The 2027 NBA Draft Class Won’t Wow, but will Have Surprises

Each of the last two NBA Draft’s have been excellent, if not downright special.

The 2025 class, headlined by Cooper Flagg and Dylan Harper, is fresh off one of the most impactful debut seasons in league history.

Flagg and Kon Knueppel saw a Rookie of the Year race for the ages, with both already looking the part of NBA stars already. Others such as VJ Edgecombe, Cedric Coward and more saw stellar debut seasons. And the ’25 class capped things off by seeing multiples rookies — such as Dylan Harper, Collin Murray-Boyles and more — see legitimately impactful postseasons. Something not often seen.

While the 2026 class has yet to play an official game, it’s slated to be equally talented.

The top-four boasted as many No. 1-level prospects in AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer and Caleb Wilson. The top-10 was built out with other star gambles such as Keaton Wagler, Mikel Brown Jr. and Darius Acuff Jr., and the entirety of the first round features plenty of players set to hit the ground running.

Pound-for-pound, 2026 could be one of the deepest classes in decades.

Enter the 2027 NBA Draft, which by comparison, won’t wow as much as the previous two. But rest assured it will have its surprises, as all draft classes do.

The ’27 class is headlined by incoming Kansas wing Tyran Stokes, the only prospect who is thought of by consensus currently to have the potential to become a No. 1-level player. Others such as Caleb Holt, Jordan Smith Jr. and Stefan Joksimovic offer, but pundits are mixed on whether those players can enter the upper echelon.

If Stokes doesn’t, the 2027 class could very much mirror 2024, which so far has failed to produce a true, top-level superstar.

Still, draft classes can surprise in numerous ways. There will be the potential for Stokes to emerge as a legitimate prospect given his size, skill and athleticism. Those like Joksimovic, Bruce Branch III or others could push their way into the top tier with stellar seasons given their own upside.

The class will also be massively bolstered by its returnee group, which is the strongest in years. If collegiate returners massively improve their game across the board, the depth of the class will see a major boost.

There's also certain to be prospects emerge that aren't currently on radars, a la Keaton Wagler and Kingston Flemings last season. Those two saw meteoric rises that won't be easily replicated, though some few prospects will emerge as draftees that aren't currently thought to be.

The next major draft milestones will be NBA debuts for the 2026 class, and collegiate debuts for future 2027 members.

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