Way-Too-Early 2027 NBA Draft Big Board: Top 30 Prospects

The 2026 NBA draft is in the rearview mirror, which means for scouts across the league, it’s time for attention to shift to the 2027 draft class. It’s a draft that’s expected to be significantly weaker than the last two classes, and potentially even further weakened by changes to NCAA eligibility rules that could allow almost all graduating seniors next year an additional season of eligibility. That weak class also leaves plenty of room for players to come from off the radar and solidify themselves as high draft picks in the next 365 days.

Here’s Sports Illustrated’s early look at the best of the best in the 2027 draft:

1. Tyran Stokes, Kansas

Stokes is clearly the most talented player in the 2026 high school class, a jumbo-sized ballhandler on the wing who can stuff the stat sheet in a variety of ways and is an absolute load in transition. At varying points in his high school career, he has appeared to be on the same tier as a prospect as the likes of AJ Dybantsa (his former AAU teammate) and Darryn Peterson. Excitement has cooled some after a whirlwind senior year that saw him transfer high schools multiple times, and there are real questions about his maturity and demeanor that he’ll have to answer over the next 12 months to ensure he goes No. 1. But he’ll have a massive platform at Kansas to showcase his growth and from a talent perspective is a clear choice at No. 1.

2. Caleb Holt, Arizona

The Arizona-bound Holt has been a fixture with USA Basketball over the years thanks to his size, continued improvement as a shooter and intensity on the defensive end. He’s someone that has proven himself to be a driver of winning in a variety of settings, and his strong senior season at Prolific Prep allowed him to showcase tangible improvement as an alpha on the offensive end. A big season at Arizona could make him one of the few players capable of challenging Stokes for the top spot in the class.

3. Stefan Joksimovic, Baskonia

Joksimovic’s profile among NBA teams continues to grow after a standout showing at Adidas EuroCamp earlier this June. Just 17, Joksimovic’s size at 6'7" and ability to play in ball screens makes him one of the most intriguing players in this draft. He’s set to stay in Europe with Baskonia this coming year, where he’s expected to get more consistent minutes in ACB and EuroLeague competition. It’s not out of the question that he becomes Stokes’ biggest challenger if he continues on this clear upward trajectory.

4. Bruce Branch, BYU

Branch has moments that look like a potential future No. 1 pick and others where he looks a ways away from making an impact on an NBA game. He’s a fluid mover on the wing with high-level size and length for the position. He’s mostly a catch-and-shoot player at this stage though, struggling with efficiency as a driver and lacking the burst to consistently create separation off the bounce. Still, he has a strong chance to be BYU’s third straight top-10 pick under Kevin Young.

5. Anthony Thompson, Ohio State

Thompson has one of the more intriguing profiles in the class as a lanky 6'9" wing with a 7'3" wingspan and high-level shooting potential. He’s also one of the younger players likely to be in this 2027 draft and will still be 18 on draft day next year. How he continues to grow into his body, adding muscle and improving his defensive mobility, will be monitored closely by scouts who figure to make regular trips to see him at Ohio State this season. He still has a wide range of outcomes at this stage, but the ceiling is high if he continues to improve.

6. Jordan Smith Jr., Arkansas

Smith is a bit of an unorthodox top prospect as a 6'2" guard who is neither a high-level shooter nor an elite playmaker. That said, he has long earned rave reviews for his incredible motor, competitiveness and athleticism that allows him to fly around, guard multiple positions and excel scoring at the rim. Even in a weaker draft class, there’s likely a ceiling on just how high Smith can go on draft night if a team doesn’t view him as someone who can handle primary ballhandling duties at the next level. That said, he’s among the easiest players to bet on finding a productive NBA niche because of his consistent motor and production dating back to early in high school.

7. Jason Crowe Jr., Missouri

A prolific scorer who recently became the highest-scoring high school player in California history, Crowe figures to get tons of usage at Missouri with a chance to cement himself as a potential lottery pick. His body is unimpressive for a score-first player and he relies far too often on exceedingly difficult shot diets that feature plenty of tough pull-ups, but players as gifted as he is with the ball in his hands tend not to fall too far.

8. Colben Landrew, UConn

A thickly built wing headed to UConn, Landrew has an intriguing game as someone who can create for others, make open shots on the perimeter and guard up and down the lineup because of his strength. His choosing UConn has naturally invited comparisons to Stephon Castle, but even if he doesn’t hit Castle’s ceiling as a playmaker he should have a long career as a connective wing with size and feel.

