By statistics, Braden Smith is a sure fire NBA prospect.
Purdue basketball’s four-year starting point guard has one notable number though that has NBA mock drafts hesitant to include the NCAA’s all-time assist leader as a first-round pick.
He measured 5-foot-10 1/2 at the NBA Draft Combine last month.
The last player selected under six feet was Shane Larkin in 2013. Smith will likely break that 13-year drought, but unlike Larkin, selected 18th overall, Smith is projected as a second-round pick by national outlets.
If he’s selected, Smith will become the second player from Purdue’s 2024 national runner-up team drafted, joining 2024’s No. 9 overall pick Zach Edey. Trey Kaufman-Renn, a three-year starter for the Boilermakers, including that during their 2024 run, is projected by Yahoo! as the 59th overall pick to Minnesota.
Braden Smith in NBA mock drafts
While Kaufman-Renn is slotted by a couple national pundits as a late second-round pick, Smith has a consensus draft projection.
Where might he go? Here’s a look at where a few outlets have Smith slotted.
ESPN: 35th by the San Antonio Spurs
USA Today: 38th by the Chicago Bulls
Yahoo!: 43rd by the Brooklyn Nets
How to watch NBA draft
The first round of the 2026 NBA Draft on Tuesday, June 23 will be televised on ABC and ESPN at 8 p.m. ET. The second round on Wednesday, June 24 will be on ESPN.
Fans can also stream both nights of the draft on ESPN Unlimited, the ESPN app and on Fubo.
Stream the NBA draft with Fubo
Braden Smith college stats
Aside from leading Purdue in assists for four seasons, en route to 1,103 in his career, Smith led the Boilers in scoring last season for a team that went 30-9 and advanced to the Elite Eight. A two-time consensus first-team All-American, Smith also was named Big Ten Player of the Year in 2025 along with being that season’s Bob Cousy Award winner for the nation’s top point guard. He was the 2026 Big Ten Tournament MVP.
Smith and fellow Purdue guard Fletcher Loyer started all 149 games over the past four seasons.
Here’s Smith’s season averages year by year:
2022-23: 9.7 points, 4.4 assists, 4.2 rebounds, 1.2 steals, 43.8% FG, 37.6% 3-point FG, 86.8% FT
2023-24: 12.0 points, 7.5 assists, 5.8 rebounds, 1.6 steals, 44.1% FG, 43.1% 3-point FG, 79.5% FT
2024-25: 15.8 points, 8.7 assists, 4.5 rebounds, 2.2 steals, 42.8% FG, 38.1% 3-point FG, 83.3% FT
2025-26: 14.3 points, 8.8 assists, 3.5 rebounds, 1.7 steals, 44% FG, 36.2% 3-point FG, 82.5% FT
Career: 13.0 points, 7.4 assists, 4.5 rebounds, 1.7 steals, 43.6% FG, 38.5% 3-point FG, 83.2% FT
Sam King covers sports for the Journal & Courier. Email him at sking@jconline.com and follow him on X and Instagram @samueltking.
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Where will Purdue basketball’s Braden Smith be selected in NBA Draft?
Reporting by Sam King, Lafayette Journal & Courier / Lafayette Journal & Courier
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By Sam King, Lafayette Journal & Courier | USA TODAY Network
