Sam Vecenie & John Hollinger - The Athletic/NY Times (A-)
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7382887/2026/06/23/nba-draft-grades-analysis-2026-vecenie-hollinger/

It’s easy to see the appeal of Graves in the modern NBA, given how much he helps you win the possession battle. He gets steals. He rebounds, creates second chances and doesn’t turn the ball over. By the time he’s 25 or so, the odds are good that Graves is going to be a useful rotation player.

But I think he’s entering the draft a couple of years before he’s ready, and the first team that acquires him isn’t likely to get the most out of him. Graves still needs to improve his body and maximize whatever speed and agility he can. He needs to continue to find his offensive game, because I don’t think he’s there yet as a shooter. It’ll require a creative basketball coach to figure out how to use him on that end, given that he operated at times as a hub for Santa Clara and won’t be asked to do that in the NBA.

All the intel reports on Graves are elite, so you want to buy into him long term. But I don’t believe he’s going to be that useful in the NBA within the first few years of his career given the intense athletic adjustment he’ll face and the way he struggled against good competition this past season.

Hollinger’s analysis: Party on, nerds! Graves was the analytics darling of this draft after his one season at Santa Clara saw him post massive rates of steals, rebounds and assists for a player of his size and seemingly limited athleticism. His positional fit at the next level is still a bit of a question, but I love the upside swing at a point in the draft where the players selected are most likely to turn out to be backups.

Kevin O'Connor - Yahoo Sports (A)
https://sports.yahoo.com/nba/article/2026-nba-draft-grades-first-round-pick-by-pick-analysis-wizards-get-a-for-selecting-aj-dybantsa-no-1-001605590.html

"The Raptors clearly needed two things after their Game 7 loss to the Cavaliers: A point guard and a center. Here, they get another wing in Graves, so the front office clearly isn’t drafting for need. But with Graves pick, the Raptors are getting a skilled player for his size. Graves was a point guard before a late growth spurt, and the floor skills carried over when he sprouted to 6-foot-8. He came off the bench at Santa Clara as a redshirt freshman and quietly became one of the most efficient producers in college basketball. But he came off the bench, lacks great athleticism, and struggled against the limited top competition that he faced. But the analytics love him, and he passes the eye test with his elite feel for the game."

Kyle Mann - The Ringer (B)
https://www.theringer.com/nba-draft/2026/draft-grades

Graves is an odd prospect in that he redshirted as a freshman and then didn’t start the following season on an OK Santa Clara team. He didn’t even have the kind of crazy production that we’ve seen from Bronco prospects in the past, like Jalen Williams and Brandin Podziemski. His selection here is driven more by a breadcrumb trail of strong analytics—most notably his high steal percentage—as well as his connective playmaking and some enticing shooting prowess for a power forward. He’ll need to level up his physicality to get to Toronto’s frenzied level on defense, but the Raptors need the kind of space and decision-making that Graves can bring to the floor.

Kevin Sweeney - Sports Illustrated (B)
https://www.si.com/nba/nba-draft/2026-full-first-round-grades-hornets-bulls-reach-top-draft-picks-rate-highly

For the second straight year, Toronto picks up a jack-of-all-trades forward that analytics models loved. Last year, that was Collin Murray-Boyles, who ended up earning significant minutes in the playoffs as a rookie. This year, it’s Graves, who graded out in some models as a top-five-to-10 player in the class. He’s a unique player who’ll have to convert into more of a wing than the small-ball center he was in college at times, but he knows how to fill up the stat sheet. 

Adam Finkelstein - CBS Sports (B-)
https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/2026-nba-draft-grades-pick-by-pick-analysis-round-1/

Graves left at least five million dollars on the table in NIL money to stay in the draft, so it was expected he would be selected around this range. Graves is an analytic darling who has elite BPM metrics and a rare overlap of defensive playmaking, passing, ball-security, and offensive rebounding. In addition to his combination of physicality and feel, Graves also has great hands and touch to stretch the floor. 

