2027 NBA Draft: Missouri Adds Veteran Big Man with Pro Experience

The Missouri basketball team already had an interesting roster heading into the 2026-27 season.

That was before the team added veteran big man Mark Mitchell, who originally finished his college career after the 2025-26 campaign. Mitchell played for the Denver Nuggets in the 2026 Summer League after going undrafted in the 2026 NBA Draft.

In Las Vegas, Mitchell appeared in four games, averaging 4.8 points and 1.8 rebounds while shooting 35.7% from the field across 16.1 minutes per contest. After recent court rulings have granted multiple players an additional year of eligibility, though, Mitchell began to explore his options.

Originally, the former five-star recruit committed to Kentucky, but it doesn't appear that Mark Pope's team will add Mitchell to the roster.

Instead, reports recently surfaced that Mitchell will play for Missouri again, rather than transferring to Kentucky.

Mark Mitchell will not attend Kentucky and instead return to Missouri, per his agent.

Mitchell is seeking a fifth year of eligibility.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) August 31, 2026

With the addition of Mitchell, the Tigers should have a well-rounded roster heading into the 2026-27 campaign.

Head coach Dennis Gates and company added Providence transfer Jamier Jones, BYU transfer Kennard Davis Jr. and Kansas transfer Bryson Tiller, as well as five-star incoming freshmen Jason Crowe Jr. and Toni Bryant. The Tigers also bring back talented frontcourt piece Trent Pierce.

After reaching the NCAA Tournament in 2026 but falling in the first round to Miami, Missouri could be poised for a longer run in March Madness with an improved roster.

Mitchell will certainly play an important role in those efforts. In 2025-26, the 6-foot-9 forward averaged 18.3 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.6 assists while shooting 54.7% from the field and 38.8% from 3-point range on 1.5 attempts per game.

While Mitchell won't be a premier prospect in the 2027 NBA Draft class, another productive season and more volume from beyond the arc could be enough to land the former McDonald's All-American a spot in the second round.

Alongside Pierce and Bryant, among others, adding Mitchell to Missouri's frontcourt should give the Tigers a formidable big-man rotation. Flanked by talented wing players like Jones and a highly touted guard in Crowe, Gates' team could outperform expectations this season.

Crowe seems to be the team's most notable draft prospect heading into the 2026-27 campaign, with the potential to be a lottery pick after being ranked the No. 5 overall recruit and No. 2 combo guard in the 2026 cycle by 247Sports.

Mitchell's return to Missouri should also help ease the load on Crowe by giving the Tigers another scoring threat that defenses must account for.

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