Category: NBA

The Cleveland Cavaliers selected Meleek Thomas 34th overall in the 2026 NBA Draft. The 6’4″ combo guard has 3-and-D potential for Cleveland, even if he doesn’t fit their most pressing needs.

Thomas averaged 15.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.5 assists as a Freshman for Arkansas. He served as the secondary option behind Darius Acuff, thriving without the ball as a 40% three-point shooter. Thomas also ranked in the 69th percentile in scoring off of screens, giving him one of the most transferable skill sets for today’s NBA.

The Cavs will have to develop the rest of his game from there. Thomas isn’t seen as a great decision maker with the ball, as shot selection was one of the primary concerns for him in college. This is a player who loves the mid-range jumper… and only the most elite shooters can get away with those at the NBA level.

Thomas also isn’t a plus athlete. He’s not as explosive as his peers, struggles to get to the rim, and has a slightly undersized frame despite decent height at his position. These are traits the Cavs have mostly undervalued in recent years (size and athleticism), and Thomas does not break from that trend.

Thomas improved as a defender in his freshman season. Though his off-ball awareness is a concern. If Thomas can tighten up his defense and package it with elite shooting, then he’ll always have a home in the NBA.

Best outcome? The Cavs are betting on him to round out his defensive game and complement anyone he shares the backcourt with. Any upticks in his ability to create with the ball, whether it be playmaking or driving to the rim, would be cherries on top.

There’s a difficult needle to thread when grading this selection. Thomas, or anyone else the Cavs could have selected tonight, would almost certainly play zero role next season. Cleveland is looking to compete for a title, and the 34th pick doesn’t factor heavily into those plans. This was always going to be a long-term project. So, we don’t want to focus too heavily on how this affects the current team.

Nonetheless, Cleveland really doesn’t need another guard right now. Even a top prospect would have trouble cracking this rotation with the logjam currently happening in their backcourt. To no fault of his own, Thomas is joining a team that has overindexed on his position.

Worse, the Cavs are taking another flyer on someone who lacks athleticism and clocked in at 6’3″ barefoot. His collegiate profile is comparable to that of players like Cam Thomas, Jordan Poole, Collin Sexton, and Coby White. Those aren’t winning archetypes and could indicate a systemic failure in which skills the Cavs have prioritized over the years.

Thomas might have a higher floor given his ability to play without the ball and knock down three-pointers. He’ll certainly have a long NBA career if he can do that while being a plus defender. Maybe the Cavs will even need him in a few years when James Harden and/or Donovan Mitchell are either both aging or off the roster entirely. That scenario would align better with Thomas’s timeline and give him a real path toward playing in Cleveland.

Finally, the last qualifier I want to add before handing out this grade is simple. We’re talking about the 34th pick. Warts are inevitable. I can’t pretend that anyone selected here would have warranted a very high grade.

Grade: C-

There may not have been any team that moved as much in the 2026 NBA Draft than the champion New York Knicks, who built for the future to try and dance around the salary cap for the upcoming season.

The Knicks traded out of the first round last night to try and avoid paying a player guaranteed money, but they leave the Barclays Center with a pair of picks in Jack Kayil and Tyler Nickel.

Kayil, the No. 39 overall pick, was acquired in a trade with the Houston Rockets for No. 31 and 53. Kayil played for Alba Berlin last season in the Bundesliga, marking the second time in three years where the team has selected a player that played in Germany. While some may suspect Kayil could be a draft-and-stash prospect, the German point guard made his intentions clear about coming over to the States.

Jack Kayil says he does not plan to return to Germany for another year after being drafted by the Knicks pic.twitter.com/micv9vL2Ee

— SNY Knicks (@sny_knicks) June 25, 2026

There is a good chance Kayil ends up with the Westchester Knicks in the G League, where he could also be joined by Vanderbilt forward Tyler Nickel, the No. 47 overall pick.

