After missing the NCAA Tournament for the third consecutive season, Ohio State fans got the thinnest of silver linings in the spring when they learned that Bruce Thornton, John Mobley Jr., and Devin Royal were all staying put in Columbus, rather than testing what they would be worth on the transfer portal.
Jake Diebler’s second Ohio State team may be returning the most talent of any Big Ten team, although the Buckeyes won’t get the benefit of the doubt from anyone in the industry considering their
lecent lack of winning.
While winning at the collegiate level and producing NBA talent don’t always correlate, the Buckeyes do have several players in the program that could find themselves on NBA Draft boards next summer.
Thornton entered the 2025 NBA Draft this summer, but withdrew before the deadline. Mobley was projected as a second-round pick for much of last season, but a tough end of the season that saw him shoot 27% from three over the final seven games dropped him out of mock drafts.
Devin Royal could be a promising NBA prospect if he develops a better perimeter shot this year. A’mare Bynum is also intriguing as a 6-foot-8, 220-pound forward that can stretch the floor.
Last week, Connor and Justin debated how Royal’s move to small forward would work out for Ohio State. Connor said that it may be a bit clunky at first, depending on well other players, like Brandon Noel and Christoph Tilly, blend in. Justin believes that the transition will be smooth, since Royal did show gradual improvement from the perimeter last year and the coaches can try to hide him in a zone defense if needed.
This week, the guys are debating if the Buckeyes will have any NBA draftees next season. It’s almost a guarantee that someone will declare for the draft when the season ends, but will any Buckeyes hear their name called?
This week’s question: Will Ohio State have any 2026 NBA draftees?
Connor: Yes — A’mare Bynum
The hype around Bynum has been steadily increasing over the past year. He went from one of the “other” recruits visiting campus last October the same weekend that top-50 recruit Jerry Easter was, to nearly being a top-50 recruit himself, in a matter of months.
Bynum went from barely being on Ohio State fans’ radar one year ago to being one of the most exciting players on the 2025-2026 roster. In fact, with the benefit of hindsight, some Ohio State fans may prefer to have Bynum than Easter now, since Easter’s recruiting rankings went in the opposite direction as Bynum in the spring, and the latter is a 6-foot-8 power forward with an improving jumper.
While Bynum won’t begin the year in the starting lineup, there will be games where it looks like he absolutely needs to be, and there will be pressure from the fans for Jake Diebler to move him into it at some point. However, for the first time in several years, Ohio State’s success won’t completely hinge on whether a freshman can carry a large amount of water for the Buckeye basketball program.
If he completely breaks out and forces himself into the starting lineup, wonderful. If not, Bynum will be able to grow and improve without massive expectations.
At 6-foot-8 and over 220 pounds, Bynum has the opportunity to develop into a modern NBA forward who can score at all three levels. His passing ability, especially when he gets trapped near the basket, improved tremendously during his senior year of high school. 247Sports’ Eric Bossi described Bynum as a “high motor” player who brings maximum effort to every play, and that he will benefit if he can pair those qualities with more muscle in college.
Fortunately for Bynum, NBA teams don’t draft solely on college production or stats. They draft on potential as well, and the Ohio State freshman has a ton of it. If you want a good comparison, look no further than this year’s 14th pick in the draft, Carter Bryant.
Bryant, a 6-foot-8, 225-pound versatile forward, appeared in 37 games last year for Arizona, starting five games. He averaged 6.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, and one assist per game while shooting 37.1% from three-point range as a freshman.
Bynum profiles as a very similar player, and expecting him to average a similar line per game isn’t unreasonable at all. June 2026 is a long ways away, but if I had to make a prediction, Bynum is joining the list of Ohio State freshmen to get drafted ahead of schedule.
Justin: No
I think there are three possible NBA players on the 2025-26 roster, but none of them are 2026 NBA draftees. Let’s look at who is a possibility and why I don’t think they will be drafted in 2026…
Bruce Thornton is an amazing college point guard, and I could see him getting a spot on a summer league team, but I don’t think he will be drafted. I think Devin Royal and Amare Bynum are both one year away from being drafted, and could benefit off that extra year to boost their stock.
The best possible guy the Buckeyes could send to the draft is sophomore John Mobley, but I also think he is one year away from being drafted.
According to NBA Draft Room, their writeup of Mobley said:
“Mobley Jr. is a special, special shooter. He’s one of the premier shooters in college basketball and can get flaming hot from downtown. He’s not the biggest player but has some bulk/strength and can handle contact. His elite 3pt shooting ability sets up his dribble-drive game and he’s much more than just a 3pt specialist.
They went on to say, “by NBA standards he’s undersized and not an elite athlete. His clear NBA skill is his outside shooting ability but the question is if that will be enough to get him on a NBA court. He’s on track to becoming a great college player and should earn a lot of good NIL money before jumping to the draft.”
Mobley, Royal and Bynum are all possible NBA players and prospects, but I think they would all benefit from one more year. With NIL, it is worth it to come back to school if you can up your draft stock from a second rounder to a possible late first rounder.
