[The following scouting report is part of a series on potential 2026 draft prospects from Sports Business Classroom alumni.]
Braden Smith
Frame: 6’0”, 180 lbs
Position: Guard
Team: Purdue Boilermakers
2026 Draft Age: 22
Stats via sports-reference.com
Offense
Smith is a crafty, playmaking guard who has thrived in Purdue’s complex half-court offense during his time there. He is one of the older guards in this year’s draft class, but he more than makes up for it with poise, skill, and shot-making ability. Smith has been an instrumental part of the Boilermakers’ efficient offense, posting a 23.7 usage rate while maintaining strong efficiency.
Smith is a high-level shot maker from all areas of the court. He’s shooting 42.9 percent from three on nearly four attempts per game. He can get his shot off in a variety of ways, going off the dribble in both directions or off the catch. He can also convert contested looks thanks to his balance and body control. He is comfortable fading over both shoulders to evade a defender’s reach.
His shot mechanics are fundamentally sound and repeatable. His shot path can drift across to the middle or left side of his body, but this adjustment helps him reach a higher release point. Once he gets to that release point, it’s a quick trigger with a picture-perfect follow-through. He prefers to gather on a hop, which can slow his release time, but allows him to generate more power and lift to get shots off in contested situations.
Smith is a versatile and accurate passer, as well. He showcases near-ambidextrous comfort, making pocket passes in tight windows, skip passes that land directly in a shooter’s pocket, or lob passes placed where only his teammate can reach them. He will even use spin when necessary to manipulate the trajectory of the ball on post-entry passes. He’s posted an assist percentage of 45.7 while maintaining a 3.02 assist-to-turnover ratio, operating with a high level of efficiency as a playmaker.
He can occasionally get flustered by traps due to his size, though. And he will sometimes rely on jump passes to move the ball more quickly and see over the defense. Jump passes inherently carry risk and can be intercepted regardless of accuracy.
Smith looks extremely comfortable offensively, having played within an offense built around many structured sets for four years under Matt Painter. He enjoys operating in the pick-and-roll, displays unselfishness by giving the ball up and relocating to receive it later, and uses his burst and deception to run off zoom actions.
He does not excel as a finisher around the rim due to his frame. He will often pass up open deep-paint opportunities in favor of short midrange touch shots, both fading away from the basket and drifting toward the baseline. While he is highly accurate on these attempts, they are inherently difficult shots.
Defense
Smith is an intelligent and aware defender. He understands a wide range of defensive concepts, from help responsibilities to screen coverages. He typically guards less threatening offensive players, allowing him to roam and double the ball or help the helper. He is very active in this role; however, he can occasionally lose track of the ball and man simultaneously, making him susceptible to back-cuts or offensive crashes.
From an intangible standpoint, Smith can be a high-energy, active defender. His effort level, though, is not always consistent. As the game progresses, he will raise his defensive intensity and showcase real grit. He dives for loose balls, traps aggressively to force jump balls, and denies passing lanes effectively.
This fluctuating intensity may be influenced by his heavy workload, as he typically plays nearly the entire game (32.5 of 40 minutes). Smith has difficulty staying in front of quicker attackers. His strides are shorter, which often leads to him getting caught on screens and trailing the play. Generating rear contests is more challenging due to his shorter wingspan.
Looking Ahead
Smith enters the 2026 draft as one of the most skilled and intelligent guards in the class. Those traits alone should not keep him on the board longer than expected. However, the NBA is as much a physical league as it is a skill-based one. Smith will enter the draft just a month shy of turning 23, and many team executives will question his upside. Smith is likely to be targeted when he receives rotation minutes, an archetype the league is moving further and further away from.
It will be up to him to prove he can keep up and defend at that level. That said, he has shown the ability to defend when it matters, and in a reduced role, it is reasonable to believe he can hold his own on that end of the floor. Offensively, his shooting prowess and court vision should translate. He will need to adjust to quicker and stronger defenders and tighter passing windows. Still, his ability to generate his own shot in a variety of ways will remain a defining strength.