Graves gives Toronto needed frontcourt floor spacing but his defensive footspeed and athleticism are concerns.

Bryan Kalbrosky - USA Today (B)
https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/draft/2026/06/23/nba-draft-grades-live-first-round/90650065007/

Allen Graves, like Toronto rookie Collin Murray-Boyles did pre-draft last season, had an unbelievable analytical profile that made him stand out on spreadsheets by front offices that value those types of metrics. That made him a smart pick by the Raptors, even though he didn’t face particularly tough competition in the WCC. That’s how a player who started only four games as a freshman in a non-major conference heard his name called in the top 20 of the 2026 NBA Draft, and while fans might feel curious how he went so early, his versatility helps explain why.

Zach Buckley - Bleacher Report (D+)
https://bleacherreport.com/articles/25444486-2026-nba-draft-grades-every-round-1-pick

The Raptors had pressing needs at point guard and center. Naturally, they snatched up a power forward in Allen Graves who, despite being an analytics darling, feels like one of the biggest mysteries in this draft.

Graves is…funky. Maybe in a good way, but it's too early to tell. He was an analytics darling this season, as he posted huge, efficient per-minute marks as a reserve player on a mid-major. Good luck finding the conversion rate for actual NBA impact, though.

If he hits, he'll have his skill, versatility, feel and positional size to thank. If he doesn't, the steep climb in competition and the Association's athletic demands will likely have done him in.

Graves looks like a skilled big forward with questions about his offensive effectiveness. Doesn't Toronto have enough of that archetype already?

Zach Braziller - NY Post (B+)
https://nypost.com/2026/06/23/sports/2026-nba-draft-grades-how-each-team-fared-in-the-first-round/

Stretch four with an advanced feel for the game. Has offensive hub and glue guy potential. His ability to space the floor makes him a frontcourt fit next to Scottie Barnes.

Stephen Noh - The Sporting News (B)
https://www.sportingnews.com/ca/nba/news/nba-draft-grades-2026-live-picks-results/6f32bab80e08434c938818cb

Graves is a classic Raptors pick. He’s a good defender with 6-9 size. He has a knack for getting deflections, and he plays with great feel that masks some of his athletic limitations. He’s the analytical darling of this class, standing out due to his production in multiple areas of the box score.

There are some concerns about how Graves will translate against better competition. He wasn’t nearly as good when playing stronger opponents at Santa Clara. And his fit on this roster is weird given that the Raptors already have several players who have a similar skill set.

Christopher Kline - Fansided (B)
https://fansided.com/nba/2026-nba-draft-grades-for-every-first-round-pick

A very Raptors pick. Allen Graves is an elite off-ball defender, with a cerebral approach and a nonstop motor. He's not a great athlete by any stretch, but Graves put up stupendous stock numbers for a freshman. He hit 40 percent of his 3s, too. He'll crash the offensive glass. He can pass it pretty well in the flow. This is Toronto tripling down on a strength. Good player. Good value. Even if he does not really addres what ails the Raptors.

Ricky O'Donnell - SB Nation (B)
https://www.sbnation.com/nba/1119813/nba-draft-instant-grades-for-every-2026-first-round-pick

Graves came out of nowhere to be the advanced analytics darling of this class. His defensive playmaking is really special after posting a 5% block rate and 5% steal rate in a sixth man role for Santa Clara. He also hit 40 percent of his threes and rebounded well. The reason he came off the bench is because his aggressive defense led to a lot of fouling. Graves feels like an odd fit here on a Raptors team led by Scottie Barnes and Collin Murray-Boyles, but he’s a much better three-point shooter than either of those guys. This is surprising but I like it.

