2026 NBA Draft: CBS Sports predicts whether key players stay in draft or return to school

The 2026 NBA Draft Combine is well underway. Players have already had their measurements taken, gone through athletic testing and been through a full day of scrimmages.

That work is making it a little easier to get a gauge on who might stay in the 2026 NBA Draft versus who might withdraw and return to school. With that in mind, CBS Sports’ Isaac Trotter predicted who will stay and go at this point in the draft cycle.

As he notes, “these are not stone-cold locks, but let’s call them educated guesses at this point.” Let’s dive into his predictions below.

Amari Allen, Alabama

Prediction: Returning to School
Allen is one of the more intriguing players in the 2026 NBA Draft, in part because he has decent size. He measured in at a shade over 6-foot-5, with a 6-foot-8 wingspan and an 8-foot-3 standing reach.

The Crimson Tide product had a strong freshman season. He finished the year averaging 11.4 points, 6.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.0 steals per game. He shot 34.1% from 3-point range, which could use a little improvement.

Meleek Thomas, Arkansas

Prediction: Staying in Draft
Thomas didn’t check in with the best size at the combine, measuring 6-foot-3. He had a nearly 6-foot-7 wingspan and an 8-foot-4 standing reach. But there’s a lot to like about his game at this point.

The Arkansas star was an elite scorer as a freshman and an absolute sharpshooter. He finished averaging 15.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.5 steals across 37 games worth of action. He shot a blistering 41.6% from 3-point range.

Tounde Yessoufou, Baylor

Prediction: “No clue, but returning to college makes too much sense despite what his reps have pitched”
Nobody seems to know what Yessoufou will do, and his transfer portal entry was a bit surprising to some in the industry. He could very easily remain in the 2026 NBA Draft or choose to play just about anywhere in college next year.

Yessoufou starred for Baylor as a freshman. He averaged 17.8 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.0 steals and 1.6 assists per game. He checks in at a shade over 6-foot-4, with a 6-foot-10 wingspan and an 8-foot-7 standing reach.

Rueben Chinyelu, Florida

Prediction: Returning to School
The Florida center has impressed early on at the NBA Combine, with some very good measurements and a strong first scrimmage on Wednesday. Still, most projections have him going in the second round — with a few in the late first.

With that in mind, Chinyelu, who was the Defensive Player of the Year in 2026, might be better served returning to school for a year and entering a less stacked draft next year. He averaged 10.9 points, 11.2 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per game in 2025-26.

Flory Bidunga, Louisville

Prediction: Returning to School
Bidunga was one of the players in action on the first day of scrimmages and he turned in one of the most impressive performances. He logged eight points and 10 rebounds, while also dishing out two assists and recording a block.

Still, CBS Sports sees him returning to school for another year. He committed to Louisville out of the transfer portal after a strong season at Kansas in which he averaged 13.3 points, 9.0 rebounds, 2.6 blocks and 1.5 assists per game.

Morez Johnson, Michigan

Prediction: Staying in Draft
As far as measurements go, Johnson checked in at 6-foot-9, 250 pounds. He also had a 7-foot-3 wingspan and an 8-foot-11 standing reach. That aligns with the kind of impact he made for the national champions.

Johnson was a steady presence in the frontcourt for the Wolverines, starting all 40 games. He averaged 13.1 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.1 blocks per game. He even flashed a little bit of range out to the 3-point line at times.

Jeremy Fears Jr., Michigan State

Prediction: Returning to School
Fears had an efficient afternoon offensively on the first scrimmage day at the 2026 NBA Draft Combine. He scored 17 points on just seven shots, getting to the free-throw line eight times. That’s something we got used to seeing him do at Michigan State. He also dished out five assists, showing some nice court vision early on.

The Spartans pretty much went as Fears went during the 2025-26 season, and for good reason. Fears was exceptional, averaging 15.2 points, 9.4 assists, 2.4 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game. His passing ability was as good as anyone’s in the country.

Henri Veesaar, North Carolina

Prediction: Staying in Draft
Veesar checked in at the combine with excellent measurements. He was 6-foot-11 and some change, to go along with a 227-pound frame. He had a 7-foot-2 wingspan and a 9-foot-3 standing reach.

The former Arizona player, who transferred to North Carolina last season, had a breakout year in 2025-26. He logged 17.0 points, 8.7 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.2 blocks per game.

Jacob Cofie, USC

Prediction: Returning to School
Cofie had a relatively productive day in the first scrimmage at the 2026 NBA Draft Combine. He logged eight points on 3-of-8 shooting and also had a pair of rebounds, a pair of assists, a block and a steal.

The USC forward, who transferred in from Virginia, averaged 9.9 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. He also notched 1.9 assists, 1.8 blocks and just shy of a steal per game.

Dailyn Swain, Texas

Prediction: Staying in Draft
Swain checked in with pretty good size at the combine. He was measured at 6-foot-6 and some change, as well as 211 pounds. He featured a 6-foot-10 wingspan and a standing reach of over 8-foot-8.

The Texas standout, who previously spent two seasons playing for Xavier, broke out in the 2025-26 season. He averaged 17.3 points and 7.5 rebounds per game, to go along with 3.6 assists and 1.6 steals per contest.

Rest of the 2026 NBA Draft Decision Predictions

Koa Peat, Arizona – Draft
Billy Richmond, Arkansas – School
John Blackwell, Duke – School
Isaiah Evans, Duke – Draft
Andrej Stojakovic, Illinois – School
Milan Momcilovic, Iowa State – School (Potential Transfer)
Malachi Moreno, Kentucky – School
Matt Able, North Carolina – School
Allen Graves, Santa Clara (Transfer) – Draft
Ebuka Okorie, Stanford – Draft
Christian Anderson, Texas Tech – Draft
Tyler Tanner, Vanderbilt – School