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NBA Draft sleepers: 5 potential steals in 2026 including Tarris Reed, Meleek Thomas and Joshua Jefferson
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- NBA Draft sleepers: 5 potential steals in 2026 including Tarris Reed, Meleek Thomas and Joshua Jefferson
NBA Draft sleepers: 5 potential steals in 2026 including Tarris Reed, Meleek Thomas and Joshua Jefferson originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
Since David Stern's days, it's been standard for the NBA commissioner to open the draft by reminding fans that talent can be found anywhere.
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This year, Adam Silver will have the opportunity to go up on stage and tell the New York crowd that the Knicks won a championship led by a player drafted in the second round, flanked by a former No. 1 pick, No. 10 pick, No. 23 pick, No. 30 pick and No. 38 pick.
The Knicks are one of the greatest examples of how the keys to a title can be found anywhere in the draft, and every other team has a chance to advance their quest for the Larry O'Brien Trophy on Tuesday night.
Here's a look at five NBA Draft sleepers who could be the league's next feel-good stories.
MORE: Way-too-early NBA power rankings for 2026-27
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2026 NBA Draft sleepers to know
Tarris Reed Jr.
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Tarris Reed, UConn
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Age: 22, senior
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Position: Center
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Measurements: 6-10, 264 pounds
Reed is projected to be either a late first-round or early second-round pick, but he could be an instant-impact big man for whichever team takes him.
The former Michigan center is an older prospect at 22 years old, but he showed major improvement in his senior season at UConn and could still have some upward mobility. Reed averaged 14.7 points, 9.0 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game this past season, playing some of his best basketball against tough frontcourts in the NCAA Tournament and often keeping the Huskies in games when outside shots weren't falling.
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Reed is much more of a traditional big than a modern NBA big — his offensive game is limited to the paint — but he has the frame to be a valuable scorer and rebounder off the bench from day one in the NBA.
Meleek Thomas, Arkansas
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Age: 19, freshman
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Position: Guard
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Measurements: 6-4, 190 pounds
Thomas spent most of his lone season at Arkansas in Darius Acuff's shadow, but he impressed offensively with 15.6 points per game on 41.6 percent from 3-point range. The freshman also averaged 1.5 steals per game and showed impressive energy on the defensive end for a Razorbacks team that otherwise struggled on that end of the floor.
Thomas isn't imposing physically and may need time to figure out what he is offensively at the NBA level, but the tools to be a high-level scorer are all there. A strong showing at the combine helped make Thomas a likely first-round pick, though he still seems likely to find himself in the last 10 picks of the round.
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Ugonna Onyenso, Virginia
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Age: 21, senior
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Position: Center
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Measurements: 7-0, 235 pounds
The first round is likely out of the question for Onyenso, but a team looking for a natural shot-blocker should look his way in the second round. The former Kentucky big man was one of the nation's best shot-blockers at Virginia, averaging 2.9 blocks per game in less than 19 minutes per night along with 10.5 rebounds per 40 minutes.
Onyenso has a special wingspan and defensive ability near the rim that can't be taught, but whether he can compete on the offensive end at the next level will determine whether he actually sticks. Onyenso did attempt 36 shots from beyond the arc at Virginia after putting up just one over his first three collegiate seasons, shooting nearly 28 percent, so maybe the hope that he can develop a passable shot intrigues a team enough to take him in the top half of the second round.
Henri Veesaar
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Henri Veesaar , North Carolina
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Age: 22, junior
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Position: Center
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Measurements: 7-0, 225 pounds
Veesaar proved in his only season at North Carolina that he was much more than just a role player, averaging 17.0 points, 8.7 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game for the Tar Heels and stepping up when Caleb Wilson was out. Veesaar's upside could be limited, but his offensive game is too skilled for him not to carve out a role in an NBA frontcourt.
The former Arizona big man doesn't have elite athleticism and comes with some defensive questions, but even at 7-0, he fits the modern NBA with an ability to score from anywhere and was a strong rebounder between Arizona and North Carolina.
MORE: Breaking down the Knicks' offseason priorities
Joshua Jefferson
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Joshua Jefferson , Iowa State
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Age: 23, senior
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Position: Forward
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Measurements: 6-9, 245 pounds
The biggest knock against Jefferson might be that he's already 23 and doesn't have as much room to grow as a player, but he can step in and make an impact from day one after an impressive college career.
Jefferson has some of the highest basketball IQ of anyone in this draft, and comes from two programs where that was valued in Iowa State and St. Mary's. An unusually gifted passer for a player his size, Jefferson averaged 4.8 assists per game in his senior season along with 16.4 points and 7.4 rebounds.
Jefferson's lack of athleticism could make him less impactful on the defensive end at the next level, but he averaged 1.9 steals per game over two seasons at Iowa State and has played for two programs built on defensive effort.
