Santa Clara freshman forward Allen Graves is declaring for the 2026 NBA draft this week on social media, setting up the next step after a first college season that quickly made him one of the more intriguing players in the class. Graves, 19, started four of 35 games for the Broncos during the 2025-26 season, but he still emerged with enough production to get real attention from draft evaluators.
He averaged 11.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.9 steals and 1.8 assists in 22.6 minutes per contest while shooting.512 from the field,.413 from three-point range and.750 from the free throw line. He was named both the WCC's Freshman of the Year and its Sixth Man of the Year, rare recognition for a reserve. That combination has helped push Graves into the conversation as a potential first-round pick this spring if his pre-draft process goes well.
The latest sign of that interest came after the season, when Jeremy Woo of updated Graves to No. 32 overall on his newly revised big board. That placement matters because it puts him on the edge of first-round territory, where a strong workout run and interviews can change a player’s draft range quickly.
There is a wrinkle in the story that makes Graves harder to pin down than a typical award winner. He was a reserve for Santa Clara despite being a freshman, and he did most of his damage in limited minutes rather than as a full-time starter. That can leave scouts with one big question: how much more can he show when given a bigger role and a deeper look against NBA-caliber competition?
For now, the answer depends on the weeks ahead. Graves has already done enough at Santa Clara to earn notice, and the draft process will determine whether that notice turns into a guaranteed first-round landing spot or just the opening of a longer evaluation.
