The NBA Draft Combine was held in Chicago, Illinois from May 10th to 17th, as the top prospects in college basketball participated in drills and scrimmages to hopefully improve their draft stock. Though the combine can be beneficial for some players, there's also the outside chance that it can hurt a prospect's draft stock. With that in mind, let's identify four winners and four losers from the 2026 combine.
Winners
Guard, Cameron Carr. Baylor.
You could argue that nobody helped their draft stock more at the combine than Carr. Despite measuring in at 6'4.5" without shoes on, he has a ridiculous seven-foot wingspan. The sophomore guard also shot the ball incredibly well, making 65.5% of his baskets during shooting drills. Lastly, Carr looked like the best player on the court during both of the scrimmage games that took place at the 2026 combine. He finished with 30 points and seven rebounds while connecting on six three-pointers. Cameron Carr is now a lock to be a lottery pick.
Forward, AJ Dybantsa. BYU.
Dybantsa is a winner because he cemented himself as one of the two best players in this draft and seemingly locked up the number-one pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. He measured in at 6'8.5" without shoes, while posting a 42-inch vertical leap, which is a combination we haven't seen from any top prospect over the last 26 drafts. Moreover, the standout freshman recorded a blazing-fast 3.14-second three-quarter court sprint, which is comparable to the time put up by former number-one overall pick John Wall when he participated in the 2010 combine. The only difference is that Dybantsa is almost a half-foot taller than Wall. Though his direct competition for the number-one overall selection, Darryn Peterson, posted a similar sprint time (3.16 seconds), his vertical leap was five inches less. Dybantsa demonstrated rare athleticism that is worthy of a number-one pick.
Center, Aday Mara. Michigan.
Mara already looked like the best pure center in the 2026 NBA Draft, which seemingly ensured he would be a lottery pick. After the combine, it wouldn't be surprising if Mara were a top-ten selection. Standing at 7'3" barefoot, he's one of the tallest prospects we’ve seen come out since Victor Wembanyama. He also recorded a 9'9" standing reach, which is the second-best mark in combine history. More importantly, the 21-year-old former Wolverine looked noticeably smooth and quick during his agility drills, which isn't something you see a lot from guys over seven feet tall. Thanks to his performance, there's no question that Aday Mara will be the first center taken in the 2026 NBA Draft.
Forward, Morez Johnson Jr. Michigan.
Another Michigan man helped his draft stock last week. Power forward Morez Johnson Jr. measured in at 6'9" with socks on, which was to be expected. However, his 7'3.5" wingspan was not something we anticipated from the hybrid big. Johnson also improved his draft position by showing off immense speed after he posted the fourth-best agility lane time amongst all prospects. In a draft that lacks big man depth, Johnson's strength down low and his wingspan make him a plausible option as a small-ball center, which could lead to him being taken earlier.
Losers
Forward, Koa Peat. Arizona.
Peat's problem wasn't his measurables. He actually tested well in that regard. The issue is how poorly he did during shooting drills. He went seven for ten from the free-throw line, which wasn't all that impressive. He was tied for last in three-point shooting, going six for 25 from beyond the arc. He also finished last in the spot-up shooting drill, going six for 25. He was 22nd in off-dribble shooting, making just 15 of 30 shots. Worst of all, he ranked last in the shuttle drill. According to 247Sports, Peat completely changed his shooting form and has only been using the new one for a few weeks. As it turns out, doing that so close to the combine could cost him millions of dollars and multiple draft spots.
Guard, Kingston Flemings. Houston.
The Cougars' freshman guard had the opposite problem of Koa Peat. He actually performed very well in drills and measured poorly. Originally listed as 6'4" and 190 lbs. on the University of Houston website, Flemings actually came in at 6'2.5" without shoes on while weighing 183 lbs. He also doesn't have a very impressive wingspan, with a 6'3.5" measurement. As explained by FanSided's Jake Weinbach, Flemings' lack of size has led to some concerns about his ability to create offense at the next level, making him "a potential draft slide candidate."
Guard, Tyler Tanner. Vanderbilt.
In a draft class already overloaded with impressive guards, the combine was not favorable to the Commodores' sophomore. Originally measuring at 6-feet and 175 lbs., Tanner came in well under that at just 5'10.75" and 167 lbs. He was also outperformed by other guards who are borderline first-rounders, like Tennessee's Ja'Kobi Gillespie, Texas Tech's Christian Anderson, and Iowa's Bennett Stirtz. We had initially projected Tanner to go 28th overall in the 2026 NBA Draft to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Now, though, it seems like Tanner will probably fall out of the first round.
Forward, Allen Graves. Santa Clara.
Graves is one of the more fascinating players in the 2026 NBA Draft because he didn't put up gaudy numbers, but his efficiency on the court last year was outstanding. He would've really benefitted from a good showing at the combine. Unfortunately, he ranked in the bottom five of all agility drills. On top of that, his 34-inch vertical ranked 55th out of all prospects participating in the combine. There were already justifiable concerns with Graves after he averaged fewer than 12 points per game last season. Following the combine, there's a real possibility that he removes himself from this year's prospect pool to return to college and become a more polished player.
