The 2025 NBA Draft is officially in the rear view mirror. Which means, for us draft junkies, time to immediately turn towards 2026! This next class looks to have four or five excellent prospects to choose from. Of course, things can and will change between now and next June, but let’s dig in!

Draft order based on very quick team rankings, prior to free agency. Traded picks courtesy of http://www.prosportstransactions.com. Heights and weights for incoming freshmen are courtesy of the 247Sports player recruiting pages, and may not be accurate.

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Darryn Peterson is your prototypical 2025 NBA lead guard. He is a go to scorer, and can set up his teammates. He also has strong defensive potential. He will head to Kansas, where he is likely to lead a strong, veteran team. Bill Self does not often play freshmen heavy minutes, but Kansas has not had a prospect of this caliber since Andrew Wiggins.

As for the Wizards, they like Bub Carrington, but the opportunity to draft a game changing lead guard like Peterson will be too tempting to pass up.

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Brooklyn just drafted five, yes, five, players in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft, but you could say they did not land a future starter amongst the bunch. Maybe that is a bit harsh, but no player selected has a fraction of the potential of A.J. Dybansta. Once thought a Cooper Flagg-like shoe-in as the first overall pick in 2026, he struggled somewhat during his senior season in high school. Perhaps that is due to the constant spotlight and scouting fatigue guys like him often suffer through.

At his best, Dybansta is an ultra talented scorer capable of getting buckets from anywhere on the court. He also has the length and athleticism to become a top defender in the NBA. While he may no longer be viewed as “generational”, a term thrown around way too often anyway, he is a no doubt top five pick and has franchise changing potential.

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The Hornets took the safe route by drafting Kon Knueppel over Ace Bailey. This is still a team that is a talent or two short of really competing in the East, even if LaMelo Ball can shake his injury concerns. Landing a front court talent like Cameron Boozer would be quite a blessing.

Boozer was simply too much to handle as a Florida high schooler, putting together one of the most successful careers in recent memory. A true big man, he is not afraid to mix things up down low, grab the tough rebounds, and provide physicality. He is also emerging as a strong shooter, which is a requirement for starting big men. Scouts worry a bit that he may be close to maxed out physically, and he does not have the insane upside as some other guys in this class, but he should be a very safe bet to have a long career as a productive, All Star big man.

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Joe Dumars immediately made his impact with the Pelicans by inexplicably trading an unprotected 2026 draft pick to move up ten spots to select Derik Queen 13th overall in the 2025 NBA Draft. Considering the Pelicans are without Dejounte Murray and Zion Williamson can never stay healthy, expect that pick to be a 2026 lottery pick. Simply baffling. But the Hawks will not mind. Here, they get an elite talent basically for free.

Nate Ament is yet another elite scorer with size and length. He reportedly has shot up to 6’11 and may not be done growing. He is still skinny and lanky, but will have the opportunity to shed that “project” label by playing for one of the best teams in the toughest conference in college basketball. He has a Kevin Durant-like jump shot, the ability to score from anywhere, and All Star potential on both sides of the court.

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Utah fans may have been bummed that the team fell to number five in the 2025 NBA Draft, but landing a top three talent like Ace Bailey could make up for it. Pre-draft controversy aside, Bailey gives the Jazz a real All Star talent, even though the bust potential is high. It was a gamble that Utah had to make.

Moving on to 2026, they miss out on that elite quartet of prospects, but still land the drafts best pure point guard with Mikel Brown Jr. Brown Jr. has everything you look for in a lead guard. He can run an offense, and score on his own when needed. He will need to bulk up a bit, but that should not be a problem, as he has the frame to pack on the pounds without losing quickness.

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The Phoenix Suns are entering unknown territory after the Kevin Durant experience blew up in its face. To make matters worse, they traded their draft picks for the right to fail, so the Grizzlies are the lucky recipient of a top ten draft picks. Bad teams are going to do bad team things.