9. Austin Goosby, Texas

Goosby moved the needle with NBA scouts during McDonald’s All-American practices, flashing his size, versatility and feel for the game as a combo guard. The Texas native shot the ball well from three at Dynamic Prep, and if that continues at Texas he could have a key role on one of the best teams in college basketball this season.

10. Braylon Mullins, UConn

Mullins shot just 34% from three in his first college season, but made arguably the biggest shot of the college season to beat the buzzer against Duke in the Elite Eight. His track record as a sharpshooter is elite, and a bounceback year up to closer to 40% as he continues to improve his body should position him to be a potential top-10 pick.

11. JJ Andrews, Arkansas

Arkansas’s wing room is crowded with the return of Billy Richmond, but Andrews should have a pathway to significant minutes and looks like a strong one-and-done candidate. He’s a powerful athlete at 6'7" with long arms and high-level scoring instincts. He’ll need to prove he can consistently make shots from beyond the arc and win one-on-one matchups with skill rather than just power.

12. Thomas Haugh, Florida

Haugh choosing to return to Florida was a legitimate shock even with lots of draftable prospects choosing to return for paydays in college. By sticking around one more year, Haugh will be 24 before he plays his first NBA game, something that could cap his ceiling in the eyes of scouts. Still, his incredible motor, defensive versatility and toughness give him a clear path to adding value as a role player early in his NBA career.

13. Matt Able, North Carolina

Able was inconsistent in his freshman season at NC State, but scouts often raved about him in practices and he had a strong NBA combine week that flashed his high ceiling as a scoring guard with good size and length. He should have plenty of opportunities to shine at North Carolina, where he’ll be the centerpiece of Michael Malone’s first team in Chapel Hill.

14. Quentin Coleman, Illinois

Coleman has had a remarkable rise from under-the-radar Wake Forest–bound commit to a top-15 recruit headed to Illinois after a late switch. Because of that rise, he’ll inevitably draw comparisons to Keaton Wagler, though those comparisons set an incredibly high bar for the MIssouri native. Even if he doesn’t hit Wagler’s incredible shotmaking ceiling, he has emerged as a viable one-and-done candidate thanks to his feel for the game, toughness and ability to play on and off the ball. He was one of the standouts of Team USA’s disappointing U18 team that lost to Canada earlier in June.

15. Amari Allen, Alabama

Allen had interest in the back end of the first round in this year’s draft but is headed back to Alabama for the chance to play as a primary ballhandler with the Tide. If he thrives in that role, he could see his stock explode similar to how Labaron Philon Jr.’s did this past year. If nothing else, he has a good path to early minutes as a connective piece on the wing.

16. Cameron Williams, Duke

Williams’s stock rose throughout the last year as he emerged as one of the most talented bigs in a class lacking credible frontcourt talent. While he still needs to improve his physicality and toughness, Williams has size, fluidity and flashes of skill that will undoubtedly intrigue NBA scouts. He’ll need to add weight at Duke and prove he can be a consistently productive player against top-tier competition. He’ll face significant competition for minutes from the likes of Belmont transfer Drew Scharnowski and 17-year-old sensation Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje, which could hinder his one-and-done hopes.

17. Obinna Ekezie, Louisville

Ekezie reclassified from the 2027 high school class to enroll early at Louisville, giving him a path to being selected in the 2027 draft. He has clear lottery-level upside with a monster 7-foot frame and long arms that give him elite upside as a rim protector and lob threat. He’s still raw and will likely come off the bench at Louisville, and particularly with the money available to him in college he could easily stick around for a second college season and aim for the 2028 draft.

18. Motiejus Krivas, Arizona

The 7'3" Krivas emerged as one of the most impactful rim protectors in college basketball a season ago, rebuilding his draft stock after falling off boards during an injury-plagued sophomore year. Arizona figures to play through him more offensively this season, which could give him a chance to make a push towards being a potential top-20 pick.

19. Dylan Mingo, Baylor

When healthy, Mingo has been arguably the most productive guard in the 2026 high school class. He enters college with a lot to prove though after a disjointed season at Long Island Lutheran. At Baylor, he’ll need to show significant strides as a three-point threat, particularly if he can’t prove himself to be a true point guard. That said, guards with his feel, motor and length are coveted assets especially in a weaker class assuming he’s healthy enough to showcase that at Baylor.

