117 Prospects, One Week in Chicago, and Everything Changes on Sunday

The 2026 NBA draft combine is officially here, and this is not a drill. Starting Sunday with the draft lottery at 3 p.m. ET on ABC/ESPN, the predraft process kicks into high gear in Chicago at Wintrust Arena. Between the combine beginning Monday and the G League combine running Saturday and Sunday, 117 players earned invitations. All 30 NBA teams are converging in one place to evaluate prospects, conduct interviews, and start the offseason transaction machine spinning.

What Makes This Week Actually Matter

The 5-on-5 scrimmages on Wednesday and Thursday are the signature event. This is where top prospects can actually move the needle on their draft stock, plain and simple. Yeah, they're optional, and yeah, some top guys skip them every year. But the proof is in the results. Last year, Yang Hansen and Yanic Konan Niederhauser were scrimmage standouts. Hansen went 16th overall. Niederhauser, who started as a G League combine invite, got picked 30th. Look at recent history: Jalen Williams, Brandin Podziemski, and Andrew Nembhard all made a lasting impact by stepping on the court for 5-on-5 action.

The catch? Agents are often protective about letting their guys play. They have a point, too. A bad scrimmage showing can cool a player's stock fast. Under the current CBA, agents have less control over participation now that scrimmages are mandatory, but that tension still exists.

Eyes on the Top Tier

Sunday's draft lottery is the headliner. The likely top-five picks everyone is watching: AJ Dybantsa from BYU, Darryn Peterson from Kansas, Cameron Boozer from Duke, and Caleb Wilson from North Carolina. These names will dominate the conversation all week.

Once the lottery ball drops, the real evaluation begins. Prospects will go through measurements, athletic testing, medical exams, team interviews, and those crucial scrimmages. The combine is where draft positioning either gets locked in or completely reshuffled.

ESPN will have full coverage all week as the predraft machinery gets rolling. This is when the offseason actually begins.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.