The 2026 Margin Monsters
Hitting on the margins is a must for any successful NBA franchise. Jam analyzes 13 prospects in the 2026 NBA Draft who are primed to be mined along the margins.
Welcome to the 2026 Margin Monsters! Winning on the margins has ALWAYS been critical to sustainable winning and roster building. Because of the new Collective Bargaining Agreement’s (CBA) debilitating apron rules, consistently finding value on the margins has become more necessary.
For this exercise, any prospect who is not considered a consensus first rounder qualifies. We’ll see a mix of prospects projected for the late first round, second round, and undrafted free agency (UDFA). Last year’s list can be found here. Let’s get to the 2026 Margin Monsters!
Tarris Reed Jr. | Big | 6’11” | 7’4.25” WS | Senior | UConn
There is little doubt in my mind that Tarris Reed Jr. is a Day One contributor who could start on a lot of NBA teams. He’s a hulking, physical big man who blends power and finesse to produce on both ends of the floor. The non-negotiables are there for a starting big. Reed sets hard screens, gobbles up rebounds, finishes at the rim, creates second-chance points, and is a weakside shot-blocking threat.
There is some modern appeal to his game as well. Reed is a functional ball handler in DHOs and is equipped with a passing feel that shows up on DHOs, short rolls, and from stationary spots across the floor. Although you don’t draft him expecting him to shoot, there is a reason to be excited about his touch flashes and mechanics. Developing into at least a reliable mid-range shooter on short rolls is very much on the table.
Foundational Role Ceiling: Starter/High-end Rotation Player
Foundational Role Floor: Low-end Rotation Player
Henri Veesaar | Big | 7’0.5” | 7’2” WS | Junior | North Carolina
Building off his emergence at Arizona, Henri Veesaar was tremendous during his lone season in Chapel Hill. If UNC were able to make the tournament with a healthy Caleb Wilson, there might be a bit more buzz around Veesar. At 7’0.5”, he’s a valuable stretch big (42.6% 3P on 3.0 3PA) with serviceable weakside shot-blocking, capable post scoring, passing feel, and functional ball skills.
Foundational Role Ceiling: High-end Rotation Player/Starter
Foundational Role Floor: Low-end Rotation Player
Trevon Brazile | Big | 6’10”.75” | 7’3.75” WS | Senior | Arkansas
Trevon Brazile brings a blend of elite athleticism, positional size, functional ball skills, and shooting touch (34.1% 3P on 3.7 3PA) that no other big in the class can offer. He effortlessly runs the floor in transition and is an outstanding lob threat/vertical spacer in the halfcourt that can average double-digit points just off his at-the-rim play-finishing if he’s in the right situation alongside a primary creator.
His shooting provides an excellent complement to his rim finishing prowess. The confidence, mechanics, and production are all there to believe in Brazile being a reliable floor spacer that can hit open threes, run pick-and-pops, and attack closeouts. Defensively, Brazile’s value lies in his defensive playmaking (3.1 stocks), ability to defend in space, weakside, and closeout shot blocking (1.6 BPG).
Foundational Role Ceiling: High-end Rotational Player/Starter
Foundational Role Floor: Low-end Rotation Player
Richie Saunders | Wing | 6’6.25” | 6’8.75” WS | Senior | BYU
Richie Saunders was building a ton of draft momentum before suffering a season-ending ACL injury. Don’t let that be the reason for being too low on him! Through 25 games, the sharpshooter averaged career bests in points (18 PPG), rebounds (5.8 RPG, assists (2.1 APG), and steals (1.7 SPG) while draining 37.5% of his threes (6.8 3PA). Saunders is an instant floor spacer and movement shooter that can attack closeouts for scoring and playmaking opportunities. On the defensive end, I believe he’ll be able to hang thanks to underrated physical tools and effort.
Foundational Role Ceiling: High-end Rotation Player
Foundational Role Floor: Low-end Rotation Player
Ugonna Onyenso | Big | 7’0.25” | 7’4.75” WS | Senior | Virginia
Is there a better shot-blocker in the class than Ugonna Onyenso? He was a fearsome rim deterrent for UVA all season (2.9 BPG, 17.4 BLK%), and it culminated with a dominant ACC tournament showing where Onyenso’s 21 blocks shattered Tim Duncan’s previous tournament record of 14 blocks.
