UConn’s Reed Jr. to Spurs, Karaban awaits pick

The NBA Draft is about to start Tuesday night from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, and a pair of former UConn males’s basketball stars anticipate to hear their names known as over the subsequent two nights.

ahead Alex Karaban is shifting on after 4 historic seasons in Storrs, the place he made three Final Four appearances, whereas heart Tarris Reed Jr. has skyrocketed up NBA Draft boards after a dominant senior yr with the Huskies. Follow alongside all night lengthy for dwell updates and an NBA Draft pick tracker.

As co-host Malika Andrews famous, former Duke and NBA star Jay Bilas was simply 4 years outdated the final time any participant recorded 30 factors and 25 rebounds in an NCAA Tournament recreation — that’s earlier than Reed completed the feat in opposition to Furman in March. Bilas supplied loads of reward as Denver chosen Reed No. 24 total earlier than buying and selling the draft rights to San Antonio.

“He’s 6-foot-10, he’s got a 7-foot-4 wingspan, and he’s really strong and athletic,” Bilas stated about Reed on ESPN. “He scores mostly on the block, where he shot 60% from the field on post office. He’s good in pick and roll situations, and really physical at the rim.

Reed was drafted No. 26 overall by Denver, but his draft rights were immediately traded to San Antonio. The UConn center will now team up with a fellow former Husky in Stephon Castle and provide a backup option for Spurs star Victor Wembanyama.

The first UConn player is officially off the board as the Denver Nuggets snagged Tarris Reed Jr. late in the first round.

1. Washington Wizards – AJ Dybantsa
2. Utah Jazz – Darryn Peterson
3. Memphis Grizzlies – Cameron Boozer
4. Chicago Bulls – Caleb Wilson
5. Los Angeles Clippers – Keaton Wagler
6. Brooklyn Nets – Mikel Brown Jr.
7. Sacramento Kings – Darius Acuff Jr.
8. Atlanta Hawks – Kingston Flemings
9. Dallas Mavericks – Morez Johnson Jr.
10. Milwaukee Bucks – Brayden Burries
11. Golden State Warriors – Yaxel Lendeborg
12. Oklahoma City Thunder – Aday Mara
13. Miami Heat (traded to MIL) – Nate Ament
14. Charlotte Hornets – Hannes Steinbach
15. Chicago Bulls – Dailyn Swain
16. Memphis Grizzlies (traded to OKC) – Bennett Stirtz
17. Oklahoma City Thunder – (traded to DET) Ebuka Okorie
18. Charlotte Hornets – Christian Anderson
19. Toronto Raptors – Allen Graves
20. San Antonio Spurs – Jayden Quaintance
21. Detroit Pistons – (traded to MEM) Karim Lopez
22. Philadelphia 76ers – Labaron Philon
23. Atlanta Hawks – Zuby Ejiofor
24. New York Knicks (traded to LAL) – Cameron Carr
25. Los Angeles Lakers (traded to NYK) – Sergio de Larrea
26. Denver Nuggets (traded to SAS) – Tarris Reed Jr.

The defending NBA champions had been seen as one of many earliest viable touchdown spots for Reed, projected to be part of the Knicks in ESPN’s ultimate mock draft earlier than Tuesday’s occasion. However, after a pick swap with the Los Angeles Lakers, the Knicks finally opted not to pick the UConn heart, as a substitute going with Spanish prospect Sergio de Larrea

Tarris Reed Jr. will not be the primary Big East participant chosen on this yr’s NBA Draft, because the Hawks grabbed the convention’s participant of the yr in Zuby Ejiofor from St. John’s. Ejiofor’s choice does knock one other put up participant off the board, nonetheless, doubtlessly opening the door right here for Reed within the first spherical.

10 picks into this yr’s draft, and as anticipated, neither Reed nor Karaban has been chosen. However, as we head towards the mid-to-late first spherical, the previous UConn stars might begin to hear their names known as.

Within a traditionally deep draft class, the Jazz hope Peterson can function a franchise cornerstone, pairing the previous Jayhawk with an skilled frontcourt ready-made for fulfillment.

