New NBA mock draft projects Malachi Moreno as a first round pick

We have officially entered mock draft SZN — and an important name continues to pop up.

The latest comes from Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports, who released his updated 2026 NBA mock draft on Friday. A highly detailed guide that includes all 60 picks, O’Connor provided team fits, attributes, and player comparisons for every single selection. Three Kentucky players made his list, too.

The one the Big Blue Nation cares most about, though, is Malachi Moreno. The rising sophomore is coming off an All-SEC Freshman campaign with the Wildcats in 2025-26. He’s currently going through the pre-draft process and will participate in the Draft Combine, which runs from May 10-17 in Chicago. He has until May 27 at 11:59 p.m. ET to either keep his name in the draft pool or return to UK. The expectation has always been that he’ll go with the latter, but all eyes will be on him over the coming weeks as he goes through this process.

O’Connor has Moreno going to the New York Knicks with the 24th pick, comparing the Georgetown native to the likes of Jarrett Allen and Cody Zeller. This is the first mock from a notable name to project Moreno, who worked out for the Knicks a few days ago, as a first-round pick. Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report slotted Moreno at 31st (the first pick of the second round) in his newest mock earlier this week.

Here is what O’Connor had to say about Moreno and his potential fit with the Knicks.

“Moreno worked out for the Knicks this week, which is quite an intriguing storyline to monitor since he’s only testing the draft waters,” O’Connor wrote. “But he’s also a hot name since he has an NBA frame at only 19 years old: 7-feet, 250 pounds. He does the baseline things as a big man with above-the-rim finishing, hard-nosed rebounding, and stout rim protection. He also adds a layer as a passer, showing an advanced feel for the game and for manipulating defenders. It’s important for him to improve his touch as a finisher and as a shooter, but he’s in a good place for his age with skills that should be translatable to the next level.

“There’s a strong chance that he works his way into the first round, and with Mitchell Robinson entering free agency this summer it would make sense for the Knicks to find a replacement.”

Whether or not you agree with O’Connor’s assessment of Moreno is another conversation. The notable part is his belief that Moreno is trending upward on Big Boards. O’Connor isn’t the first draft reporter to say something similar. But it does seem odd that the Knicks would look to replace Mitchell Robinson, a much more athletic center than Moreno, with a teenager while trying to compete for a championship. That part doesn’t quite pass the smell test.

Regardless, the expectation remains that Moreno will return to Kentucky. Keep in mind that a return deal is already in place. Head coach Mark Pope even said publicly this week in one of his fan Q&A videos that he expects his big man back in Lexington for the 2026-27 season.

“Malachi Moreno was the number one priority for us going into this portal season,” Pope said. “We think that he’s going to be the best center in all of college basketball next year here at Kentucky.”

While that’s reassuring to hear, everyone will be waiting on pins and needles for Moreno to officially announce his return to Kentucky. There are still 19 more days until the withdrawal deadline.

What about Oweh and Quaintance?

I’m glad you asked. Let’s start with Jayden Quaintance, who is actually projected by O’Connor to go five picks after Moreno, landing with the Cleveland Cavaliers at pick No. 29. The athletic big man’s stock has fallen off after playing just four games during his lone season at Kentucky, but he remains a consensus first-round pick as of right now. O’Connor noted that Quaintance’s injury included a torn ACL, a meniscus tear, and a fractured knee.

As for Otega Oweh, O’Connor has the high-scoring guard just sneaking into the back-end of the draft, going to the Minnesota Timberwolves with the 59th overall pick. O’Connor compares him to Josh Okogie and labels him as a downhill attacker who “got that dawg in him”. Here’s what O’Connor wrote about Oweh in his team fit breakdown.

“As a 6-foot-5 wing with a strong frame, Oweh became one of the best slashing wings in college basketball and had one of the great games of the season with 35/8/7 against Santa Clara in the opening round of March Madness with a buzzer-beater to force overtime. At the next level, though, he doesn’t project to be a primary creator because of his shaky handle and jumper, so the odds are he’ll need to adapt as a role player. Fortunately, he has a ton of those skills as a cutter, connective passer, and versatile defender.”

Oweh’s success in the NBA might have to come on the defensive side, at least at first. But he’s someone who could easily carve out a lengthy pro career if he adapts to that role. Oweh’s stock could greatly benefit from a productive couple of weeks heading into the Combine.