The Athletic Publishes 2026 NBA Draft Intel on 2 Top Bigs and 7-3 Aday Mara
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jun 21
The Athletic Publishes 2026 NBA Draft Intel on 2 Top Bigs and 7-3 Aday Mara
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jun 21
Summary
Cam Boozer and Caleb Wilson emerged as near-locks for the No. 3 and No. 4 picks, with coaches and scouts split between Boozer’s processing and Wilson’s athletic upside.
Boozer, an 18-year-old Duke forward who shot 39% from 3, drew praise for passing, rebounding and maturity, though evaluators flagged his lateral defense and questioned star-level ceiling.
Wilson, 19, impressed scouts with 67 dunks in 24 games before a broken hand ended his season; executives see a switchable defender and potential nightmare matchup if his 3-point shot reaches the mid-30s.
Michigan’s national-title frontcourt also dominated the report, with 7-3 Aday Mara, 23-year-old Yaxel Lendeborg and Morez Johnson all projected in the lottery or first round after a 37-3 season.
Beyond the top tier, the report highlighted late-first and second-round bigs including Houston’s Chris Cenac Jr., UNC’s Henri Veesaar, UConn’s Tarris Reed Jr. and Virginia Tech’s Tobi Lawal, who posted a 46-inch max vertical.