Memphis took the ultra-athletic Cedric Coward in 2025, and go that route again with Dash Daniels. Daniels is the younger brother of Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson, and has a similar game. His shooting needs improvement, but his ability to slash on offense, run the floor and play aggressive, pesky defense makes him an exciting prospect.

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It looked like the long suffering Sacramento Kings had finally turned a corner a couple of years ago, but after a series of questionable personnel moves, they are back on the outside looking in. This is a badly constructed roster, with a lead guard at the top of the team needs list.

Darius Acuff Jr. is the latest five star recruit to join a John Calipari coached team. Acuff Jr. is a dominant scoring lead guard. He can shoot, drive the land and find open teammates. Not the tallest NBA prospect, he is compact and strong, and should have no problem handling the physicality of the NBA.

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Chicago drafted another intriguing combo forward in Noa Essengue, but front court toughness remains a major weakness.

The Houston Cougars have become a national powerhouse, and Chris Cenac Jr. may be the best recruit in program history. He has legitimate NBA center size and toughness. While he is still a work in progress offensively, there are signs of a big man who can handle the ball and knock down jump shots. He is also very versatile defensively, with the quickness to chase down ball handlers and block shots from anywhere on the court.

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With DeAndre Ayton, Donovan Clingan, Hansen Yang and Robert Williams on the roster, Portland has more beef than a Golden Corral buffet. Caleb Wilson is the type of springy, tall athlete that could play well next to the Clingan/Yang combo.

North Carolina has struggled to develop their high recruits into NBA draft picks. Since 2007, Harrison Barnes and Coby White are the only two Tar Heels to become top ten picks. Caleb Wilson has the chance to make that three, though he still has several areas in which he needs to develop, but he has potential as a wiry, springy power forward who can guard multiple positions and stretch the floor offensively.

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Miami is one of the top destinations in the NBA for free agents, so this franchise will not be down for long, but with the roster as currently constructed, it lacks star power and may be on the outside looking in as far as the Eastern Conference playoffs go.

Karim Lopez may be the most talented international player in this class. He currently plays in the NBL league in Australia, and is coming off of a very productive season. He has great length, can attack the basket, handle the ball and has a developing jump shot. Unlike prospects like Hugo Gonzalez, he plays in a league and for a team where he is heavily featured, which will help scouts continue to gather information.

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Why are the world champion Thunder the envy of the NBA? This will be the third straight year that this playoff team will have a lottery pick. With a deep, young roster, they can take the best available talent here.

Jayden Quaintance was too young to enter the 2025 NBA Draft, where he would have been a first round pick. He chose to transfer to Kentucky, and will look to improve his offense and become a 2026 lottery pick. Quaintance is already an NBA caliber shot blocker and rebounder. If he can improve his jump shot, and offensive decision making in general, the sky is the limit.

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With an injury wiping out Jayson Tatum’s 2025-2026 season, Boston has made the choice to punt the season, save some money on taxes, and reload for 2026-2027. They will lean on Jaylen Brown, Payton Pritchard and Derrick White, hoping to land some lottery luck and a young talent while Tatum rehabs.

Koa Peat is an interesting prospect. Not the biggest, strongest, or most athletic, he gets the most out of his ability as a well rounded offensive force. He can score from the post and out 18 feet or so. He is also improving as a passer and ball handler. Not the best shooter or athlete, but he has the ability to carve out a Rui Hachimura-like career as a starting forward.

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The Spurs have an interesting trio of guards surrounding Victor Wembanyama. It will be interesting to see how all of that plays out, but having more talent than available minutes is not a bad problem to have.

San Antonio adds a talented scoring wing here with Dame Sarr. Sarr took the Egor Demin/Kasparas Jakucionis route, joining an American college program in hopes of making it into the NBA. He will join a Duke team looking for five new starters, and has the ability to be a go to scorer right away. He has great length, can create his own offense and shoot the ball from deep.

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Memphis made the tough decision to trade Desmond Bane, but with Cedric Coward, Dash Daniels, and now Isaiah Evans, perhaps quantity at the shooting guard position will equal the quality that Bane provided.

