Which 2026 NBA Draft prospects have most to prove at scouting combine?

Q: What is the significance of the 2026 NBA Draft combine for prospects?

The combine is crucial for prospects as it allows them to showcase their skills and potentially improve their draft stock in front of NBA teams.

Q: How does the decline in underclassmen affect the 2026 NBA Draft combine?

The decline in underclassmen means fewer players are competing, which can change the dynamics of the combine and increase the stakes for those participating.

Q: What evaluations do players undergo at the NBA Draft combine?

Players typically go through medical examinations, agility and shooting drills, and may participate in private workouts during the week-long event.

Q: What is the deadline for players to withdraw from the 2026 NBA Draft?

The early entry withdrawal deadline for the 2026 NBA Draft is June 13.

The 2026 NBA Draft lottery is in the books. Every NBA team knows when it's drafting in the 2026 NBA Draft, and so now the evaluation process begins in full. Front office personnel from around the league, top prospects and their agents have all convened in Chicago this week for the annual NBA draft combine.

The entire draft class typically goes through medical examinations, as well as agility and shooting drills, at Wintrust Arena with private workouts conducted through agents during the week-long event. There are also live-action scrimmages the top of the draft class usually decline to play in, but the right performance in front of so many influential eyes can often propel a fringe prospect.

This year's combine will feel different than some of its recent predecessors due to the decline in underclassmen who have declared for the draft, which is a reflection of the NIL money available at the college level these days. But it nonetheless carries enormous weight for players trying to improve their draft stock while figuring out whether to return to school before the NBA Draft's June 13 early entry withdrawal deadline.

Here's a look at a group of players, as well as two potential college basketball national championship contenders, with the most at stake as the 2026 NBA Scouting Combine gets underway in Chicago:

The NBA playoffs bring out more than high‑stakes basketball, as stars showcase their sneaker style on the league’s biggest stage.

See the coolest kicks worn during the 2026 NBA Playoffs, where footwear becomes part of the spotlight.

Above, The shoes of Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks are seen during the first half of Game One of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs against the Atlanta Hawks at Madison Square Garden on April 18, 2026, in New York City.

The shoes of Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the New York Knicks are seen before Game One of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs against the Atlanta Hawks at Madison Square Garden on April 18, 2026, in New York City.

The shoes of Josh Hart #3 of the New York Knicks are seen during the third quarter of Game One of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden on April 18, 2026, in New York City.

Shoes worn by Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first quarter during Game One of the First Round of the NBA Western Conference Playoffs at Ball Arena on April 18, 2026, in Denver, Colorado.

The Nike Lebron XXIII shoes worn by Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) against the Houston Rockets in the first half during game one of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs, at Crypto.com Arena.

Shoes worn by Anthony Edwards #5 of the Minnesota Timberwolves against the Denver Nuggets in the first quarter during Game One of the First Round of the NBA Western Conference Playoffs at Ball Arena on April 18, 2026, in Denver, Colorado.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 18: The shoes of Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the New York Knicks are seen during the first half of Game One of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs against the Atlanta Hawks at Madison Square Garden on April 18, 2026 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

The shoes of Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the New York Knicks are seen during the third quarter of Game One of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden on April 18, 2026, in New York City.

The shoes of Jonathan Kuminga #0 of the Atlanta Hawks are seen during the third quarter of Game One of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs against the Atlanta Hawks at Madison Square Garden on April 18, 2026, in New York City.

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Coolest kicks of the NBA playoffs as stars show their sneaker style

The NBA playoffs bring out more than high‑stakes basketball, as stars showcase their sneaker style on the league’s biggest stage.

See the coolest kicks worn during the 2026 NBA Playoffs, where footwear becomes part of the spotlight.

1 / 9

Coolest kicks of the NBA playoffs as stars show their sneaker style

The NBA playoffs bring out more than high‑stakes basketball, as stars showcase their sneaker style on the league’s biggest stage.

See the coolest kicks worn during the 2026 NBA Playoffs, where footwear becomes part of the spotlight.

