Mock draft 2026

[bajaden]

Vecenie thinks there will be 8 all stars in this draft but isn’t convinced there is a true number one on a championship team type player.

It's impossible to predict at this point of their careers what the final outcome will be. The idea that anyone can look at the small sampling of any players career so far, and predict his final ceiling, is nonsense! I still think that Caleb Wilson is the best player in this draft, but I'm not going to bet my life on it.

 

[iowamcnabb]

It's impossible to predict at this point of their careers what the final outcome will be. The idea that anyone can look at the small sampling of any players career so far, and predict his final ceiling, is nonsense! I still think that Caleb Wilson is the best player in this draft, but I'm not going to bet my life on it.

I’d say his right to project a ceiling is equally valid to any other part of the draft projection process.

 

[Capt. Factorial]

I have Fleming at fivc with Acuff knocking on the door. I have it by the way from someone that's seen Fleming up close and personal, that he's a legit 6'4" and might be more than that.

That's an important data point. From watching the games, my eye says he's at least an inch shorter than Uzan, who measured 6'3.25" barefoot at the combine last year, but the eye is not as good as the ruler.

 

[Joshyjosh31]

https://twitter.com/x/status/2036460025108111535

 

[SacTownKid]

I’m taking Flemings over Acuff.

I like Acuff’s scoring but his numbers are inflated in Calipari’s system like they have been with a lot of other guards he coached at Kentucky. His numbers were not as great when he played Florida, Duke, and Houston vs their recent wins over Hawaii, High Point, Ole Miss, and Vandy. So it should be interesting to see what he does against Arizona.

What’s funny to me is we get enamored with dawg defensive minded guards like Davion and Devin but when their offense and shooting are not good, we go the opposite direction and get enamored with the scoring 1s but who play no defense.

Flemings is more like the unheralded guard that played under Calipari, Maxey. And he’s long, plays strong defense as is required by Sampson, great rebounder for a 1. His offensive numbers are not going to be splashy only due to Samspon’s system. They’re deliberate, limit possessions, and the points guards are told to distribute first.

Acuff will likely have better scoring numbers than Flemings in the NBA. But I want the 2 way player that can still average 20+ ppg

I think Maxey had more scoring potential than Flemings has shown up to this point. Also, the body, Maxey is a big dude for a guard and plays physical ball. Flemings will be a good player but he feels more like a Keegan Murray type than someone a team builds around.

 

[SacTownKid]

I have Fleming at fivc with Acuff knocking on the door. I have it by the way from someone that's seen Fleming up close and personal, that he's a legit 6'4" and might be more than that.

Flemings could be but he's got a small frame with a high center of gravity and plays like it most of the time. Not sure how much size he can add to it over the long term.

 

[Telemachus]

Flemings could be but he's got a small frame with a high center of gravity and plays like it most of the time. Not sure how much size he can add to it over the long term.

I think some of this is simply perception. Maxey is 6'2-6'3, 200lbs. Flemings is listed at 6'4, 190lbs. We will see what is true at the combine.

 

[SacTownKid]

I think some of this is simply perception. Maxey is 6'2-6'3, 200lbs. Flemings is listed at 6'4, 190lbs. We will see what is true at the combine.

It's not just body weight, it's how it's proportioned. Like I said before, physically he reminds me of Kevin Martin and that body type can be scary if the difference between being a star or not is contact and in the NBA it usually is just that.

 

[Telemachus]

It's not just body weight, it's how it's proportioned. Like I said before, physically he reminds me of Kevin Martin and that body type can be scary if the difference between being a star or not is contact and in the NBA it usually is just that.

I guess I don't see it. The player whose frame reminds me of Kevin Martin is Keaton Wagler.

 

[hrdboild]

It's not just body weight, it's how it's proportioned. Like I said before, physically he reminds me of Kevin Martin and that body type can be scary if the difference between being a star or not is contact and in the NBA it usually is just that.

Doesn't Shai also have this body type?

 

[SacTownKid]

I guess I don't see it. The player whose frame reminds me of Kevin Martin is Keaton Wagler.

No way, Martin had a very narrow frame. Wagler has a decent frame with room to grow. Not a hulk either but you can see in his game drawing contact is already there. Flemings has the lowest free throw rate compared to the other guards and when you watch him play it's largely because he's not hunting contact every game. He is very much mid range off pick and roll or getting around and using the backboard to get the shot up. He can slow down his drive and get contact but it's not a game in, game out thing and then question is what happens if and when he does. Got to have shoulders to shoulder guys out of the way.

