The 2026 NBA Draft Combine is underway, and we’re gonna milk this thing for content. Teams and prospects have convened in Chicago to go through the whole rigamarole of physical tests, anthropometric measurements, shooting drills, scrimmages, interviews, and whatever else NBA teams think will inform them about the merits of different prospects. The anthropometric measurements are the first things to be made fully available, so let’s see which players had the best and worst days while getting sized up.

Winners

Cam Boozer

Boozer is outside the Hornets draft range, but in the interest of overall draft discussion, I thought it was interesting to include him. Boozer’s game is pretty reminiscent of the power forwards of yesteryear, but his size might quell concerns about his ability to stretch his game to the perimeter, especially defensively. He measured at 6’8.5″ with a 7’1.5″ wingspan and a 9′ standing reach. At over 250 pounds, that makes him big enough to play some center and provides a nice fallback if he struggles to guard more perimeter oriented fours in the NBA.

Aday Mara

Now this one is right up the Hornets’ alley. Mara has been a frequent mock target for Charlotte, and that’s only going to get reinforced by the fact that he actually measured as big as he was listed in college. He came in at 7’3″ with a 7’6″ wingspan and a 9’9″ standing reach. The standing reach is tied with our old pal Mark Williams for the second tallest in NBA combine history. He is a massive human being. That along with his skill set is going to be very appealing to the Hornets front office.

Karim Lopez

Lopez is bigger than I thought he was. He measured at 6’8.5″ with a 6’11.5″ wingspan and the widest hands at the combine. He’s typically been cast as a wing, but he’s big enough to be a forward, and that versatility is going to make it easier for him to find a spot with his motor and burgeoning skill set.

Tarris Reed Jr.

Reed also measured bigger than I expected. At 6’9.75″ with a 7’4.25″ wingspan, he’s plenty big enough to be an energy big in the NBA, especially considering he’s already nearly 265 pounds.

Morez Johnson and Dailyn Swain

Lumping both together because they’re winners for the same reasons. Both are going to be drafted with hopes of getting elite defenders that can guard multiple positions. Both measured with plus wingspans that further the notion that they can be menaces on the defensive end of the floor.

Losers

Kingston Flemings

Like Boozer, Flemings is going to be out of range for the Hornets. Or at least he should be. But his measurements are going to raise some alarm bells. He’s 6’2.5″ without shoes, which is fine for a point guard. His 6’3.5″ wingspan and 183 pound frame are less than ideal for a guard whose main calling card is supposed to be his defense. His production and tape are going to speak for themselves at a point, but teams are going to be wary of how well he can translate that to the NBA if he’s physically overmatched, a la Reed Sheppard.

Emanuel Sharp

We’ll stick with Houston for the next one. Sharp has held steady as a second round prospect for this 3&D potential, but he’s very small for that role. He’s a quarter inch taller than Flemings with a shorter wingspan. He’s basically the size of a point guard when he’s supposed to be a 3&D guard/wing.

Koa Peat

Peat was expected to come in at a tweener size, and that’s what happened. He’s 6’7″ with a 6’11” wingspan and 8’8″ standing reach. That’s right around what you’d expect from a four but very short if he’s going to get limited to the five. He furthered the concerns by absolutely bombing the 3-point shooting later in the day on Monday. It’s going to be hard for teams to figure out how to utilize him.

All in all, kudos to the colleges for accurately reporting their players’ size nowadays. Usually we get a handful of guys who are shockingly small relative to their listed size. That doesn’t really seem to happen much anymore.