At the 2026 NBA Draft Combine, Kingston Flemings and Cameron Boozer stood out, impressing evaluators, while Koa Peat and smaller guards saw their stocks drop.
Key points
Kingston Flemings impressed at the NBA Draft Combine.
Cameron Boozer showcased strong skills during the event.
Koa Peat's draft stock declined at the combine.
Smaller guards struggled to make an impact.
The combine includes measurements, drills, and scrimmages.
NBA Draft Combine 2026Kingston FlemingsCameron BoozerKoa Peat
CHICAGO -- Every year, evaluators from all over the league converge to the NBA Draft Combine to see players in person. The measurements, drills, and scrimmages can serve as an important data point, and there have been cases of some huge risers due to outstanding performances (the Thunder's Jalen Williams being chief among them).
There wasn't a Williams in this class, but there were several prospects who altered their stock over the course of the week. That was particularly true for the incredibly strong crop of point guards, some of whom separated themselves from the pack.
There was plenty of chatter about all of the prospects throughout the first round. Here are the biggest winners and losers, along with what the dominant conversations were throughout the week.
Who were the standout players at the 2026 NBA Draft Combine?
Kingston Flemings and Cameron Boozer were the standout players at the 2026 NBA Draft Combine, impressing evaluators with their performances.
What impact did the NBA Draft Combine have on player stocks?
The NBA Draft Combine significantly impacted player stocks, with some prospects, particularly point guards, improving their draft positions based on their performances.
Which players experienced a decline in their draft stock at the combine?
Koa Peat and several smaller guards experienced a decline in their draft stock during the 2026 NBA Draft Combine.
What activities take place at the NBA Draft Combine?
The NBA Draft Combine includes measurements, drills, and scrimmages, providing evaluators with key data points on player performance.
Related Articles
NFL
Chris Simms: Sean McVay, Les Snead had âa little bit of a heated argumentâ before Ty Simpson press conference
Sean McVay's serious mood at Ty Simpson's press conference explained by Chris Simms.
Yahoo Sports··1 min read
Soccer·Preview
Borussia Mönchengladbach vs. TSG Hoffenheim preview: Visitors need big win to realise UCL dream
Mönchengladbach hosts Hoffenheim in a crucial match for UCL qualification.
Yahoo Sports··1 min read
NBA·Recap
For Pistons, 3 things must happen to avoid elimination vs. Cavs in Game 6
Pistons face crucial Game 6 against Cavaliers to stay alive in playoffs
Yahoo Sports··1 min read
Sports
See who stood out in the regional finals of the high school softball playoffs
Check out the standout performances from the high school softball regional finals!
Yahoo Sports··1 min read
Sports·Feature
Jacy Jayne to Get Huge Push on SmackDown? Backstage Rumor Emerges on Growing Status
Jacy Jayne's growing status hints at a big push on SmackDown!
Yahoo Sports··1 min read
MLB·Injury Update
Marinersâ scuffling star catcher Cal Raleigh placed on 10-day injured list with right oblique strain
Mariners' Cal Raleigh on 10-day IL due to right oblique strain
See every story in Sports â including breaking news and analysis.
Kingston Flemings outperforming Darius Acuff Jr., Keaton Wagler
Flemings, Acuff, and Wagler are the three most likely players to land at pick No. 5. Flemings looked the best out of the three.
Flemings didn't do particularly well in the measurements portion of the combine. His height wasn't bad at 6-foot-2.5, but his wingspan of only 6-foot-3.5-inches was concerning. He was a good defender at Houston despite that limitation, utilizing great hands and a next-level understanding of the game in order to get steals and hold up at the point of attack. He will have to do the same in the NBA.
That poor wingspan measurement was the lone blemish on an otherwise strong combine performance. Flemings dominated the drills portion of the combine.
Flemings has an unorthodox shooting form that even he called "weird" during comments to media. It's repeatable though, and it goes in.
Flemings was one of the most engaging media interviews, showing humility in comparing himself to Cason Wallace and emphasizing his desire to be a strong two-way guard.
Acuff helped his case too, measuring in at 6-foot-2 with an impressive 6-foot-6.5 wingspan. He had the fastest three-quarter sprint of all players tested, at 3.06 seconds. His 76.0 percent on spot up 3's was behind only Bennett Stirtz' 80.0 percent.
Wagler was more of a mixed bag. He measured out at a very solid 6-foot-5 height but had only a 6-foot-6.25 wingspan, which was a bit of a surprise. On the plus side, his 36.0 max vertical was surprisingly middle-of-the-pack among the prospects tested. He had zero dunks at Illinois and was a below-the-rim finisher, but his athleticism might not be quite as low as some thought.
I had Johnson going No. 19 to the Raptors in my most recent mock draft. Given how well he performed at the combine, he may no longer be available with that pick.
Johnson was a good finisher at Michigan and showed some outside touch, hitting 34 percent of his 3's on only 35 attempts as a sophomore.
There may be something more to his shooting stroke. He looked great during the movement shooting drills, draining 17-of-25 3-pointers with smooth form.
