2026 NBA Draft Big Board 2.0: Updated rankings with CBB around the corner

Welcome to Upside and Motor, a weekly NBA Draft column dedicated to analyzing the next wave of basketball stars, from blue blood sensations to those flying under the radar.

With just a couple weeks until the college basketball season starts up, it's time to begin, in full, our 2026 NBA Draft prep. The 2025 class was phenomenal, anchored by a generational talent in Cooper Flagg. But the 2026 class is, somehow, even better, featuring three top-tier prospects with a chance to carve out long, historically relevant careers at the next level. And that's just the tip of the iceberg, so to speak.

There is genuine depth to this class, with the potential to several All-Stars and high-level starters peppered throughout the first round. It's early, of course. Our perception of this class is bound to morph in the months ahead before crystalizing next June. And then of course, no draft class is predictable. More surprises await once these guys reach the NBA.

But that's a long way away. For now, all we can do is our best to analyze skill sets and project forward, taking into account things like versatility, scalability, age. We will generate more team-specific analysis in our monthly mock drafts (and future Upside and Motor columns, of course), but for the purposes of an overall big board, prospects who can fit into various schemes and inhabit a wider range of roles tend to get the upper hand over those who are more limited. Age, physical tools, upside and whatnot are also taken into account.

This board will evolve and expand in the months to come, but as we gear up for the season, here are the 60 prospects you need on your radar.

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2026 NBA Draft Board: Ranking the top 60 prospects

Height: 6'9
Weight: 235
Class: Freshman
Draft Age: 18

Cameron Boozer is the most complete and polished prospect in the 2026 draft. At 6’9 with a strong frame and NBA athleticism, Boozer’s impact touches all aspects of the game.

He offers genuine point forward skills, often pushing the tempo off of defensive rebounds and slinging pinpoint outlet passes to a sprinting teammate.

In the halfcourt setting, Boozer is efficient at all three levels. He can run pick-and-rolls or pick defenses apart as the short roller, with rapid-fire processing and incredible spatial awareness. Boozer has the strength to punish mismatches inside and finish through contact. He can also dance with slow-footed bigs on the perimeter, attacking downhill with long strides or even getting to his spots as a pull-up shooter.

Boozer will rebound, defend multiple positions with great anticipatory instincts, and operate as the centerpiece of an offense. The weaknesses are few and far between.

Height: 6'5
Weight: 195
Class: Freshman
Draft Age: 19

Darryn Peterson is the best guard prospect in a minute. At 6’5 with long arms and a well-balanced skill set, Peterson figures to ignite the imagination of front offices looking for the next franchise lead guard.

He’s the most dynamic scorer in the 2026 draft. Peterson gets to his spots with an impressive blend of burst, creativity and dexterity. He’s not uber-explosive, but Peterson is a high-level athlete who can shift gears and hit the turbo at the exact right moment to capitalize on a created advantage.

In addition to a smooth pull-up jumper, especially from the mid-range, Peterson is a crafty rim finisher who draws a lot of fouls (and subsequently converts his free throws). He keeps his defenders off-balance and embraces physicality on his drives.

Peterson needs to keep developing his point guard skills, but the vision is there. He’s also equipped with a high vantage point and a gift for generating fissures in the defense with his handle.

While not an elite defender, Peterson has the tools and the competitive fire to get to that level eventually.

Height: 6'9
Weight: 210
Class: Freshman
Draft Age: 19

AJ Dybantsa has been on NBA radars for years now. He’s a prototypical athlete on the wing — 6’9 with long arms, a solid frame and incredible burst. In terms of pure upside, Dybantsa probably ranks atop his class.

The shot-making is off the charts with Dybantsa. He can get to any spot on the floor with shifty handles or straight explosiveness. Dybantsa has a beautiful high release on his pull-up jumper, allowing him to punish the defense from anywhere at any time.

He needs to get more physical as a driver, but Dybantsa can glide through open lanes and finish with impressive power at the rim. Out in transition, he’s a proper handful. He’s too quick, long and coordinated for most defenders, and will be in the NBA, too.

Defensive intensity has not always been Dybantsa’s strong suit, but he can cover tons of ground as a roamer and he’s versatile enough to handle a variety of matchups. Dybantsa can slide laterally with point guards or body up forwards in the post, it’s just a matter of locking in and playing with intent.

If he can improve as a defender and an on-ball decision-maker, Dybantsa’s path to NBA stardom will be unobstructed.

Height: 6'10
Weight: 185
Class: Freshman
Draft Age: 19

Nate Ament’s ceiling rivals any prospect in this class. The 6’10 freshman is an incredibly fluid mover on the wing. He needs to add strength and continue developing his ancillary skills, but the athleticism and shot-making chops — at his size — are easy to get excited about.

Ament borders on matchup proof. He struggles with physicality at the point of attack, but as his frame fills out and he gains more confidence in his own abilities, Ament should be able to better navigate traffic. In the meantime, he can still get to his spot and elevate for a pull-up jumper.

