The 2026 NBA Draft class might be one for the ages. The class is loaded with awesome guards and elite wings but the center position is not as strong as those other positions and all of the top center prospects in the class come with some major question marks.
There is a fair amount of depth at the center position and so it’s likely that a few of these guys will hit but overall I have some concerns about this position in an otherwise loaded draft class. Here’s a look at the top center prospects with some thoughts and questions about their NBA projection.
Aday Mara – 7-3 – Michigan (Spain) – I was unrealistically and exuberantly optimistic about Aday Mara when he made the move from Spain to UCLA. I thought he might be the next Pau Gasol (mixed with some Michael Jordan and Lew Alcindor) but reality quickly set in and it became clear that the spacious Spaniard was very far away from being NBA ready and wasn’t the level of prospect I originally thought.
After two middling years at UCLA Mara transferred to Michigan and has regained a lot of draft momentum and his stock has been on the rise. I’ve seen some mock drafts and big boards list him in the lottery and many have him in the first round. But I struggle to see his game translating smoothly to the NBA, mainly due to his lack of lower body strength and awkward movement skills. To his credit he has made major improvements in both his strength and agility over the past few years and at just 20 years old he has plenty of time for further development but I think it might be a tall task for him to hang with NBA level athletes right now.
To be clear I do see Mara as a NBA player, I’m just not sure he’s a starter. I would be much more comfortable drafting him in the 20-40 range of the draft instead of near the lottery and if I were advising him I’d suggest staying in school for his senior season, earning massive NIL money and entering the considerably weaker 2027 draft (which will be a theme in this article).
Patrick Ngongba II – 6-11 – Duke – I’ve seen Pat ranked in the top 20 and even in the lottery on some mock draft and big boards. I can get some of the hype; he’s a skilled big with good hands, solid passing skills and enough size to hold his own in the lane. But I don’t see him as a dynamic player on either end. He’s really solid at the college level but that’s not enough for me to have a first round grade on him. Add in the history of foot injuries and the overall athletic profile (a good mover but not super agile, quick or explosive) and I see a guy who could be a four year college player or a second round pick/G League player.
Jayden Quaintance – 6-10 – Kentucky – JQ is the highest ranked center on my board and on most draft boards. He’s incredibly young for a sophomore, has truly elite defensive instincts/ability and has a pro-ready frame. The question marks come around his health (he missed about 10 months with a torn ACL) and his lack of an offensive game. Even if the offensive game never comes around he’s still going to bring value as a jumbo-sized defensive menace who will be a solid rotation piece. But I think that’s the type of player teams can hope to find later in the draft. At the time of writing I still have JQ in the late lottery range and can see the case for the top 10 but I’m starting to lean more toward the guards and wings in that range and could see him falling.
Chris Cenac Jr. – 6-11 – Houston – Chris started out the year in the top half of my lottery but has taken a bit of a slide down the big board. He’s more of a perimeter oriented player who has intriguing tools but doesn’t always mix it up inside the way you hope for in your PF/C. Still, I still think there’s a chance he regains some draft momentum and could even end up as the first center off the board in June.
In many ways Cenac Jr. is the polar opposite of Jayden Quaintnace. He’s very skilled on the offensive end and can really shoot the rock from deep but he often disappears on the defensive end and is almost non-existent as a shot blocker. Some of this is scheme related but still, if you’re 6-11 with length and bounce you’ve got to block a shot every now and then. In the late lottery or mid first round range of this draft I’d prefer the likes of Peat, Avdalas, Lendeborg, Carr, Acuff Jr. etc. over Cenac Jr. but could see him rising into the lottery if he has a strong second half of the season – or if he returns to school and comes out in 2027.
Hannes Steinbach – 6-11 – Washington (Germany) – Steinbach is solid. He has skills that should translate well (rebounding, scoring off the P&R etc.) but I do have questions about his upside. To be clear, I have Hannes in the late lottery range on my big board and believe he can be a really good starting level player in the NBA. But is there more potential to unlock, like higher volume 3pt shooting and some more play-making? I’m really not sure. I think any team drafting Hannes should have their expectations in check and be looking for a solid Isaiah Hartenstein type of player, not the next Alperen Sengun.
Flory Bidunga – 6-9 – Kansas (Congo) – Flory is so fun to watch. He runs like a deer in the open court and is hyper-active on the boards. He’s also made huge strides since last season and his arrow is pointing up. However, he’s still very raw on the offensive end and is clearly more of a role player than a first or second option type of guy. His defense is intriguing but he’ll have to put on a lot of weight/strength, especially in his lower body, to really be a force at the next level. For now I think he’ll get moved around too easily and will struggle to hold his own against NBA size. If he wants to run in the G League next season he should enter the draft but if he wants a massive NIL payday and a chance to be one of the best bigs in college basketball he should stay in school.
Malachi Moreno – 7-0 – Kentucky – I’m a fan of Moreno’s game but when it comes to his NBA translation I have major worries about his lack of speed and twitch. I think he’ll have to develop his skill level to a really high degree to make up for his athletic shortcomings. A few years in school would do him wonders and could lead to him developing into a first round pick.
Tomislav Ivisic – 7-1 – Illinois (Croatia) – I was silly high on Tomislav over the second half of last season and to start this year but he has not lived up to my expectations and has taken a slide down my draft board. I still rank him higher than most but I no longer see him as a likely first round pick. I think he could be a solid second round selection but at that point he should just return to school.
