2026 NBA Draft: Three Sleepers who Could Lead the Rookie Class in Scoring

Three draftees who could surprise in the scoring department.

Mar 10, 2026; Charlotte, NC, USA; Stanford Cardinal guard Ebuka Okorie (1) on the court in the second half at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The 2026 NBA Draft class is just a few months from debuting, and is set to infuse the league with plenty of fresh talent.

There were as many as four No. 1-level talents, meaning there will be plenty of new star-power added, though there's always a chance that players drafted in the mid-to-late lottery and beyond could also surprise.

Below are three players who could lead the rookie class in scoring if the cards fell correctly, outside of obvious choices like AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson and more:

Mikel Brown Jr., Nets

Mikel Brown Jr. is supremely talented, but still a developmental project for the Brooklyn Nets, who swung on upside at the 2026 draft. He isn’t thought of to be a player that will star early, needing time to cook. But if he can find early confidence, he certainly has the skillset to do so.

Brown has good positional size and athleticism, shot-making chops and can get downhill often. He has all the makings of a three-level scorer, and now needs only to find consistency in scoring the ball.

It’s not a guarantee things will fall into place in his first season, though it’s not impossible either.

Brayden Burries, Bucks

Brayden Burries filled an ancillary role for Arizona last season, but is now likely to be a featured back in a freshly rebuilding Bucks squad. At 6-foot-5 with a great combination of speed and strength, he could hit the ground running in Milwaukee.

He already did so in Summer League, averaging an elite 23.5 points on 50% shooting across four games, second only to Meleek Thomas and AJ Dybantsa among rookies.

Burries has the requisite build to offer NBA-ready impact, and is joining a team that will be production-starved, potentially making for the perfect scenario.

Ebuka Okorie, Pistons

If Ebuka Okorie showed anything in his lone season with Stanford, it’s that he’s among the best scorers in the entire class, with the ability to fill it up at every level.

Okorie averaged a blistering 23.2 points per game with the Cardinal, shooting 47% overall in teleporting to the paint, and also shooting better from beyond the arc than anticipated given his volume. Both of those should carry over to the NBA in moderation.

Even more, Okorie is entering the perfect situation, joining a team desperate for a spark-plug guard that can add secondary creation alongside or in reserve of Cade Cunningham.