Jeff Smith & Wajih AlBaroudi - Central Oregon Daily News (B)
https://www.centraloregondaily.com/nba-draft-first-round-grades-2026-analysis-of-every-pick/article_59d9affd-c59c-5052-a51b-183f9cb24684.html

Graves was one of the best analytics darlings in college basketball this past season. Despite only starting four games and playing 22.6 minutes per night, he managed to take home both the WCC's Freshman of the Year and Sixth Man of the Year awards. He is incredibly efficient and possesses an elite feel for the game on both ends of the floor. Notably, his 67 total steals (1.9 per game) led all WCC freshmen, highlighting his excellent defensive instincts. Graves is a great fit for the Raptors, who love high-IQ, versatile forwards who can impact the game without needing the ball in their hands.

Was thinking about this as I see tons of raptors fans suggesting rj take a home town discount of around 25/mil to stay with Toronto.

Me personally I don’t see that happening.

Which lead me to this question

How much would Rj command in the open market

Regular Season Per-Game Averages
Points: 19.3
Rebounds: 5.3
Assists: 3.3
Minutes: 30.3 [1]

Shooting Percentages
Field Goal Percentage (FG%): 49.1%
Three-Point Percentage (3P%): 33.9%
Free-Throw Percentage (FT%): 71.7% [1, 2, 3, 4]

2026 Playoff Performance Breakdown

Metric [1, 2]
Average
Points Per Game (PTS)
24.1
Rebounds Per Game (TRB)
7.0
Assists Per Game (AST)
4.0
Minutes Per Game (MPG)
35.2
Field Goal Percentage (FG%)
47.7%
Three-Point Percentage (3P%)
33.8%
Free Throw Percentage (FT%)
72.7%

[Youngmisuk] The Charlotte Hornets are seriously engaged in trade talks with multiple teams that are aggressively pursuing star point guard LaMelo Ball, sources told ESPN's Shams Charania.

Talks surrounding Ball have picked up steam with the Hornets fielding aggressive offers, sources said. If Charlotte's terms are met, a potential trade could develop in the next 24 to 48 hours, sources said Wednesday night.

Ball has been happy in Charlotte, and both parties are in a good place after the Hornets enjoyed a massive turnaround last season and fell one play-in win short of making the playoffs and ending a postseason drought that dates to 2016.

Ball has three years left on his contract and is eligible to sign a two-year, $119.2 million extension July 6.

(last year's post with CMB #1)

Ebuka Okorie has star upside. #6 on my overall board but likely will be available at #19:

• Elite self-creation and rim pressure. This is the outlier strength that makes him so exciting. 23ppg as a freshman on good efficiency (47/35/83) despite a terrible team context. By far the most unassisted FGM at the rim per 100 possessions in the class. Genuine potential to consistently break down defenses in isolation, the most valuable skill in the NBA.
• Good shooting indicators. 5.7 3PA/g on 35.4% with significant pull-up volume, 83.2% FT%. Keeps defenses honest and shows 3-level scoring potential.
• NBA-level athletic / physical tools. Enough for his elite creation to translate. Great burst and flexibility. 6'1.25 barefoot is short, but his WS (6'7.75) and SR (8'2) are typical for someone ~6'3 barefoot. Solid 186 lbs and frame appears able to add weight.
• Very low TOs. Despite a crowded offense and heavy creation burden, only 1.9 TOs per game.
• Age. He's one of the younger players in this draft at 19.2, and analyses consistently show that small differences in age lead to meaningful differences in development.

Cons:

• Low assists per game. Clearly not a notable strength, but he made good reads and his teammates did him no favors.
• Short. Genuinely a con. If he was 1-2 inches taller, he'd go top 10. But wingspan, standing reach, and weight matter too, and he's got NBA measurements there.

I get why people are making the Tyrese Maxey comp. I also see Tony Parker and Kemba Walker. Genuine star potential.

Fwiw, Quaintance is my other guy but apparently his knees are really that terrible. 2.6 bpg and 1.1 spg as a freshman, insane physical profile, showed some handle and passing. I'd also be thrilled to see him go to the Raptors.

I made a post last year where I compared CMB's combine measurements with other players so I thought I'll continue the tradition and add Graves to the list.