Every freshman who declared for the 2025 NBA Draft was taken in the first round. Isaiah Evans could have entered that group, but he chose to return to Duke for his sophomore season. With further development and more minutes, he could be a 2026 lottery pick. He showed the ability to score and shoot with confidence and accuracy during his 13 minutes per game. He is a talented offensive player, and with added responsibilities, could see his scoring output double or triple as a sophomore.

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While the Raptors are not exactly contenders, they have made enough moves to potentially make some noise in a wide open Eastern Conference next year. For a team that will always struggle to attract free agents, completing trades like the Brandon Ingram deal may be the best way to go.

Meleek Thomas was another one of John Calipari’s countless five star guard recruits. While he will have to share the ball with Darius Acuff Jr., DJ Wagner and others for Arkansas, his talent should allow his game to shine through. Thomas is a combo guard who excels as a scorer with the ball in his hands, whether it is with step back jumpers or attacking the basket.

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At the time of posting this mock, guys like Andre Jackson, Kevin Porter Jr., and Kyle Kuzma sit atop the Milwaukee Bucks depth chart. As long as the team has Giannis Antetokounmpo, it will challenge for playoff spots, but it will take a miracle to make this roster championship worthy again. Until that happens, expect ESPN to continue to publish daily Antetokounmpo trade pieces, despite what the player himself says.

Milwaukee should use this pick on a player that can produce right away. Yaxel Landeborg could have been a first round draft pick after a stellar run at UAB, but he chose to further develop his stock by transferring to Michigan. We have seen teams gravitate more towards experience with mid-first round picks, even if the player is 23 years old, as Lendeborg will be when his NBA career kicks off. He has double double potential as a big man who can rebound, shoot it from deep and operate as a facilitator from the high post.

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Perhaps no team in the NBA needs cheap youth more than the Clippers. They are top heavy with expensive, old players and have mostly failed to develop any rookies since Blake Griffin almost two decades ago.

Brayden Burries is yet another offensive minded combo guard who looks to score first and get his teammates involved second. He is strong and physical, able to get downhill with ease. He has enough handle to play point guard in a pinch, but is at his best when looking to score.

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This looked to be a franchise in turmoil before the lottery gods gifted it the Cooper Flagg “get out of jail free” card. With Flagg leading the way, and quite a few solid veterans on the roster, they should get back to the playoffs in short order.

Tahaad Pettiford was on the 2025 first round bubble, and chose to return to Auburn to hone his game. While he will never be able to answer questions about his size, he should improve his decision making and shooting enough to find himself in the first round in 2026. His small stature may relegate him to sixth man status, but he could be a nice change of pace guard behind Kyrie Irving in Dallas.

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With the news that Tyrese Haliburton will miss the entire 2025-2026 season, Indiana smartly traded its 2025 first round pick to the Pelicans in order to get its 2026 pick back, which could wind up in the lottery. Yet another short sighted move for New Orleans.

Even going into his third year in college, Aday Mara remains a project and relative unknown. He has tantalizing size and blocked 1.6 shots in only 13 minutes per game as a sophomore. He laso shot 59% from the field, though remained a non threat more than a few feet away from the hoop. Still, there is something here worth molding, and guys with his profile and size do not usually fall out of the first round.

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The Hawks are building quite a solid roster, and opt for a backup for Trae Young here. Cayden Boozer, the smaller twin brother of Cameron, may be trapped in a guards body, but he plays like Cameron and his father Carlos. He is strong, smart and has a great feel for the game. He may not be the quickest athlete, but plays smart, can be in control of an offense, and offers strong defensive potential.

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What a difference a year, real coaching, and a culture change makes. The hapless Detroit Pistons broke a long playoff drought in the East. Also, with so many injuries in that conference, they could be on their way to a top playoff seed. This is a roster that could use shooters, and Ian Jackson may be one of the best in this class.

