Louisville Star Mikel Brown Jr. Skyrocketing Up Mocks

The 2026 NBA draft is on the way, and Mikel Brown Jr.’s draft stock is only going up. The latest mocks have him easily inside the top 10 and actually inching towards the top five selections.

In a mock out on Saturday, May 23, Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report names his projections for the upcoming draft. He has the Louisville player going at No. 7 to the Sacramento Kings.

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“The Kings appear to be targeting Acuff with this pick, per Yahoo Sports’ Kevin O’Connor and ESPN’s Jeremy Woo, but the draft board may not cooperate,” he notes. “One would still assume they’ll use this selection to fill their vacant lead guard gig, and the interest in Acuff might point toward Sacramento coveting an offensive-minded prospect for the position.”

He adds, “Brown just so happens to have sky-high potential on the offensive end. Maybe as much as Brown; maybe as much as anyone in this draft, honestly. Because if you Brown’s best moments, you’re talking about a 6’5″ lead guard with unlimited shooting range, knockout-powered pull-up scoring punch, finishing around and above the rim and the arm talent to deliver every pass in the book.”

My Take: Mikel Brown Jr. is on the Up

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Looking at that last scouting report, that’s the most optimistic version expected, and it does smooth over some small concerns, including the inconsistency and back injury he dealt with in college. Those are fair questions, and teams will have to weigh them.

But Sacramento is in a spot where it simply doesn’t have enough young talent to be too picky. The Kings need swings on upside, and this is the kind of player where the payoff could genuinely shift the direction of the roster if it hits.

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This story was originally published May 24, 2026 at 7:06 PM.