Three Wildcats listed in new 2026 NBA Mock Draft

oweh quaintance 2 — Kentucky's Otega Oweh and Jayden Quaintance watched from the sideline during a recent practice. (Chet White/UK Athletics) Kentucky Men’s Basketball. Photo by Chet White | UK Athletics

If Bleacher Report‘s latest mock draft ends up being correct, Kentucky men’s basketball is going to have a hell of a season in 2025-26.

NBA Draft insider Jonathan Wasserman dropped a fresh, two-round 2026 NBA Mock Draft update on Tuesday morning. Three Wildcats were included among the 60 picks, including a projected top-five pick — you can probably guess who received that honor. The other two are mocked to the second round.

4. Jayden Quaintance | Brooklyn Nets
38. Kam Williams | Portland Trail Blazers
57. Otega Oweh | Houston Rockets

Look at any 2026 NBA Mock Draft and you won’t have to scroll long before finding Quaintance. The 6-foot-9 forward, who is still recovering from a torn ACL, is a consensus pick to land in the lottery as of right now. Most mocks, much like Bleacher Report, view him as a potential top-five selection. Remember that he only turned 18 years old in July. If Quaintance ends up being anywhere near a lottery pick during the upcoming season, Kentucky is going to be very good.

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But they might be even better if the projection for Kam Williams ends up coming true. If the 6-foot-8 wing from Tulane can perform like a borderline first-round pick as a true sophomore, it likely means he’s living up to his 3-and-D potential — and maybe even beyond that. On a roster overflowing with talent at Williams’ position, his rise to the top of the rotation would be a great sign for Kentucky’s ceiling.

As for Oweh, he returned to Kentucky for a senior season in hopes of boosting his draft stock. He’s improved every year he’s been in college, but at this stage, NBA scouts want to see him fine-tune his game. After an All-SEC Second Team season in 2024-25, Oweh is a likely pick for SEC Preseason Player of the Year. We know what he is; now it’s time for him to put it all together.