Jackson looked the part of a lottery pick at times, but struggled mightily as the year went on. North Carolina has struggled to develop NBA draft picks for two decades now, and Jackson chose to transfer to the loaded St. John’s program, in hopes that he can unlock his potential. Jackson is a shooter, plain and simple. Even through a rough freshman campaign, he shot 40% from deep, and has the potential to possibly become a 15-20 point per game scorer in the NBA.

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The Lakers remain a top heavy roster. Luka Doncic, LeBron James, Austin Reaves and not much else. That trio should be good enough to bring Los Angeles back to the playoffs, but reinforcements are badly needed. Especially a rim running, athletic big man.

Patrick Ngongba II was stuck behind three 2025 lottery picks at Duke, but should justify his top 25 recruiting ranking with more opportunities as a sophomore. He has a great NBA body, is quite athletic, and should be the recipient of quite a few lobs from Luka and company in Los Angeles.

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The Warriors are going to go for it as long as Stephen Curry is productive, but they have smartly used the draft to round out the rotation with cheap, productive options.

Baylor seems to develop a quality first round NBA draft pick every year, and Tounde Yessoufou could be the 2026 recipient. He looks the part of a prototypical NBA combo forward. he is tall, strong and athletic. He is adept at scoring from the mid range, and can run the floor and rebound as well. He will have to improve his shooting and ball handling, but could develop into a quality starter in time.

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Minnesota prepared for the possibility of life without Julius Randle or Naz Reid by drafting several raw, athletic big men in the 2025 Draft. As long as Anthony Edwards continues to develop, they should be a threat out West.

Bennett Stirtz has taken the Cedric Coward/Dalton Knecht path, transferring from small school Northwest Missouri State to Drake, and will finish out his college career at Iowa. He is a great shooter, can run point guard and racked up steals. If his production can translate to Iowa and the tough Big 10, he could easily be a first round pick and become a steady NBA back up point guard.

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With injuries to Joel Embiid, Jayson Tatum, Tyrese Haliburton, Damian Lillard and others, the Magic have decided to go for it in the wide open East, pushing all its chips to the table by trading for Desmond Bane.

Alex Condon was a fringe first rounder that chose to return to Florida for his junior year. He should take on more of a role offensively, where he exhibits stretch capability. He is also a strong rebounder and solid defender.

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Thanks to restrictions, both tax wise and draft pick wise, Denver may be unable to make big time changes to its roster. It will be up to continued development from the youngsters to round out a bench that has been a problem area for years. Having its first round draft pick in 2026 will definitely help. Calvin Booth liked to use first round picks on upper classmen, but perhaps the new regime will opt for more upside.

Sergio De Larrea could have been a first round pick in 2025, but chose to remain in Europe for the upcoming season. He showed promise as a combo scorer in limited minutes. With added development, he could come to the States in 2026 as a ready to go bench scorer.

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With two more picks in the 2026 draft, the Thunder could continue to kick these late first round picks down the road. Solo Ball went from a bit player as a freshman to a go-to scorer for Connecticut as a sophomore. With continued development and usage, he could be a 20 point per game scorer and future first round draft pick.

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The 76ers will hope for more health from Joel Embiid and Paul George going forward. Still, this is a fringe playoff team that will most likely owe its 2026 draft pick to the Thunder, though it will get a late 2026 first round pick back from the aforementioned Oklahoma City.

Karter Knox struggled some during his freshman year at Arkansas, but is expected to take on a bigger role with Adou Thiero off to the NBA. He is strong, big and a solid shooter and scorer.

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With half of the Eastern Conference contenders dealing with serious injury concerns, the Cavaliers should have the best record in the conference once again. Of course, it is all about playoff success for this franchise, which has struggled to turn regular season wins into post-season success.

JT Toppin had a great freshman season for New Mexico in 2023, and was even better after transferring to Texas Tech in 2024. Toppin should flirt with a 20/10 season in 2025. If Toppin can continue to develop his jump shot to go along with his springy ability on both sides of the court, he could be a first round pick in 2026.

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