NBA Draft 2026: Unveiling Three Hidden Gems Set to Ignite the First Round Chaos
Ever wonder if the NBA Draft sleepers are still those mysterious unknowns lurking in the shadows? Well, buckle up—the game has changed. In today’s data-saturated world, the classic under-the-radar prospect is nearly extinct. Instead, the real sleepers are right under our noses—talented, well-documented players on some of college basketball’s powerhouse teams who somehow fly below the radar of mock drafts. It’s like spotting diamonds hidden in plain daylight—players whose college prowess isn’t fully reflected in their draft projections. Intrigued? Let’s dive into three such prospects poised to shake up the 2026 NBA Draft, showing why sometimes the biggest surprises are, paradoxically, the least surprising. LEARN MORE.
NBA Draft sleepers are usually defined as unknown players. But this year, the best sleepers are underrated players on some of the best teams in college basketball.
With how much information is available on all NBA Draft prospects, the term “sleeper” doesn’t mean the same thing that it used to mean.
It’s almost impossible for a prospect to go from completely unknown to a major factor at the NBA Draft. The closest recent example was Cedric Coward, who went from Division III Willamette University to Eastern Washington for two years to Washington State, where he played just six games before an injury sidelined him for the rest of the 2024-25 season.
Coward was fairly unknown early in the process, but there was a lot of buzz around him in the months leading up to the 2025 draft. He ended up being selected 11th by the Memphis Grizzlies and is having an excellent rookie season.
Nowadays, even someone as unheralded as Coward being selected in the NBA Draft Lottery is a rare sight. With so much information on every player, the true sleepers of the modern draft are often hidden in plain sight.
There are good players on good teams who are well-known for their college basketball production but are being underrated as draft prospects. We can find these diamonds in the rough by comparing where players are projected to go in public mock drafts and comparing them to our draft model, which projects a player’s NBA DRIP (our all-in-one metric that rates players based on box score, play-by-play and lineup data) using college DRIP and other factors.
Below are three players who aren’t getting enough consideration as 2026 draft prospects.
Brayden Burries, Arizona
Arizona finally dropped its first game of the season Monday night to Kansas despite Jayhawks star Darryn Peterson missing the game.
But Burries can’t be blamed for the 82-78 defeat, as he poured in a game-high 25 points on 9-of-18 shooting and even chipped in three steals. Perhaps the big offensive output in a top-10 matchup will get his stock up in the eyes of draft prognosticators. Currently, the dynamic guard is generally considered a player who will be taken in the middle of the first round, likely after the lottery.
It’s hard to understand why Burries isn’t held in higher regard. The freshman plays with a maturity that belies his age, showing excellent footwork while driving and creating separation.
He may not be a lightning-quick north-south athlete like Peterson, but he certainly has enough burst to get by and has the gliding quality that most good NBA guards possess. That allows him to finish even when getting bumped off his path midair.
He also uses the rim well to frustrate shot blockers.
Normally, when you lead with a guard’s technique, it’s because he’s not a good enough athlete and has to use these tricks to get open. But with particularly impressive deceleration, Burries is a good enough athlete for the next level.
The biggest concern with Burries is his tweener status, as he’d clearly an off-guard who is only 6-foot-4 and needs to fill out his frame. Offensively, this isn’t an issue, as Burries does all the things a wing must do off the ball. He’s constantly filling vacated space and can shoot off movement.
If you judge players on whether they could fit in the Golden State Warriors’ system, Burries passes the test. Our draft model projects him to be a top-five offensive player from the class following his fourth year in the league (when a lot of players reach their prime).
The defense is the question. Burries certainly isn’t a stopper and currently can be targeted off the dribble by quicker players. With his special awareness on offense, teams might project that he maximizes his defensive talent and fits somewhere in the average-to-below-average range.
As long as he’s not a complete liability on defense, Burries’ game should translate well to the next level. He deserves consideration in the top 10.
Henri Veesar, North Carolina
Veesar’s been a revelation as a starter for North Carolina this season after being a bench player as a junior for Arizona in 2024-25.
When big men see a huge ramp-up in minutes, their efficiency usually drops off, but the opposite has happened for Veesar. He’s averaging 16.4 points and shooting 61.5% from the field.
The big question on everybody’s mind: How real is the shooting improvement? After shooting 31.7% from 3-point range for his career entering the season, Veesar is shooting a blistering 44.8% this season, easily the best among 7-footers who have attempted at least 50 3s.
It’s only been on 67 attempts, though, and his free-throw shooting is at just 62.1%, which should give teams pause from declaring him an elite shooter now.
But the 3-point shooting explosion has masked the other improvements in Veesar’s game. He’s gotten much better at using his huge frame on both sides of the ball, making himself more available on offense and a passable defender on the other end of the floor.
He’s a much better defensive rebounder, giving more effort on boxing out despite playing 10 more minutes a game than last season. And he’s started to show a more advanced understanding of the floor, finding the open man a lot more often.
All of this adds up to an intriguing player without a massive 3-point leap. But if he can actually space the floor, too, that brings upside to his game at the next level.
Veesar does have athletic limitations that mean he’s not a defensive anchor at the next level. But there’s enough skill here to warrant a selection in the middle of the first round, not in the late first round or early second round, where he’s currently projected.
Joseph Tugler, Houston
The first two players on this list are underrated but at least considered solid options in the NBA Draft. Tugler is more of an afterthought, projected in the middle of the second round. With a year of eligibility left at Houston, he might be better off staying in college if those projections hold.
It’s easy to see why Tugler isn’t considered a first-round prospect. He’s averaging just 8.0 points and has more turnovers than assists.
But fortunately for Tugler, there are two sides of the basketball court and he excels on the other one. Tugler is the catch-all problem solver for Houston’s defense. Need to shut down a big wing? Cause chaos off the ball against a good ball-movement team? Get more physical switching onto guards in the pick-and-roll?
Tugler is the answer.
It’s that kind of versatility that makes him an interesting draft pick. He’s not likely to be a positive offensive player at the next level, but he is very physical, and a team with a center who can space the floor can put him in the dunker spot on offense and watch him unlock a lot of different options on defense.
Tugler isn’t a top-10 pick, but teams picking later in the first round should consider him. He’s a scheme-specific player, but one who could be a difference-maker in the right context.
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The post NBA Draft 2026: Three Sleepers Who Could Shake Up the First Round appeared first on Opta Analyst.
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