Alex Karaban will be hoping that the wave of artificial intelligence adoption has reached NBA front offices.
USA Today published a 2026 NBA mock draft Tuesday that was created by Microsoft Copilot’s artificial intelligence chatbot, forecasting the first 30 selections in next month’s NBA Draft. And while the UConn men’s basketball power forward has largely been projected as an early second-round pick after a historic college career in Storrs, Karaban snuck into the first round of USA Today’s AI-generated projections.
Karaban is predicted to join Cleveland as the No. 29 overall pick, adding some front-court shooting to a Cavaliers squad that was swept out of the Eastern Conference Finals by the New York Knicks on Monday evening.
“Cleveland needs size, shooting and decision-making on the wing,” Microsoft Copilot’s AI chatbot writes about Karaban, according to USA Today.
” … Plug-and-play forward who complements Harden/Mitchell without needing usage.”
Karaban’s high-octane perimeter shooting and heady decision-making were on full display across his four seasons at UConn, connecting on 292 3-pointers at a 37% clip as he helped the Huskies to two national titles and another championship-game appearance this past season. Still, the 23-year-old’s advanced age and dubious athleticism have limited his NBA Draft ceiling, with ESPN tabbing him as an early second-round pick in its latest mock draft released after the Scouting Combine.
Microsoft Copilot didn’t provide the same bump to Karaban’s UConn co-star, Tarris Reed Jr., who was omitted from USA Today’s 30-player list. Reed was selected No. 37 overall in ESPN’s latest projections after previously earning a first-round grade following his historic Final Four run.