2026 NBA Draft Thread

[Who]

So we are going to have 2 roster spots with raw young bigs in Amari and Chris Cenac.

Can we really afford to use another roster spot on a third 3rd string center in Luka Garza? Or is this the end of Garza?

Cenac Jr is a PF, though.

He's got more than enough size to play center as well.

Not saying he doesn?t have enough size, but that?s not what his position has been. He is a forward.

I mean, he played all his minutes at center (or if you prefer, he was the defensive anchor) in college. He didn't play next to another big at all.

I think it is unclear what role he will fit into in the NBA, and his tweener risk is one cause of his fall.  He could be someone capable of multiple roles, but he could also be someone who is not quite capable of filling any.

That is ugly feeling I get watching his highlights / looking at his stats.

(1) He doesn't know how to be a true big man.
(2) His skill level is too low to play forward.

I don't know. He did anchor one of the best defenses in the country this past college season.

Offensively he wasn't super productive, but I think tweeners become tweeners because you can't rely on them to anchor your defense. If a guy can anchor your defense, you can put up with him only spotting up from 3 and limited offensive skillsets.

Like Myles Turner

[Who]

Mavs and Dusty May got my guy in Koa Peat.  He is going to have a great career.

So Dallas have

Starter: Kyrie, M Christie, Flagg, PJ Washington, Lively
Bench: B Williams, Klay, Naji, Morez Johnson, D Gafford
3rd string: R Nembhard, AJ Johnson, Koa Peat, C Martin, D Powell

Interesting team. Lotta depth.

No?

Pretty sure he is on the Suns

Who is on the Suns? Koa Peat? Did Phoenix manage to trade for him? There were rumours they were trying to trade up to get him.

[Celtics2021]

So we are going to have 2 roster spots with raw young bigs in Amari and Chris Cenac.

Can we really afford to use another roster spot on a third 3rd string center in Luka Garza? Or is this the end of Garza?

Cenac Jr is a PF, though.

He's got more than enough size to play center as well.

Not saying he doesn?t have enough size, but that?s not what his position has been. He is a forward.

I mean, he played all his minutes at center (or if you prefer, he was the defensive anchor) in college. He didn't play next to another big at all.

I think it is unclear what role he will fit into in the NBA, and his tweener risk is one cause of his fall.  He could be someone capable of multiple roles, but he could also be someone who is not quite capable of filling any.

That is ugly feeling I get watching his highlights / looking at his stats.

(1) He doesn't know how to be a true big man.
(2) His skill level is too low to play forward.

I don't know. He did anchor one of the best defenses in the country this past college season.

Offensively he wasn't super productive, but I think tweeners become tweeners because you can't rely on them to anchor your defense. If a guy can anchor your defense, you can put up with him only spotting up from 3 and limited offensive skillsets.

Like Myles Turner

I was going to mention Myles Turner, but he was an elite shot-blocker even in college, whereas Cenac is disappointing in that facet given his length.

[Celtics2021]

Mavs and Dusty May got my guy in Koa Peat.  He is going to have a great career.

So Dallas have

Starter: Kyrie, M Christie, Flagg, PJ Washington, Lively
Bench: B Williams, Klay, Naji, Morez Johnson, D Gafford
3rd string: R Nembhard, AJ Johnson, Koa Peat, C Martin, D Powell

Interesting team. Lotta depth.

No?

Pretty sure he is on the Suns

Who is on the Suns? Koa Peat? Did Phoenix manage to trade for him? There were rumours they were trying to trade up to get him.

Looks like he did make it to Phoenix.  NY traded De Larrea, whom they had picked at 25, to Dallas for Peat?s slot and two seconds, and then NY traded that pick again to Phoenix for three more seconds.  So NY traded out of the first round, all the way to 47, for 5 second rounders, including four in future drafts.

[Who]

Mavs and Dusty May got my guy in Koa Peat.  He is going to have a great career.

So Dallas have

Starter: Kyrie, M Christie, Flagg, PJ Washington, Lively
Bench: B Williams, Klay, Naji, Morez Johnson, D Gafford
3rd string: R Nembhard, AJ Johnson, Koa Peat, C Martin, D Powell

Interesting team. Lotta depth.

No?

Pretty sure he is on the Suns

Who is on the Suns? Koa Peat? Did Phoenix manage to trade for him? There were rumours they were trying to trade up to get him.

Looks like he did make it to Phoenix.  NY traded De Larrea, whom they had picked at 25, to Dallas for Peat?s slot and two seconds, and then NY traded that pick again to Phoenix for three more seconds.  So NY traded out of the first round, all the way to 47, for 5 second rounders, including four in future drafts.

So de Larrea is in Dallas and Koa Peat is in Phoenix.

I wonder if de Larrea could claim that starting SG slot. Max Christie looks the frontrunner because of his defense. Klay is there also. De Larrea has more ball-handling and playmaking than both though.

[Goldstar88]

So we are going to have 2 roster spots with raw young bigs in Amari and Chris Cenac.

Can we really afford to use another roster spot on a third 3rd string center in Luka Garza? Or is this the end of Garza?

Cenac Jr is a PF, though.

He's got more than enough size to play center as well.

Not saying he doesn?t have enough size, but that?s not what his position has been. He is a forward.

I mean, he played all his minutes at center (or if you prefer, he was the defensive anchor) in college. He didn't play next to another big at all.

