Diamonds in the rough: 5 potential hidden gems in 2026 NBA Draft

It seems like at least one prospect slips through the cracks every year.

Teams can find value in the late first or second round if they do their homework.

Reigning Finals MVP Jalen Brunson was the No. 33 overall pick in 2018, while Nikola Jokic was famously drafted 41st over a decade ago during a Taco Bell commercial.

Nobody knows if another Brunson or Jokic will be kicking around in the mid-to-late stages of the 2026 NBA Draft, but here are five players whose skill sets could translate into a long career in the Association.

Position: Forward
Height: 6-foot-8
Weight: 225.2 lbs
Wingspan: 6-foot-11
Max vertical: 33 inches

2025-26 stats with UConn:

Karaban leaves UConn as one of college basketball's all-time winningest players. The Huskies forward was a culture-setter for Dan Hurley's program, helping the school reach three Final Fours in four seasons. Karaban's 18 NCAA Tournament victories as a starter trail only Duke's Christian Laettner. On Senior Day, he became the first active player in school history to be inducted into the Huskies of Honor, which highlights the most significant figures in UConn's storied basketball history.

Karaban's stats don't jump off the page, but his willingness to fulfill whatever role the team needed translated into a lot of wins and should help him fit into any NBA squad. The Massachusetts native is a proven 3-point marksman, capable of draining threes coming off screens, spotting up from beyond the arc, and pulling up in transition. Karaban was also an important connector for the Huskies' offense, making quick passing reads and avoiding turnovers.

Additionally, Karaban was effective off the ball as a cutter, averaging 1.29 points per possession, which ranked in the 76th percentile, per Hoop-Explorer.com. While Karaban isn't the most athletic player, he uses his length to contest shots and corral boards. The 23-year-old finished in the Big East's top 20 for offensive rebound percentage on three occasions.

Position: Guard
Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 205.4 lbs
Wingspan: 6-foot-6
Max vertical: 36 inches

2025-26 stats with Arizona:

Bradley served as Arizona's starting point guard for the past two campaigns. As a senior, he pulled the strings for the KenPom fifth-ranked offense and helped the Wildcats reach their first Final Four since 2001. Known as one of the sport's top closers, Bradley consistently delivered clutch baskets throughout the 2025-26 season.

The reigning Big 12 Player of the Year uses his explosive first step to blow by defenders and has the strength to finish through contact at the rim. His willingness to embrace physicality resulted in frequent trips to the charity stripe. When orchestrating the pick-and-roll, he's a threat to drive, pull up from the mid-range, or find his bigs rumbling toward the basket.

Bradley also thrived as a playmaker in the open court and set up teammates in the dunker's spot when defenses collapsed on him, recording a 2.5 assist-to-turnover ratio last season. The 22-year-old routinely frustrated his counterparts with his suffocating on-ball pressure as well, showing great timing when stripping opposing players on driving attempts and jumping passing lanes. Bradley was a Big 12 All-Defensive team selection and finished in the conference's top 10 for total steals in each of the previous two campaigns.

Position: Center
Height: 6-foot-11
Weight: 236.8 lbs
Wingspan: 7-foot-5
Max vertical: 32 inches

2025-26 stats with Virginia:

Onyenso, a former top-30 recruit, split his first three seasons between Kentucky and Kansas State. But the big man enjoyed a breakout senior year this past campaign at Virginia, earning ACC All-Defensive team honors and being named a finalist for the Lefty Driesell Defensive Player of the Year Award. He ranked second nationally in swats (105) and owns the NCAA's 10th-best career block percentage (15.1%).

Part of what makes Onyenso such a great shot-blocker is his patience. The Nigerian averaged 1.1 fouls over 100 career appearances and never fouled out of a game. He doesn't fall for pump fakes and uses his length to make every shot as difficult as possible. Onyenso's fluid hip movement also allows him to contain guards when defending in space on the perimeter.

However, Onyenso's limited offensive package is keeping him from being higher on draft boards. Though he finishes 70.4% of his attempts at the rim, per Hoop-Explorer.com, the 22-year-old gets most of his production on lobs, putbacks, and cuts to the basket off the pick-and-roll. Still, there's some optimism about Onyenso's jumper, as he shot 72.7% from the free-throw line and made 10-of-36 attempts from distance last season. At the draft combine, he converted 56.7% of his shots off the dribble and 61.5% of his mid-range side attempts.

Position: Forward
Height: 6-foot-9
Weight: 246.2 lbs
Wingspan: 6-foot-11
Max vertical: 33 inches

2025-26 stats with Iowa State:

Jefferson was a three-star recruit coming out of high school before developing into an All-Big 12 first-team selection and consensus second-team All-American. Considered a Swiss Army knife for Iowa State, he led the team in rebounding and free-throw attempts (6.1 per game) while placing second in points, assists, steals, and blocks. Notably, Jefferson is only the seventh player since 1974-75 to average at least 16.4 points, 7.4 rebounds, 4.8 assists, and 1.6 steals over an entire season.

The Cyclones star served as a playmaking hub for one of the nation's top offenses. He makes quick passing reads, finding teammates on high-low feeds, skip passes, and cuts. Jefferson can lead the fast break, orchestrate the pick-and-roll, pass out of double-teams in the post, and facilitate from the top of the key or elbow. His 27.7 assist percentage last season finished as the ninth-best mark in the Big 12.

Jefferson displays similar instincts on defense, with his timely double-teams and ability to anticipate passes. He makes up for a lack of athleticism by using his stout frame to absorb contact and sliding his feet to stay in front of guards and forwards. Jefferson gradually improved as a scorer, becoming a post-up and outside threat. If he can build on the 3-point shooting he showed as a senior, it'll go a long way in establishing a lengthy NBA career.

Position: Forward/Center
Height: 6-foot-9
Weight: 216.6 lbs
Wingspan: 7-foot-1
Max vertical: 34 inches

2025-26 stats with Duke:

A year ago, the Charlotte Hornets used the No. 33 overall pick on Sion James, who provided an immediate impact on the defensive end. Can Brown have a similar effect as his former college teammate?

Brown is the reigning Lefty Driesell Award winner, which is given annually to the most outstanding defender in college basketball. The Virginia native also made the ACC's All-Defensive team for the second time in three seasons, anchoring Jon Scheyer's unit to a second straight top-five finish in KenPom's ratings for adjusted defensive efficiency. Brown posted the NCAA's top defensive box plus-minus (8.9) and ranked second in steal percentage (5.3%), while his 195 deflections accounted for more than 30% of the Blue Devils' final tally in 2025-26.

Brown creates havoc with his aggressiveness and active hands, and he's often thinking one step ahead of his counterparts, cutting off driving angles or jarring the ball loose at the precise moment. Using his quickness, length, and on-ball pressure, Brown is comfortable defending in space against guards. He could see minutes as a small-ball five, but he's best suited to play the four at his stature.

The biggest questions surrounding Brown's game lie on the offensive end. He knocked down only 16 triples in 125 collegiate games, including a 16.7% clip last season, and it's hard to envision a career 59.6% free-throw shooter developing into a perimeter weapon. But that's not to say Brown can't become an offensive asset. His activity on the offensive glass led to kickouts for threes, and he had success in the pick-and-roll as a lob target and short-roll passer.