LEXINGTON — Kentucky basketball‘s streak of NBA draft selections is safe for another year.
Jayden Quaintance, a sophomore forward on the 2025-26 team, is expected to hear his name called at some point during the first round June 23. That will extend the Wildcats‘ run of picks to 19 consecutive years; the last draft that didn’t feature a Kentucky player was 2007.
Otega Oweh, UK’s leading scorer the past two seasons, also could be picked before the end of the second round June 24.
Where Quaintance will ultimately land is one of the biggest mysteries of the 2026 draft.
Well before he ever was draft-eligible, Quaintance had been viewed as one of the country’s best prospects. A surefire lottery pick. A player who potentially could vie for top-five status. A prospect so talented that one of his former high school coaches predicted Quaintance would be the top overall pick of a future draft.
Now, if recent mock drafts are correct, Quaintance is fighting to even remain in the lottery, which ends with pick No. 14. Blame the injury concerns surrounding him. His freshman season at Arizona State ended prematurely because of an ACL injury; that lingered into his time at Kentucky, as he appeared in only four games in 2025-26.
So where does Quaintance stack up in the final projections heading into this year’s draft? Here’s a look:
2026 NBA mock draft: Where is Kentucky basketball’s Jayden Quaintance in projections?
USA TODAY Sports
Bryan Kalbrosky, a senior NBA staff writer for USA TODAY Sports, published his latest mock draft June 8. He predicted Quaintance will go to the Atlanta Hawks with the 23rd overall pick.
“When healthy, he is arguably the most talented defender in this draft class and could help a team that desperately needs frontcourt help, like the Hawks,” Kalbrosky wrote. “During his freshman year when he was just 17 years old, per CBB Analytics, he led all D-I players in blocks per 40 minutes (0.7) on 3-pointers, regularly swatting shots on the perimeter.
“While his draft stock is not what it once was due to health concerns, his youth and frame give him an opportunity to become a special player in the NBA.”
Bleacher Report
Jonathan Wasserman, Bleacher Report’s NBA draft insider, released his newest mock draft June 9. Wasserman also has Quaintance heading to the Hawks at No. 23.
“He threw down explosive dunks during his pro day without any restrictions,” Wasserman wrote. “Quaintance may have one of the wider draft ranges, which is due to enticing theoretical upside and uncertainty around his health and development.
Yahoo Sports
Kevin O’Connor, who works for Yahoo Sports, penned his latest mock draft June 11. He projects the Denver Nuggets drafting Quaintance with the 26th overall pick.
CBS Sports
CBS Sports has the most options among national outlets when it comes to mock drafts, as it features five writers providing their own projections.
Gary Parrish released his version June 12, prognosticating the Toronto Raptors will take Quaintance at No. 19.
Adam Finkelstein’s newest mock went up June 9. He has Quaintance going 15th overall to the Chicago Bulls.
The Athletic
Sam Vecenie, the NBA draft expert for The Athletic, created his latest mock June 8. He believes Quaintance comes off the board at No. 17 to Oklahoma City.
“The Victor Wembanyama problem is not going away for OKC,” Vecenie wrote. “The best potential Wembanyama defender in this class is Quaintance, who was shaping up as one of the best defensive prospects I’d seen in a while before tearing his right ACL at Arizona State in February 2025. This season was essentially a wash as he recovered from that injury.”
NBA Draft Room
NBADraftRoom.com published its latest mock draft June 9.
The site has the San Antonio Spurs selecting Quiantance at No. 20.
Tankathon.com
A site that simulates its mock draft, Tankathon.com forecasts Memphis picking Quaintance with No. 16 selection.
NBA draft mock projections for Otega Oweh
Few sites project beyond the first round of the draft. That doesn’t help Oweh, as he’s not going to go off the board within the first 30 picks unless something unforeseen occurs. Still, for the sites that do 60-pick mock drafts, Oweh’s name appears frequently.
Tankathon and NBA Draft Room both have Oweh landing in Houston, albeit with different picks: The former has him at No. 39, while the latter has him as the 48th pick.
Bleacher Report foresees the Brooklyn Nets picking Oweh at No. 43. Yahoo has Oweh packing his bags for the Big Apple, joining the NBA champion New York Knicks at No. 55. The Athletic has Oweh one pick later (No. 56 to the Bulls).
Reach Kentucky men’s basketball and football reporter Ryan Black at rblack@gannett.com and follow him on X at @RyanABlack.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: NBA Draft 2026 mock projections for UK’s Jayden Quaintance, Otega Oweh