 

[SacTownKid]

Doesn't Shai also have this body type?

I'd say Wagler and SGA are closer together than the other two. He's not huge but no. He's pretty broad for a guard. SGA gets contact without issue. Not to mention he's a full sized SG, not a PG.

 

[hrdboild]

I'd say Wagler and SGA are closer together than the other two. He's not huge but no. He's pretty broad for a guard. SGA gets contact without issue. Not to mention he's a full sized SG, not a PG.

Shai measured as 6'4.5" barefoot and 180 lbs at the Combine. He's listed at 195 lbs now but that's still pretty light given his overall frame. He's obviously one of the best in the league at drawing shooting fouls (and converting them to points) -- as was Kevin Martin for his time. The Free Throw rate for Flemings is quite low, but I'm not sure I would agree that his frame is the issue. Shai and KMart are/were so good at drawing fouls because they used hesitation moves really well. Couldn't it just be a style of play issue for Flemings?

 

[SacTownKid]

Shai's measured as 6'4.5" barefoot and 180 lbs at the Combine. He's listed at 195 lbs now but that's still pretty light given his overall frame. He's obviously one of the best in the league at drawing shooting fouls (and converting them to points) -- as was Kevin Martin for his time. The Free Throw rate for Flemings is quite low, but I'm not sure I would agree that his frame is the issue. Shai and KMart are/were so good at drawing fouls because they used hesitation moves really well. Couldn't it just be a style of play issue for Flemings?

My point is the issue is what happens if he does try and draw contact? Kevin Martin did the work, drew the contact, and it was pretty quick that he started to miss large portions of the season for the rest of his career. The small framed guys that rely almost soley on speed as yes, Flemings does, can eventually have issues. Will he? Who knows, but something think about.

 

[Telemachus]

My point is the issue is what happens if he does try and draw contact? Kevin Martin did the work, drew the contact, and it was pretty quick that he started to miss large portions of the season for the rest of his career. The small framed guys that rely almost soley on speed as yes, Flemings does, can eventually have issues. Will he? Who knows, but something think about.

I have watched a lot of Houston games this year, and Flemings actually does very well playing through contact in the paint. He simply doesn't go there often, and I think that has a lot to do with it being a big part of both Sharp and Uzan's game.

 

[hrdboild]

My point is the issue is what happens if he does try and draw contact? Kevin Martin did the work, drew the contact, and it was pretty quick that he started to miss large portions of the season for the rest of his career. The small framed guys that rely almost soley on speed as yes, Flemings does, can eventually have issues. Will he? Who knows, but something think about.

Hmm, yeah I had forgotten how much trouble Kevin had staying healthy since he ended up playing most of his career outside of Sacramento. It still blows my mind that Kevin is my age and he retired from the NBA 10 years ago. He was a 20 ppg guy at age 23 and out of the league by age 33. I guess players retiring in their early 30s wasn't all that unusual for that time. Maybe load management isn't such a bad idea after all?

 

[SacTownKid]

I have watched a lot of Houston games this year, and Flemings actually does very well playing through contact in the paint. He simply doesn't go there often, and I think that has a lot to do with it being a big part of both Sharp and Uzan's game.

He's had some great games getting to the line. The others, especially when teams send up two defenders out of the pick and roll and cut off the elbow are another story. Bottom line, if a team is looking for a star to build around, they better be able to get the line game after game. Otherwise it'll be like Keegan Murray where if they shoot well, they do well.

 

[Telemachus]

I have watched a lot of Houston games this year, and Flemings actually does very well playing through contact in the paint. He simply doesn't go there often, and I think that has a lot to do with it being a big part of both Sharp and Uzan's game.

The most recent stat I could find was from February 7. At that time, Flemings was shooting 66% (72-110) at the rim. That is pretty good IMO.

 

[SacTownKid]

The most recent stat I could find was from February 7. At that time, Flemings was shooting 66% (72-110) at the rim. That is pretty good IMO.

He does do well at the rim, but it's very finesse oriented. This is why I didn't see the Fox comps other than mid range game and speed of course. Fox as a teenager clearly had strength to his game. He could push guys and defenders down into the paint with his physicality. Which might be part of the reason Flemings is where he's at when it comes to free throws. Maybe not, but if he goes head on into defenders it's likely going to be with his full body and that's where a player opens themselves up to getting banged around.

 

[Sam0ah]

Anyone else think Hannes Steinbach might be underrated? I like how He plays with force. Definitely passes the eye test.