Well, you better go tell him because he?s been saying he plays the PF position. 

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DZGXi15BZig/

My name is Chris Cenac Jr. I play power forward position and I went to the University of Houston. My blueprint is being a versatile player, that's a good defender and very athletic at the rim.

[Who]

So I have 5 players I expect to start next season. The top 4 & Acuff.

I did not count but I think it is roughly a 50/50 split with the other 25 1st round picks for rotation guys / 3rd stringers. 

[Roy H.]

Do we trade out of #40, or take the highest guy on our board that will agree to a 2-way?

I don't anticipate the Brad is going to want to commit a roster spot to a second rounder, although if Evans or Vassar fell to us I would want to take them.

[Jiri Welsch]

Do we trade out of #40, or take the highest guy on our board that will agree to a 2-way?

I don't anticipate the Brad is going to want to commit a roster spot to a second rounder, although if Evans or Vassar fell to us I would want to take them.

I would guess they trade it. Either back (for the 2-way situation you described) or future 2nds to add to a deal this summer.

[Celtics2021]

Do we trade out of #40, or take the highest guy on our board that will agree to a 2-way?

I don't anticipate the Brad is going to want to commit a roster spot to a second rounder, although if Evans or Vassar fell to us I would want to take them.

I think if someone he was willing to take in the first falls to 40 somehow (unlikely and who know if there is even anyone on the board that meets that qualification) he would give a spot to a second rounder.  But otherwise that is not how he and the league have been tending lately.

Guys I would give a roster spot to:

Evans
Veesaar (both of whom you mentioned)
Meleek Thomas
Richie Saunders (although the ACL rehab might point to a 2-way, I would be fine signing him to a Jordan Walsh style deal that is non-guaranteed.)
Emanuel Sharp (let?s just go for an all-Houston draft).  He is someone I could definitely see finding his way into playing time with his elite point-of-attack defense and outside shooting.

I think Saunders and Sharp have the best chance of falling to us.  Anyone else I think is worth only a 2-way or a trade out.

[BudweiserCeltic]

Do we trade out of #40, or take the highest guy on our board that will agree to a 2-way?

I don't anticipate the Brad is going to want to commit a roster spot to a second rounder, although if Evans or Vassar fell to us I would want to take them.

I think if someone he was willing to take in the first falls to 40 somehow (unlikely and who know if there is even anyone on the board that meets that qualification) he would give a spot to a second rounder.  But otherwise that is not how he and the league have been tending lately.

Guys I would give a roster spot to:

Evans
Veesaar (both of whom you mentioned)
Meleek Thomas
Richie Saunders (although the ACL rehab might point to a 2-way, I would be fine signing him to a Jordan Walsh style deal that is non-guaranteed.)
Emanuel Sharp (let?s just go for an all-Houston draft).  He is someone I could definitely see finding his way into playing time with his elite point-of-attack defense and outside shooting.

I think Saunders and Sharp have the best chance of falling to us.  Anyone else I think is worth only a 2-way or a trade out.

I'm a big fan of Sharp, hope we can get him. I think he'll have a productive NBA career.

[Roy H.]

Emanuel Sharp (let?s just go for an all-Houston draft).  He is someone I could definitely see finding his way into playing time with his elite point-of-attack defense and outside shooting.

Ha.  I would continue the JaJuan Johnson parallels that people were seeing with Cenac; Sharp could be the E'Twaun Moore comparison.

[Csfan1984]

Give me more size and mobility Felix Okpara or Tobi Lawal. Like both as roaming defenders though one is a wing.

[Celtics2021]

Emanuel Sharp (let?s just go for an all-Houston draft).  He is someone I could definitely see finding his way into playing time with his elite point-of-attack defense and outside shooting.

Ha.  I would continue the JaJuan Johnson parallels that people were seeing with Cenac; Sharp could be the E'Twaun Moore comparison.

Haha, E?Twaun Moore went on to have a reasonable career after his season in Boston.  We could do worse.

That said, the ex-Celtic Sharp reminds me most of is Avery Bradley.

[No Nickname]

Do we trade out of #40, or take the highest guy on our board that will agree to a 2-way?

I don't anticipate the Brad is going to want to commit a roster spot to a second rounder, although if Evans or Vassar fell to us I would want to take them.

I think if someone he was willing to take in the first falls to 40 somehow (unlikely and who know if there is even anyone on the board that meets that qualification) he would give a spot to a second rounder.  But otherwise that is not how he and the league have been tending lately.

Guys I would give a roster spot to:

Evans
Veesaar (both of whom you mentioned)
Meleek Thomas
Richie Saunders (although the ACL rehab might point to a 2-way, I would be fine signing him to a Jordan Walsh style deal that is non-guaranteed.)
Emanuel Sharp (let?s just go for an all-Houston draft).  He is someone I could definitely see finding his way into playing time with his elite point-of-attack defense and outside shooting.

I think Saunders and Sharp have the best chance of falling to us.  Anyone else I think is worth only a 2-way or a trade out.

You're right, Brad will most-likely trade #40 for two future 2nds.  I believe we have zero 2nd round picks from 2027-30?

My wish would be Brad working to trade up from 40 to 32 and take either Isaiah Evans or maybe even Meleek Thomas, but we don't have the assets, unless he included a deep roster player with potential (which is not happening).