Welcome to yet another season of NBA basketball! Go Nuggets!

Draft order is based on a quick ranking of teams. Do not worry about that one too much.

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Yes, the Nets drafted several guys in the 2025 NBA Draft that can play point guard, but no one on the roster offers the superstar potential of Darryn Peterson. He is the ideal 2020’s lead guard. He has some Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in his game, thanks to his ability to control the flow of the offense as a scorer and a passer. He is extremely talented with the ball in his hands and could lead the league in scoring one day. I worry about how his game will develop at Kansas, a school that has not always been friendly to top prospects, but he is too talented for Bill Self to not fully unleash.

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The Jazz have been rebuilding for years, but fully embraced the tank by trading away most of its veterans. It is top three or bust for Utah. A.J. Dybansta is the best wing player in this class. He is not a point guard or big man, two positions most coveted during the NBA Draft, but is a nearly complete offensive player, able to take his man off the dribble, slash or shoot. He has been scouted for years, and there may be some prospect fatigue here, and he will have to answer some questions about effort and determination, but he has all the abilities to be a 25 point per game scorer in the NBA. Utah needs a guy like that, and Jazz fans will get to watch him all winter long, as he enrolled at nearby BYU.

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The Wizards are still in the infancy stages of a long rebuild, and desperately need an All Star talent on the roster. Cameron Boozer, the son of former All Star, Carlos, would instantly become the best player on the roster. He is a ready to play big man, with the size to hold his own on defense and the all around game to be an offensive powerhouse. He is very smart, a good defender and should be a real asset right away..

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The Suns are starting over from scratch, and do not even have its first round pick in 2026. The Grizzlies do not care about that though, and benefit here. Nate Ament may be the rawest of the big four, but he also may have the most potential. Tall, lanky and athletic, he looks like Kevin Durant did at Texas, with some of the offensive skills to match. He can handle the ball, shoot it and create his own offense. Memphis is a solid defensive team, but adding a wing player with the offensive potential of Ament could be a game changer.

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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. Atlanta is already licking its lips in anticipation of landing an elite talent for nothing. Mikel Brown Jr. plays the same position as Trae Young, but this is a situation where a playoff team should just take the best talent available and be happy about it. Brown has great size, an all around offensive game to match. He could be the first guard off the bench behind Young and Dyson Daniels, a scary thought for the rest of the East.

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Health permitting, Charlotte could have one of the better offensive teams in the NBA. Defense and size remains a problem, however. Once the elite tier is off the board, Chris Cenac Jr. may be the best fit for this roster. Like most high school big men, he relies more on instinct and talent than skills, but has the potential to develop into a strong two way center. He can hold things down on defense, run the floor on offense, and could develop a jump shot nearing the three point line.

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Sacramento traded long time point guard De’Aaron Fox last year, and does not have much to show for it. The short term duo of Dennis Schroder and Russell Westbrook is not going to help Kings fans forget about Fox. Darius Acuff Jr. would be a nice long term replacement. Acuff Jr. is a real threat offensively, and has enough size and strength to not be a liability on defense. Top recruited John Calipari guards have not fared well in recent years, and Acutt Jr. will look to buck that trend.

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Once again, the Bulls look like a team that is too good to fully bottom out in the lottery, but not solid enough to make a real playoff run. Who knows what direction they will go in during the 2026 draft, but every team needs shooting, with Chicago no exception. Braylon Mullins may be the best sharp shooter in this class. He is deadly from deep, but can also create his own offense as well. Guys like him always seem to find a home in the mid to late lottery.

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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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Portland added Damian Lillard and Jrue Holiday to a young, deep back court, making adding a big man to pair with Donovan Clingan a priority. 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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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. Karim Lopez has drawn some Tatum comparisons himself. An offensive minded combo forward with good size, he can handle the ball, create his own offense and has some decent range on his jump shot. He is also very experienced for his age, so he should be able to carve out a role for a championship hopeful next year.

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The Pacers are yet another East team that will have to navigate the upcoming season without its best player. They are still deep and well coached enough to make a playoff run, but it will be tough. Dash Daniels possesses many of the same skills of his All NBA defender Dyson, but is much more raw offensively. He should get more run for his Australian club during the upcoming season, but his defensive potential and length could make him a lottery pick.

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This is the type of wing player the Grizzlies like to target. Tounde Yessoufou, the latest in a long line of talented Baylor guards, is a tough, strong, physical offensive player who excels at getting to the basket. In typical Memphis fashion, he has the ability to be one of the better wing defenders in the league. He has the type of two way potential that usually gets guards drafted in the lottery.

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With De’Aaron Fox, Dylan Harper, Devin Vassell and a healthy Victor Wembanyama, the Spurs will look to make that next leap into West playoff contention. They are at the level where they can just go after the best player available. Miikka Muurinen is a project right now, but has immense potential as a tall shooter and scorer. The Spurs have no problem drafting these type of prospects and letting them sit and learn.

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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. Koa Peat may not be the biggest or most athletic, but he is a smart, crafty scorer from the inside out, and is a solid rebounder as well. He could team up with Collin Murray-Boyles to provide some real beef and ability off the bench for Toronto.

