Duke Blue Devils' Patrick Ngongba II Lands With Rebuilding Team in Mock Draft

Duke Blue Devils star Patrick Ngongba II is among the top big men for the upcoming 2026 NBA Draft. 

In a recent mock draft by ClutchPoints, Ngongba lands with the Memphis Grizzlies with the 17th overall pick in the draft. The Grizzlies have this pick via the Orlando Magic from the Desmond Bane trade.

Memphis is in rebuild mode, as they have moved on from two of their stars, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Bane. The Grizzlies still have Ja Morant on the roster, but could look to build more around their young talent of Cedric Coward and Zach Edey.

Ngongba could slot in as the Grizzlies' long-term backup center, a position they desperately need.

Edey has been a productive starting center when on the floor for Memphis, averaging 13.6 points per game along with 11.1 rebounds. 1.1 assists, and 1.9 blocks. However, he has only appeared in 11 games, struggling to stay on the floor.

Having someone who could start at the five when he is out would be valuable for the Grizzlies.

Ngongba could step into that role as their long-term backup big man and spot starter when Edey is out. 

In 25 games at Duke this season, Ngongba is averaging 10.6 points, 6.2 rebounds, two assists, and 1.2 blocks per game. He is shooting 60.1 percent from the field and 26.9 percent from three on an attempt per game.

Ngongba could become one of the long-term building blocks for a team like the Grizzlies alongside Coward and Edey.

For the Blue Devils, they need to maximize this season while they still have Boozer and Ngongba on the roster.

Duke made a deep tournament run in 2025, reaching the Final Four, before suffering a heartbreaking loss to Houston.

The Blue Devils have had a strong bounce-back season in 2026, as they are the third-ranked team in the country at 24-2. They will look to make a deeper run in March this season.

Ngongba has established himself as one of the top bigs in the draft class, and with a strong run in the NCAA Tournament, he could rise up draft boards even more.

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