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Coolest kicks of the NBA playoffs as stars show their sneaker style

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Coolest kicks of the NBA playoffs as stars show their sneaker style

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Coolest kicks of the NBA playoffs as stars show their sneaker style

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Coolest kicks of the NBA playoffs as stars show their sneaker style

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Coolest kicks of the NBA playoffs as stars show their sneaker style

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Coolest kicks of the NBA playoffs as stars show their sneaker style

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Coolest kicks of the NBA playoffs as stars show their sneaker style

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Coolest kicks of the NBA playoffs as stars show their sneaker style

When is the 2026 NBA Draft Combine?

The 2026 NBA Draft Combine officially began on Sunday, May 10 at Wintrust Arena in Chicago and runs through Sunday, May 17. It is not open to the public.

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2026 NBA Draft Combine: Prospects with most at stake

Darryn Peterson, Kansas

The Kansas star doesn't have to show NBA teams he might be the best prospect in this draft class based on talent. They know that. But if he's to be the No. 1 pick, Peterson will have to prove to the Washington Wizards front office that the mysterious health issues surrounding his availability with the Jayhawks were indeed just a one-off due to the introduction of creatine into his workout regimen. Peterson's medical evaluation with the NBA at the scouting combine is likely to be scrutinized as much as any prospect.

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Nate Ament, Tennessee

Ament began this season at Tennessee rated as a potential top-10 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. An intriguing but inconsistent freshman year has him hovering with a group of prospects who could go in the lottery or fall to late in the first round. Ament is perhaps the most intriguing because of his length as a wing and long-term development possibilities. He could benefit from the measurement portion of the combine. Ament nearly returned to the Vols for a lucrative NIL offer, according to multiple reports, so his draft position will determine whether he made the right decision.

Koa Peat, Arizona

Peat, like Ament, watched his draft stock slide a bit despite a relatively successful freshman season at Arizona. There are concerns about Peat's lack of perimeter shooting and whether his physical style can translate to the NBA. What his measurements are at the combine, as well as how we he does in shooting drills, will help dictate if he's closer to a potential lottery pick or more like a fringe first-round pick.

Jayden Quaintance, Kentucky

The 6-foot-10 center played just four games at Kentucky this past season after spending his first year of college at Arizona State and suffering a torn ACL. The former five-star recruit has been pegged as a potential lottery pick for years and showed flashes of becoming a defensive force as Arizona State. He can show NBA evaluators in Chicago that he has put the knee injury behind him and cement his status as a lottery pick and possible steal in this deep class.

Allen Graves, Santa Clara

Graves blossomed into a 6-foot-9 two-way playmaker as a redshirt freshman while helping Santa Clara make the NCAA tournament. He has to decide whether to stay in the NBA draft or return to college as one of the most coveted players in the transfer portal. As a 19-year-old who was an under-the-radar recruit out of high school in Louisiana, Graves fits the mold of a player whose stock could improve with a strong showing at the combine. Former Santa Clara standout and current Oklahoma City Thunder star Jalen Williams did just that in 2022 when he became a first-round draft pick.

Santa Clara Broncos forward Allen Graves (22) dribbles against Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Tyon Grant-Foster (7) during the second half at Leavey Center on Feb. 14, 2026.

2026 NBA Draft Combine: College teams with most at stake

Michigan Wolverines

The defending national champions have three players invited to the NBA combine and two have left open the possibility of returning to the Wolverines. Aday Mara seems more likely stay in the draft than Morez Johnson, Jr., but there's a possibility both go pro. Michigan coach Dusty May has replenished the Wolverines' roster through the transfer portal, but bringing back either one of these two impact players would place Michigan squarely in the national championship hunt again.

Arkansas Razorbacks

Perhaps no school could benefit more from a poor showing at the combine than the Razorbacks (even though coach John Calipari would never say that out loud). Guards Meleek Thomas and Billy Richmond III have both declared for the draft while maintaining their college eligibility to return to Arkansas. Both could be late first-round picks or even second-round picks, and therefore have the potential to earn more money next season staying in college. If both are back at Arkansas, or maybe even just one, the Razorbacks will be a national title contender despite losing likely top-10 pick Darius Acuff, Jr.

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