Alex Condon – 6-11 – Florida (Australia) – Condon is a solid college center who could be a bench big in the NBA but whenever I watch him play I’m left wanting more. He doesn’t stand out in any one area and is just kind of a good but not great. He moves well for a player his size but is no Daniel Gafford or Mitchell Robinson. I could see him getting drafted but I wouldn’t prioritize him in the second round.
Motiejus Krivas – 7-2 – Arizona (Lithuania) – Krivas probably isn’t a starter in the league but he’s just a solid presence upfront who could develop into a valuable bench big. It feels like he’s still pretty early in his development and will just keep adding to his repertoire and improving his game over the coming years. With that said, I don’t know if he gets drafted this year and so it would be wise for him to return to school.
A Few Centers That I Really Like
While I’m lower than consensus on most of the big man in this class there are a few prospects that I’m higher on than consensus.
Nolan Winter – 7-0 – Wisconsin – Nolan is one of my favorite sleeper prospects for the draft. The skilled 7-footer from Wisconsin is really productive, has a developing NBA frame with long arms and good mobility and he’s also very young for his junior class. I think he’ll probably stay in school, which would be a wise choice, and enter the 2027 draft, where he could be a top 20 pick.
Henry Veesaar – 7-0 – North Carolina (Estonia) – I think he’s a stud. He does a lot of things you want in a modern NBA big man including guarding in space and at the rim, showing good passing chops and the ability to stretch the floor. He’s a little bit light in the pants but should be able to add a few more pounds in a NBA weight room. I think he could end up as one of the top 15 players in this draft class and so I would draft him accordingly.
Morez Johnson – 6-10 – Michigan – I was really high on Morez when he came out of high school and enrolled at Illinois and he continues to impress me now that he’s at Michigan. The Wolverines have a loaded front line but there are times when Morez looks like the best of the bunch. He’ll have an interesting stay/go decision in April. He might get a late first round grade but he’ll also have a very big NIL offer to return. I’d be a bit surprised if he stays in this draft but if he does I like him in the 25-40 range.
Mouhamed Faye – 6-10 – Italy (Senegal) – Faye is a physical presence in the lane and a standout defender. He’s got a chiseled 6-10 frame with long arms and great defensive instincts. He’s still a developmental player but in the second round you could do a lot worse than finding a potential defensive anchor like Faye.
Rafael Castro – 6-11 – George Washington – Castro is unlikely to get drafted and doesn’t appear on most big boards but he’s an intriguing prospect with really good movement skills for his size. He does big man stuff well and plays within himself, contributing on both ends with his size and athleticism.
Rueben Chinyelu – 6-10 – Florida – While his game is still raw I love the physical tools that Chenyelu brings. Keep in eye on him during the draft process or next year in the 2027 draft. In many ways he’s similar to Mouhamed Faye and I currently have them graded about the same.
Daniel Jacobson – 7-4 – Purdue – Jacobson is likely to return to school next year and could be a breakout star and a first rounder in 2027. I’m a big fan.
Massamba Diop – 7-0 – Arizona State (Senegal) – Diop is having a breakout season for the Sun Devils and is climbing up draft boards. If he keeps this up he’ll start marking some real noise in draft circles and could even get some first round love in mock drafts. I think he’s still more of a developmental player and perhaps not as NBA ready as it might appear but I’m very intrigued.
Eric Reibe – 7-1 – UConn (Germany) – Like with Jacobson, Reibe is more likely to be a 2027 draft pick and could be one of the top centers in the country next year. I think he’d get drafted this year but could really improve his draft stock with one more year in school.
Matas Vokietaitis – 7-0 – Texas (Lithuania) – I’m a really big fan of Matas. He’s got the size and strength but he also has something you can’t teach – he’s got an edge to his game and I think he can be an enforcer type at the next level. It would be nice if he blocked a few more shots but I think the worst case he’s like Andris Biedrins and I see some Jonas Valanciunas in him. He’s a guy who could really fly up boards next year.
Other Bigs To Keep An Eye On
Magoon Gwath – 7-0 – San Diego State – An interesting prospect with agility for his size and a capable 3pt shot but he really needs to stay in school and develop.
Johann Grunloh – 7-0 – Virginia (Germany) – Grunloh has a NBA future but it’s probably a few years away. He’s got a NBA frame and a nice skill level but will have to continue to add strength.
Amaël L’Etang – 7-2 – Dayton (France) – He’s an interesting eval. His floor spacing is great and he brings value as a 7-footer with good mobility but he doesn’t have NBA level strength and is probably a few years away from being ready.
Kebe Keita – 6-8 – BYU (Mali) – If I’m a NBA team I would want Keita on the end of my bench. He’s a high energy enforcer who would be a fan favorite and could provide some meaningful mid-season minutes.
Joseph Tugler – 6-7 – Houston – Tugler is a nice defender but is a bit undersized and will have to develop some semblance of an offensive game to make it at the next level.
Big Bad Conclusion
Taken as a whole I think this is a solid center class but not one for the ages and it pales in comparison to the guards and wings in the 2026 draft class.
JQ, Hannes and Cenac Jr. are very promising prospects who I would love to draft in the mid/late lottery. I’m really impressed by Henry Veesaar and have him higher than most. But I think there are significant question marks with most of the centers in this class and as a whole they are being ranked too high. Many of the prospects that I really like are likely to be part of the 2027 draft class and should be really fun to watch in college next season.
Thanks for reading!
See where these centers land in the latest 2026 NBA Mock Draft