Draft order and lottery courtesy of http://www.tankathon.com.

---

During his second game back, Darryn Peterson left early with hamstring tightness. It was precautionary, but if he continues to miss time with nagging injuries, other players could pass him by. I am not ready to move him out of the top spot in my mocks yet, though. Especially if the Kings wind up here. Peterson’s ability to score from all over the court and play solid defense makes him the ideal lead guard for a team in today’s NBA. Sacramento should jettison most of its veteran players, especially if they can hand the keys of the offense to Peterson. You have to play the games though, my friend.

---

The Clippers have seemingly given up on the season, and even losses will not help this franchise, as this pick will go to the Thunder, thanks to a Paul George trade from half a decade ago. Here, Oklahoma City gets perhaps the best scorer in this class. AJ Dybantsa has been one of the best slashing and scoring wings the college game has seen in quite a while, as evidenced by advanced scoring data. He would be an unfair super-sixth man for this team, and could challenge for sixth man of the year awards as a rookie.

---

It has been another miserable year for the New Orleans Pelicans franchise, who will have to give up its first round pick to the Hawks, no matter where it lands. Atlanta is fine with that, of course, and lands the best front court scorer in this class. Boozer has been close to unguardable at the college level. His below the basket game may not be the best fit for today’s wide open NBA style, but, even if he tops out as a Julius Randle type, he would be a great long term option for Kristaps Porzingis in Atlanta.

---

I have Caleb Wilson ranked above Kingston Flemings, but Flemings would be a perfect fit alongside Cooper Flagg for the next generation of the Dallas Mavericks. Flemings is the best pure point guard in this class. He has good size, is a great shooter and improving ball handler. If you have not watched Houston yet, you owe it to yourself to check out one of the most exciting players in college basketball.

---

Washington once again has the worst record in basketball, and, like 2025, they fall several spots in the draft. Fortunately, Caleb Wilson is a fantastic talent in his own right, and would be a nice fit next to Alex Sarr, giving the Wizards an uber-athletic front court pairing. He has been a double double machine, and is coming off of a 20 point, 14 rebound performance against Georgetown. He is also a developing defender and shooter, and looks like an ideal 2025 big man.

---

Labaron Philon Jr.’s decision to return to Alabama for his sophomore season has been a brilliant one. He has gone from the late first round in 2025 to a mid-lottery pick this year. He has upped his scoring consistency, shooting 55% from the field and 41% from deep. Though he struggles with turnovers, he has the ability to play point guard if need be. The Pacers have to be disappointed they fell to sixth in this mock exercise, but Philon Jr. would be able to play well off of Tyrese Haliburton, and would give Indiana one of the better scoring back courts in the league.

---

Michael Porter Jr. has been an All Star caliber player this year, so of course, the Nets could look to trade him, as his play is counterproductive to Brooklyn’s goal of losing all of its games. Nate Ament has a bit of MPJ to his game. He has struggled somewhat with consistency, but that was expected, as he came to Tennessee even more raw than a lot of other freshmen. He has the ability to be a 20 point per game scorer in the NBA, who will not hurt you defensively, but it will take time. Something the Nets have.

---

The Hornets are still a bad team, but finally have a direction, thanks to a great 2025 draft class. If Brandon Miller and LaMelo Ball can simply stay healthy, they could finally win some games. Hannes Steinbach could make this offense even more potent. He has been one of the most impressive freshman in this class, thanks to his ideal ability to stretch the floor on offense and grab rebounds on defense. He is not much of a defender, but with Ryan Kalkbrenner holding it down on that side of the court, it would not be much of a problem.

---

The Trail Blazers have struggled to build off of a strong finish to the 2024-2025 season, but are probably too good to rise in the draft without some lottery luck. Tounde Yessoufou has shown the ability to be a strong 3 and D wing player. His jump shot is improving, he is very strong and can pester opposing wing players. He is the type of player who can be productive without the ball in his hands, making him a strong fit with Damian Lillard, when he returns from injury.

---

Chicago’s strong start seems like a distant memory. The Bulls remain a franchise without a real plan. Drafting Noa Essengue over Derik Queen is further proof of that. Sometimes it takes big men a little longer to develop, even at the college level. If Koa Peat had a jump shot, he would be a top five pick. He is tough, can score down low, rise above defenders, and even play some point forward.

---

The Jazz can never seem to tank properly, and this pick will go to the Thunder if it falls out of the top 8. Mikel Brown Jr. has struggled to shoot the ball with consistency, but should be a solid score first point guard at the NBA level. Of course, with the Thunder, he would be another over-qualified backup. Imagine him and AJ Dybantsa leading the second unit. Great job letting this happen, rest of the NBA.

---

The Bucks are still operating as if they are contenders. They are not, of course, but it is hard to admit defeat and let go of the best player you have had in the past 50 years. UConn has brought Braylon Mullins along slowly, but I think he will start to contribute more once conference play starts. His three point percentages should continue to rise, as he is a fantastic shooter with size. His archetype is highly coveted by teams, especially the Bucks, who seriously lack back court scoring punch.

---

After a miserable start, the Grizzlies are back in the playoff mix, but probably do not have enough to realistically do any damage out West. Memphis was not scared to draft a senior in the lottery a couple of years ago, when they selected Zach Edey, and go to that well once again with Bennett Stirtz. Stirtz has had an interesting college journey, but has developed into a serious NCAA player of the year candidate as a senior. He is a better athlete than you would expect, and excels at creating his own offense, shooting and distributing the ball. He can also hold his own defensively, and could be that Ja Morant replacement this franchise desperately needs.