Onyesno isn’t this big-time athlete either. He gets it done by leveraging outstanding size/length, timing, instincts, and hand-eye coordination. Onyenso’s on-floor college role seamlessly translates to the NBA: block shots and finish at the rim.
Foundational Role Ceiling: High-end Rotation Player/Starter
Foundational Role Floor: Fringe Rotation Player
Ryan Conwell | Ancillary Guard | 6’3.25” | 6’7” WS | Senior | Louisville
Ryan Conwell comfortably fits into a 3-and-D guard role on the NBA level. Offensively, the smooth shooting lefty offers lethal off-ball shooting, tough shotmaking, and timely cutting, plus the ball skills and enough passing chops to effectively operate ball screens when called upon. While his tools aren’t prototypical, he’s still able to effectively leverage his length, physicality, and competitive spirit to be a quality defender.
Foundational Role Ceiling: High-end Rotation Player
Foundational Role Floor: Fringe Rotation Player
Quadir Copeland | Lead Guard | 6’6.5” | 6’10”75” WS | Senior | NC State
Quadir Copeland’s successful return to Power Four basketball reminded evaluators of his tantalizing melding of plus positional size, versatility, creative slashing, feel, and defensive upside (1.8 SPG). Highlighted by a 16 assists to zero turnover game against SMU, Copeland proved to be one of the top playmakers, connective passers, and floor generals in the class (6.5 APG). Much more of a shotmaker than shooter, reliable three-point shooting has long been his swing skill (career 28.5% 3P on 1.1 3PA). If there was a strong belief in his shooting trajectory, Copeland would be an easy Top 20 caliber prospect. I’m buying that he’ll shoot enough to become a productive rotation player.
Foundational Role Ceiling: Starter/High-end Rotation Player
Foundational Role Floor: Low-end Rotation Player
Ja’Kobi Gillespie | Lead Guard | 6’1” | 6’4” WS | Senior | Tennessee
Ja’Kobi Gillespie possesses the qualities to be a valuable backup or third guard. He’s a dynamic three-point shooter (career 36.1% on 5.4 3PA) and multiple-level shotmaker with a creative handle that can be trusted to operate pick-and-rolls to score and create for others (5.4 APG). Although Gillespie lacks ideal size and athleticism, his activity and instincts allow him to impact games defensively (2.1 SPG) as well.
Foundational Role Ceiling: Rotation Player
Foundational Role Floor: Fringe Rotation Player
Tyler Bilodeau | Big Wing | 6’8.5” | 7’0.75” WS | Senior | UCLA
The bet is really simple with Tyler Bilodeau: size and shooting. At nearly 6’9” and 7’ 1” wingspan, Bilodeau is a career 40% three-point shooter that buried 46.4% of his triples (4.5 3PA). The hope is that his positional size/length and consistent effort are enough for him to hold his own defensively.
Foundational Role Ceiling: High-end Rotation Player
Foundational Role Floor: Fringe Rotation Player
Rafael Castro | Big | 6’10.5” | 7’1.25” WS | Senior | George Washington
In Rafael Castro, sign me up for an athletic play-finishing big with a high motor, passing feel, and disruptive defense (3.5 stocks per game).He’ll need to clean up his defensive principles as he loves to be an active roamer that jumps passing lanes and swats shots on the weakside, but I don’t have any major concerns that he can be reigned in a bit and still be effective.
Foundational Role Ceiling: Rotation Player
Foundational Role Floor: Fringe Rotation Player
Izaiyah Nelson | Big | 6’9.5” | 7’2.5” WS | Senior | South Florida
Similar to Rafael Castro, Izaiyah Nelson is another bet on an athletic play-finishing big who’s equipped with a high motor, disruptive defense (three stocks per game), and can create second chance opportunities. Not a single play needs to be run for Nelson to impact games. The reigning American Athletic Conference Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, and Newcomer of the Year’s game has translated from JUCO through multiple levels of Division I basketball. Although the usage will change at the NBA level, his role and familiarity with it won’t.
Foundational Role Ceiling: Rotation Player
Foundational Role Floor: Fringe Rotation Player