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Detroit has a strong, developing roster but could really miss the shooting that Malik Beasley provided. Isaiah Evans could be a similar type of player. He shot 42% from deep in limited minutes last year. With several Duke players moving on to the NBA, Evans should step into the starting lineup as a sophomore and could take off as a result. He could easily double his scoring average with enough minutes, making him a very intriguing scoring option for team picking in the teens.

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The Heat will never truly bottom out and rebuild, but this roster needs reinforcements, especially at point guard. Bennett Stirtz was a revelation for Drake after transferring from a D2 team. If he can continue that momentum for a power five school, he could be a future first round pick. He can shoot the ball, lead an offense and is an underrated defender. The jump in competition will be the biggest issue, but he should be handed the keys to the offense in Iowa, and given every chance to succeed.

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It was a whirlwind of a few months for Dallas fans, who saw the team trade its franchise icon, only to get lucky and land perhaps the new future face of the franchise in the draft. The Mavericks have a solid, veteran team and could just go with the best talent available here. Like many lead guards in this class, Meleek Thomas is a score first combo guard with a unique ability to get buckets. That can be a curse, however, as he lacks efficiency, something he will have to clean up while sharing ball handling duties with Darius Acuff Jr. at Arkansas.

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The Bucks seem to be piecing the roster together with duct tape and Elmer’s glue year by year, in hopes of holding onto Giannis Antetokounmpo as long as they can. Eventually, they may have to make a tough decision. This is a franchise that tries to draft upside, and usually fails. This time, I have them going with a solid upper-classman to help out the second unit. Yaxel Lendeborg was a one man show for UAB last year, and will take his talents to Michigan, a team with real national title hopes. He is a very solid all around big man, who can rebound, score from inside or out, and you can even run your offense through him on occasion.

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Minnesota is coming off of back to back Western Conference Finals appearances, and will return virtually the same team in hopes it can get it done in 2025-2026. Ian Jackson looked like a late lottery pick early on as a freshman before hitting the rookie wall hard. He moved on from North Carolina, a school that has really struggled to develop NBA prospects, and will join a loaded St. John’s roster in 2025-2026. Jackson’s calling card is his shooting. Even in a down year, he hit almost 40% from deep, and if he can improve the rest of his game, could work his way back into the first round.

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With three more picks in the 2026 draft, the Thunder could continue to kick these late first round picks down the road through trades. Sergio De Larrea was a bit player for his club last year, but showed real ability as a play maker with size. He also shot 43% from the three point line, though on limited shot attempts. There is a lot to like here, and if he can cut down on his turnovers and show he can be a point guard in the NBA, he could be a lottery pick.

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Atlanta’s starting five is set, and with two picks in this draft, could put together a deep roster. Dame Sarr, a Euroleague graduate, will head to a loaded Duke team in hopes of working his way into the first round in 2026. He is a tall, lanky offensive weapon with real defensive upside. While not much of a shooter, he could provide slashing ability as a scorer.

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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 has been at the top of the wish list for a while now. Patrick Ngongba II hardly played as a freshman, but should slide into the starting lineup this year. He is tall, strong and quick. While he may be relegated to put backs to provide offense, he can block shots and rebound, and could be a starting center in the league.

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The Hornets double down on big men draft picks, selecting Kansas sophomore Flory Bidunga. Like Patrick Ngongba II, Bidunga was a part time big man as a freshman on a deep team. Expected to be a starter as a sophomore, Bidunga has the potential to average a double double with multiple blocked shots per game. While not a shooter, he offers many traits that teams look for in a starting center.

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Yet another first round pick for the most successful franchise in the NBA. Stop me if you heard this already. Brayden Burries is yet another score first lead guard who can score from all three levels. This class is loaded with offensively talented combo guards.

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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. Cayden Boozer, the twin brother of Cameron, was not blessed with his height or strength, but is a solid prospect in his own right. Like you would expect from the son of an NBA player, Cayden is wise beyond his years, and has the ability to lead an offense, find the open teammate, and hit the occasional jump shot.

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The Knicks have loaded up on veterans, and with the East in a transition year, anything less than an Eastern Conference Finals appearance would be a colossal disappointment. Alex Condon could have been a first round pick as a sophomore, but will hope to lead the Florida Gators to back to back championships. He is athletic, a sneaky shot blocker, and could be a solid stretch four off the bench for New York.

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The Nuggets still have one of the best starting lineups in the NBA, and, for the first time in half a decade, the bench is solid as well. With five highly paid players, Denver will always need to hit on late first round picks to round out its roster, something they have succeeded with more often than not. Tahaad Pettiford is a nice all around point guard, who may lack the size to be a full time starter. As a microwave scorer and distributor off the bench, he could excel.

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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. Tomislav Ivisic was a revelation for Illinois as a sophomore. The 7’1 Croatian big man showed a sweet shooting stroke and the ability to be somewhat of a playmaker. He is not a banger or a defender, but his offensive game would be a welcome fit behind Cleveland’s talented starting big men.

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The Wizards should continue going all in on young players with upside, even at the end of the first round. Greek wing Neoklis Avdalas flirted with the 2025 NBA Draft before enrolling at Virginia Tech. He has good size and a nice shooting stroke. If he can show that he belongs in a tough ACC, he could be a first round pick.

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