With the 2026 NBA Draft hours away, we have our final analysis before the big night.
30 NBA teams will look to set themselves up for the future as the 2026 NBA Draft kicks off on Tuesday night.
First Round
1. Washington Wizards – AJ Dybantsa, BYU
It is all but official – the Wizards will look to form a “Big 3” of Anthony Davis, Trae Young, and BYU star forward AJ Dybantsa. He showed NBA stardom potential all over the court in his lone college season and now looks to show it on the big stage.
2. Utah Jazz – Darryn Peterson, Kansas
Darryn Peterson to the Jazz also seems like a surefire bet, as the two sides met, and the Jazz are in need (in addition to a lot of things) of a scoring guard. Utah does have a young frontcourt with potential, so adding perhaps the most gifted scorer in this draft would be one heck of a pick.
3. Memphis Grizzlies – Cameron Boozer, Duke
It is such a deep draft where the team with the third pick can still feel like they got first overall pick potential. Boozer can now replace Santi Aldama at power forward and make for a promising one-two punch with Ja Morant.
4. Chicago Bulls – Caleb Wilson, North Carolina
Trading for Nic Claxton was interesting, as Chicago is in total rebuilding mode. They could really take anyone here, but since Wilson’s only predraft visit was with the Bulls, I’d be surprised to see them go with anyone else. There are other great options, but it seems like Chicago’s been preparing for this pick for a while now.
5. Los Angeles Clippers – Keaton Wagler, Illinois
The Clippers could have a choice between a trio of talented guards to take with the fifth overall pick, but Wagler seems to fit the best as an off-guard who can fit alongside Darius Garland nicely. Wagler also played within himself at Illinois last season, while Darius Acuff Jr. and Mikel Brown Jr. were a tad more shot-happy thanks to their college systems.
6. Brooklyn Nets – Darius Acuff Jr., Arkansas
While Egor Denim showed potential to be a good answer for the point guard of the future for the Nets, why not make a splash pick here? There are lots of great scorers in this draft, but at their absolute best, none compete with Acuff’s ability to drop fifty on any given night. And pairing him alongside Denim gives Brooklyn two solid ball-handlers with the newly acquired Julius Randle as a veteran forward. Things are getting interesting in BK!
7. Sacramento Kings – Kingston Flemings, Houston
Sacramento needs its point guard of the future and needs to get younger and smarter. And Kingston Flemings is the perfect pick – coming from a Kelvin Sampson-coached Houston Cougars team and ready to fill in as needed. While the Kings could go with Acuff or Wagler if they fall, I actually think Flemings would fit even better based on some more pure point guard qualities.
8. Atlanta Hawks – Mikel Brown Jr., Louisville
Some have Brown going as high as fifth overall, but I view him as a little more of a project than the other top guards in this draft. He had some cold shooting nights with Louisville, but did make headlines for being able to light it up as well. With CJ McCollum returning to Atlanta, why not try and pair him with a like-minded scoring guard to try and recreate the Portland teams of CJ and Dame Lillard?
9. Dallas Mavericks – Brayden Burries, Arizona
When healthy, Dallas already has Kyrie Irving and a budding superstar in Cooper Flagg. There’s been a lot of talk about Nate Ament being the pick here, but he seems too similar to Flagg. I’m instead calling Arizona wing Brayden Burries – a near perfect guard opposite Irving who won’t rival Flagg on the court. And there is no way Max Christie is the long term starter at the two, so why not just pick that guy in the NBA Draft on Tuesday night!
10. Milwaukee Bucks – Nate Ament, Tennessee
Practically any pick is a good pick here and while I would say Labaron Philon, if Milwaukee likes Ryan Rollins going forward, that may not be smart. So instead, I see the Bucks taking Ament, who would be a fantastic pick at number 10 overall. The Bucks just traded one of the best forwards in the league, so they might as well start drafting their ‘replacements.’
11. Golden State Warriors – Yaxel Lendeborg, Michigan
How much of this pick will be about continuing to build around Steph Curry and how much will be about one last go-around for a title run? If the latter is the case, then Yaxel Lendeborg may be a smart pick. He’s a winner, skilled in multiple areas, and fits right into a Warriors system built on experience, toughness, and a willingness to change for the betterment of the team. He’s not your typical lottery pick, but Golden State isn’t your typical lottery team.
12. Oklahoma City Thunder – Koa Peat, Arizona
Peat’s value seems to have dropped quite a bit, but for a Thunder team picking as early as 12th, he seems like a great bet. Peat isn’t going to rival anyone in the starting five, but could be an instant impact off the bench. He’s the type of player Oklahoma City values, with a mid-range game and other qualities to surround that. I actually think OKC trades this pick, but if value is there, why not go for it?
13. Milwaukee Bucks – Karim Lopez, International (New Zealand)
The Bucks have been a team with ties to the top international player in this year’s NBA Draft and since they would have already had one (safer) pick earlier, this seems like the perfect spot to make that call.
14. Charlotte Hornets – Hannes Steinbach, Washington
Charlotte needs to boost its frontcourt, and at this point, Steinbach has the most potential of anyone left in the draft. While Morez Johnson is also a name to watch, Steinbach feels like the better overall pick for a Charlotte team that needs size, shooting, and potential to grow alongside LaMelo Ball and Kon Knueppel.
15. Chicago Bulls – Cameron Carr, Baylor
16. Memphis Grizzlies – Ebuka Okorie, Stanford
17. Oklahoma City Thunder – Dailyn Swain, Texas
18. Charlotte Hornets – Labaron Philon Jr., Alabama
19. Toronto Raptors – Christian Anderson, Texas Tech
20. San Antonio Spurs – Allen Graves, PF, Santa Clara
21. Detroit Pistons – Morez Johnson, Michigan
22. Philadelphia 76ers – Chris Cenac Jr., Houston
23. Atlanta Hawks – Isaiah Evans, Duke
24. New York Knicks – Aday Mara, Michigan
25. Los Angeles Lakers – Joshua Jefferson, Iowa State
26. Denver Nuggets – Alex Karaban, UConn
27. Boston Celtics – Zuby Ejiofor, St. John’s
28. Brooklyn Nets – Bennett Stirtz, Iowa
29. Cleveland Cavaliers – Meleek Thomas, Arkansas
30. Dallas Mavericks – Jayden Quaintance, Kentucky