The 3 Houston Players Selected in 2026 NBA Draft and Where They're Headed
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The Houston Cougars ended up having an incredibly successful 2026 NBA Draft with three selections, tied for the most by a single school in the event and a new program record. Given the kind of track record Houston has, that is a significant achievement.
This 2026 draft class will forever be remembered for Houston and featured some incredible freshman talent alongside a senior leader that showed everything that Houston is about. Ever since coach Kelvin Sampson took over, Houston's presence in the draft has returned. The Cougars had two first round picks in the same draft for the fourth time in program history.
Here are the three Houston players drafted and where they'll play in the NBA next season.
Kingston Flemings, Atlanta Hawks
Flemings went in the top 10 as expected and was drafted at No. 8 overall to the Atlanta Hawks. He was Houston's star player and one of the best talents in the country last season. While initially under the radar coming out of high school even as a five-star recruit, Flemings took over from the start and burst onto the scene for Houston.
He was always projected as UH's top pick in the draft, given his elite athleticism, quickness and IQ combined with his scoring ability. It's clear that Flemings is a player that the Hawks can build around. This was Houston's first top-10 pick since Jarace Walker at No. 8 in 2023.
Chris Cenac Jr., Boston Celtics
There were high expectations of Cenac Jr. coming into the season as the No. 1 overall center in the 2025 class. There were some thoughts of him being taken very high this year, but ultimately it was proven that there is quite a bit of development for him to do.
Regardless, he took big steps forward at Houston with his rebounding and stamina that helped him become a first round draft pick after one collegiate season. Cenac Jr. was drafted No. 27 overall to the Boston Celtics. It was a bit of slide of him after projections placed Cenac near the high 20s. He'll need a couple of years of development with the Celtics before playing at TD Garden for this prestigious franchise.
Emanuel Sharp, Sacramento Kings
The former senior leader and physical guard in Sharp made his dreams come true with an incredible five-year story at Houston. Sharp impressed over the past two seasons and showed those skills off at the NBA Combine that got him attention. That propelled him into second round projections and that is exactly what happened as he was selected with the 45th overall pick to the Sacramento Kings.
It looks like he'll play a big role there as a 3-and-D guard in his first professional season.
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Maanav Gupta is a staff writer for Houston Cougars on SI. He graduated from the University of Houston in the summer of 2025 with his bachelor’s in journalism and a minor in Spanish. Gupta spent three years at the student newspaper, The Daily Cougar, and also covered the 2025 Final Four and National Championship as Houston beat writer for College Basketball Review. He also has his own YouTube channel, Maanav’s Sports Talk, where he has interviewed professional athletes and broadcasters like Jim Nantz, Jose Altuve, J.J. Watt, Rich Eisen, and Alperen Sengun. Gupta was also a contributor to the Houston athletic program as a student. You can find Gupta on X, Instagram and TikTok @MGSportsTalk.