The 5-on-5 scrimmages at the 2026 NBA Draft Combine will take place this week, featuring a host of draft-eligible prospects. While top-tier lottery picks typically skip these games, the event still offers a valuable opportunity for talent evaluators and fans to assess first-round caliber players through live broadcasts.
The most intriguing participants are often early-entry prospects who declared early. A strong showing can significantly boost a player’s draft stock—similar to what Oklahoma City Thunder star Jalen Williams did in 2022. Conversely, underperformers can return to college and capitalize on NIL opportunities.
Potential First-Round Prospects
Baylor’s Cameron Carr, Texas’ Dailyn Swain, and Vanderbilt’s Tyler Tanner are among those to watch.
Early-to-Mid Second-Round Prospects
Florida’s Rueben Chinyelu, Louisville transfer from Kansas’ Flory Bidunga, and Arkansas’ Billy Richmond III are expected to be considered in the early portion of the second round.
Mid-to-Late Second-Round Prospects
NC State-to-North Carolina transfer Matthew Abell, Michigan State’s Jeremy Fears Jr., Wisconsin-to-Duke transfer John Blackwell, and USC’s Jacob Cofie fall into this range.
Players Battling for Guaranteed Contracts
These prospects, ranked between 30th and 50th overall, could sneak into the first round with an impressive combine performance. First-round picks receive guaranteed contracts, as do some early second-round selections. This group includes Connecticut’s Tarris Reed Jr., Louisville’s Ryan Conwell, Purdue’s Braden Smith, Arkansas’ Trevon Brazile, Arizona’s Jaden Bradley, Virginia’s Ugonna Onyenso, Cincinnati’s Baba Miller, and South Florida’s Izaya Nelson.
Second-Rounders Worth Monitoring
Players rated between 50th and 65th, teams are evaluating if they can turn their sporadic NBA-level traits into consistent roles. Included here are Kentucky’s Otega Oweh, Ohio State’s Bruce Thornton, Houston’s Emanuel Sharp, Tennessee’s Jokobe Gillespie, Auburn’s Keshon Hall, Houston’s Milos Uzan, Duke’s Malik Brown, George Washington’s Rafael Castro, Texas’ Dillon Mitchell, and Vanderbilt’s Tyler Nickel.
Under-the-Radar Sleepers
Ranked outside the top 65 but still invited, these players have a chance to raise their profile this week. Northwestern’s Nick Martinelli and Virginia Tech’s Toby Laval are among those in this group.
Former UConn star Tarris Reed Jr. is one of the most notable names in the scrimmages. Kentucky big man Malachi Moreno was initially on the list but ultimately opted out.
