LeBron James. Dwyane Wade. Chris Bosh. Carmelo Anthony.
These were the headliners of the 2003 NBA Draft, often dubbed the best of all time. What if I told you that this class has some serious competition? What if I told you that the 2026 draft has not one, not two, not three, not four, but five of the top 13 prospects (analytically) of all time?
The average draft features ~2 players with a >10 BPM
The 2026 draft is on course to feature 5(!) players with BPMs over 12(!)
A deep dive into the statistical profiles of what might be the greatest top-5 in historyhttps://t.co/arDzNsZYJA pic.twitter.com/8HVRPqZBq2
— Jeremias Engelmann (@JerryEngelmann) January 24, 2026
Only seeing 4 highlighted 2026 names? Look closer. Not included at first glance is Cam Boozer's utterly ridiculous 19.7 BPM, second all-time only to another Duke Blue Devil – Zion Williamson.
While some may call into question the validity of the advanced stat BPM, I once again invite you to take a closer look at the list of names. Zion. AD. Flagg. Chet. Kyrie. KAT. Mobley. Seven all-time talents. The only name with the numbers to rival these 5 basketball savants entering the draft next year that was a true "bust" was Bol Bol.
All told, this fearsome fivesome of Cam Boozer, Darryn Peterson, Caleb Wilson, Kingston Flemings, and AJ Dybantsa offer a tantalizing light at the end of the tunnel that the Hawks can very realistically look forward to, thanks in large part to their beautiful pick acquired this summer.
Current Hawks odds at one of these five titans are astronomically high
At present, the New Orleans Pelicans sit at the second worst record in the entire league. This translates to an even 80% chance at a top-5 pick, according to the latest NBA draft lottery odds, last updated in 2019.
An 80% chance at a generational prospect sounds amazing, but in reality it gets even better. The Hawks don't just own the Pelicans' unprotected pick next year; they own the better of the Pelicans' and Bucks' unprotected picks next year.
The Bucks currently sit at the 8th highest lottery odds. As downright unfathomable as that may have seemed to start the year, it's not looking any better in the near future - superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo is expected to miss at least the next month with an injury to his calf.
Now, the fun part. Let's do the math.
The Bucks' 8th highest lottery odds translate to a 26.2% chance at a top five pick (there is no chance that they receive the 5th-7th picks with the NBA's top-4 focused system, so practically this is a 26.2% chance at a top four pick, but let's stick to focusing on the top five prospects).
Therefore, as the Pels' pick has a 20% chance of being worse than 5th overall, we multiply 26.2% by 20% to find the "saved contingency" – the odds that the Bucks pick ends up top five and the Pels pick doesn't. This results in a final 14.76% chance that the pick is worse than 5th overall, or an 85.24% chance – at present – that the Hawks land a generational talent (on paper).
While there's still a lot of basketball left to be played this season, Hawks fans should keep this number in the back of their minds. The on-court play has been frustratingly inconsistent, yes, but the fact that Atlanta has greater than an 85% chance at adding a generational talent to a roster already loaded with young talent and cap flexibility is sensational.