Florida Trio Headline ESPN 2027 NBA Draft Board
Florida’s big three have a chance to make NBA draft history.
Thomas Haugh, Rueben Chinyelu and Alex Condon all earned spots on ESPN’s 2027 NBA draft big board.
Haugh, the Preseason SEC Player of the Year, is ranked the highest of the three at No. 9. He was projected to be a lottery pick last year, but opted to return to Florida for his final season. In his junior season, he averaged 17.1 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game.
The 6-foot-9 forward decided he still had more to give to the city of Gainesville, especially after the Gators were shocked by Iowa, 73-72, in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Haugh insisted it was more than money that brought him back on ESPN’s SportsCenter.
Condon follows at No. 22. He was projected in a similar spot at 28 in the 2026 NBA draft, per Jeremy Woo’s mock draft on ESPN. Last season, he averaged 15.1 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game. Similar to Haugh, the loss to Iowa sparked his desire to come back to Florida.
Condon is also working to improve his 3-point shooting to strengthen his NBA draft stock. He shot 17% from beyond the arc last season, down from 32.8% in his sophomore year.
Chinyelu, the reigning national Defensive Player of the Year, comes in at No. 47. Had he declared for the 2026 draft, he was expected to go late in the second round. Draft positioning was a huge factor in Chinyelu’s decision to return to college basketball.
If all three are selected, it would mark just the third time in program history that Florida has had at least three players picked in the same NBA draft.
In 2007, the Gators won the national championship and sent five players to the draft. Three were selected in the top 10.
Al Horford was selected with the third overall pick to the Atlanta Hawks. The All-NBA player would go on to make five All-Star appearances, win a championship with the Boston Celtics in 2024 and set the record for most career playoff games won before a championship at 186.
Corey Brewer was selected with the seventh overall pick to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Brewer played 13 seasons and won a championship with the Dallas Mavericks in 2011.
Two spots later, the Chicago Bulls selected Joakim Noah with the ninth pick. Noah earned two All-Star selections, and won the 2014 Defensive Player of the Year award while being named All-NBA first team. He played 13 seasons in the league before retiring in 2021.
In the second round, Chris Richard went to the Minnesota Timberwolves with the 41st pick and Taureen Green was taken with the 52nd pick to the Portland Trail Blazers.
After Florida won a championship in 2025, the Gators had multiple players taken in the first two rounds.
Walter Clayton Jr. was selected with the 18th pick to the Washington Wizards then traded to the Utah Jazz. After spending his rookie season in Utah and Memphis, Clayton signed a two-way contract with the Dallas Mavericks. He’s averaging 7.3 points and 3.3 assists per game.
Alijah Martin was selected in the second round. With the 39th pick, he was selected to the Toronto Raptors.
Martin is still in Toronto after being picked 39th overall by the Raptors. He scored 27 points Friday in Toronto’s 121-107 win at the Milwaukee Bucks.
Will Richard was then selected with the 56th overall pick by the Memphis Grizzlies and traded to the Golden State Warriors. He is averaging 5.1 points and 1.8 rebounds per game.
With another season under their belts, Haugh, Condon and Chinyelu have the chance to chase another national championship while cementing their legacies in Florida’s NBA draft history.
Category: Gator Sports, Gators Men's Basketball, NBA