20. Tounde Yessoufou, St. John’s

Yessoufou elected to transfer to St. John’s rather than stay in this year’s draft, a decision that could help his chances of sticking in the NBA long term. He’ll have an opportunity to show off his defensive upside and continue to polish his game beyond his scoring exploits. If he does that, he could rebuild his stock after seeing his interest slip down the stretch.

21. Ivan Kharchenkov, Arizona

Kharchenkov was outstanding as a freshman for Arizona, emerging as one of the best glue guys in college basketball thanks to his elite defensive chops and versatility on the offensive end. He seems primed for a bigger role as a sophomore. If he makes tangible strides as a shooter (he made 32% from deep on low volume as a freshman) he could emerge as a lottery-level prospect.

22. Najai Hines, UConn

Hines played his freshman season at Seton Hall as a reclassified 18-year-old and showed intriguing flashes, with monster offensive rebound and block rates that showcase his enormous ceiling. He should have a breakout sophomore season playing for Dan Hurley at UConn and could rapidly emerge into the first round conversation.

23. Alex Condon, Florida

Condon’s three-point shooting fell off a cliff in 2025–26, but his game took continued strides forward. Seven-footers with his toughness, mobility and feel for the game are very hard to come by, and scouts will likely enjoy getting to see him more at center this season after spending almost all his time at power forward a season ago.

24. Luigi Suigo, Villanova

Suigo is enormous, nearly 7'3" without shoes with long arms and an intriguing combination of floor-spacing upside and rim protection. He had interest in the late first and early second round of this year’s draft, but elected to withdraw and enroll at Villanova, where he has a chance to be one of the better big men in the Big East.

25. David Mirkovic, Illinois

Mirkovic has a funky game as a 6'9" forward without much in the way of traditional athletic gifts, but he has fans in NBA front offices because of his feel, toughness and skill level. He’s in line for a monster year in Champaign as the Illini look to get back to the Final Four.

26. DaKari Spear, Texas Tech

A dynamic shooter and scorer out of Texas, Spear could pop quickly at Texas Tech on a team that currently lacks wing depth. The Dynamic Prep product is a legitimate three-level scorer who can create for himself off the bounce, and he looks to have good size and length. If you’re looking for a one-and-done outside the five-star ranks in this perceived weak high school class, Spear is a good bet.

27. Malachi Moreno, Kentucky

Moreno had a solid freshman year in Lexington, looking like one of the most promising young bigs in college basketball. He could have a breakout sophomore campaign, particularly given he’ll be surrounded with a Kentucky roster that looks stronger on paper than it did a year ago. If he does, he could rise into a clear first-round contender.

28. Stefan Vaaks, Illinois

Vaaks had moments in his freshman year at Providence that looked like clear future NBA material. He picked a perfect destination in the portal at Illinois, where he’ll be allowed a ton of freedom offensively and have lots of room to operate thanks to the Illini’s shooting bigs. A breakout year could put him firmly in the first-round conversation.

29. Alijah Arenas, USC

Arenas’s 14-game freshman year shortened by an offseason knee injury had some impressive moments but was largely plagued by inefficiency. We’ll see if he can turn the corner with a healthy offseason and a more talented roster around him: If he does, he could rocket up boards as a big wing with a 7-foot wingspan who plays well with the ball in his hands.

30. Miikka Muurinen, Arkansas

Muurinen has a lot of work to rebuild his stock after a bumpy last few years, bouncing from prep school to prep school before leaving for Partizan in Serbia, where he also ran into issues with coachability. There are flashes of brilliance: Very few 7-footers can move like he can, and his shooting mechanics are impressive despite streaky results over the years. But what that will translate to in the SEC at Arkansas is hard to figure, and in spite of Muurinen’s definite desire to be in the 2027 draft a longer path to the NBA with time to mature in college would likely serve him well.

Other College Returners to Monitor:

Tyler Tanner, Vanderbilt
Billy Richmond, Arkansas
Patrick Ngongba, Duke
Trey McKenney, Michigan
Pryce Sandfort, Nebraska
JoJo Tugler, Houston
Tahaad Pettiford, Auburn
Rueben Chinyelu, Florida
Milan Momcilovic, Kentucky
Juke Harris, Tennessee

Other Freshmen to Monitor:

Deron Rippey Jr., Duke
Taylen Kinney, Kansas
Toni Bryant, Missouri
Maximo Adams, North Carolina
Abdou Toure, Arkansas
Baba Oladotun, Maryland
Christian Collins, USC
Caleb Gaskins, Miami
Luca Foster, Gonzaga
Brandon McCoy, Michigan

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