With measurements and testing complete, the real action of the NBA draft combine began Wednesday with the first of two days featuring 5-on-5 scrimmages.
The vast majority of projected first-round picks have opted out of the scrimmages, as is customary. Cameron Carr and Dailyn Swain were the only prospects in the top 30 of ESPN's latest mock draft to take the floor Wednesday. (Carr was terrific, more on him shortly.)
The 5-on-5 scrimmages allow players the opportunity to boost their stock, with several projected second-rounders solidifying their draft status, and one or two potentially knocking on the door of the first round. (We'll cover stock risers in Thursday's update.)
Wednesday's schedule also featured media availability with every player at the combine, which allowed a chance to see which direction players who could still return to college are leaning in the draft process.
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Tuesday's recap
Standouts from Wednesday's scrimmages
Cameron Carr, SG/SF, Baylor
My highest-ranked player to take the floor Wednesday, Carr had his full offensive skill set on display right away, making four 3s in the first quarter of his scrimmage, scoring 19 in the first half, and finishing with 30 points, making 6-of-12 from deep. After improving his comfort level on the ball and shooting 37% from beyond the arc this season, Carr reinforced his upside as a high-flying 2-guard who can score from long range and has the length to be a positive defender. Though he had some errant passes, the positive far outweighed the negative.
I viewed Carr as a clear candidate to rise coming into the predraft process due to his plus-8¼-inch wingspan and a level of explosiveness that typically plays up well in team workouts. Wednesday was a step in that direction, bolstering his case as a projected top-20 selection who could get looks in the late lottery. -- Jeremy Woo
Matt Able, SG, North Carolina
Able had plenty of buzz entering his freshman season at NC State, generating speculation as a potential one-and-done player. He had an up-and-down campaign in Raleigh (8.8 points per game) but moved the needle Wednesday with 15 points in less than 20 minutes of playing time. He shot 3-for-5 from 3-point range and 5-for-9 from the field, adding three rebounds.
Able's shooting is intriguing as a potential separator, but he also showed ability with the ball in his hands. He doesn't turn 19 until July, and although he has the potential to be a breakout performer for Michael Malone and North Carolina next season, Able's stock could quickly tick up to a back-end first-rounder. (He told ESPN that he's "back and forth" about his decision.) He entered the week at No. 39 in ESPN's post-lottery mock draft. -- Jeff Borzello
Baba Miller, PF/C, Cincinnati
Miller was a standout in the first scrimmage, showcasing his versatility and comfort level on the perimeter at 6-foot-11. He scored 20 points, grabbed six rebounds and knocked down a pair of 3s -- an area that will be key to both his growth (he shot just 29% over four college seasons) and his ability to play the 4 in the NBA. The progress he made this season at Cincinnati, coupled with a continued predraft push, has put him back on the map at the right time. Miller also tested well earlier in the week, reinforcing his case to get drafted and potentially earn guaranteed money. Late-blooming bigs with his size and skill level are difficult to find and tend to earn the benefit of a developmental runway in the NBA. -- Woo
Jaden Bradley, PG, Arizona
All season, Bradley was a steady force who made winning plays at both ends of the floor. It wasn't flashy and he didn't have gaudy stats, but he won Big 12 Player of the Year as the most consistent talent on one of college basketball's elite teams. Wednesday featured more of the same. He finished with 10 points, five rebounds and seven assists, steadily finding his way to the rim using his strength and body control. Bradley also excelled on the defensive end going against former Purdue guard Braden Smith. Bradley is a projected second-round pick but has the potential to help a team from day one. -- Borzello
Ja'Kobi Gillespie, PG, Tennessee
Another college veteran with a second-round projection, Gillespie had an incredible first-half performance Wednesday. He had 24 first-half points, including multiple deep 3s over outstretched hands, while also creating space to get into the lane and score inside the arc. He measured in at under 6 feet earlier this week, which is a concern, but his shooting and playmaking ability could mitigate that.
Gillespie stood out at three schools during his college career, spending his first two seasons as an ultra-efficient offensive player at Belmont before shooting better than 40% from 3 in one season at Maryland, then eventually averaging career highs in scoring (18.4 PPG) and assists (5.4 APG) at Tennessee this past season. He snuck into ESPN's post-lottery mock at 60th. -- Borzello
Jakobi Gillespie is feeling it!
He finishes the first half with 24 points 👀 pic.twitter.com/2gPPrmxeZa
Jeremy Fears Jr., PG, Michigan State
Fears is testing the waters and will likely be better off financially returning to school, where he has two years of eligibility remaining, but he had several nice moments in the scrimmage -- an environment that typically favors guards with his level of playmaking feel and decisiveness. In a scrimmage that featured few pure point guards, Fears' vision, ability to organize and play vocally stood out. He also recorded 17 points and five assists.
