3's). After only 2 games, he's shooting just 20% from 3 on 2.5 attempts per. Way too small of a sample size to judge this early in the season obv, and I expect that % to come up, but his draft stock largely hinges on his ability to become at least an average NBA 3PT shooter. Only a career 65% FT shooter as well, so the shooting questions is valid.

He's currently projected in the early-mid 20's for the First Round. Hopefully the Spurs are selecting much higher than that tbh, but a two-way player to keep an eye on nonetheless. His closest player comp for me is Brandon Clarke.

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[BatManu20]

Name: Karter Knox
Height: 6'6 (w/ shoes)
Weight: 220 lb
Wingspan: 6'10
Position: SF (or small-ball PF)

Another intriguing prospect who's projected in the 15-20 range. 20 year-old Sophomore 3&D prospect from Tampa, FL who hangs his hat on defense. Good size for the SF position at 6'6 with a 6'10 wingspan. Plus athlete. Can play PF in some small-ball lineups due to his 220 lb frame and that fact he's a very good rebounder. Needs to show more consistency this season but he looks the part. Currently a career 36% 3PT shooter on nearly 3 attempts per. Jump shot is fluid with really nice form. Could be a potential Vassell replacement down the line if we decide to move him in the next couple years.

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[BatManu20]

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[Shmurs]

Mr. Body, is that you?

Kid's averaging 19/7/4/1 on 52/32/95 Shooting Splits at 18 years old while being the primary focus of every opposing team's defense… And he excels in PnR. He's going to be just fine lol.

“Just fine” seems plausible. Just that. Fine.

Which all-nba or all star guards are comps in the NBA for this archetype?

 

[Ice009]

Way early but God damn this draft is starting to look stacked as fuck, and of course OKC could have three first round picks this year ...

Yeah, it's looking line an awesome draft, and yes, it fucking sucks that OKC might have lots of good picks in it .

 

[Guru of Nothing]

Avdalas update: 33 points the other night in an OT win on the road against Providence. Well-built 6'9" NBA ready body, and shooting 3.4-8.0 per 36 from three. I expect that Spurs scouts are watching intently. Could fill a role perfectly. Currently ranked at #21 on Tankathon big board.

 

[Exstatic]

Yeah, it's looking line an awesome draft, and yes, it fucking sucks that OKC might have lots of good picks in it .

May they get stuck with two picks in the 20s like we did in 2022…

 

[BatManu20]

Avdalas update: 33 points the other night in an OT win on the road against Providence. Well-built 6'9" NBA ready body, and shooting 3.4-8.0 per 36 from three. I expect that Spurs scouts are watching intently. Could fill a role perfectly. Currently ranked at #21 on Tankathon big board.

Go back one page and you'll see many of us glazing him as a prospect tbh.

 

[heyheymymy]

need to see more but that Karter Knox three point stance and release seems like some real smooth looking mechanics. ball has zero extra momentum on it as it arrives at the basket. 4-6 in that clip.