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Texas guard Dailyn Swain declares for 2026 NBA Draft

Grant Grubbs Profile Pictureby: Grant Grubbs04/07/26grant_grubbs_

Texas guard Dailyn Swain has declared for the 2026 NBA Draft, per ESPN’s Jonathan Givony. Swain started in all 25 of his appearances for the Longhorns this past season.

He averaged 17.3 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game, while shooting 54.2% from the field and 34.4% from beyond the arc. For his efforts, he was named the SEC Newcomer of the Year, as well as an all-conference second-team selection.

Swain followed head coach Sean Miller to Texas last offseason after spending the first two years of his collegiate career at Xavier. Swain only averaged 4.6 points per game as a true freshman in the 2023-24 season.

However, the 6-foot-8 standout made significant strides in his sophomore season and averaged 11.0 points per contest. Swain scored double figures in all four of Texas’ NCAA Tournament games this past season.

After being one of the last four teams to earn an at-large bid, Swain propelled the Longhorns on an improbable run to the Sweet Sixteen. After Texas’ season-ending loss to Purdue, Sean Miller raved about Swain.

“For Dailyn, the season that he had… is remarkable when you consider that he led us in five categories and just really did just virtually everything for our team, which included even today. Just a remarkable season from start to finish,” Miller said.

Dailyn Swain played high school basketball at Columbus Africentric Early College (OH), where he was a four-star prospect. He was the No. 84 overall player and No. 17 small forward in the 2023 recruiting cycle, according to the Rivals Industry Rankings.

In ESPN’s latest mock draft, Jeremy Woo projected Swain to be the No. 29 overall pick. If Woo is correct, it’ll be the second consecutive year a Texas player has heard his name called in the first round. The Washington Wizards selected Tre Johnson with the No. 6 overall pick last year.

“Swain has been a gradual riser as a toolsy wing amid a strong individual season,” Woo wrote in March. “Swain has to develop as a shooter to play without the ball, with his current high-usage role at Texas expected to scale down in the NBA. Evaluators are mixed on his upside, but it’s the type of chance a team might take in this range.”