Alright, let’s talk about something a bit further down the road – the 2027 NBA Draft. It sounds kinda crazy to even think about it now, right? We’re still digesting the last draft and looking forward to the next one. But I got curious the other day.
I was just watching some highlights, I forget of who exactly, maybe some college guys or even the current NBA rookies. And it hit me – these cycles move fast. Players pop up on the radar earlier and earlier. So, I thought, why not try and get a super early jump? Just for my own interest, you know? See who the supposed big names are way out.
My Little Project Kick-Off
So, I basically just opened up my laptop. Didn’t have a grand plan. I started searching around for things like “top high school basketball players class of 2026”. Because those are the kids who would likely be freshmen in college for the 2026-2027 season, making them eligible for the 2027 draft.
Found a few recruiting websites, the usual suspects you hear about. Started looking through their rankings. It’s wild how early they rank these kids. Some are just finishing their sophomore year of high school!
Starting the List
I didn’t go too deep into stats or anything – it’s way too early for that to mean much. I just started jotting down names that kept appearing high up on multiple lists. My process was simple:
- Look at maybe the top 20-30 ranked players on a couple of major sites.
- Cross-reference the names. Who’s consistently ranked high everywhere?
- Noted down their listed position and height/weight if available (though that stuff changes fast at this age).
- Made a very basic spreadsheet. Just name, position, height, maybe the state they play in.
I tried looking for some video clips too. You find some highlight tapes, mostly AAU stuff or high school games. It’s flashy, lots of dunks and quick moves. Hard to tell much about real game sense or fundamentals from those short clips, honestly. It’s more about seeing the raw athleticism some of these young guys have.
The Reality Check
Here’s the thing: Doing this made me realize how speculative it all is right now. These are kids. So much can change between now and 2027. Growth spurts, injuries, skill development, finding the right college program (or other path)… it’s a total guessing game.
So, this isn’t about predicting the lottery picks three years out. Not really. For me, it’s more like planting little flags. Putting some names on my radar. It’ll be interesting to follow their journeys over the next few years. See who lives up to the early hype, who falls off, and who comes out of nowhere.
What Now?
I’ve got my initial list, maybe 15-20 names. I’ll probably check back in every few months. See if the rankings shift dramatically after big AAU tournaments or the high school season. Maybe try to catch a few streamed games if some of these guys play in nationally televised events down the line.
It’s a slow burn kind of project. Just keeping an eye on the future, one high school ranking update at a time. It’s kinda fun, in a low-key, long-term way. We’ll see how many of these names are actually still relevant when 2027 rolls around.
