Time for a second batch of 2026 NBA Draft prospect scouting. This time, we’re taking a look at three very different forwards.
None are similar too similar to the guys the Boston Celtics already have in their ranks — in my opinion, an important sticking point of this year’s first-round selection — as they all bring something new to the table.
As I noted last time, and will continue to note, I am watching two full games of every prospect I scout. The goal is to get through as many potential Celtics targets as possible, but even finding time to watch two games per prospect is a lot of time in, especially with all the other work going on.
That said, these are the latest three players I scouted: Zuby Ejiofor from St. John’s, Hannes Steinbach from Washington, and Koa Peat from Arizona.
Side note: I compiled a list of seven different mock drafts — The Ringer, Yahoo Sports, ClutchPoints, Bleacher Report, CBS Sports, ESPN, and NBA Draft Room — in order to figure out which prospects could fall in Boston’s range. All numbers I collected are as of the time I checked the mock, so any updates are not accounted for. This is just for a general sense of draft position, anyway.
However, some of the mocks were only one round, so for those drafts, if a player went unselected, I gave them a 61 before calculating an average draft position (ADP), which can make the numbers a little wonky.
Steinbach’s ADP was 15.1, Peat’s was 32 (one non-first-round selection), and Ejiofor’s was 47.6 (three non-first-round selections).
© Wendell Cruz
Zuby Ejiofor
Ejiofor was one of the nation’s top players all season long. He was the 2025-26 Big East Player of the Year, the 2025-26 Big East Defensive Player of the Year, and the 2025-26 Big East Tournament MVP, as St. John’s beat UConn 72-52 in the Big East Championship game.
Needless to say, he’s as decorated as collegiate athletes come. Despite that, he was snubbed by the All-American teams and named an honorable mention instead.
The two games I watched were St. John’s vs. Kansas in the second round of the NCAA Tournament and St. John’s vs. Duke in the Sweet 16. I wanted to see Ejiofor compete against high-level competition, and these two games provided that.
What I found is that St. John’s ran a lot through him, often having him playmake from the top of the key. He drove the ball and posted up when the opportunity arose, but he was often flying around, setting screens, and delivering hand-offs.
At the time I compiled my draft list, most mocks had him going early in the second round. The earliest selection came from ESPN, which had him going No. 29 to the Cleveland Cavaliers, and the latest were The Ringer, Bleacher Report, and CBS Sports, none of which had a first-round grade on him. The latest actual selection in a two-round mock came from Yahoo Sports, which had him landing with the Phoenix Suns at pick No. 47.
That said, Ejiofor has since skyrocketed up draft boards. Yahoo Sports now has him going No. 25 to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Relentless motor: It’s hard to accurately describe just how true this badge is. Ejiofor never stops moving. On either end of the court. On defense, he’s scrambling, switching, and constantly putting himself in the best spot to succeed. On offense, he’s setting screens, driving to the hoop, and making things happen. His intensity is off the charts.
Switchable defense: Ejiofor is a tank. He can bang down low with some of the biggest bodies he’ll come across. But he’s also quick and smart enough to keep up with smaller guards and skilled wings. There’s a real chance he becomes a valuable switch defender at the next level.
Reads the game: It doesn’t matter if it’s an easy hand-off, a weaving pass to a cutter, or a necessary switch on defense; Ejiofor knows what the game needs. He’s more than just a student of the same — he’s a scholar.
Competitive fire: Much like UConn’s Tarris Reed Jr., Ejiofor has that dog in him. His relentless motor is paired with a deep-rooted desire to leave his blood, sweat, and tears on the court. Anything to win the game.
Rebounding: Despite often being at a relative size disadvantage down low, Ejiofor almost always manages to impact the glass. Whether it’s getting a hand to the ball, tipping it up in the air, or literally battling another person for control, he’s going to make his presence felt when it comes to rebounding.
Driving: Though Red Storm commonly played through Ejiofor in the post or at the top of the key, when needed to drive, he could drive. He puts the ball on the floor well and even managed to draw 7.0 free-throw attempts per game in his senior season (shooting a respectable, for a big man, 71.8% from the stripe).
Leadership: There’s something about a player who can display leadership qualities at a young age. It says something about their character. Their drive. Their hunger. Ejiofor has all those things. He’s someone you want playing for your basketball team, because there’s a good chance he’s contributing to a positive culture.
Size: For all the fight and hustle Ejiofor constantly puts on display, he’s fighting an uphill battle when it comes to size. There are inevitably going to be some times when bigger players get the best of him simply because he’s only 6-foot-8. That said, if Ejiofor were 6-foot-10, he would be a lottery pick.
Jumper: Though Ejiofor was confident enough to take some threes this past year, the jumper isn’t quite there yet. He’ll need to put some serious work in if he wants to be an even semi-reliable 3-point threat at the NBA level.
Help defense: The instincts are there for Ejiofor to be a solid help defender. He’s smart enough. But it doesn’t seem to come super natural to him. He seems more like the type of guy who will bang down low with bigs and switch onto guards. An on-ball guy. Not a roamer who will swat away shots at the rim in help.
Offense: Without a consistent jumper (yet), Ejiofor is going to have to find his place on offense in the NBA. He can playmake, he can drive, and he can cut, but he needs to do all those things both consistently and in the flow of an NBA offense, particularly as a role player. Carving out that role will be important.
I generally steer away from NBA comparisons, but for the sake of draft scouting and to paint a very clear picture for readers, I figured I would take a stab at it. That said, my general reservations stem from the belief that comparisons are largely inaccurate because there are often many differences among players in the league, no matter how similar they appear. But here we go:
In an ideal world, Ejiofor could carve out a role similar to the one Aaron Gordon has found with the Denver Nuggets. A versatile defender who can cut off the ball on offense and even show off some playmaking chops. That said, Ejiofor’s direct role as the Johnnies’ primary playmaker may allow his passing to surpass Gordon’s.
Ejiofor could also look to be more of a small-ball five than Gordon. Think of a prime PJ Tucker type with better athleticism and more to offer on the offensive end than just corner threes.
And if Boston could develop his 3-point shot, then he may have a chance to be even more than those two comps.
© Jayne Kamin-Oncea
Hannes Steinbach
Steinbach was a bright spot on an otherwise underwhelming Huskies squad this past year. They went 16-17 on the year, missing out on the NCAA and the NIT Tournaments.
A product of Würzburg, Germany, he came to the US for college, spending just one season at Washington before entering his name in the NBA Draft. Not only was he named to the All-Big Ten Freshman Team, but he also made the All-Big Ten Team outright.
The two games I watched were Washington vs. Michigan and Washington vs. USC. I picked one game against a high-level opponent and another against mid-tier competition, as Washington didn’t exactly have the competitive infrastructure to support Steinbach’s play.
What I found was that Steinbach was Washington’s best source of offense by a long shot. He worked well in multiple spots on the court, and his offensive rebounding was massive for the Huskies.
At the time of my draft research and still today, Steinbach is projected to be a mid-first-round pick. He will probably be off the board by the time Boston is on the clock at pick No. 27, but anything could happen, including a trade-up.
The highest Steinbach was projected to go in a mock was by Yahoo Sports, which mocked him to the Golden State Warriors at pick No. 11. The lowest was in ESPN’s, which had him going 18th to the Charlotte Hornets.
That said, both The Ringer and Yahoo Sports both have Steinbach falling to pick No. 18 now.
