2026 NBA Draft Guide: Top 100 Prospects and In-Depth Scouting Reports
100 prospect rankings and 60 in-depth scouting reports ahead of the 2026 NBA Draft
Designed and produced by Kavya Beheraj, Junghye Kim, Thomas Oide and Will Tullos.
Welcome to the seventh edition of The Athletic’s NBA Draft Guide. Our 2026 guide ranks 100 players, based on thousands of hours of film breakdowns and conversations with NBA executives, scouts, agents and sources across the industry.
Below you’ll find the full list of players ranked by tier and position. We also have videos and film analysis of the top 10 prospects and in-depth scouting reports and profiles for the top 60 prospects.
Whether you’re a casual fan or an NBA executive looking to see a prospect through a different lens, this is the most comprehensive draft guide out there.
Potential franchise cornerstones with All-NBA upside.
Elite tools for a wing; could easily become a top-10 NBA player.
Versatile, skilled forward with a brilliant offensive mind; needs to find a role on defense.
An elite shooter with All-NBA scoring guard upside, despite his strange Kansas year.
Projected stars, but not quite No. 1 options on great teams.
Explosive athlete whose ceiling is as high as the top three, but has more flaws.
Offensive All-Stars or terrific two-way starters on playoff teams.
The most polished teenage guard to enter the league in years; defense is the big question.
Superb processor with lethal jumper and unselfish mindset; a hard guard not to love.
All-Star upside with lightning-quick first step; must improve his gathers and shooting.
An aggressive scoring guard who makes shots, attacks in transition and defends fiercely.
Versatile two-way forward who is older but possesses elite tools and winning mindset.
A home-run hitter of a lead guard who could stand to settle for singles at times.
Difference-makers who could help a playoff team.
A versatile frontcourt defender who can roam the perimeter and destroy the glass.
Starting-caliber center with terrific hands, frame and footwork who will crash the glass.
A special passer at 7-foot-3 who finishes efficiently and protects the rim.
Can handle and pass at 6-10 but lacks strength and efficiency; upside is tantalizing.
A dynamic driver and finisher who must improve his defense and jump shot to be a starter.
Potential starters — if things break right.
The jump shot is a concern, but he’s a proven winner who’ll do whatever his team needs.
The best shooter in the class; can he create rim pressure and defend at his size?
Terrific 3-point shooter and attacker; needs to get stronger and more active on defense.
An elite rim-pressure guard who lives in the paint; must work on passing and defense.
Highly skilled guard who’s pro-ready but lacks explosiveness and size.
Epitome of a floor general and a terrific shooter; can he separate from NBA defenders?
Potential All-Defense big with limited offensive skill; is he healthy?
Brilliant basketball mind who can pass and defend; can he move well enough?
Big and skilled for his young age, but movement and agility leave a lot to be desired.
A project with immense tools who’s worth a first-round pick because of the high upside.
End-of-first and early second-round swings worth a roster spot.
Terrific shooter and mover who is a tailor-made rotation wing if his knee is healthy.
A versatile backup big who crushes the glass, finishes on the interior and passes well.
A versatile defender with a high motor who’s skilled and tough enough to be a third big.
A 7-footer who can dribble, pass and shoot, but will need to defend better.
High-IQ player and analytics darling who needs to maximize his body and offensive skill.
A gifted scorer and shooter whose poor defense and wild decision-making raise questions.
A secondary playmaker with length who needs to get stronger and tighten his handle.
A physical guard who can shoot and defend, though his size and athleticism are concerns.
A winning role player who is sound on defense and knocks down shots off movement.
An off-ball movement shooter with length who needs to get stronger.
Players worth developing as two-way contract bets.
Ultra-aggressive, high-energy defender who doesn’t provide much on offense.
Undersized but has potential as a backup guard with his strength and scoring chops.
Elite passer and playmaker but may be too small to be anything more than a backup guard.
Rare tools at this size but needs work on his frame, defensive fundamentals and shooting.
A shooter and defender who is stuck between positions and needs more on-ball creativity.
A physical, jack-of-all-trades, master-of-none combo guard who struggles to separate from his defender.
