Braden Smith NBA Mock Draft scouting report: Purdue’s assist wizard has shown he belongs in NBA originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Nobody has thrown more assists in Division I men’s basketball than Braden Smith. The talented Purdue point guard broke Bobby Hurley’s 33-year record as a senior, recording his record-breaking 1,077th career assist in the first round of the 2026 NCAA tournament.
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Those passes weren’t empty calories either. Smith was the head of the snake for a Purdue offense that was No. 1 in the country as the Boilers earned a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
After four years of college ball, Smith will have his sights set on the next level. The track record isn’t great for 6-0 point guards drafted into the NBA, but his outstanding resume will lead to some team taking a chance on him.
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Braden Smith stats
|
Stat |
Average |
|
Points |
14.3 |
|
Rebounds |
3.5 |
|
Assists |
9.0 |
|
Blocks |
0.2 |
|
Steals |
1.7 |
|
Field goal % |
44.8 |
|
3-point % |
36.7 |
|
Free throw % |
83.0 |
Braden Smith height, weight, year
Braden Smith strengths
Smith is the best passer in college basketball. He can throw every pass in the book. He’s got nice touch on lobs, he finds clever angles, and he’s particularly adept at whipping behind-the-back bounce passes to rollers.
Smith puts his footprint on every game. He controls the flow, rarely making mistakes. He can beat all types of coverages, and he’s seen them all. Against drop, he has a killer in-between game that punishes slow big men. When defenses play more aggressively, he is very good at either splitting between defenders or getting outside the edge of their containment strategies.
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Smith is a bit of an old school throwback, thriving on pull-up midrange shots. He’s hitting an excellent 51.3 percent of his 2-point jumpers, and he takes a lot of them. He’s deadly around the elbows.
Smith is a good 3-point shooter, hitting 36.7 percent from deep on the season. That’s actually a down year for him. He’s at 38.7 percent over his four-year career. He’s a dangerous threat off the ball, where he’s knocked down an extremely impressive 45.5 percent of his catch-and-shoot 3’s.
Smith is going to win games with his high feel. He rarely makes mistakes, and the results speak for themselves. He’s started every game for Purdue, they’ve had very good offenses, and they’ve won a ton. He consistently elevates his teammates, setting them up in the best possible positions and making winning plays.
SN AWARDS: All-America team | Player of the Year | Coach of the Year
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Braden Smith weaknesses
Smith’s size is the No. 1 issue that NBA teams are worried about. He’s listed at a generous 6-0, which poses an obvious problem when he is switched onto bigger defenders. He doesn’t have plus athleticism to make up for that lack of size.
Those physical limitations show up in other areas too. Smith isn’t a great finisher at the rim. He isn’t aggressive in looking for layup opportunities, preferring to keep his dribble alive and look for passes or shoot a midrange pull-up.
When he gets big men on a switch, he can get up a decent shot one-on-one. But he’s not the type of player to be able to create in isolation over and over. When he gets the ball late in the clock, he’s probably taking a tough contested midrange fadeaway.
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Smith is an older prospect and obviously less dynamic than a number of the freshman point guards in this draft class. Teams are going to want to take a chance on guys like Darius Acuff Jr., Kingston Flemings, Labaron Philon, or Mikel Brown Jr. before going for a soon-to-be 23-year-old with limited upside.
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Braden Smith NBA Mock Draft projection
Mock Draft projection: Early second round
Smith didn’t land inside the top 30 picks in our mock draft and most others as well. There are simply too many talented guards in this class with more upside. He will get drafted though, likely within the first 10 picks of the second round.
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Just because Smith doesn’t go early in the draft doesn’t mean he won’t be an NBA player. He should be a good backup and ready to play immediately thanks to his polished skill set.
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Braden Smith NBA player comparison
Plays like: T.J. McConnell
McConnell is an undersized point guard, but he’s played for over a decade by having one of the best motors in the game. Like Smith, he’s a midrange pull-up master who can also hit open 3’s. He’s a pest on defense and incredibly smart, waiting in the backcourt to pick off inbounds passes or press up on opposing guards.
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Smith has a chance to be a better version of McConnell. He’s a better 3-point shooter and has better court vision. Both win by feel. McConnell’s motor is among the best in the league. Nobody can replicate it, but Smith can get close.
There is always a place in the NBA for floor generals that make teammates better. Smith probably won’t be an All-Star. But like McConnell, he can be a useful rotation piece for a championship contender.
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