The Rookie Travel Guide

AP Photo/Michael Woods, Kyle Terada/Imagn Images, David Banks/Imagn Images, Kirby Lee/Imagn Images, FIBA Basketball

In a rookie class as stacked as the 2026 draft is, it’s only right that certain players will be overshadowed by others. With an overabundance of guards and forwards leaving players falling farther than expected, it’s only right to buy their stock now. Before others realize how good these players are, it’s time to buy these players’ ‘island’ before it gets too overcrowded.

Brazile Beaches

While having the most raw skill set of all the players on this list, Trevon Brazile is also in the perfect system in Denver to become the hybrid defender he showed at times in Missouri and Arkansas.

In his collegiate career, Brazile, though having the athleticism of a Kangaroo let out of a cage, was never able to become a true threat on the perimeter to make him a monster to deal with. But in Denver, his skills defensively and his insane athleticism are what is needed the most right now in the Mile High City. Along with that, Denver already has the blueprint for how to develop a player like Brazile into an integral piece. That blueprint is Aaron Gordon.

Early in Gordon’s career in Orlando, he had the clear talent but was in a system that wanted him to become the number one option on their team. Once in Denver, Gordon quickly became in the perfect role as the anchor of their defense and a seamless fit next to Jokic with his athleticism and ability to cover Jokic’s deficiencies on defense. Brazile, like Gordon, has the defense and athleticism to not only cover Jokic’s flaws but also has the hope of becoming that he can develop the perimeter shooting that Gordon has built over the past two seasons.

Before being drafted, Brazile was an interesting project for a team looking for wing depth. In Denver, though, Brazile feels like the needed successor to Gordon as he continues to struggle with injuries.

‍ ‍

Burries Bayou

To put it simply, Brayden Burries is like a parent in a room of children. Unlike a lot of modern shooting guards who seem to either be primarily defensive-minded like Derrick White or just a pure scorer like Tyler Herro’s of the world. Burries is a perfect middle ground between both sides.

His ability to be a threat off the ball from timely cuts or spacing out for a three makes him a perfect complement next to more ball-dominant guards or guards that attract more defensive attention. Along with his offensive fit, though, Burries should not be the consistent option to go to when dealing with truly dominant offensive guards, but instead be a secondary guard most of the time on defense.

Burries never had the highlight plays like Darius Acuff had at Arkansas or the major scoring outputs that Keaton Wagler had, but out of all those guards, he’s the one that can be the most trusted to be a constant positive on the court.

Philon Pines

If we’re putting all the cards on the table, Philon was my favorite prospect in the entire draft.

The fall of Philon in the draft order makes sense. As a freshman, Philon emerged as a defense-minded off-ball guard who was a great complement to Mark Sears. In his sophomore season, he became one of the best scorers in all of college basketball, an archetype he never really showed at any point in his career up to this point. That change in role, while showing more dimension in his game, hurt how the league saw him.

The funny thing is that those same skills that raised executives’ eyebrows are the same that made him so enjoyable to watch. He showed two different roles in the league, and Philon would love to be in a similar role to his one this past year at Alabama; he also has shown to be that role player that contending teams want.

With that rapid change in role, the question of how he would fit on a team became a real question. In Philly, Philon is not even a starter on the team, but is closer to a role that suits his long-term upside. For likely only this season, Anfernee Simons is going to be the primary ball handler in bench lineups, but over time he can help the future backup point guard spot that has been a constant weakness for Philly. And with Simons here, he is just another good depth piece at the guard position that was incredibly thin last year.

Steinbach Shores

One trait sets Steinbach above everyone else: rebounding.

On both sides of the floor, Steinbach is a menace on the boards. In his age-19 season, Steinbach averaged nearly 12 rebounds a game, and while college players can have some inflated stats, rebounding at this rate at his age is just not normal.

Offensively, Steinbach has fundamental skills near the rim with good touch and has shown an ability to catch anything passed to him. The real treasure, though, is in what’s still developing. At Washington, the one piece on offense that stood out was his passing and his ability to keep the offense flowing when going up the court with the ball.

With his passing ability, it’s second nature at this point to compare players like this to the Sabonis and Sengun’s of the world, but watching Steinbach, the person who stands out the most for a future comparison is Isaiah Hartenstein. His rebounding and passing, specifically, are very reminiscent of Hartenstein’s dribble-hand-off work that he constantly uses.

Steinbach is still very much in development, but the skills Steinbach already displays early on are what have become so vital in a league that has moved far past the Robert Covington center minutes and reverted to size and physicality ruling in the paint. With that change in style now brings more value to wings and bigs, especially those who can do more than just a simple pick-and-roll action and Steinbach is just a microcosm of this shift in playstyle.

Graves Garden

Despite Masai Ujiri’s exit last offseason as head of Toronto’s front office, Bobby Webster and co. are following the same philosophy that Ujiri cemented in his tenure: draft long forwards. The upside of that philosophy has always been finding great players, and Allen Graves is another example. In a way that does not sound negative, Graves is a master of none. Graves fits perfectly in coach Darko Rajakovic’s system as a long-swing forward with good passing skills and a capable defender who can play next to nearly any player on this roster.

The swing skill for Graves comes from his shooting ability. In their loss to Cleveland in the first round, not only was shot creation a clear issue for Toronto, but perimeter shooting woes-which already were an issue in the regular season-became more apparent with the absence of Immanuel Quickley. What makes Graves such an intriguing player is that it only feels like a matter of time because of these traits that he will be a focal point in Toronto’s rotation. Just like Collin Murray-Boyles the season before, players like him who are just outright good at so many important skills always find a way to make an impact at the highest level.