Johnson's defense is where he separates himself from the back. He has the versatility and energy of a defensive stud like the Pistons' Isaiah Stewart. He's got the tools to back it up. Johnson measured with an enormous 7-foot-3.5-inch wingspan. His performance in the speed and agility drills was also outstanding.
Johnson could go to a number of teams that need toughness and rebounding, perhaps sneaking into the end of the lottery.
The knock on Boozer is that he's too slow and unathletic to be the top pick in this draft. He did as much as he could to change that narrative, showing off solid functional movement during the lane agility drills.
Boozer certainly wasn't among the leaders in any of the skills tested. But his sprint speed, leaping ability, and agility were all at least average. He also measured out with good size at 6-foot-8.25 and a big 7-foot-1.5 wingspan. At 253 pounds, he was one of the biggest guys at the combine.
Boozer was never going to look great during the combine. The film and advanced statistics are where he shines. His performance was probably a little bit better than expected.
There was plenty of buzz from evaluators on whether Boozer deserves to be the No. 1 pick over AJ Dybantsa or Darryn Peterson. The order of those three is still wide open.
Imagn Images
Aday Mara
Mara measured in at a massive 7-foot-3 with a 9-foot-9 standing reach. Only Tacko Fall has recorded a bigger standing reach during the history of the combine, and Mara differentiates himself from Fall in a number of categories.
Mara has already proven himself as possessing good touch, nice passing skills, and great rim protection. He's been one of the biggest risers since the start of his impressive NCAA tournament run.
Mara did test poorly in the speed and agility portion of the combine. But everyone knew that he would be one of the slower players in this class. He wasn't much of a shooter at Michigan but showed some touch in drills, going 12-of-25 on spot-up 3's and 16-of-25 in the star 3-point shooting drill.
Mara's stock continued to climb during this combine. He could find himself being taken inside the top 10.
Cameron Carr
Carr exploded on Wednesday's scrimmage, scoring 30 points and hitting six of his 12 3-pointers. He had already helped himself during the measurements and skills portion of the combine, posting a massive 7-foot-0.75 wingspan to go along with his 6-foot-4.5 height.
Carr is one of the more intriguing players in this draft class. He's a high flyer that can drill 3's and has the tools to be a good defender. Every team is looking for that type of talent. The chatter in the building was that he probably moved himself from a top 20 pick into the top 14.
Peat comes from a family of high-level football and basketball players. Nobody is doubting his size or tools, and he measured well at the combine (although he did finish last in his group in the shuttle run).
The swing skill for him will be his shooting. He hit 35 percent of his 3's on only 20 attempts in his lone year at Arizona.
That shot looked very shaky on Monday. Peat finished at or near the bottom of all of his shooting drills after the first day, including a putrid 6-of-25 on spot-up 3's. He had a noticeable hitch in his shot and seemed to have no control over where the ball was going. He's been reworking his shot since the end of his college season, trying to lower his set point and generate more arc. That process is still clearly far from finished.
Opinions vary on Peat, who was expected to go somewhere in the back half of the first round prior to the combine. When asked multiple times whether he was considering returning to college, he declined to give a yes or no answer, instead stating that for now he was focusing on the draft.
Amari Allen
One of Allen's main selling points was supposed to be his size. Listed at 6-foot-8 prior to entering the combine, he came in at just 6-foot-5.25 with a mediocre 6-foot-8 wingspan.
Allen had been mocked in the 20's by many evaluators (I had him 29th). Given that average measurement and a streaky 34.1 percent from 3, the Alabama wing may be better suited towards returning to school and re-entering in a weaker class next year.
There are a ton of talented small guards in this draft who will be competing against each other. The landscape is even more difficult for the smallest ones because the NBA is trending towards more size. Small guards are becoming targeted more frequently on defense, particularly in these playoffs.
That was bad news for Tanner, and Smith, who disappointed in their measurables.
Tanner has proven himself as a talented player and a tremendous athlete. That was reinforced by his terrific 39-inch vertical leap, which ranked No. 3 among combine participants after the first day of testing. But his 5-foot-10.75 height and 167-pound weight were closer to the media watching him than his peers on the floor.
That height certainly isn't a deal-breaker. I spoke to one highly-ranking executive who said Tanner was the no-brainer pick for any team selecting towards the end of the first round due to the upside he showed at Vanderbilt. The weight is particularly concerning though. Tanner is going to have to bulk up considerably in order to survive in the NBA.
Smith came in even shorter, at just 5-foot-10.25 and 166 pounds. He was a tremendous college player with great instincts and a solid shot, but those measurements fit a European pro better than an NBA one.
Smith will still get a chance to prove himself as a second round pick somewhere. He certainly processes the game as well as anyone. But the track record for guards that small is not good.
Only four guards were below six feet tall in the NBA last season -- Ryan Nembhard, Jordan McLaughlin, Yuki Kawamura, and Isaiah Stevens. Nembhard was the only one of those four in an NBA rotation, averaging just under 20 minutes per game. Tanner and Smith are outlier talents, but the bar is extremely high for players of that size to succeed.