Though not the biggest or fastest, Fears plays with sufficient pace. If he can hone his jumper over the next year or two, there's a place for him in the NBA as a second-unit floor leader. -- Woo
Withdrawal watch
Ebuka Okorie, PG, Stanford
Arguably the biggest name to go public with his stay-or-go decision Wednesday, Okorie said he's remaining in the NBA draft and has informed Stanford coach Kyle Smith of his decision. "I already talked with Coach Smith, Kyle Smith, and I talked to my agents and my family," Okorie said. "I'm staying in the draft."
Okorie had an electric season with the Cardinal, going from an unranked three-star recruit to one of the elite guards in a deep freshman class by ranking eighth in the country in scoring average (23.2 PPG). He measured well Monday, checking in with a plus-6.5-inch wingspan. -- Borzello
Henri Veesaar, C, North Carolina
Veesaar is staying in the draft and has no intentions of returning to North Carolina to play for new coach Michael Malone, with whom the center had discussions before announcing his decision. "I'm all-in on staying in the draft," Veesaar said. "It's 100% my decision to stay. I think it's the right decision, basketball wise."
Though the projected late first-rounder called Malone "one of the best coaches," Veesaar pointed to the NBA being better for his development as the deciding factor to stay in the draft. -- Borzello
Isaiah Evans, SG, Duke
Evans closed the door on a return to Duke, saying he has had no conversations with Jon Scheyer or the Blue Devils staff about going back to Durham. Given that Dame Sarr is returning and that the team added Wisconsin transfer John Blackwell, arguably the best guard in the portal, signs all spring pointed to Evans' NBA decision being permanent. "I'm fully in," he said. Evans was projected at No. 23 in ESPN's post-lottery mock draft. -- Borzello
.@SeanFarnham gives his TOP THREE takeaways from the NBA draft combine 👀⬇️ pic.twitter.com/rW0buSqidF
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) May 13, 2026
Morez Johnson Jr., PF, Michigan
When Johnson announced his intention to enter the NBA draft -- and the Wolverines simultaneously added Cincinnati transfer Moustapha Thiam -- it seemed that the title-winning power forward's decision was final. His comments Wednesday, however, clearly left the door open for a potential return to Ann Arbor.
"I have to talk to my agents and ... see what type of feedback they've been getting," Johnson said. "Dusty [May] has been very supportive. He's not pressuring me to come back at all. He wants me to attack this thing with two feet in until otherwise."
Johnson was a winner of the early-week measurements and testing, clocking in at 6-9 (without shoes) with a 7-3½ wingspan. -- Borzello
Milan Momcilovic, F, Iowa State
Momcilovic was the best player to enter the transfer portal this spring but has yet to offer any indication on which schools he's considering if he were to withdraw from the draft. He said Wednesday that being a first-round pick would be enough to stay in the draft, and a guarantee in the early second round could also persuade him to go pro. Sources have indicated that Kentucky, Louisville, St. John's and UCLA are among the big names in pursuit. "There's not a lot of schools that still have a lot of money and a lot of roster spots left, so it's not like I'm choosing between 15 schools," he told ESPN. "It's going to be three or four." -- Borzello
Allen Graves, F, Santa Clara
An analytics darling, Graves intrigued NBA scouts all season despite coming off the bench. Slotted at No. 22 in ESPN's post-lottery mock draft, Graves said Wednesday that he would prefer to stay in the draft if it is clear he is a first-round pick. He's currently in the transfer portal and told ESPN that LSU and Duke were his two favorites and the only schools he's had conversations with, and that Kentucky had reached out to his agents. LSU has the necessary roster space and budget to land Graves if he withdraws, while Duke looks more crowded in the frontcourt. -- Borzello
Tuesday, May 12
The 2026 NBA draft combine is underway in Chicago, where every participating player went through anthropometric testing Monday. About 25 to 30 also completed their athletic testing and shooting drills at the outset, with the rest of the invitees put through their paces with the same drills and tests on Tuesday. Tune in Wednesday to our NBA draft combine show on ESPN2 from 2 p.m. through 6 p.m. ET.
The top three prospects already made what will be their final appearances of the week. AJ Dybantsa measured at 6-foot-8½ without shoes with a 7-0½ wingspan and a 42.0-inch maximum vertical leap; Darryn Peterson measured at 6-foot-4½ with a 6-9¾ wingspan and 37½-inch max vertical; and Cameron Boozer measured at 6-foot-8¼ with a 7-1½ wingspan and a 35.0-inch max vertical. That trio won't play in the 5-on-5 scrimmages Wednesday and Thursday, along with the vast majority of other surefire first-round picks.
It's difficult for any player to meaningfully raise or tank their draft stock during the first couple of days of the combine, but the 5-on-5 scrimmages will create some separation. With that said, there were still noteworthy developments from the first 24 hours at Wintrust Arena, so let's run through the early standouts and intel.
Monday and Tuesday's standouts
Alex Karaban, F, UConn
Given Karaban's status as a borderline first-round pick -- he clocked in at No. 32 in ESPN's latest mock draft -- any boost to his stock could make a sizable difference, and he was the best shooter in the gym during Monday's drills. He went 22-for-30 off the dribble, 18-for-25 in the 3-point star drill (second best so far), 21-for-25 in the side-mid-side drill (best so far) and 18-for-25 in the spot-up shooting drill.
