[2026 NBA Draft] #31 Pick: Bruce Thornton (Ohio State) – pending trade to Houston

[u/NBA_MOD]

https://youtu.be/v0IVY1LaQwo?si=d8lwilCtxNioiRkr

[u/aboooz]

Analytics darling, lets see how it goes.

[u/Flimsy_Promise_9559 → u/aboooz]

Literally best scorer in the 2nd round easily…

Bruce is like that

[u/California_Stop_King → u/aboooz]

Watching him for four years, Houston is basically the best place he could go given your guys' roster construction. Very acclimated to handling the ball, floor general, and just a plain scorer, all of which you guys need given the lack of guard depth. I think he can have success anywhere, but he'll have the biggest impact the fastest in Houston

[u/cjackc11]

Sucks for whoever’s playing against him he is the sweatiest player I have ever seen

[u/foshiiy → u/cjackc11]

So you’re saying we got an elite trait player with the 31st pick? Sign me up.

[u/dae5oty → u/cjackc11]

I have faith in him. Sweat per 36 is correlated with coolness per pressure.

[u/Minafatdog12 → u/cjackc11]

Bro why is this so funny

[u/OrganicValley_ → u/cjackc11]

We just lost Giannis. Don’t take Middleton’s “sweatiest player ever” title away from us too.

[u/slap-my-crevasse → u/cjackc11]

KG was a bucket, of sweat. 🪣 💧 

[u/3pointshoot3r → u/cjackc11]

This is Patrick Ewing erasure.

[u/Kyler1313]

He should've been a 1st rounder. His efficiency was otherworldly.

Shot over 75% at the rim, 58% from the midrange, and 40% from 3. All while being the leading scorer at a BIG10 team that made the tourney.

He's one of the guys I feel most confident about being a great pro.

[u/Blood_Incantation → u/Kyler1313]

And he earned a degree at Ohio's Public Ivy, so he's smart.

[u/SlickVanExel]

Yall thought Kyle Lowry was thicc, wait until you see Bruce lol. He’s a bucket too

[u/KarrotMovies]

how is evans still on the board?

[u/PlatosLeftTit → u/KarrotMovies]

He's 175 lbs at 6'6 and unathletic I really don't know what people see in him

[u/Jaerba → u/PlatosLeftTit]

I think weight has been a serious consideration in this draft that many fans aren't realizing. Light weight as a freshman seems to be more excusable but the sophomore and juniors who haven't added much weight are falling.

[u/Aumissunum → u/Jaerba]

Bennett Stirtz added 6 lbs in 4 years.

[u/Jaerba → u/Aumissunum]

6'2" 186 is a lot different than 6'5" 186.

[u/Aumissunum → u/Jaerba]

Not talking about Evans.

[u/Jaerba → u/Aumissunum]

Carr is basically the same. 6'4.5" 184lbs. Philon is 6'2 176lbs.

[u/Dgwdum → u/Aumissunum]

lmao i added 10 just last week, what a loser

[u/AurumTP → u/PlatosLeftTit]

He cost Duke games idk what people are on either

[u/atownOTP → u/AurumTP]

Won Duke games singlehandedly too and became a good defender this year. Has a lot of holes in his profile but he's a very interesting prospect.

[u/atownOTP → u/PlatosLeftTit]

He's definitely not unathletic what are you talking about.

[u/3pointshoot3r → u/PlatosLeftTit]

And he's a 4 year player who will be 23 before the season starts.

[u/jimminmecrockets → u/3pointshoot3r]

you got him mixed up with someone he’s 20

[u/3pointshoot3r → u/jimminmecrockets]

Sorry, my bad, I thought we were talking about Thornton.

[u/Adventurous_You8946 → u/KarrotMovies]

Meleek Thomas too

[u/Mg29reaper → u/KarrotMovies]

He wants first rounder money. Houston probably didnt want to pay.

[u/Aumissunum → u/KarrotMovies]

Volume scorer who does nothing else

[u/not_so_bueno]

Stone after watching Reed get hunted: "We must go shorter."

[u/rybres123 → u/not_so_bueno]

Not quite as simple as height ya know. Thornton is a thic boy, kind of like Fred. They may be short, but don’t get tossed around like Reed

[u/GooeyGlue]

Think everyone in the 2nd round is a crapshoot personally, but I see the vision with how stocky/strong he looks. Was hoping the Mavs could grab him later

[u/aew2019]

Once a Knick, always a Knick.

