Braden Smith is a right-handed point guard who can really execute a pick-and-roll. Smith finished his college career as the NCAA all-time assists leader. He averaged 14.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, 8.8 assists, and 1.7 steals per game while shooting 38.5% from three-point range for his career and 83.2% from the free throw line. He was named First Team All-Big Ten, First Team All-America by the NABC, and was MVP of the 2025-26 Big Ten Tournament. At 5'10" with a 6'3.25" wingspan and a 166-pound frame, Smith is very small by NBA standards. That will be the obvious concern. However, he has the required toughness to compete in the NBA. Smith hustles, plays hard, gets on the floor for loose balls, and is good at digging down on bigs. He held his own defensively, with a DEFRTG that was only 0.3 points worse than Purdue’s team DEFRTG.
Offensively, Smith’s command is the selling point. He sees the floor, manipulates defenders, and consistently creates quality looks for teammates. As a scorer, he relies more on a variety of runners and floaters in the mid-range than finishing directly at the rim. He also played through discomfort and finished third in Big Ten career minutes played, which speaks to both endurance and toughness. Smith jumped a 38.5" max vertical at the 2026 NBA Draft Combine, showing more athletic pop than his size might suggest. The physical limitations are real, but the feel, shooting, toughness, pick-and-roll craft, and playmaking are all strong. We view Smith as a potential top-tier reserve point guard in the NBA, and we anticipate him being selected in the 35-40 range.