The release point on that jumper is unblockable. Ament isn’t half-bad as a creator either. He’s a bit upright handling the rock, but Ament can push the tempo off of a rebound, run the occasional pick-and-roll and find inroads attacking off the catch. If Ament can get to the point where he’s taking bumps and playing through contact at the rim, there won’t be many holes in his offensive repertoire.

He’s still earlier in his developmental arc than other top prospects, but Ament reads the floor well and doesn’t operate as selfishly as other preternaturally gifted shot-makers in his mold have in the past (see: Bailey, Ace). The defense comes and goes, but the tools — again — are right on the surface.

Height: 6'3
Weight: 172
Class: Freshman
Draft Age: 20

It can be tough sledding for small guards in the modern NBA, but Mikel Brown Jr. has the outlier talent necessary to command a high draft pick. A late bloomer physically, Brown has grown to 6’3 with a 6’6 wingspan. He needs to add muscle, sure, but he competes on defense and has very little trouble putting the ball in the basket.

Brown is incredibly dynamic with the rock in tow. He can uncork a wide array of dribble moves to lull his defender to sleep and break things down, mixing speeds and changing directions, all with the ball on a string. He’s also an elite pull-up shooter, with range that extends well past the NBA 3-point line.

He will face an adjustment period against the size and physicality of NBA defenses, but Brown gets downhill fairly often and has a nice package of floaters and finesse shots to offset his limited brute strength. In the pick-and-roll, Brown exercises total control over the game. He can deliver every pass in the book and the pull-up threat never ceases.

It’s not hard to envision Brown becoming an All-Star type offensive generator at the next level.

Height: 6'9
Weight: 210
Class: Freshman
Draft Age: 20

Hannes Steinbach comes over from Germany with one of the most well-rounded, technically sound skill sets in the 2026 draft. At 6’9, Steinbach has an excellent foundation of strength. He can plow through defenders, unafraid to play with physicality on drives or post-ups.

He melds that physicality with touch at the rim. Steinbach is immediately one of the best rim-finishing forwards in college basketball. He flashes old-school footwork on the block, but is equally capable of getting vertical when a lane opens up.

Steinbach needs to work on his shooting, but his slashing and interior scoring repertoire — mixed with strong instincts as a cutter and a short-roll facilitator — should give him plenty to build on at the next level.

Steinbach is not a great athlete by NBA standards, and those concerns are most present on defense. But he mitigates his lack of burst offensively with incredible tempo and dexterity as a driver. Beyond knocking guys into a new time zone with his strength, Steinbach can stop on a dime and deceptively shed haphazard defenders. He’s in total command of his frame at all times.

Height: 6'4
Weight: 180
Class: Senior
Draft Age: 22

Bennett Stirtz spent two years at D-II Northwest Missouri State before following his head coach, Ben McCollum, to Drake as a junior. Stirtz quickly established himself as one of the most dominant point guards in D-I hoops, punching his ticket to the Big Ten and Iowa.

Stirtz displays incredible poise and vision out of the pick-and-roll. He’s intentional with every movement. While not an elite athlete, Stirtz isn’t slow — and he’s great at patiently working his way to an advantage, decelerating and accelerating on a dime to keep his man in limbo.

The passing is nuts. Stirtz processes the floor at warp speed and can deliver precise dimes with either hand, whether he’s flying down the lane at full sprint or stationary at the top of the key. He complements that playmaking and ball-handling jazz with a potent pull-up jumper and a feather-soft floater in the lane.

Stirtz needs to add strength and there are defensive concerns, which are magnified by his age. But in terms of offensive profile, very few point guards in recent memory can claim Stirtz’s blend of passing IQ, shot-making juice and overall precision.

Height: 6'9
Weight: 225
Class: Sophomore
Draft Age: 18

Jayden Quaintance arrived at Arizona State as a 17-year-old freshman. He then transferred to Kentucky as a sophomore, hoping to rebuild his stock after an unfortunate ACL injury. Still one of the youngest players in the draft, Quaintance is one of the best defensive prospects in recent memory.

At 6’9 with long arms and standout athleticism, Quaintance covers a ton of ground as a roamer. He can slide his feet on the perimeter, collapse for weak-side swats, and do a little bit of everything in between. He gets vertical with ease and shows remarkably sharp instincts for such a young player.

The defense alone will put Quaintance high on draft boards. NBA teams, however, will hope for offensive progression that pushes Quaintance toward the realm of stardom.

There are plenty of flashes on tape. He can step behind the 3-point line on occasion. He’ll spin into a mid-range jumper or attack with coordinated drives off the catch. Quaintance even makes some high-level passing reads on the short roll.

That said, the efficiency of those perimeter shots needs to improve — dramatically. He’s a bad free throw shooter, so the touch indicators aren’t great. He finishes well at the rim and can provide a vertical threat for his NBA point guard, but much of Quaintance’s offense is more theoretical than actual right now.

