Freshmen, Returnees or Depth? Assessing the Strength of the 2027 NBA Draft Class

Mar 30, 2026; Goodyear, AZ, USA; Tyran Stokes during the McDonalds All American Jam Fest at Millennium High School. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Each NBA Draft class has its share of strengths and weaknesses.

The 2026 class, for example, was heralded as an immensely strong class. The depth was eroded near the end due to collegiate returners, though the five-star freshmen were always the highlight. Players like AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson and Cameron Boozer all lived up to high standards, and those like Caleb Wilson, Kingston Flemings and Keaton Wagler either massively boosted their stock or put themselves on the map in general.

The result was one of the top classes seen in years. 

Now, all eyes turn toward the 2027 NBA Draft class, which has so far been marketed as worse than the previous two, which is a high bar. There’s plenty of question marks surrounding the class currently, poking holes in its cases to infuse the league with talent.

To start, the incoming freshman simply don’t pack the same punch that the last two class’s did. At least not yet. Players like Cooper Flagg, Dylan Harper and the ’26 class’s top trio were all bonafide superstars before even playing their first game. This year, players like Tyran Stokes, Caleb Holt, Jordan Smith Jr. and plenty more simply don’t carry the same weight.

Two-way wings like Stokes and Holt could offer productive NBA players, and upside guards bets like Smith, or Stefan Joksimovic are interesting. Though there’s no guarantee there will be a true, No. 1-level prospect.

Due to that, the depth of the class overall doesn’t quite match 2025 or 2026 either.

The incoming draft class does still have strengths though. Due to how loaded 2026 was, dozens of prospects opted to return to school to make more in NIL offerings, as well as bolster their future draft stock. Players such as Thomas Haugh, Braylon Mullins, Amari Allen, Patrick Ngongba II, Tounde Yessoufou, Motiejus Krivas and dozens more put together draft-worthy seasons last year, but will instead be apart of the 2027 class.

In a year where teams will likely be searching for any talent available — no matter how much experience a prospect offers — a strong returning class is a great thing. 

There are also sure to be surprises in the class, much like the emergence of Wagler and Flemings. Some freshmen will be better than expected, other returnees could add to their game in a transformational way.

Regardless of the way its talked about now, the '27 class will offer certain strengths that will help teams come next draft.