Nickel began his collegiate career at North Carolina before transferring to Virginia Tech after his freshman year. He spent one season in Blacksburg before heading to Vanderbilt for his junior and senior seasons. This past season at Vanderbilt, Nickel averaged 13.5 points and 3.3 rebounds per game while making 40 percent of his shots from beyond the arc.

P&T community, how do you feel about the Knicks’ picks in the second round? Let us know in the comments section below.

The Warriors selected Florida State guard Lajae Jones with their second-round pick (No. 54 overall) of the 2026 NBA Draft on June 24.

Jones is a 6-foot-7, 220-pound guard who is coming off a senior season in which he averaged 12.7 points and 5.7 rebounds per game.

Golden State has placed an emphasis on drafting lengthy, versatile players with recent draft picks, and Jones absolutely fits that archetype. He will be able to defend multiple positions, and the fact that he is a capable shooter from 3-point range (32.5% last season) suggests why the Warriors had him circled.

The Warriors initially received the No. 54 pick in the draft from the Lakers by trading Trayce Jackson-Davis to the Raptors in February.

This draft pick has a strangely long history, as the Lakers initially acquired it way back in 2020 after a deal with the Cavaliers. When a trade includes a draft pick so far in the future, it’s easy to forget about it. But the Warriors were ultimately the ones who benefited from it, which ended up in them drafting Jones.

This selection comes a day after the Warriors selected Michigan forward Yaxel Lendeborg with the No. 11 pick. He will likely be expected to perform for the Warriors as a rookie. It will be interesting to see whether Jones can secure a spot on the Warriors’ roster next season. He’ll certainly be given a fair opportunity to do so.

The Lakers and Mavs have made another trade, but this time with slightly lower stakes.

After trading into the second round, LA ultimately did not make a selection, instead trading the No. 56 pick, Vsevolod Ischenko, to the Mavericks for cash.

The Mavericks sent cash to the Lakers for Vsevolod Ishchenko at 56, sources said. https://t.co/638X6OhLVi

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 25, 2026

Vsevolod Ishchenko to the Dallas Mavericks via a late trade with the Lakers… he was linked to Dallas before the draft, and that plays out. Sneaky athletic wing from Russia who can really shoot it. Imagine this is a stash, but an interesting one nonetheless.

— Nathan Grubel (@DraftDeeper) June 25, 2026

LA originally moved up into the draft by sending cash to the Bulls for the No. 56 pick. Most expected them to follow up by making more deals to move up in the draft. However, that never happened.

We're expecting a ton of trade activity throughout tonight's second round.

Among that movement: I'm being told the Lakers are working to trade up even higher in the second round, after already acquiring the No. 56 pick tonight.

— Jake Fischer (@JakeLFischer) June 25, 2026

Instead, the Lakers sat pat and watched Henri Veesaar fall with most expecting him to land with the Lakers. The big man from North Carolina was expected to go as high as the first round but plummeted down the board. However, the Hawks jumped LA and selected him, leaving the Lakers without any options.

Had been a lot of noise with the Lakers and Veesaar, but the Hawks jump them and get him in a trade with the Clippers.

— Dan Woike (@DanWoikeSports) June 25, 2026

It’s pretty clear the team bought the pick with the expectation of targeting someone or multiple players but, by the time they were on the clock, those targets weren’t available.

Ultimately, the team moved the pick. It’s unclear how much money was involved in either transaction, whether from the Lakers to the Bulls or from the Mavs to the Lakers. It probably wouldn’t be a great look if the Lakers lost money in this deal, but it was a gamble that only really cost them Mark Walter’s money and his has plenty to spare.

At the end of the day, it turned out to be much ado about nothing. The Lakers did not add another draft pick and will turn to undrafted free agency to find the next Austin Reaves.

You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.

