Nick Martinelli’s Best Team Fits Going Into Round Two of the 2026 NBA Draft

The floaters, the left-hand bias, the unorthodox release, the unique basketball IQ and the genuine will to win were all cornerstones of Nick Martinelli’s game in his career as a Wildcat. Another program legend will deservedly enter the biggest stage no matter what, whether that be through a selection or as an UDFA. For more details on his draft profile, our very-own Drew Christmann does a great job breaking it all down here. What follows is about fit: which organizations genuinely make sense for a player like Martinelli, and why, based on what each team is currently and what they need going into 2026-27 beyond.

The brief version of the case for Martinelli: he is a 6-foot-7, 223-pound forward who spent four years at Welsh-Ryan Arena turning an unconventional skill set into something specific and real. He led the Big Ten in scoring for the second straight year as a senior, averaging 23 points on 51/41.7/80.9 splits, and set a new Northwestern single-season record with 759 points. His improved three-point numbers are the ones that matter most for his draft case. He shot 32.2% from deep across his first three seasons, then jumped to 41.7% on 108 attempts, including 39.7% on guarded catch-and-shoot looks. Whether those numbers survive against athletes who close faster and contest higher is the central question every evaluator has about him. His release is not textbook, and it is not quick. The shot falls because of elite touch and a high release point, which tend to translate better than mechanics that rely on creating separation. The honest answer is that nobody knows for certain how it holds up, which is part of why he is in the second round at all.

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The case against him is equally specific. Martinelli is not going to beat anybody off the dribble at the next level, and he will be targeted on switches. His combine athleticism measurements backed that up, posting a 26.5-inch no-step vertical. He is not a four and not quite a three, and whatever organization selects him Wednesday is betting that his scoring craft and IQ cover that gap. Given what his former Northwestern teammate Brooks Barnhizer did…

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Publish date : 2026-06-24 20:43:00

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