Jeremy Fears Jr. projected as second round pick ESPN NBA Mock Draft

Could Jeremy Fears Jr. be on his way to the NBA? In a new 2026 NBA Mock Draft from ESPN, the worldwide leader in sports has projected that the Michigan State basketball star point guard will be leaving East Lansing to go pro, and he'll end up with a familiar face. Jeremy Woo of ESPN currently has Fears projected to be the No. 47 pick in the NBA Draft, being selected by the Phoenix Suns. Of course, the Suns are owned by former Michigan State player Mat Ishbia.

Recently, I wrote about the fact that Fears' status is still unclear. However, Tom Izzo made some comments recently that indicated that he feels Fears will be back at Michigan State next season. While I would still assume that Fears will be back next year, I also think that ESPN's projection of where Fears would go if he did leave for the draft is about right.

Fears is an elite college point guard, but his size and shooting limitations are at odds with the current state of the NBA. He might benefit from another year or two of development in college to where he can hopefully become a dangerous three-point shooter, which will help him not just find an NBA home, but stick there for the long-term.

This is the calculus that talented young players need to do, and a great reason why Fears made a smart decision to go through the NBA Draft Combine process to get feedback from teams on how they view him as a prospect.

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