After a breakout season with the Virginia Cavaliers, Ugonna Onyenso is headed to the NBA. The shot-swatting center had his name called with the 53rd overall pick in the second round of the 2026 NBA Draft on Wednesday evening. Though Onyenso briefly donned a Houston Rockets cap after being selected, his final landing spot is with the Detroit Pistons due to a pair of trades that funneled the 53rd pick from the Rockets to the New York Knicks and, ultimately, to Detroit.

Ugonna Onyenso is in pure shock as he gets picked 53rd 🥹 pic.twitter.com/JPQ7I3uPgE

— NBA Draft (@NBADraft) June 25, 2026

A 6-foot-11 former top-30 high school prospect, Onyenso is the first ’Hoo to hear his name called in the NBA Draft since Ryan Dunn went off the board in the first round to the Phoenix Suns in 2024. Onyenso’s collegiate career, however, took longer than expected to get off the starting blocks. During a pair of seasons at Kentucky and another at Kansas State, Onyenso averaged no more than 3.6 points per game while making just 16 total starts.

The Owerri, Nigeria, native, however, finally found his second home in Charlottesville just in time for his senior season. Making up one-half of Virginia’s dynamic center rotation alongside Johann Grunloh, Onyenso averaged career-highs in points (6.5), rebounds (4.9), blocks (2.9), and steals (0.6) per game on his way to earning ACC All-Defensive Team honors.

An elite shot-blocker with outstanding timing, jump discipline, and natural length, Onyenso continued to improve throughout his senior season, culminating in an otherworldly string of games during Virginia’s ACC Tournament run that earned him a First-Team All-Tournament selection. In a trio of contests against NC State, Miami, and Duke, Onyenso blocked an ACC Tournament record 21 shots, including nine against the Blue Devils in the tournament final. His herculean effort against Duke helped limit Cameron Boozer (the third-overall selection in the draft) to 3-of-17 shooting from the floor.

The Detroit Pistons (via HOU, NYK) have selected Virginia's Ugonna Onyenso with the 53rd pick of the 2026 NBA Draft.

The 7'0" Nigerian center with a 9'5 standing reach is one of the best rim-protectors in the draft class. pic.twitter.com/x4ap2F73R4

— Jon Chepkevich (@JonChep) June 25, 2026

While Onyenso’s offensive game is still a work in progress (though he debuted a much-improved outside jump shot while at UVA), his defensive prowess could earn him NBA minutes sooner than later. With a 7’4.75” wingspan and a sturdy frame, Onyenso possesses an NBA-ready body and the skillset to step in as a lob threat and rim protector from day one.

In Detroit, Onyenso will have some room to climb the depth chart after the Pistons dealt Isaiah Stewart, another known defensive stopper, to the Memphis Grizzlies earlier on Wednesday night. The former ’Hoo will get his first taste of professional action and his first shot at earning a roster spot in the NBA Summer League, which gets underway in early July.

The 2026 NBA Draft has officially concluded, which means the start of undrafted free agency has begun for players who didn't hear their names called.

The chaos of the second round, as always, yielded fascinating results and some prospects still have a chance to carve out their own path.

Every year, there are undrafted free agents who still find their way into earning significant minutes. Last year, it was Ryan Nembhard (Dallas Mavericks) and Caleb Love (Portland Trail Blazers). The year before that, it was Justin Edwards on the Philadelphia 76ers. The year before that, it was Ricky Council IV. We also saw players like Keon Ellis and Scotty Pippen Jr. in 2022.

Some of the other notable undrafted free agents we have seen succeed in the league include Fred VanVleet, Austin Reaves, and Jose Alvarado. It is clearly important for front offices to find value on the edges even after the draft has concluded.

We will continue to update this post with where each of the most significant undrafted free agents will begin their NBA careers.

BEST UNDRAFTED FREE AGENTS

This section will be updated as signings are made.

This list is based on consensus rankings tracked by USA TODAY Sports.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NBA undrafted free agent tracker: Where players signed after Round 2 of draft

The Sacramento Kings selections continue to win the 2026 NBA Draft.