A versatile backup big with appealing mobility, shot-blocking and rim-running ability.
Versatile defender who can finish above the rim but needs to process the game faster.
Undersized lead guard who is a killer shot-maker and helps win the possession battle.
A fearless floor general who can be a backup PG if he can score outside the midrange.
One of the draft’s best athletes, but his motor and instincts leave you wanting more.
Incredibly exciting lead guard who needs to rein in some of his wilder tendencies.
Potential 3-and-D center who could be a third big or a backup if he maximizes footspeed.
Players more likely to be stars overseas.
An elite off-ball mover and collegiate scorer who’ll need to adjust his game for the NBA.
Arguably the best rim-protector in the draft; can he do much else?
A skilled offensive player with legitimate NBA wing size who’s worth an overseas stash.
Elite athlete and defender who can pass, but it would be nice if he could shoot or score.
Undersized but crafty floor general who gets paint touches but is already 25.
Outside shooting is his superpower; is it enough to overcome speed and strength issues?
Elite shooter off movement with size but needs to keep improving his footwork.
An athletic playmaking wing with short arms who can defend but needs to shoot.
Small floor general who helps you win the possession battle at an elite level.
Natural hooper with great change of pace as a big lead guard but makes poor choices.
One of the best shooters in the draft class but needs to improve on defense.
One of the best rebounders in the class but might not be athletic enough.
Tough, physical forward who needs to improve overall skill level.
Skinny, disruptive defensive wing who needs to shoot to stick.
Diminutive but experienced guard who provides sharp all-around impact.
Long, athletic wing/forward who plays hard but needs to improve his shot.
Experienced combo guard who can pass but needs to find consistent way to score.
Power guard who looks the part but needs to improve skill level.
Wildly athletic wing who can pass but is going to have to shoot to stick.
One of the best athletes in the class but must improve skill level.
Massive, long post player who needs to change play style for NBA.
Athletic defensive guard who will stick if he can knock down shots.
The best rebounder in the class but is undersized as a center.
Big-bodied wing who needs to shoot more consistently and with confidence.
Great frame as a point forward but needs to keep improving as a shooter.
Efficient combo guard who makes good decisions but might not be athletic enough.
Sharp playmaker at the guard position with size but needs to rein in his turnovers.
Athletic big who will be a bit undersized as a center so will need to add some skill.
Tough, big-bodied defensive guard who needs to add quickness and shooting skill.
Big-time shooter who needs to impact the game consistently in other ways.
Undersized but thick forward with high basketball IQ; had a down year.
Athletic, competitive guard you want to bet on but needs to shoot it better.
Undersized defensive guard who took an offensive leap.
Big defensive big man who finishes efficiently but needs to improve feet.
Athletic forward who hits the box score in a variety of ways but must keep adding skill.
Longer pro guard/wing who got better throughout G League season.
Big defensive center who moves his feet well but needs more offensive skill.
Awesome shooter off movement who might be too undersized for the role.
Undersized post big who will need to transition skills more to the perimeter.
Great shooter on the wing who needs to add more to his game.
High-motor wing who guards but needs to add more ball skills.
Had a rough year but still a skilled shooter who can do more with the ball.
Big-time defensive guard who improved on offense but must find a way to score.
Breakout scoring season but needs to impact the game in other ways.
Big-bodied forward who can shoot and pass but needs to prove he can guard.
Long, rebounding forward with touch inside but needs to prove he can guard.
Creative guard who needs to shoot more consistently and get stronger.
Super athlete at the forward spot who needs to prove he can shoot.
Terrific movement shooter who needs to improve his footwork on defense.
Bigger wing who can shoot a little bit, defend and provide effort on the glass.
Big-time shooter who must prove he can defend and move his feet.
Skilled wing with guard skills but plays his own game on the court.
Additional work by Trevor Capel, Dan Goldfarb, Jen Klockner, Demetrius Robinson, Dave Seperson, and Nikki Wasserman. Photos from Getty Images.
Sources: Select stats courtesy of Synergy Sports, CBB Analytics, Sports-Reference.com, RealGM and 247Sports Composite. Player background information gathered from official athletic department releases and reporting gathered over the last five years.