Chris Cenac Jr. mock draft: Final prediction for Houston star on draft day

Follow along for live rumors and news from around the league on NBA draft day.

It's almost time for Chris Cenac Jr. to learn where he'll begin his professional career. The 2026 NBA Draft begins on Tuesday night and Houston fans will be paying close attention.

Following the NBA draft combine and weeks of pre-draft workouts , front offices will finalize their decisions this evening. After extensive conversations with folks around the league, we have more intel on when each prospect might hear their name called during draft nights at Barclays Center for the first round on June 23 and and the second on June 24.

Our mock draft includes data from CBB Analytics . We also spoke with P3 , a sports science and athletic training company that uses biomechanical data and movement profiling to evaluate players and project NBA outcomes, to better understand how certain prospects translate physically to the next level.

While news of two big trades broke late night on Monday, June 22 - one involving Giannis Antetokounmpo and the other involving Julius Randle - neither can be executed until July 6 at 12:01 p.m. ET, which is the start of the new league year. So, those 2026 picks remain with their current teams in our mock draft, although those teams will be selecting players on behalf of their trade partners.

Following conversations with decision-makers around the league and other trusted reporting, here are our latest prediction for the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Chris Cenac Jr. 2026 NBA Draft prediction: Pick No. 17 overall, Oklahoma City Thunder

Kalbrosky's Analysis:

Regardless of whether or not the Thunder trade this pick, one name to consider is Chris Cenac Jr., whose range begins around No. 14 overall. Cenac played into his role and caught fire at the perfect time. In his first NCAA tournament game, the big man recorded a season-high 18 rebounds while also knocking down a 3-pointer and grabbing a steal. 'I got to earn my minutes. I got to do the little things … Defending, rebounding, spacing the floor,” Cenac told USA TODAY Sports. "Whatever team takes me… they're getting a winning player that loves winning and is going to buy into whatever to help that team win." Cenac also impressed at the NBA Combine, posting a 37-inch max vertical and strong agility numbers for his size. P3 places Cenac within its 'bigs plus” model, a rare archetype combining traditional size with wing-like mobility. Evaluators pointed to his 'unique tools” and described him as a potential 'matchup nightmare” due to his movement profile and physical traits, which suggest his significant untapped upside.

See USA TODAY's final, two-round mock draft here

Chris Cenac Jr. player profile

• Position: Forward-Center
• Previous Team: Houston
• 9.5 points per game
• 7.5 rebounds per game
• 0.8 assists per game
• 49.3 field goal percentage
• 34.5 three-point field goal percentage

2026 Oklahoma City Thunder mock draft roundup

• April 6: Hannes Steinbach / Karim Lopez
• April 13: Aday Mara / Karim Lopez
• April 28: Aday Mara / Karim Lopez
• May 8: Aday Mara / Nate Ament
• May 10: Aday Mara / Nate Ament
• May 19: Aday Mara / Nate Ament
• May 28: Aday Mara / Nate Ament
• June 8: Nate Ament / Chris Cenac Jr.
• June 15:Nate Ament / Chris Cenac Jr. / Richie Saunders

Slashes indicate multiple first round selections

2026 NBA Draft first round order

1. Washington Wizards
2. Utah Jazz
3. Memphis Grizzlies
4. Chicago Bulls
5. Los Angeles Clippers (via IND)
6. Brooklyn Nets
7. Sacramento Kings
8. Atlanta Hawks (via NOP)
9. Dallas Mavericks
10. Milwaukee Bucks
11. Golden State Warriors
12. Oklahoma City Thunder (via LAC)
13. Milwaukee Bucks (via MIA)
14. Charlotte Hornets
15. Chicago Bulls (via POR)
16. Memphis Grizzlies (via PHX)
17. Oklahoma City Thunder (via PHI)
18. Charlotte Hornets (via ORL)
19. Toronto Raptors
20. San Antonio Spurs (via ATL)
21. Detroit Pistons (via MIN)
22. Philadelphia 76ers (via HOU)
23. Atlanta Hawks (via CLE)
24. New York Knicks
25. Los Angeles Lakers
26. Denver Nuggets
27. Boston Celtics
28. Brooklyn Nets (via DET)
29. Cleveland Cavaliers (via SAS)
30. Dallas Mavericks (via OKC)