---

Yaxel Lendeborg’s decision to transfer to Michigan has gone about as well as he could have hoped. Lendeborg has chipped in all over the place, from scoring and rebounding, to shooting and defending. He has starter potential, and would be a great fit with what the Heat like to do offensively.

---

It seems like it is only a matter of time before Golden State trades Jonathan Kuminga. The Warriors had a great chance to build the next iteration of this team, but failed with its high draft picks from a few years ago. Chris Cenac Jr. has been hit or miss for the Warriors, but sometimes it takes big men a bit longer to develop. He has the potential to be a double double big man who can knock down some jump shots, and has a higher ceiling than the rest of the Warriors young big men.

---

This is the first of many first round picks that are coming the Grizzlies way, via the Desmond Bane to Orlando trade. Memphis adds yet another offensive talent with Neoklis Avdalas. Avdalas has the type of game that scouts dream about, thanks to his ability to initiate an offense and score at 6’9. His scoring consistency needs work, but he already has a couple of 30 point performances to his name.

---

After drafting Cameron Boozer, Atlanta doubles up on front court scorers. Karim Lopez has been a fantastic offensive presence for his team, showing the ability to score from the post all the way out to the three point line. He shares some similarities offensively to Jalen Johnson. He may not be much of a defender, but is a real bucket getter.

---

Prized Kentucky transfer Jayden Quaintance is still without a timetable for return, fueling rumors that he may sit out the season and prepare for the draft. It would be an unfortunate turn of events, as Quaintance needs the season to improve offensively. He is already an NBA-level rebounder and defender, and would be a great counterpart to Victor Wembanyama in San Antonio.

---

The Thunder have four picks in this mock, and two injured players who will be rookies next year, so I seriously doubt they make all of these selections. It is best player available here. Thomas Haugh reminds me of a more athletic Tristan da Silva. He can do a bit of everything offensively, and has the size to play either forward spot.

---

If it was not for into the stratosphere seasons from player such as Nikola Jokic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jaylen Brown would be getting a bit of MVP love. The Celtics are not going to punt this season, as previously thought. More size would probably be a priority here, but Darius Acuff Jr. represents the best value. He is a good scorer and ball handler, but he might be too small and weak defensively to play 30 minutes per game as a starter. In shorter bursts, he could be an asset.

---

With its second pick of the first round, Charlotte should continue to add front court help. Flory Bidunga is the anti-Hannes Steinbach. He is not a shooter, but is a solid defender and rebounder who can chip in offensively with put backs and short jumpers.

---

Meleek Thomas is your typical John Calipari guard. He is a solid scorer and shooter that has had to fight for the ball with all of Arkansas other ball dominant guards. His archetype is losing value in today’s NBA, where teams want more ball handling and defense out of its lead guards, but should still find a spot in the first round, thanks to his offensive abilities and decent defensive potential.

---

After a very slow start to the season, Brayden Burries seems to be improving game by game. He is coming off of his best performance of the year, dropping 28 points in a big win over Alabama. He is a scorer with the ability to handle the ball and play solid defense, and should continue to rise up my draft board. He would be an upgrade over Rob Dillingham as a backup guard on the Minnesota roster.

---

This is Oklahoma City’s fourth pick of the first round and will likely be sold off to the highest bidder. Dash Daniels is an even more raw version of his brother Dyson. Like the older Daniels, Dash is a solid defender and ball handler with nice size, but may be quite a few years away from being an offensive weapon. His jump shot is not beyond repair, so if he can be properly coached, could be a nice two way wing in time.

---

The Lakers have been looking for a rim running big man for years. Henri Veesaar, along with Caleb Wilson, has transformed North Carolina into one of the better front court scoring teams in the country. He has range on his jump shot and can even chip in defensively.

---

The Cavaliers may look to move Jaylon Tyson into the starting lineup next year, which would open up a spot for a big time bench scorer. Cameron Carr has gone from a little used backup at Tennessee to a 20 point per game scorer at Baylor. His ability to get buckets from anywhere on the court has been second to none. He is shooting 42% from deep, and if he can continue this scoring surge, should find himself in the first round.

---

New York has one of the weakest benches in the NBA, and could use a veteran to come in and absorb some minutes. It takes a special kind of defensive talent to go in the first round, despite only scoring 7 points per game, but that is Joseph Tugler. There may not be a more versatile defender in college. He has also made all of his very limited three point attempts, so he may not be a lost cause offensively, but make no mistake, he will be on the court for his defense.

---

Both Tim Hardaway Jr. and Bruce Brown are on one year deals, so Denver could be on the lookout for cheap guard depth during the draft. Christian Anderson has been a revelation for Texas Tech as a sophomore. He is small and may struggle to hold up, but has Bones Hyland ability as a scorer and distributor, and could excel in the role Hyland used to have in Denver.

---

The Pistons turnaround has not been talked about nearly enough. It seemed like just yesterday they set the record for most losses in a row, and now they are only a couple games back from the best record in the NBA. Kevin Knox has had to fight for scraps offensively at Arkansas, but is shooting the three at over 50% and playing solid defense. A future role player to be sure, but the role he provides is highly coveted in the NBA.

---

The Washington Wizards round out the first round, and could continue to draft young players with upside. Sergio de Larrea is a solid guard with size and point guard skills. He is also a good shooter, making him an ideal back up guard.

---