Jeff BorzelloCloseJeff BorzelloESPN Staff Writer Basketball recruiting insider. Joined ESPN in 2014. Graduate of University of Delaware.Follow on X and Jeremy WooCloseJeremy WooESPNNBA draft analyst and writer Joined ESPN.com in 2023 Covered the NBA and NBA draft for Sports Illustrated from 2015-2023Follow on XMultiple AuthorsMay 13, 2026, 07:37 PM ET
Peterson details goals going from college to the NBA (0:20)Darryn Peterson speaks to the media at the 2026 NBA Draft Combine. (0:20)
With measurements and testing complete, the real action of the NBA draft combine began Wednesday with the first of two days featuring 5-on-5 scrimmages.
The vast majority of projected first-round picks have opted out of the scrimmages, as is customary. Cameron Carr and Dailyn Swain were the only prospects in the top 30 of ESPN’s latest mock draft to take the floor Wednesday. (Carr was terrific, more on him shortly.)
The 5-on-5 scrimmages allow players the opportunity to boost their stock, with several projected second-rounders solidifying their draft status, and one or two potentially knocking on the door of the first round. (We’ll cover stock risers in Thursday’s update.)
Wednesday’s schedule also featured media availability with every player at the combine, which allowed a chance to see which direction players who could still return to college are leaning in the draft process.
I viewed Carr as a clear candidate to rise coming into the predraft process due to his plus-8¼-inch wingspan and a level of explosiveness that typically plays up well in team workouts. Wednesday was a step in that direction, bolstering his case as a projected top-20 selection who could get looks in the late lottery. — Jeremy Woo
Able had plenty of buzz entering his freshman season at NC State, generating speculation as a potential one-and-done player. He had an up-and-down campaign in Raleigh (8.8 points per game) but moved the needle Wednesday with 15 points in less than 20 minutes of playing time. He shot 3-for-5 from 3-point range and 5-for-9 from the field, adding three rebounds.
Another college veteran with a second-round projection, Gillespie had an incredible first-half performance Wednesday. He had 24 first-half points, including multiple deep 3s over outstretched hands, while also creating space to get into the lane and score inside the arc. He measured in at under 6 feet earlier this week, which is a concern, but his shooting and playmaking ability could mitigate that.
Gillespie stood out at three schools during his college career, spending his first two seasons as an ultra-efficient offensive player at Belmont before shooting better than 40% from 3 in one season at Maryland, then eventually averaging career highs in scoring (18.4 PPG) and assists (5.4 APG) at Tennessee this past season. He snuck into ESPN’s post-lottery mock at 60th. — Borzello
Jakobi Gillespie is feeling it!He finishes the first half with 24 points 👀 pic.twitter.com/2gPPrmxeZa— NBA Draft (@NBADraft) May 13, 2026
Fears is testing the waters and will likely be better off financially returning to school, where he has two years of eligibility remaining, but he had several nice moments in the scrimmage — an environment that typically favors guards with his level of playmaking feel and decisiveness. In a scrimmage that featured few pure point guards, Fears’ vision, ability to organize and play vocally stood out. He also recorded 17 points and five assists.
Though not the biggest or fastest, Fears plays with sufficient pace. If he can hone his jumper over the next year or two, there’s a place for him in the NBA as a second-unit floor leader. — Woo
Arguably the biggest name to go public with his stay-or-go decision Wednesday, Okorie said he’s remaining in the NBA draft and has informed Stanford coach Kyle Smith of his decision. “I already talked with Coach Smith, Kyle Smith, and I talked to my agents and my family,” Okorie said. “I’m staying in the draft.”
Okorie had an electric season with the Cardinal, going from an unranked three-star recruit to one of the elite guards in a deep freshman class by ranking eighth in the country in scoring average (23.2 PPG). He measured well Monday, checking in with a plus-6.5-inch wingspan. — Borzello
Veesaar is staying in the draft and has no intentions of returning to North Carolina to play for new coach Michael Malone, with whom the center had discussions before announcing his decision. “I’m all-in on staying in the draft,” Veesaar said. “It’s 100% my decision to stay. I think it’s the right decision, basketball wise.”
Though the projected late first-rounder called Malone “one of the best coaches,” Veesaar pointed to the NBA being better for his development as the deciding factor to stay in the draft. — Borzello
When Johnson announced his intention to enter the NBA draft — and the Wolverines simultaneously added Cincinnati transfer Moustapha Thiam — it seemed that the title-winning power forward’s decision was final. His comments Wednesday, however, clearly left the door open for a potential return to Ann Arbor.