On Night 2, the Kings selected Emanuel Sharp with the No. 45 pick of the second round.

The 6-foot-3 guard out of Houston should not be slept on. He's a defensive guy, who can spread the floor with his shooting capability.

Sharp helped the Cougars advance to the Elite Eight. In the 2025-26 season, he averaged 15.5 points on 37.2% from 3-point range. He set the school record for most career 3-pointers with 309, passing current Detroit Pistons guard Marcus Sasser.

He was a 2025-26 All-Big 12 First Team and All-Defensive Team selection as a senior. He can come in and claim minutes in Sacramento by being a guy who plays alongside Darius Acuff Jr., coexisting through the intangibles of knocking down shots and guarding perimeter players.

Here's our grade for the Sacramento Kings' second round selection:

More: Best players available in 2026 NBA Draft: Who is worth taking in Round 2?

NBA Draft grades: Grading Kings' second-round pick: Emanuel Sharp

Here's how USA TODAY Sports grades the Sacramento Kings' second-round draft selection:

• The grade: A
• Why?: If you've read our recent Kings draft coverage, then you'd know that Sharp was one of the players suggested that Sacramento should target. For good reason, too. Again, Sharp is offensively sharp. He gets to the rim, he slashes. He plays defense. This is a fitting piece to the pillars that the Kings continue to discuss.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY Sports: Kings grab NBA Draft gold with Emanuel Sharp pick

The Tennessee Volunteers saw their third expected player to go off the board in the NBA Draft, and the second in the second round in center Felix Okpara.

Tennessee’s rim protector last season was picked by the Orlando Magic with pick No. 46 overall.

With the 46th pick of the NBA Draft the @OrlandoMagic select Felix Okpara!

The 2026 NBA Draft is LIVE on ESPN. pic.twitter.com/iwpiHEACbh

— NBA (@NBA) June 25, 2026

It seemed like Okpara was heading to central Florida to join a young Magic team on the rise. However, as very often is the case in the NBA Draft, a curveball landed a few minutes later.

Okpara was quickly traded to the Washington Wizards.

Sources: Orlando traded No. 46 Felix Okpara to Washington for Nos. 51 and 60.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 25, 2026

I find Okpara’s prospects to be very interesting. While he doesn’t possess the offensive game to make too much of an impact in the NBA, there’s no denying his abilities on the defensive end and on the glass at both ends. That ability brings a lot of value in at least a rotational role on the Wizards’ bench. You never know for sure if a second-round pick will stick, but I’m willing to bank on a big body in the lane who can guard the rim like he does.

Okpara will be joining a Wizards team that’s undergone quite the facelift. They have some interesting pieces in guard Trey Young and big man Anthony Davis. The Wizards also took BYU forward AJ Dybantsa with the first overall pick, so there’s star potential there.

Like Gillespie, we’ll see how summer ball goes for Okpara, and what kind of impact he can make with his new team.

Congrats, Felix!

Welcome to the NBA Henri Veesaar. With the 52nd pick in the second round, the Atlanta Hawks selected the former Tar Heel center and starting his NBA career. So what does Veesaar bring to the NBA?

Strengths

In today’s NBA there is nothing more valuable than a stretch four and despite playing the five at North Carolina, Veesaar should fit in great in that role. Not only does he bring the obvious size, but he also brings the three point shooting to help stretch the floor and create space for driving guards and big men with less range. Additionally, Veesaar knows how to use his size on defense getting rebounds and blocks. Finally, Veesaar is also a good passer after averaging over two assists per game last season for the Tar Heels.

Areas of Improvement

There are two main areas that Veesaar is going to need to improve on. The first is adding weight. Despite being seven feet tall, Veesaar is not very big at a slim 225 lbs. The smaller frame will make him susceptible to injury when going up against much bigger post players in the NBA. Luckily for him, that is something that can be quickly remedied by just being drafted and getting into a full professional strength and conditioning program.