Dybantsa, a New England native from Brockton, Mass., will head to Washington, DC because the No. 1 total pick, in accordance to a number of stories.

The 2026 NBA Draft has formally begun from the Barclays Center, and the Washington Wizards are on the clock with the No. 1 total pick. Watch the motion dwell on ESPN and ABC.

Here’s a full record of upcoming picks set to be made within the first spherical of the 2026 NBA Draft:

26. Denver Nuggets
27. Boston Celtics
28. Minnesota Timberwolves (from Detroit) (reportedly traded to Brooklyn)
29. Cleveland Cavaliers (from San Antonio by way of Atlanta)
30. Dallas Mavericks (from Oklahoma City by way of Washington and Philadelphia)

Possibly essentially the most sought-after NBA prospect from final yr’s UConn staff opted not to enter the 2026 draft, with star freshman Braylon Mullins as a substitute returning to Storrs for a second season. Mullins joined Dan Hurley’s program as a McDonald’s All-American and was extensively anticipated to grow to be a first-round pick on this yr’s draft, however the 6-foot-6 wing believed he wanted one other season of improvement on the faculty stage.

“I think he already had his mind made up of what he had to do,” Mullins’ father, Josh, advised CTInsider in April about his son’s resolution. “It wasn’t anything I had to talk to him into. He just said, ‘I kinda think I need another year.'”

ESPN has launched its ultimate mock draft projections Tuesday forward of the NBA Draft, which incorporates each Karaban and Reed. Karaban is projected to be part of Sacramento with the No. 34 total pick, whereas Reed hyperlinks up with the reigning champion New York Knicks at No. 24 total.

“After making a strong case for himself by putting up three 20-plus-point games in the NCAA tournament, Reed has built momentum on the workout circuit and is trending toward the late first round,” ESPN writes about Reed. “His mix of length, physical heft, rebounding instincts and offensive skill make him an appealing plug-and-play role player, and he should appeal to contending teams. The Knicks are said to be in search of frontcourt depth, with Mitchell Robinson a pending free agent. Reed’s toughness would slot right in.

Alex Karaban’s scouting profile features strengths and weaknesses that NBA front offices will weigh as they evaluate the UConn forward. Teams must balance their proven 3-point shooting and unparalleled collegiate success against their age relative to other prospects and questions about their athleticism. UConn coach Dan Hurley believes those concerns pale in comparison to Karaban’s championship pedigree and willingness to embrace a role, arguing that his longtime star should be a top-20 pick Tuesday night.

“If I’m a staff within the high 20 and I’ve obtained a selection between a reasonably extra gifted participant that has questionable make-up when it comes to constructing a championship or profitable group,” Hurley said, “how do you move on Karaban within the 20s when you’ve got an opportunity to carry a grown-up, an expert, a championship-level participant, a Cam Spencer-type of man who’s 6-8, into your group? If you are selecting late within the first spherical, how do you not pick him?”

Here’s how the former UConn stars stack up after being evaluated at the NBA Draft Combine in May:

Height (without shoes): 6 feet, 6.75 inches
Weight: 100kg
Wingspan: 6-11
Vertical jump: 28 inches

Tarris Reed Jr.

Height: 6 feet, 9.75 inches
Weight: 120kg
Wingspan: 7 feet, 4.25 inches
Standing reach: 9 feet, 2 inches

Coach Dan Hurley has restored the UConn program as a pipeline for young talent to reach the NBA, sending nine players to the draft over the previous five years. Overall, 55 former Huskies have been selected in the NBA and ABA drafts since 1947 — centers Emeka Okafor and Hasheem Thabeet are the highest-selected players to come from UConn, picked No. 2 overall in 2003 and 2007, respectively.

Here’s a look at every UConn player selected in the NBA Draft since Hurley took over the program in 2018:

The first round of the NBA Draft will begin on Tuesday at 8 pm ET, airing on ABC and ESPN. The second round will be held on Wednesday with the same start time and broadcast information.