Texas Longhorns' Dailyn Swain Declares for NBA Draft

Swain led Texas in scoring, rebounding, assists and steals this past season.

Apr. 7, 2026 at 8:37pm

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A fragmented, cubist-style painting depicting the dynamic movements of a basketball player on the court, with sharp geometric shapes in bold colors representing the energy and intensity of the game.Swain's NBA draft decision leaves a major hole for the Longhorns to fill next season.Austin Today

Texas Longhorns forward Dailyn Swain has declared for the 2026 NBA Draft after a career-best season with the team. Swain started all 36 games and averaged 17.3 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.6 steals per game while shooting 54.2% from the field. He led the Longhorns in points, rebounds, assists, steals and minutes played.

Why it matters

Swain's decision to enter the draft is a significant loss for the Longhorns, as he was their leading scorer and most impactful all-around player this past season. His departure leaves a major hole that Texas will need to fill heading into next year.

The details

Though Swain has declared for the draft, he can still maintain his final year of eligibility and return to Texas if he doesn't receive a first-round guarantee. If he feels he could fall to the early second round, Swain would have to consider coming back to Austin. Swain made major strides as a shooter this season, knocking down 34.4% of his 3-pointers after hitting just 11 triples in his first two years at Xavier.

  • Swain declared for the 2026 NBA Draft on April 7, 2026.
  • He led Texas in scoring, rebounding, assists and steals during the 2025-26 season.

The players

Dailyn Swain

A forward for the Texas Longhorns who just completed a career-best season, leading the team in points, rebounds, assists, steals and minutes played.

Sean Miller

The head coach of the Texas Longhorns, who just completed his first season with the program.

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What they’re saying

“I'm still processing the loss. … I'm just still thinking about the game right now.”

— Dailyn Swain, Texas Longhorns Forward

“I don't really know about a timeline, to be honest, but it's just a conversation to be had with my family, my coaches, my agent. I don't know really, just like I said, just processing the loss as we kind of just lost a few minutes ago, and right now I'm just super disappointed I couldn't get the outcome for my seniors, for our coaches, for, like I said, Coach Miller, he deserves to play in the Final Four. I think he will do that one day. And just disappointed.”

— Dailyn Swain, Texas Longhorns Forward

What’s next

Swain will now go through the NBA Draft evaluation process to determine if he should remain in the draft or return to Texas for his final season of eligibility.

The takeaway

Swain's departure is a significant blow for the Longhorns, as he was their most productive and impactful player this past season. However, the door remains open for him to potentially return to Texas if he doesn't receive a first-round guarantee in the draft.