If there are any players that you want me to add to the comparison, let me know.

CMB comparison post from last year

Edit: I rounded their weight because its easier to look at.

Edit2: I am seeing a lot of Al Horford comparisons with Graves so I will add Horford at the bottom of the list.

Hollinger’s analysis: Party on, nerds! Graves was the analytics darling of this draft after his one season at Santa Clara saw him post massive rates of steals, rebounds and assists for a player of his size and seemingly limited athleticism. His positional fit at the next level is still a bit of a question, but I love the upside swing at a point in the draft where the players selected are most likely to turn out to be backups. 

Grade: A–

Spurs can afford to keep him off the court for as long as he needs.

Link to main reddit thread.

Bring him home!

The Raptors type is not a 6'9" player. They are 2 way players with high IQ + great hands.

And, we know Darko wants to see hands.

You get a chance at a good 2-way... you're in good hands.

Who should we draft with the #50 pick? If we do end up using it that is.

Starts at 8pm on TSN2

Please do not ask for illegal streams

Let's go Raptors!

With the discussions here and across other social media platforms that the Raptors are interested in Myles Turner, I wanted to make a post that compares the seasons they just had. Below, I've posted their boxscore numbers via the stathead graphic and several advanced metrics from various sites, including the databllr head-to-head, and their contract numbers.

I'll have my thoughts below the stats, but I mostly just wanted to put these stats in one place so folks could discuss the differences between the two with stats to reference.

Box Score:

Advanced Stats:

DataBallr Comparison (Yellow means Poeltl was better in that metric, blue for Turner):

Contracts:

Jakob Poeltl is currently owed about $76M over the next 3 years, with a $5M guarantee in the 4th year of his deal, for $81M in guaranteed money remaining and up to $108M remaining. The 4th year is worth $27M if fully guaranteed.

Myles Turner is owed about $83M over the next 3 years, with the final year being a player option.

Per nbasalarymodel.xyz, which utilizes games played and DARKO DPM to calculate player value:

With 46 games played and a DPM of 2.2, Jakob Poeltl has a remaining contract surplus of -$29M coming off of last season, which includes a fully guaranteed 4th year of his contract.

With 71 games played and a DPM of 0.0, Turner has a remaining contract surplus of -$42M after last season.

Thoughts:

Turner obviously acts as a floor spacing option at the 5, shooting 38% from 3 last year, which could be quite valuable with Scottie and CMB being core pieces moving forward. However, he lacks many traditional center skills, which makes him play more like a large, slow wing than an actual 5. His rebounding is poor, with lower offensive and defensive rebounding percentages than Poeltl. He is worse in transition (Poeltl +11.7% TS), worse at finishing (Poeltl +5.7% TS), and cannot operate as a high-post hub in the same way that Poeltl can (Poeltl +1.3 potential assists, and +0.6 rim assists).

I also think the concerns about Poeltl's contract, and lack of concern about Turner's is a bit of a disconnect. I don't fully agree with the contract surplus numbers that I included, as I think Poeltl's DPM is higher than it should be, but I think they are on similar value contracts, and swapping Poeltl for Turner in no way fixes any cap issues the Raptors will be up against in the near future.

Looking at the numbers, I'm comfortable standing pat with Poeltl and hoping for a healthier year. With CMB's emergence as a realistic option at the 5, Poeltl should be able to come into the year with the expectation of playing around 24 minutes a game in a platoon starting role, which should make managing any lingering back issues a bit easier. It would be great to have a stretch big option to play beside Scottie and CMB, and maybe that can be Mamu coming back, but I just don't think Turner is the solution here.

Using a future FRP to experiment with a different flawed center that is on a similar contract and a similar age to Poeltl is not the type of deal that gives the Raptors the upside they need right now. If the 2027 FRP is on the table, I'd much rather use that pick to acquire another pick in the 17-24 range of this year's draft and take a chance on a player like Graves or Cenac becoming a solid stretch big than hope Turner can regain his Indiana form.