The 2026-27 NBA season is nearly here, with Opening Night less than a week away.
So far, the first-round rookies have been the talk of the preseason town, with plenty getting off to hot starts. Though the league's newest crop of second round picks shouldn't be forgotten ahead of their debut year.
Below are five second-round picks who could stand out in Year 1:
Bruce Thornton, Rockets
A compromise given that former Ohio State standout Bruce Thornton was just one pick removed from being a first-round pick, he should be primed to infuse the Rockets’ backcourt with talent.
He’s already shown off his scoring prowess in preseason, doing so at all three levels.
Houston is likely to be in solid shape with Fred VanVleet returning, and the continue development of young players. Though Thornton’s experience and talent should still help him to see the floor early in his career.
Trevon Brazile, Nuggets
Drafted at No. 35, former Arkansas’ forward Trevon Brazile makes the perfect prospect to target for a Nikola Jokic teammate.
Jokic is among not just the best passers in the league, but best passers of all time, able to connect offense all over the court. He helps shooters, play-finishers, transition threats and more, all of which Brazile can do in moderation.
At 6-foot-10, Brazile is a great run-and-jump athlete who can hit triples, rebound and defend, making him the perfect prospect to slide in beside a former two-time MVP.
Ryan Conwell, Heat
The Heat, now armed with Giannis Antetokounmpo, are in desperate need of 3-point shooting. Especially with their second-best player in Bam Adebayo not offering much in the way of spacing.
Even right after Giannis’s addition, the Heat were aware of that fact, adding a sharpshooter in Ryan Conwell at the 2026 draft.
In his final college season, Conwell attempted 17.5 3-pointers per 100 possessions, and should have plenty of the same opportunities in Miami.
Meleek Thomas, Cavaliers
Another former Arkansas product, Meleek Thomas slid into the second round on draft night, but has so far performed like a first-round talent. He was among the best players in all of Summer League, leading even more veteran players in scoring.
He’s now seen two double-digit scoring games in preseason, and could carve out a nice Year 1 niche in Cleveland.
Tyler Nickel, Knicks
Drafted late in the second round, Tyler Nickel offers a fairly unique skillset as far as wings go. In his last year at Vanderbilt he shot 7.6 3-pointers per game, taking only 2.5 2-pointers.
He is a blistering shooter, having hit 40% of shots from beyond the arc. Even the defending champions need 3-point shooting in the back-end rotation, and Nickel could provide just that if he can hit his shots.
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