CBS Sports advises five prospects to remain in 2026 NBA Draft
With the withdrawal deadline approaching, the publication projects the 2026 class as weaker than the previous year, urging specific players to capitalise on their current stock.
As the deadline for early entrants to withdraw from the 2026 NBA Draft approaches on 27 May at 11:59 pm, CBS Sports has published an analysis advising five college basketball prospects to retain their names in the draft rather than returning to university for the 2026-27 season. The publication projects the 2026 draft class to be weaker than the 2025 iteration, a factor influencing its recommendations for players currently navigating the stay-or-go decision.
The five players identified by the outlet are Michigan forward Morez Johnson Jr, Texas Tech guard Jaden Anderson, UNC centre Henri Veesaar, Santa Clara guard Ebuka Okorie, and Santa Clara forward Jalen Graves. CBS Sports ranks Johnson and Okorie as lottery picks, while viewing Anderson, Veesaar, and Graves as late first-round selections.
Johnson, who announced earlier this week that he is keeping his name in the draft, is ranked No. 17 on CBS Sports’ Big Board. The analysis suggests he is a versatile forward who exploits mismatches on offense and can guard perimeter players on defence, with potential fits identified as Oklahoma City or Detroit.
Texas Tech’s Anderson is ranked No. 21 after averaging 18.5 points, 7.4 assists, and 3.6 rebounds last season. He connected on 41.5 per cent of his three-point attempts, a statistic the outlet describes as translating well to the professional level despite his projected late first-round status.
UNC centre Veesaar is ranked No. 23. Although the university hired Michael Malone with the priority of convincing Veesaar to return, CBS Sports believes the seven-footer will stay due to his shooting ability, having recorded a 42.6 per cent success rate from three-point range.
Santa Clara guard Okorie is ranked No. 24 and averaged 23.2 points per game, ranking eighth in Division I. Despite being listed at 6-foot-1.5, he registered a 6-foot-7.75 wingspan at the combine and shot 54 per cent at the rim last season, leading the outlet to project him as a top 20 pick.
Santa Clara forward Graves is ranked No. 30. While his traditional statistics were modest, his advanced analytics are highly rated, with some experts ranking him as high as No. 10. The outlet argues his stock may not be higher, suggesting he would likely be a late first-round pick if he remains in the draft.
Conversely, Florida guard Rueben Chinyelu has withdrawn his name to return to school. Other notable prospects, including Thomas Haugh of Florida, Braylon Mullins of UConn, Patrick Ngongba II of Duke, and Motiejus Krivas of Arizona, have indicated intentions to return to college for the upcoming season.