Secondly, he needs to work on his free throw shooting. Veesaar’s free throw shooting percentage of 61.5% was the tenth worst on the Tar Heels this past season and something that other NBA teams will take advantage of which in turn will limit his minutes. This is probably one of the more disturbing aspects of his game as his percentage has dropped every season in college as his attempts per game went up as well.

If he can get these areas fixed he should be able to provide some minutes for his new team this season.

Here are all of the Knicks' picks from the 2026 NBA Draft...

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DAY 2

New York continued their trend of trading down, moving from No. 31 to No. 39 in a deal with the Houston Rockets, per ESPN's Shams Charania. The Knicks also sent pick No. 55 in exchange for No. 53 and a 2029 Kings second-rounder.

Houston used the No. 31 pick on Ohio State guard Bruce Thornton.

SNY NBA Insider Ian Begley noted that "by trading out of first pick in second round of draft, the Knicks have positioned themselves to find players more likely to accept rookie minimum deal via second round pick exception."

Second round, pick No. 39: guard Jack Kayil

With the pick acquired from Houston, the Knicks selected German guard Jack Kayil.

The 20-year-old from Berlin is listed at 6-foot-3 and 172 pounds. He joined the Alba Berlin youth academy in 2022 and rejoined the organization in 2025. In 2026, Kayil wan named the Bundesliga Best Young Player and FIBA Champions League Best Young Player, in addition to making the All-FIBA Champions League Second Team.

Kayil has represented Germany in international tournaments, helping them win gold at the FIBA U16 EuroBasket in 2022, the bronze at FIBA U18 EuroBasket in 2023, and the gold in 2024. He also led them to the silver medal at the FIBA U19 World Cup in 2025, where they lost to the United States, averaging  11.1 points, 3.6 rebounds and 6.6 assists in the tournament.

Kayil said in his post-draft news conference that he expects to be with the Knicks for the 2026-27 season as opposed to being a draft-and-stash prospect.

Second round, pick No. 47: forward Tyler Nickel

The Knicks selected Vanderbilt forward Tyler Nickel with the No. 47 overall pick. This pick was one of the three second-round picks acquired from the Phoenix Suns for Koa Peat.

At 6-foot-6 and 217 pounds, Nickel is a sharpshooting wing who averaged 13.5 points per game and shot 44.5 percent from three in 7.6 three-point attempts per game during the 2025-26 season. The 22-year-old from Harrisonburg, Virginia, played four seasons of college basketball, transferring from North Carolina to Virginia Tech after one season, then doing the same to spend his final two seasons at Vanderbilt.

Second round, pick No. 53: center Ugonna Onyeso (traded)

To round out their 2026 NBA Draft, New York selected center Ugonna Onyeso from Virginia.

Although he was quickly traded to the Detroit Pistons for cash considerations, per ESPN's Shams Charania.

Onyeso, listed at 6-foot-11 and 237 pounds, used his size to record 2.92 blocks per game (leading the ACC and second nationally) last year with the Cavaliers. Born in Nigeria, he played three years at the NBA Academy Africa in Senegal before moving to the United States for high school at Putnam Science Academy in Connecticut. There, Onyeso developed into a five-star recruit and committed to Kentucky, where he played for two years with a transfer stop at Kansas State before going to UVA.

DAY 1

First round, pick No. 25: guard Sergio De Larrea (later traded)

New York started Tuesday night's first round with the No. 24 overall pick, but moved back a slot in a deal with the Los Angeles Lakers and took De Larrea out of Spain.

However, his Knicks tenure was over in the blink of an eye.

After the first round was completed, New York sent De Larrea to the Dallas Mavericks for No. 30 pick Koa Peat and two second-round picks. Peat would then be quickly traded to the Phoenix Suns for three second-round picks and cash considerations. 

So overall, they traded De Larrea for five second-round picks and cash considerations.

Begley explained that the moves saved the Knicks $3.4 million as they look to stay under the second apron for the 2026-27 season.

