The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie projected Nick Martinelli to the Phoenix Suns at No. 47 in his final 2026 NBA mock draft. The Northwestern forward enters the draft conversation as a two-time All-Big Ten Second Team selection with a senior season that pushed him into the late second-round discussion.
Martinelli’s scoring line
Martinelli finished his last college season with a career-high 23 points per game, 51% shooting from the field, and 41.7% from 3-point range. He also averaged 6.2 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game, production that gives the 6-foot-7 wing a clear statistical case for NBA teams looking beyond the first round.
That final-year jump came after he had already averaged at least 20 points per game in both his junior and senior seasons. He also shot 33.3% from 3-point range the season before his last college year, a sharper number that helps explain why the projection now places him in the NBA Draft picture.
One pick, several alternatives
The Suns’ No. 47 slot stood out because other mock drafts had them pointed elsewhere, including Jaden Bradley and Otega Oweh. That kind of split usually means the board in the middle of the second round is still fluid, with teams weighing positional need against a player’s scoring profile and fit.
For Phoenix, Vecenie’s projection puts Martinelli in the same range as a group that would have required different answers from the front office. The Suns have Brian Gregory in place, and the choice at No. 47 will decide whether they chase a wing scorer like Martinelli or move in another direction when the 2026 NBA Draft arrives.
NBA.com comparisons
NBA.com’s draft profile compared Martinelli to Keldon Johnson, Jaime Jaquez Jr., and Tobias Harris, which points to a wing who can score without needing the ball to dominate every possession. That type of comparison fits a player whose value comes from efficiency, size, and steady production rather than a single overwhelming trait.
Whether the Phoenix Suns actually use pick No. 47 on Martinelli is the part that still matters most now. The projection has put his name in the conversation; the draft will decide whether that late-second-round link becomes the pick itself.