Height: 6'8
Weight: 235
Class: Freshman
Draft Age: 19

Few players dominated as thoroughly at the high school level as Koa Peat. He’s been one of the most productive players in his age group for a while now, which has led to plenty of NBA intrigue — but also some upside concerns.

Peat has an old-school game at 6’8. He’s a big, physical forward who leverages his strength advantage for easy buckets in the post. He has impressive coordination and touch on paint buckets and short mid-range pulls, but he doesn’t really shoot 3s yet — not consistently.

He won’t be able to bully defenders in the same way at the next level. Peat lacks standout length or mobility. He’s a smart, hard-working defender, but he won’t protect the rim in the traditional sense. How effectively his interior-oriented offensive repertoire translates to the NBA remains to be seen.

The concerns are valid. But at the end of the day, it’s generally wise to trust the tape. And Peat has outclassed many of his peers in this draft for a while. He knows how to play. He’ll grab and go off a rebound. He processes the floor quickly and drops slick dimes from the elbow or the post. He has exceptional touch inside the arc, which projects well toward the 3-point line long term.

It may take some imagination to envision Peat’s slo-mo buckets and old-school craft popping at the next level, but he’s immensely skilled and ahead of the curve for a freshman.

Height: 6'2
Weight: 180
Class: Freshman
Draft Age: 19

Darius Acuff Jr. will face all the standard challenges of a small guard in today’s NBA, but he’s a strong, physical defender with a plus-four wingspan, so he should be able to hang well enough on that end to supplement an explosive offensive skill set.

Acuff is a proficient three-level scorer who loves to work out of pick-and-rolls. Few ball-handlers in this class are better at manipulating screens and putting their defenders in a compromised position. Acuff blends straight-line quickness with a deep bag of tricks, from violent crossovers to sudden decelerations.

He can get to a smooth, compact pull-up jumper just about anywhere on the floor and he’s an impressive at-rim finisher, with the strength to absorb contact and the vertical pop to finish among the trees. Acuff is effectively a switch-hitter in the paint, dropping floaters and touch shots with either hand.

Shot selection will be the point of emphasis for scouts. Acuff can deliver advanced passes on the move, but he has a tendency to settle into hero mode every now and again. He will need to make a point to set up teammates at the next level.

Height: 6'4
Weight: 177
Class: Sophomore
Draft Age: 20

Labaron Philon is a slender, shifty point guard who gets into the paint at will. He’s not overly explosive with his first step, but Philon can nix defenders with stuttered footwork and decisive handles. He sees the floor well out of pick-and-rolls. He can finish with either hand at the rim, with an elite floater package for good measure. Philon’s lack of strength will limit him on defense, but he’s an active pickpocket who battles hard (and he appears capable of adding strength, particularly in his lower body).

Read our Labaron Philon scouting report!

Height: 6'4
Weight: 200
Class: Freshman
Draft Age: 20

Brayden Burries is a physical combo guard with an NBA-ready frame and plenty of scoring juice. Rather than depending on speed and explosion, Burries leans on muscle and rhythm to put his defenders at a disadvantage. Burries takes long, purposeful strides on drives and is comfortable absorbing contact before softly laying it up in traffic. He draws a ton of fouls, which is a gold-star indicator, and he shoots well enough to project with confidence, even if he needs to speed up his release a bit. Burries will also defend multiple positions well.

Height: 6'6
Weight: 210
Class: Freshman
Draft Age: 20

Tounde Yessoufou packs incredible physical tools and athleticism on the wing at 6’6. He’s on the upswing as a shooter, but Yessoufou primarily dominates on straight-line drives or picking on smaller defenders in the post. He just bulldozes through dudes. He will also do a little bit of everything on defense, with positional versatility and a sharp nose for the basketball. If he can develop as a ball-handler and pull-up shooter, the sky’s the limit.

Height: 6'10
Weight: 215
Class: Freshman
Draft Age: 19

Caleb Wilson offers All-Defense potential on the wing. He’s a rangy and dexterous athlete, at least switchable 1-4. Wilson can operate like a heat-seeking missile off the ball, roaming for weak-side blocks and blowing up passing lanes. Or he can mirror ball-handlers with his 7-foot wingspan and flexible hips. The offensive progression is slower moving, but Wilson is a smart cutter capable of making simple passing reads to keep the ball moving. His burst and physicality bodes well as a driver, although a rudimentary handle and shaky 3-point shot will limit him.

Height: 6'10
Weight: 233
Class: Freshman
Draft Age: 19

Chris Cenac is a major athlete and arguably the best big man in the 2026 draft. At 6’10 with a 7’3 wingspan and an NBA-ready frame, Cenac offers versatility between the four and five spots. He moves well on defense. He can set thundering screens and catch lobs, operating with force at the rim. The perimeter skills need polishing — Cenac’s shot selection can veer in a negative direction when he’s doing Too Much — but his budding face-up game hints at significant upside, especially of teams who envision him in a twin tower setup, rather than as a lone interior anchor.

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