Johnson was a winner of the early-week measurements and testing, clocking in at 6-9 (without shoes) with a 7-3½ wingspan. — Borzello
It’s difficult for any player to meaningfully raise or tank their draft stock during the first couple of days of the combine, but the 5-on-5 scrimmages will create some separation. With that said, there were still noteworthy developments from the first 24 hours at Wintrust Arena, so let’s run through the early standouts and intel.
Given Karaban’s status as a borderline first-round pick — he clocked in at No. 32 in ESPN’s latest mock draft — any boost to his stock could make a sizable difference, and he was the best shooter in the gym during Monday’s drills. He went 22-for-30 off the dribble, 18-for-25 in the 3-point star drill (second best so far), 21-for-25 in the side-mid-side drill (best so far) and 18-for-25 in the spot-up shooting drill.
Karaban was a consistent 3-point shooter during his four seasons in Storrs, finishing his career as a 37.4% 3-point shooter. His athletic testing was also a win, given that his standing vertical leap improved by 5.5 inches since his showing at the 2024 combine. — Jeff Borzello
Carr was one of the biggest breakout stars of this past college basketball season, averaging nearly 19 points at Baylor after playing just 18 games over a season and a half at Tennessee in 2023 and 2024. He surged into the first round of mocks and big boards, and his measurements and athletic testing numbers could push him higher than No. 18, where ESPN projected him after the lottery.
At 6-4½ with a 7-0¾ wingspan, Carr measured out an incredible plus-8.25 wingspan, giving him the second-biggest gap between height and wingspan at the combine. And then on Tuesday, he had the second-best max vertical leap (42½) and the fastest pro lane agility drill of any player. He also weighed 184.4 pounds, which is almost 10 pounds heavier than he was listed during the season. Given that one of the concerns is his slender frame, that’s a positive. — Borzello
Johnson had a positive on-court day Monday, measuring 6-9 barefoot (a number that surprised some NBA teams) with a 7-3½ wingspan and 8-11 standing reach — legitimate dimensions for an NBA player at the 5-spot, despite being undersized. He also fared quite well in testing, outperforming most players in his lane drill time.
While his shot remains a work in progress, his improving mechanics stood out as a large group of bigs took the floor together in drills — he made 12-of-35 total 3s at Michigan but looks to have legitimate room to develop his spot-up shooting. This all helped to reaffirm the strong physical component of his game as he makes a case for a spot in the top 20. — Jeremy Woo
Cenac made a good decision to participate in drills Monday, as his physical tools and fluidity for his size stood out. He measured and tested quite well at 6-10¼ barefoot, with a 7-5 wingspan and 9-0½ standing reach and established true size for a center, with a 41½-inch standing vertical.
As soon as the lottery was revealed Sunday, the immediate question around the league and industry was whether the Utah Jazz, holding the No. 2 pick, might make an eventual overture to trade up to No. 1 to select Dybantsa. This is factoring in the strong ties between Utah owner Ryan Smith, CEO Danny Ainge and president of basketball operations Austin Ainge to BYU.
While the connection there is logical, there’s no indication that it will happen at this stage of the predraft process, with lottery teams having only recently been assigned their selections. At the moment, the thought of Utah trading up is purely speculative, as the Jazz are sitting in a strong position at No. 2 regardless: They can simply wait and see who Washington takes, something that is not being treated as a foregone conclusion.
Dybantsa has shaped up as the favorite at No. 1, but that’s not the consensus, with most around the NBA having seen Peterson as a strong candidate for that spot all season, and varying opinions on Boozer’s and even Caleb Wilson’s candidacies. The talent gap between that foursome, particularly Dybantsa and Peterson, might not ultimately be wide enough to trade up from No. 2 to 1 in a vacuum, regardless of which teams owned which picks.
While the nature of this draft class, with a consensus top four, could lay the groundwork for trade movement, deals atop the draft are historically quite rare. The last instance was the Philadelphia 76ers trading up to No. 1 with the Boston Celtics (at the time, run by Ainge) for Markelle Fultz. All of this is to say that any trade dynamics that might evolve within that top four might not necessarily be likely outcomes and will require more time to play out over the next month. — Woo
Peat has one of the more interesting stay-or-go decisions in the lead-up to the May 27 withdrawal deadline. He entered the college basketball season as a projected top 10 pick but saw his stock dip despite Arizona winning the Big 12 regular-season and conference tournament championships before reaching the Final Four.