For the next month before the 2026 NBA Draft, we’ll take an in-depth look at different prospects here at Liberty Ballers and try to figure out which players would be the best fit for the Sixers at No. 22. Next up in this series is Santa Clara’s Allen Graves.
Graves is one of the more unlikely first-round prospects in this class, coming out of a mid-major program as a redshirt freshman at Santa Clara. He helped lead the Broncos to their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1996, quietly putting together
one of the finest freshman seasons in program history. His draft stock rose steadily throughout the year, and a solid combine showing has most mocks landing him right around pick 22. For the Sixers, his combination of size, floor spacing and connective playmaking makes him one of the more intriguing names to monitor as June approaches.
Profile
2023-24 Stats: 35 games, 22.6 minutes, 11.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.9 steals, 0.9 blocks, 51.2% FG, 41.3% 3P, 75% FT
Team: Santa Clara
Year: Freshman
Position: PF
Height & Weight: 6’7.75” | 226 lbs
Born: July 28, 2006 (19 years old)
Hometown: Ponchatoula, Louisiana
Strengths
The backstory on Allen Graves goes a long way in explaining why his game looks the way it does. He’s a former point guard who hit a late growth spurt and is now operating at 6’8″ to 6’9″, and the ball skills and feel he developed at a smaller position have carried over in a big way. He’s comfortable handling in the open floor, initiating offense in spurts, and making quick, unselfish decisions as a connector. For a frontcourt player, his passing ability is genuinely special. He sees the floor well, operates effectively out of the high post and short roll, and keeps the ball moving in a way that enhances team flow rather than disrupting it.
Graves beats you with skill and precision rather than raw athleticism, and his efficiency reflects that. He converted 51.7 percent from the field while maintaining strong shot discipline and a remarkably low 0.7 turnovers per game. He’s also a legitimate floor spacer, knocking down 41.6 percent from three on solid volume, with a smooth, repeatable release that he deploys with confidence both spotting up and stepping into shots. Defenses genuinely have to respect him from the perimeter, which opens up everything else he does.
His pick-and-roll work as the passer is one of the more underrated elements of his game. He reads defenses quickly, delivers accurate passes to rollers and shooters, and makes decisions at a pace that keeps offenses flowing. It’s a direct extension of his point guard background, and at his size it’s a pretty rare skill set to find in a frontcourt player.
Defensively, Graves brings a lot to the table as well. He has an estimated wingspan of plus four-to-five inches over his height, solid strength, a sturdy frame, and the mobility to guard multiple positions. His hands and defensive awareness stand out particularly. He generated nearly 2 steals and a block per game, impacts passing lanes consistently, and rebounds his position effectively at 6.5 per game. He’s a positional defender in the truest sense, using length, instincts and timing rather than gambling or overcommitting.
The bigger picture on Graves is that his combination of size, feel and versatility is genuinely uncommon. He impacts the game across the board without needing high usage, his metrics are strong across the board, and he’s still developing physically with a clear upward trajectory. The tools are already translatable. Given his age and learning curve, there’s evidence to suggest there’s plenty of upside to still tap into.
Weaknesses
The biggest question mark surrounding Graves is simply the level of competition he’s faced. He came off the bench at a mid-major program with limited exposure against elite talent, which makes it genuinely difficult to project how his game scales at the next level. The efficiency numbers are encouraging, but doing it against top competition night in and night out is a different ask entirely.
Offensively, the passivity is something to monitor. He can defer too often and has a tendency to look for the pass when he should be asserting himself as a scorer. For a player with his shooting ability and feel, that’s a bit of a wasted opportunity. Limited usage also raises fair questions about how his offensive game holds up when teams are scheming specifically for him and the margin for error shrinks.
Athletically, Graves is a functional athlete but not an explosive one. He doesn’t rely on burst or vertical pop, and finishing consistently over length in traffic could be a real challenge against NBA bigs. His frame needs toning and added strength, though there’s a clear path to improvement within an NBA strength and conditioning program. His free throw shooting at 75 percent is solid but leaves something to be desired given how clean his shooting mechanics are elsewhere.
Defensively, the tools are there but the consistency isn’t always. He can lose positioning off the ball and needs to sharpen his anticipation and awareness within team defensive schemes. His lateral mobility is adequate but not yet a strength, and guarding quicker players in space will be an area to develop. It’s worth noting those limitations likely played a role in his somewhat restricted minutes at the college level, and how quickly he addresses them will go a long way in determining his NBA trajectory.
The overall profile on Graves is that of a player who needs time. The skill set is real and the upside is genuine, but the path to consistent NBA contributions likely runs through a developmental period where he adjusts to the speed, strength and decision-making demands of the next level.
Positional Fit
There are things to like and not like when it comes to Graves’ positional fit at the next level. He measured 6’7.75″ barefoot, 225.6 lbs, with a 7’0″ wingspan and 8’10.5″ standing reach at the combine. His athleticism testing was somewhat underwhelming though, posting a 27.5 no-step vertical and 34.0 max vertical, numbers that won’t wow anyone and do raise some questions about his explosiveness at the next level.
Despite that, his profile remains intriguing because of what he brings skill-wise. He’s a former point guard who hit a late growth spurt, giving him advanced ball skills and feel uncommon for his size. Scouts project him as a modern stretch-four/point forward, one of the more coveted archetypes in today’s NBA. Comparisons to a better-shooting version of Draymond Green have been floated, with his guard background allowing him to function as a connective piece who can handle, pass, defend and space the floor.
Draft Projection
SB Nation mock draft: No. 22, Philadelphia 76ers
In this mock, the Sixers land the perfect combination of fit and upside, selecting analytics darling Graves at 22. Graves would slot in perfectly behind the backcourt duo of Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe, providing a mix of connective playmaking, rebounding and floor spacing. He will eventually need to sharpen his defensive skills to maximize his potential, but there would be no shortage of minutes in the short and long term for him to grow.
