What's the Latest NBA Draft Projections for Purdue Guard Braden Smith?
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Following a stellar four-year career at Purdue, point guard Braden Smith is ready to turn the page and start preparing for the next stage of his journey. That will most likely be the NBA, though we won't know where he'll begin his career until late June.
With the NBA's early entry deadline now passed, we now have a better understanding of which players may be selected in the 2026 NBA Draft. Where does Smith fall in some of those recent predictions?
Smith is a projected second-round pick in two separate early mock drafts. He's predicted to go No. 40 to the Boston Celtics in a projection released by ESPN this week. In another from NBADraft.net, the former Boiler is projected to go No. 53 to the Houston Rockets.
Additionally, CBS Sports released its "Big Board" for the 2026 NBA Draft, listing the top-80 prospects in this year's class. Smith came in at No. 40.
The senior guard finished his college basketball career with 1,103 assists, setting an NCAA record that stood for more than 30 years. He also scored more than 1,900 career points.
Smith proved himself during his college career as a four-year starter at Purdue. He'll have another opportunity to change the minds of some scouts from May 10 through 17, when the NBA Scouting Combine takes place.
Right now, though, Smith is projected as a player who will be selected in the middle of the second round. How much could he help his cause in the coming weeks?
Smith is Purdue's only projected NBA Draft pick
Purdue watched a heralded trio of Smith, Trey Kaufman-Renn and Fletcher Loyer depart the program after spending their entire careers in West Lafayette. Senior center Oscar Cluff is also out of eligibility.
Although all four players brought something unique to the floor, Smith is the only player of the group who is projected to be selected in the NBA Draft. That could change over the next two months, but it's a longshot that Kaufman-Renn, Loyer or Cluff would be taken this year.
There are still plenty of opportunities for all three of those former Boilers to continue their basketball careers. Players could find a home in EuroLeague or potentially get a start in the G-League. There's also a good chance that those three are picked up to play in the NBA Summer League, as well.
The 2026 NBA Draft is scheduled for June 23-24. The first round will air on ABC and ESPN and the second round will air solely on ESPN.
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Dustin Schutte is the publisher of Purdue Boilermakers on SI and has spent more than a decade working in sports journalism. His career began in 2013, when he covered Big Ten football. He remained in that role for eight years before working at On SI to cover the Boilermakers. Dustin graduated from Manchester University in Indiana in 2010, where he played for the men's tennis team.
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