The Tennessee Volunteers finally had another player come off the board in the 2026 NBA Draft, and it’s quite the team who picked him.

Vols guard Ja’Kobi Gillespie was tabbed by the current Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs with pick No. 42 overall in the second round of the draft on Wednesday night.

With the 42nd pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, the San Antonio Spurs select Ja’Kobi Gillespie!@Ticketmaster | @Vol_Hoopspic.twitter.com/lyqlvzkqc8

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) June 25, 2026

It’s obviously a tremendous opportunity for Gillespie in San Antonio, if he can carve out a role for himself on a team that’s right on the edge of the pinnacle of the sport. The Spurs have themselves to blame for losing the NBA Finals in five games to the New York Knicks. They blew massive leads in multiple games, including a 29-point gag job in Game 4 in Madison Square Garden. So, clearly, they’re good enough to win it all, and having a superstar like Victor Wembanyama makes another run a distinct possibility in 2026-27 and beyond.

So, it’s a great situation for Gillespie to land in as far as potential to win. How he fits and what kind of role he earns for himself remains to be seen.

Congrats, Ja’Kobi!

It seemed like it was going to be a quiet day on the Marquette To NBA front as there was no chance of Ben Gold or Chase Ross getting selected in Wednesday night’s second round of the NBA Draft. However, Indiana Pacers general manager Chad Buchanan and Chicago Bulls general manager Stephen Mervis had different ideas. After Chicago selected Purdue guard Braden Smith with the 8th pick of the second round and the 38th pick overall, ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania broke some news on a trade:

Former Marquette guard Kam Jones is headed to the Windy City.

Indiana is trading Jones to the Bulls along with some yet to be revealed future pick swaps and cash in exchange for the draft rights to Smith.

Sources: Chicago is trading Braden Smith to the Indiana Pacers for Kam Jones, future swaps and cash.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 25, 2026

Jones was the #38 pick one year ago, technically being selected by San Antonio before a trade that was finalized after the fact sent him to the Pacers, much like this trade will eventually be finalized because the NBA rules about the league schedule are weird and bad. Marquette’s #2 all time leading scorer appeared in 37 games for Indiana this past season as the Pacers went 19-63 with Tyrese Haliburton out for the year after suffering an Achilles tear in the 2025 NBA Finals. Jones started seven times along the way and ended up averaging 4.4 points, 1.6 rebounds, and 3.2 assists in 16.6 minutes per game. One thing that did not help Jones’ playing time was his 29.3% three-point shooting, and that was dragged down by shooting just 25% in Indiana’s final seven games of the season.

After being taken in the second round last year, Jones signed a three year contract with the Pacers that has a fourth season on a team option. In theory, that means that the Bulls are up for the idea of continuing Jones’ development for at least another two seasons. I would wager it means we will see him in Chicago black & red when Summer League pops up in July. Where things go from there as Tiago Splitter takes over as head coach and the Bulls move on from the front office pairing of Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley, we will have to wait and see…..

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The Cleveland Cavaliers have a type: undersized guards. They added another one to the fold as they selected 19-year-old 6’3″ guard Meleek Thomas 34th overall out of the University of Arkansas.

Thomas is a lights-out shooter. He connected on 41.6% of his 5.3 outside shots per game. This led to him averaging 15.6 points in 37 games for the Razorbacks.

That shooting is one of the things that intrigued the Cavaliers most.

“When you meet this kid, his confidence jumps off the page,” Cavs president of basketball operations Koby Altman said in a press conference afterward. “It’s not a cocky sort of ego, he just believes, and it’s a quick flick. He doesn’t need to jump high, so he can get it off against anybody. He can get the space, he can get the step-backs. I think he’s 47% off the bounce three-point wise. When I talk about these translatable skills…these are things he has.”

