2027 NBA draft big board rankings: Top 100 prospects - ESPN

The 2027 NBA draft cycle is underway, with college basketball tipping off this week. It's time for an initial, informed look at the 2027 class, a group that will pose a stiff test for NBA teams as we learn more about these prospects in the coming months.

NBA teams have anticipated 2027 to be a down draft cycle for several reasons, chief among them that this year's incoming freshman class is considered weaker than the past few. That doesn't mean teams won't prioritize younger talent early in the draft as they usually do. It does leave more room for older prospects to rise the board, and for returning prospects to solidify themselves.

This group of college freshmen, headlined by projected No. 1 pick Tyran Stokes, will likely test scouts' patience all season, as not many are expected to be ready to initially play positive minutes. Coupled with the fact that college basketball is loaded with older players due to the NCAA's new five-year eligibility rule, younger players will require especially nuanced evaluation from NBA teams as the season goes on.

The reality is that most of the players on this list will end up back in college next season, with Division I programs now capable of paying top players well above the contractual slot value of being a first-round pick. That change in incentives will presumably thin out the first round come spring, and the fifth year of eligibility granted to NCAA prospects is expected to drastically impact the overall depth of the second.

The 2027 draft will also be the first to be under the NBA's new lottery rules designed to curb tanking. The new system increases the variance in team selection position, a dynamic that will further complicate this draft, with the worst teams now able to fall