Karaban was a consistent 3-point shooter during his four seasons in Storrs, finishing his career as a 37.4% 3-point shooter. His athletic testing was also a win, given that his standing vertical leap improved by 5.5 inches since his showing at the 2024 combine. -- Jeff Borzello
Cameron Carr, SG, Baylor
Carr was one of the biggest breakout stars of this past college basketball season, averaging nearly 19 points at Baylor after playing just 18 games over a season and a half at Tennessee in 2023 and 2024. He surged into the first round of mocks and big boards, and his measurements and athletic testing numbers could push him higher than No. 18, where ESPN projected him after the lottery.
At 6-4½ with a 7-0¾ wingspan, Carr measured out an incredible plus-8.25 wingspan, giving him the second-biggest gap between height and wingspan at the combine. And then on Tuesday, he had the second-best max vertical leap (42½) and the fastest pro lane agility drill of any player. He also weighed 184.4 pounds, which is almost 10 pounds heavier than he was listed during the season. Given that one of the concerns is his slender frame, that's a positive. -- Borzello
Morez Johnson Jr., PF, Michigan
Johnson had a positive on-court day Monday, measuring 6-9 barefoot (a number that surprised some NBA teams) with a 7-3½ wingspan and 8-11 standing reach -- legitimate dimensions for an NBA player at the 5-spot, despite being undersized. He also fared quite well in testing, outperforming most players in his lane drill time.
While his shot remains a work in progress, his improving mechanics stood out as a large group of bigs took the floor together in drills -- he made 12-of-35 total 3s at Michigan but looks to have legitimate room to develop his spot-up shooting. This all helped to reaffirm the strong physical component of his game as he makes a case for a spot in the top 20. -- Jeremy Woo
Chris Cenac Jr., C, Houston
Cenac made a good decision to participate in drills Monday, as his physical tools and fluidity for his size stood out. He measured and tested quite well at 6-10¼ barefoot, with a 7-5 wingspan and 9-0½ standing reach and established true size for a center, with a 41½-inch standing vertical.
While the season Cenac had at Houston wasn't statistically prolific, he bought into his role as a rebounder within Kelvin Sampson's scheme and made strides with his physicality. He presents a very intriguing bet on tools, with his brief combine showing a reminder that there are simply no other bigs in this draft with his highly valued skill set. It will be no surprise if he sneaks into the back end of the lottery, with teams such as the Charlotte Hornets (No. 14) and Chicago Bulls (No. 4, 15) in need of a long-term center and likely to take a long look at this position. -- Woo
Overheard on Tuesday
As soon as the lottery was revealed Sunday, the immediate question around the league and industry was whether the Utah Jazz, holding the No. 2 pick, might make an eventual overture to trade up to No. 1 to select Dybantsa. This is factoring in the strong ties between Utah owner Ryan Smith, CEO Danny Ainge and president of basketball operations Austin Ainge to BYU.
While the connection there is logical, there's no indication that it will happen at this stage of the predraft process, with lottery teams having only recently been assigned their selections. At the moment, the thought of Utah trading up is purely speculative, as the Jazz are sitting in a strong position at No. 2 regardless: They can simply wait and see who Washington takes, something that is not being treated as a foregone conclusion.
Dybantsa has shaped up as the favorite at No. 1, but that's not the consensus, with most around the NBA having seen Peterson as a strong candidate for that spot all season, and varying opinions on Boozer's and even Caleb Wilson's candidacies. The talent gap between that foursome, particularly Dybantsa and Peterson, might not ultimately be wide enough to trade up from No. 2 to 1 in a vacuum, regardless of which teams owned which picks.
While the nature of this draft class, with a consensus top four, could lay the groundwork for trade movement, deals atop the draft are historically quite rare. The last instance was the Philadelphia 76ers trading up to No. 1 with the Boston Celtics (at the time, run by Ainge) for Markelle Fultz. All of this is to say that any trade dynamics that might evolve within that top four might not necessarily be likely outcomes and will require more time to play out over the next month. -- Woo
Withdrawal watch
Koa Peat, PF, Arizona
Peat has one of the more interesting stay-or-go decisions in the lead-up to the May 27 withdrawal deadline. He entered the college basketball season as a projected top 10 pick but saw his stock dip despite Arizona winning the Big 12 regular-season and conference tournament championships before reaching the Final Four.
Peat was No. 24 in ESPN's most recent mock draft, and while he tested very well athletically Monday, his shooting was the bigger talking point. He made just seven 3-pointers all season for the Wildcats, then was one of the worst shooters Monday, going just 6-for-25 in the 3-point star drill and 6-for-25 in the spot-up shooting drill. It's also worth noting that Peat's shot looked dramatically different from what it did while he was at Arizona, with a slower motion and much lower release point. He didn't look entirely comfortable with it Monday. -- Borzello