Shooting is, in fact, a translatable skill that works in every kind of lineup. There’s always more room on the floor for more shooting. But it’s fair to wonder if there’s more room on the roster for another undersized guard. Especially on a team that is dying for more size and athleticism.

Thomas joins a long list of guards that are 6’4″ or under currently on the team: Dennis Schroder, Craig Porter Jr., Donovan Mitchell, Keon Ellis (unrestricted free agent), Tyrese Proctor, and Sam Merrill. Ideally, you don’t want more than one undersized guard on the court at a time. At most, two is the limit. That makes this selection curious from a roster construction standpoint. Although it’s fair to point out that this group could look drastically different by the time training camp opens up or when Thomas is ready for rotation minutes.

Altman acknowledged this issue, but pointed out that you don’t always have the luxury of drafting for fit when you’re selecting 34th overall. “When you get to this part in the draft, you’re drafting for talent. … You’re drafting for who’s best available.”

The Cavs believe Thomas was the best available. Altman mentioned that they thought he was a “first-round talent” and they were impressed with what Thomas showed them when he came in for a workout. Altman compared it to what Jaylon Tyson displayed when he came in during the predraft process two years ago.

Cleveland traded back from the 29th pick in the first round for the 34th selection and a 2032 second-round pick on Tuesday evening. Altman acknowledged that the move was motivated by financial reasons as they look to “navigate this tax and second-apron bill.”

Even though moving back in the draft helped the cap sheet and the roster fit isn’t ideal, the Cavs like the skills that Thomas brings.

“We were excited that he was available in the second round,” Altman said. “Usually, a guy of that caliber of scorer, that level of shot maker, his profile, you get a lot earlier. The fact that we were able to move back and still select a player of his caliber and his shot making — one of the best shot makers in all of college basketball — is pretty exciting.”

As I type this we’ve got Braden Smith drafted by the Chicago Bulls oh wait he’s been traded to the Indiana Pacers with #38 in the 2nd round of the NBA Draft. That’s a great landing spot for him and should put him on a pretty good team assuming that everyone on the Pacers comes back healthy. Not only that, but it places him in Indiana a state that he is obviously very familiar with as he played both high school and college ball here. Now, we wait to see if any other Boilermaker player gets their name called on the second night of this draft. As part of this week’s survey I asked you how many players you thought would be drafted and we closed this one early since the draft end tonight. So, here are the results.

Already 11% of respondents are wrong because they thought zero Purdue players would get drafted. Every other number is still on the board, though I gotta admit it that 2% who said four are sure optimistic. Oscar Cluff and TKR are still on the board and have a shot but it will be a long night for them as they would likely be toward the very end of the draft. So stay tuned to see how Boilermakers make it to the Association.

Continue to check out our friends at FanDuel for how this impacts NBA odds.

The Clippers chose Spanish forward Baba Miller with the 36th overall selection in the NBA draft Wednesday at Barclays Center.

Miller came through Real Madrid’s famous youth academy before playing at Florida State, Florida Atlantic and Cincinnati. As a senior at Cincinnati, the 6-11, 208-pound Miller averaged 13 points, 10.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.2 blocks per game.

The Clippers already bolstered their backcourt during the draft by taking guard Keaton Wagler fifth overall in the first round Tuesday. Wagler is expected to pair immediately with All-Star guard Darius Garland with the Clippers trying to win their first playoff series since 2021.

Read more:NBA draft 2026: Live second-round pick-by-pick coverage

The Clippers added frontcourt depth during last season’s draft with Yanic Konan Niederhauser, but the 6-11 center suffered a Lisfranc injury in March and missed the end of the season. After trading starting center Ivica Zubac to the Pacers midseason, helping the Clippers secure the draft pick that turned into this year’s top-five selection, the team only had 38-year-old Brook Lopez at center.

Miller was just one of three players nationally to average at least 13 points, 10 rebounds and three assists this season. He was the first Bearcat to lead the team in points, rebounds and assists since Oscar Robertson in 1959-60.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.