Kansas forward/guard Tyran Stokes sits atop Jeremy Woo’s first 2027 NBA draft big board for ESPN, and the early read on the class is pretty clear: there’s talent, but plenty of uncertainty too.
Woo describes Stokes as a “do-it-all perimeter talent” who impacts the game at both ends. The concerns, though, are right there too - his “efficiency, consistency and maturity” still need work, according to Woo.
That fits the broader view of the 2027 group, which Woo sees as weaker than the previous two draft classes. He also notes that many of the players near the top of the initial top-100 could wind up staying in college until 2028, especially with NIL money making a return trip more appealing. Add in NCAA changes like a fifth year of eligibility and more upperclassmen, plus NBA lottery reform aimed at curbing tanking, and the evaluation picture gets even messier.
The No. 2 player on Woo’s board isn’t in college at all. Stefan Joksimovic, a 6-foot-8 point guard from Slovenia, is playing for Saski Baskonia in Spain’s Liga ACB and the EuroLeague.
Rounding out the top five are BYU wing Bruce Branch III, Arkansas guard Jordan Smith Jr. and Arizona guard Caleb Holt.
CJ Moore of The Athletic also took a look at the 2027 class, listing 10 college prospects to watch this season. His group includes Stokes, Branch, Smith, Holt, Illinois guard Quentin Coleman, UConn shooting guard Braylon Mullins and Louisville center Obinna Ekezie Jr., among others.
The conversation around star movement in the NBA is picking up too. After a summer that saw Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jaylen Brown, Paul George, Ja Morant, LaMelo Ball and Kawhi Leonard all traded, Howard Beck of The Ringer dug into who might be next. He says league personnel are watching Nikola Jokic, Bam Adebayo and Devin Booker closely.
An in-season Jokic trade is viewed by rival front offices as “highly unlikely,” but next summer could open a different door. One anonymous executive told Beck, “They’ve obviously struggled to build around him since the championship because of the financial constraints,” and then added, “Do they finally just say: All right, he’s 31 now; do we just pull the trigger because he’s got a huge extension coming up this summer, and then it’s going to be even harder to build around the guy? “
Ahead of Saturday’s Pacers-Nuggets game in Mexico City, Vinny Benedetto of The Denver Gazette spoke with former NBA player Eduardo Najera about basketball’s growth in Mexico. Najera, who played 12 seasons in the NBA and became the first Mexican-born player drafted in the league when Denver took him 38th overall in 2000, said the sport has changed dramatically back home.
“Back then, when I got drafted, basketball was just another sport, but I believe that now it’s positioned as the No. 2 sport (behind soccer),” Najera said. “Over the last 10 years, it’s been a collective effort.
I’ve seen the changes. I’ve seen the excitement by the fans.
It all started with us - the Mavericks and being a part of the Denver Nuggets … I saw the growth. Obviously, now that social media came about, it got us connected throughout the world, but Mexico definitely got connected with the NBA, because I feel like the NBA has done an incredible job and is the No. 1 professional league that has positioned itself as the leader in social media.
It got us connected to the NBA way easier than the way I grew up.”
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For Denver, the uncomfortable part is not just the interest itself, but the backdrop around Jokics future. Contract extension talks have been delayed, which has only added to the speculation about where things could go from here, and the Warriors believe a player of his caliber could dramatically change their championship outlook. It is the kind of rumor that does not move the standings today, but it can hang over a franchise quickly when the league starts looking ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Jamal Murray Suddenly Feels Like Part Of Denvers Bigger Problem
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Jamal Murrays name is now part of that conversation in a way it usually is not. If Denver keeps drifting instead of separating itself, the front office could eventually have to weigh difficult possibilities in the search for a fix, and that is where the tension starts to build around one of the franchises most important players. For a team that still expects to contend, the pressure is already less about one bad week and more about whether the early-season problems are a warning sign. [Read more 🡒]