Nick Boyd has NBA dreams, and while he was a phenomenal college basketball player, he continues to get mostly overlooked. He barely cracks the top-100 in ESPN's Big Board. Even with way fewer early entrants this season, the math is still tough for Boyd. What would help him the most is proving it, getting a chance to showcase his skills in front of NBA scouts against other prospects. That opportunity is coming right away.
Boyd was one of the 73 players invited to the 2026 NBA Draft Combine. This is a pivotal chance for Boyd to show he not only has NBA talent but also deserves to be a draft pick. John Blackwell was also invited.
The NBA announced 73 players have been invited to the 2026 NBA Draft Combine. Additionally, a select number of standout players from the NBA G League Draft Combine will be invited to participate in the NBA Draft Combine following the event. Below are the current 73 players listed pic.twitter.com/9kB4ChXFeo
— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) May 1, 2026
Nick Boyd will get a chance to test his skills at the NBA Combine
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Boyd and other NBA Draft Combine participants will be tested in all sorts of aspects, from things they can't control, like height, weight, standing reach, and wingspan. They will also be tested in the actual basketball aspects of the game (controllable), like shooting drills. Then there are other measurables like vertical jump, sprint, lane agility, shuttle drills, etc.
For Boyd, those measurements will almost matter as much as the skills, maybe even more so. He's overlooked because while he's listed at 6'3, he may be a little smaller, and his wingspan is often questioned. The other knock on Boyd is his age; the NBA loves potential and will often take two players with similar skill sets, like Darius Acuff Jr. and Nick Boyd, and choose the 19-year-old over the 25-year-old.
There's not much Boyd can do about that, but he will show out at the skills. He's clearly a winner and knows how to create off-ball and on-ball. He's got elite skills, and it's hard not to see NBA teams at least giving him a shot with an Exhibit 10 deal, two-way contract, or maybe, just maybe, a draft pick.
Boyd was incredible at Wisconsin, averaging 20.7 points, 4.3 assists, and 3.8 rebounds a game. He could take over any game at will, and he was the primary reason the Badgers won as many games as they did. He often would put on his superhero cape and will the Badgers to victory. He's a player who definitely has NBA capabilities, but the GMs will need to agree and make that contract happen.
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