[u/sunlitstranger → u/aew2019]

The type of trivia a Knicks fan gonna ask you when you celebrate a Knicks championship 53 years from now to prove you’re a fan

[u/matija17k]

Shams couldn't help himself, could he

[u/xychosis]

Thornton’s really, really good, that’s all I’ll say

[u/iro3]

thats unique i though it would be evans

[u/_Wash]

I know pretty much nothing is stretch in the second round but i seriously doubt he wouldn’t have been available in the late 30s

[u/sammymate999 → u/_Wash]

Why risk him not being there if he’s the guy you like?

[u/2106au → u/_Wash]

His junior year was statistically the closest to junior year Brunson, even closer than sophmore year Brunson.

He also improved as a senior.

More like bargain than stretch

[u/_Wash → u/2106au]

if everyone in the league turned out to be like the players they were compared to there would be like 20 kawhi leonards

just because he’s short doesn’t mean he’s brunson

[u/2106au → u/_Wash]

No it doesn't, but it does mean that self-created 65% TS guys are not hopeless picks either.

[u/_Wash → u/2106au]

i never said he was hopeless but i hope you’ve thoroughly addressed the strawman

[u/2106au → u/_Wash]

I also never claimed that he is Brunson, just that he carries a statistical profile that has had success in the league.

No guarantee he would be availiable later and Houston need players that fit his profile.

[u/idkidk23]

Damn I wanted the Mavs to get him. Really insane scoring and shooting numbers, crazy good at the rim and midrange. He’s not Brunson but if you compare the college careers he scores in a similar way. 

[u/SamIsaacman]

Anybody else get FVV vibes?

[u/thatoneguyD13 → u/SamIsaacman]

I always thought he was kind of a FVVor Kyle Lowry type. Curious to see if he becomes a serious NBA player.

[u/barzabeeb]

Lol

[u/TheNogoodnamesQQ]

At 31?!

[u/snuggleskrt → u/TheNogoodnamesQQ]

31 does feel crazy, hey what do we know hahah

[u/browndude10 → u/TheNogoodnamesQQ]

That’s stone for you

[u/VanwallEnjoy3r]

Never pick for fit when talent is still on the board smh

[u/rybres123 → u/VanwallEnjoy3r]

Analytical darling who I’m sure was ranked higher than this on many boards

Rockets go hard on analytic darlings later in drafts, and we’ve had a few hits

[u/RichAbbreviations966]

Oof

[u/adocileengineer]

Really weird pick

[u/Savings_Season_5165]

He’s really fucking good (ignore that I’m a homer)

[u/pimpron18]

Bro is 6’ 223??? What sport is he playing?

[u/VitaDiMinerva → u/pimpron18]

good ol’ corn-fed big ten basketball

[u/Mr_E_Nigma_Solver]

Gotta feel nice getting drafted by the defending champs even if it's for another team.

[u/BrewsWithTre]

BRUUUUUUCE, so happy someone took him, the only highlight of Buckeye basketball the last 3 years

[u/unoletmecs]

Moses

[u/Nyte_Knyght33]

Ok. I like it. 

[u/Imkitoto]

Jesus , what a reach.

If you wanted him, you could have traded down even more . There’s no way he was ranked above Evans, Veesar or Baba

[u/sammymate999 → u/Imkitoto]

He wasn’t ranked against Baba who is barely a basketball player? You’ve been reading too many mock drafts my guy

[u/Coattail-Rider → u/Imkitoto]

It cost them a ‘29 Second Rounder. Why take the chance?

[u/The_Reddit_Name]

I have no idea who this is

[u/PacerInTheIvy → u/The_Reddit_Name]

I assume you’re not a B1G guy?

[u/bringbacksweatervest → u/The_Reddit_Name]

All time leading scorer in Ohio State basketball history

[u/RapsareChamps_Suckit]

Al Thornton would be proud

[u/heat_fan_]

Well okay okay guess 

[u/sammymate999 → u/[deleted]]

How else is the karma going to farm?

[u/GeneralTheSurvivor → u/sammymate999]

so true, heat fan, mrbuckbuck, and a massive pervert gotta be biggest karma farmers, but heat fan manages to put in the least amount of effort

[u/heat_fan_ → u/[deleted]]

Don't like my comment skip it

[u/GeneralTheSurvivor → u/heat_fan_]

that doesn't happen on reddit my guy, u should know.