Kansas freshman Tyran Stokes opens the college basketball season atop ESPN’s early 2027 NBA draft big board. NBA teams view the class as less talented than recent vintages, and there is no consensus No. 1 pick.
The 6-foot-8 Stokes is a do-it-all perimeter talent who can take over games on both ends. Evaluators want to see better efficiency, consistency and maturity, along with improved decision-making and jump shooting.
Baskonia’s Stefan Joksimovic ranks second after leading Slovenia to gold at the under-18 EuroBasket. BYU’s Bruce Branch III, Arkansas’ Jordan Smith Jr. and Arizona’s Caleb Holt round out the top five.
Teams consider this year’s freshman class weaker than recent groups. The lack of quality freshman depth leaves room for older prospects, such as Arizona’s Motiejus Krivas and Florida’s Thomas Haugh, to climb the board.
The changing college landscape is also reshaping the draft. Division I programs can now pay top players well above the slot value of a first-round pick. The new fifth year of eligibility is expected to thin out the second round.
The 2027 draft will be the first under the NBA’s new lottery rules designed to reduce tanking incentives. The worst teams can now fall outside the top 10, while play-in teams gain more upward mobility.
ESPN’s Early 2027 NBA Draft Big Board:
1. Tyran Stokes: SF/PG, Kansas
2. Stefan Joksimovic: PG, Baskonia
3. Bruce Branch III: SG/SF, BYU
4. Jordan Smith Jr.: SG/PG, Arkansas
5. Caleb Holt: SG/PG, Arizona
6. Quentin Coleman: SG/PG, Illinois
7. Motiejus Krivas: C, Arizona
8. Braylon Mullins: SG, UConn
9. Thomas Haugh: SF/PF, Florida
10. Patrick Ngongba II: C, Duke
11. Ivan Kharchenkov: SF, Arizona
12. Obinna Ekezie Jr.: C, Louisville
13. Austin Goosby: SG/PG, Texas
14. Malachi Moreno: C, Kentucky
15. JJ Andrews: SG/SF, Arkansas
16. Anthony Thompson: SF/PF, Ohio State
17. Sayon Keita: C, North Carolina
18. Dame Sarr: SG/SF, Duke
19. Amari Allen: SF, Alabama
20. Alijah Arenas: SG, USC
21. Jason Crowe Jr.: SG/PG, Missouri
22. Alex Condon: PF/C, Florida
23. Caleb Gaskins: PF/SF, Miami
24. Brandon McCoy: SG, Michigan
25. Miikka Muurinen: PF, Arkansas
26. Colben Landrew: SG/SF, UConn
27. Christian Collins: SF, USC
28. Hugo Yimga-Moukouri: SF, Nanterre
29. Luigi Suigo: C, Villanova
30. Tyler Tanner: PG, Vanderbilt
31. Cameron Williams: PF, Duke
32. David Mirkovic: PF/SF, Illinois
33. Abdou Toure: SG, Arkansas
34. Miles Sadler: PG, West Virginia
35. Dash Daniels: PG/SG, South East Melbourne
36. Billy Richmond III: SG/SF, Arkansas
37. Baba Oladotun: SG/SF, Maryland
38. Matt Able: SG, North Carolina
39. Trey McKenney: SG, Michigan
40. Najai Hines: C, UConn
41. Milan Momcilovic: PF, Kentucky
42. Juke Harris: SG, Tennessee
43. Jeremy Fears Jr.: PG, Michigan State
44. Tounde Yessoufou: SF, St. John’s
45. Davis Fogle: SG, Gonzaga
46. Cheickh Niang: SG, Trento
47. Rueben Chinyelu: C, Florida
48. Shelton Henderson: SG/SF, Miami
49. Amare Bynum: PF, Ohio State
50. Nik Khamenia: SF/PF, UConn
51. Miles Byrd: SG/SF, Providence
52. Joseph Tugler: PF/C, Houston
53. Moustapha Thiam: C, Michigan
54. Eric Reibe: PF/C, USC
55. Cameron Houindo: PF, Cedevita Olimpija
56. Michael Ruzic: PF/C, LSU
57. Stefan Vaaks: SG/PG, Illinois
58. Pryce Sandfort: SG/SF, Nebraska
59. Andrej Stojakovic: SG/SF, Illinois
60. Paul McNeil Jr.: SG, NC State
61. David Punch: F, Texas
62. Matas Vokietaitis: C, Texas
63. Johann Grunloh: C, Virginia
64. Cayden Boozer: PG, Duke
65. Flory Bidunga: C, Louisville
66. John Blackwell: SG, Duke
67. Neo Avdalas: SF, North Carolina
68. Daniel Jacobsen: C, Purdue
69. Massamba Diop: C, Gonzaga
70. Jacob Cofie: PF, USC
71. Xavier Edmonds: PF, TCU
72. Nolan Winter: PF/C, Wisconsin
73. Jaden Toombs: C, SMU
74. Sam Lewis: SG, Virginia
75. Collin Chandler: SG, BYU
76. Jayden Ross: SG/SF, UConn
77. Dillan Shaw: SG/SF, Arizona State
78. Bryson Tiller: PF, Missouri
79. KJ Lewis: SG, USC
80. Tomislav Ivisic: C, Illinois
81. Zvonimir Ivisic: C, Illinois
82. Pharrel Payne: C, Maryland
83. Tre Singleton: SF, Iowa State
84. Jalen Haralson: SF, Tennessee
85. Elliot Cadeau: PG, Michigan
86. Tahaad Pettiford: PG, Auburn
87. Amani Hansberry: PF, Virginia Tech
88. Robert Wright III: PG, BYU
89. Nigel James Jr.: PG, Marquette
90. Kanon Catchings: SF, Georgia
91. Kayden Mingo: PG/SG, Baylor
92. Braden Huff: PF/C, Gonzaga
93. Mouhamed Faye: PF/C, Paris Basket
94. Pavle Backo: C, OKK Beograd
95. Marc-Owen Fodzo Dada: PG/SG, ASVEL
96. JT Toppin: PF/C, Texas Tech
97. Aiden Tobiason: SG/SF, Syracuse
98. Mason Falslev: Utah State
99. Kwame Evans Jr.: PF, Villanova
100. Paulius Murauskas: PF, Arizona State