Following a stellar four-year career at Purdue, point guard Braden Smith is ready to turn the page and start preparing for the next stage of his journey. That will most likely be the NBA, though we won't know where he'll begin his career until late June. With the NBA's early entry deadline now passed, we now have a better understanding of which players may be selected in the 2026 NBA Draft. Where does Smith fall in some of those recent predictions? Smith is a projected second-round pick in two separate early mock drafts. He's predicted to go No. 40 to the Boston Celtics in a projection released by ESPN this week. In another from NBADraft.net , the former Boiler is projected to go No. 53 to the Houston Rockets. Additionally, CBS Sports released its "Big Board" for the 2026 NBA Draft, listing the top-80 prospects in this year's class. Smith came in at No. 40 . Purdue Boilermakers guard Braden Smith (3) reacts after breaking the record in assists.…