The 2026 NBA Draft combine was this week in Chicago, and although most scouts already know the prospects and don’t need a random assortment of 30 shots to know how good they are, some things can lift a prospect’s stock.
How do they do with their agility? What is their vertical max? We might not know how fast they are running downhill, but what about in a cone drill?
As we are a month out from the big day, here are three names that have a chance to take gigantic leaps on draft night.
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Mara was a major project at UCLA and never reached his full potential; he generally rotated in and out of games rather than being a constant presence. That changed at Michigan, where he helped lead the team to a national title.
The 7-foot-3 Spaniard is smoother on his feet than you might think, and in a draft where a majority of the top prospects are guards and wings, don’t be shocked if Mara goes inside the top-10 to a team that wants their center of the future with the likes of Chet Holmgren and Victor Wembanyama ruling the league.
Amari Allen (Alabama)
An athletic marvel, Allen is going to get dined for his measurements. He doesn’t have a long reach, especially for his 6-foot-5 stature, but can make up for it with his passing ability and scoring touch. There’s a chance that his 6’8″ wingspan hurts him and drops him in the first round in mocks, but he’s another player who can instantly help a team as a rookie if put in the right opportunity.
Caleb Wilson (North Carolina)
This might be fair since Wilson is a consensus top-four pick in the draft, but is there a chance that he might go higher than everyone expects?
Although he’s been pegged as the fourth-best pick for months, Wilson’s raw potential and what he could look like once his body fills out could be something that makes a team like the Memphis Grizzlies take him above the likes of a Cameron Boozer or Darryn Peterson.
Sure, he needs to find his shot, but are you really gonna bet against a kid who flies like a superhero and seems like he might break the backboard every time he attacks the rim?
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