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

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This would obviously be an ideal situation for the Jazz, who have to give this pick up if it falls out of the top 8. Not only do they keep their pick, but they move all the way up to the top of the draft. AJ Dybantsa has been even better than advertised early on for BYU. He is coming off of a 33 point triple double, and has showcased a tremendous all around offensive game. His three point shot is all that is keeping him from being completely unguardable, but still, his ability to score would be welcome for any team, let alone a Utah squad in need of a franchise changing talent.

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It has been a lost season for the defending Eastern Conference champions, but a top three pick would help the wound heal quicker. While AJ Dybantsa and Cameron Boozer have been putting on showcases early on, Darryn Peterson has dealt with nagging injuries. His situation is a bit sketchy, but I am not going to speculate or draw conclusions. He will have to get back on the court if he wants to remain at the top of the draft board. Even if he somehow does not play anymore this season, I still have him as a top three pick, because his all around game is just so NBA friendly, and it is hard to see him not being one of the best shooting guards in the league in short order. It would be nice if he could get on the court, though.

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Cameron Boozer has been unstoppable at the college level, at least offensively. His below the basket offensive game should translate to a more wide open NBA style, especially with his ability to knock down jump shots. I do worry about his defense, as Texas Tech went right at him repeatedly in their win over Duke. That would not be as much of an issue if he plays in between Cooper Flagg and Dereck Lively II in Dallas. The Mavericks desperately need more scorers on the roster, regardless of position.

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Do not look now, Hawks fans, but the Pelicans have won five games in a row. With so many teams in tank mode, a winning streak like that could move the needle draft wise. Caleb Wilson has been a consistent double double threat for North Carolina, scoring exactly 20 or 21 points during his past five games. He is a modern day offensive big man, with a slashing game and the ability to step out and knock down the occasional three point shot. He also has strong defensive potential, and could be a quick Kristaps Porzingis replacement for the Hawks.

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The Wizards are a few years into a massive rebuild with little to show for it, and, once again, fall out of the top three and miss out on a franchise altering talent. Fortunately, Kingston Flemings is still a very good player and would probably be the most talented player on the roster right away. Flemings is a true, two way point guard with good size, smart passing instincts and the ability to score from all over the court. He is averaging more than a 2:1 assist to turnover ratio and is shooting 48% from deep.

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Other than Keegan Murray, Sacramento should trade every player not nailed down, so this could be a best player available scenario. This draft opens up quite a bit after the top five players above are off the board. Labaron Philon Jr. is my favorite non-freshman in this class. His decision to return to Alabama for his sophomore year has paid off in a big way. He has shown the ability to play point guard, and is shooting the ball with more efficiency and confidence.

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Perhaps no team could use an infusion of young talent like the Clippers, but they gave this pick up a half a decade ago to trade for a player no longer on the roster. Oh yeah, they also gave up the reigning MVP in that same deal. Good job, Los Angeles. The Thunder can just sit back and take the best available talent here. Nate Ament has as much natural talent as any player in this class, but has proven to be more raw than expected offensively. The framework of a good shooter is here, though, it will just take time. Fortunately, he also chips in as a rebounder and defender, even if his shot is not falling. A project to be sure, but he is too talented to fall out of the top ten.

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Despite drafting five rookies in the first round last year, the Nets are still somewhat of a blank slate roster wise, and should just snatch up the best available talent here. While the 2026 international class seems to be a bit light, that is because a lot of those players are in American colleges right now, led by Hannes Steinbach. Steinbach has been a double double machine, and has serious stretch big capabilities on offense. He may be picked on defensively, but that type of offensive game could make him a lottery pick.

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Charlotte is a team full of finesse shooters, so adding a tough wing player like Tounde Yessoufou would be a solid fit. Yessoufou is coming off of a 28 point performance, and has shown the ability to score inside and outside and pester opposing wing players defensively. Baylor has played perhaps the biggest early season cupcake schedule of any Power Five team, so I have to see Yessoufou do this against Big 12 competition before i move him up higher, but so far, so good.

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The Bucks are still hesitant to pull the Giannis Antetokounmpo band-aid off, which is understandable. It is hard to move on from perhaps the best player in franchise history, at least for the past fourty years. Still, this roster is in shambles, as evidenced by its losing ways without its former MVP. Mikel Brown Jr. has struggled to shoot the ball with consistency, but his free throw percentage and shooting stroke show a player who could be a Jamal Murray-like scorer and combo guard in time.

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The Trail Blazers have struggled to build upon a solid 2024-2025 season, showing how hard it is to break through in the cutthroat West. A power scorer like Koa Peat would be a nice contrast to the many guards on the Portland roster. He is not a shooter whatsoever, but is strong, can score down low, rebound and even initiate an offense at times. The Trail Blazers have a clear need for front court scorers like Peat.

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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. Coming off of an injury, the deep UConn Huskies have brought Braylon Mullins along slowly, but I expect him to be a big contributor once conference play starts. Mullins is a fantastic shooter with size and the ability to generate some steals. His archetype is highly coveted in the NBA, so I do not expect him to last too long on draft day.

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Few things in life are as certain as the Bulls drafting in the 8 to 13 range every year, and here they are again. I have had Darius Acuff Jr. ranked too low in my mocks, and it is time to rectify that. He has been perhaps the best player in the SEC, showing the ability to score at a high rate and play a steady role at point guard, with a 3:1 assist to turnover ratio. He is small and may be picked on defensively, but at some point his offensive potential is worth it.

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The Spurs have drafted projects with their mid first round picks the past few years, so they go with a veteran college player this time around. 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 would be a great first big off the bench for San Antonio, with the potential to perhaps start next to Victor Wembanyama.

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It seems like it is only a matter of time before Golden State trades Jonathan Kuminga, and they draft his replacement here. Karim Lopez is a versatile offensive minded forward who can score from a variety of spots on the floor, either as a shooter or a slasher. He is also a decent shot blocker and rebounder, though defense may never be his calling card.

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Tyler Herro has been Miami’s de-facto point guard, but I believe he is better at the two guard long term. Bennett Stirtz may not be a top notch replacement, but he is a good shooter who can distribute the ball as well. He is also quite experienced and ready to play now, something the Heat could use.

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Once again, Atlanta benefits from a disappointing team, as the preseason Eastern Conference favorite Cleveland Cavaliers are barely hanging over .500. This time they add to their back court depth. After a slow start to the season, Brayden Burries has picked things up in a big way. He is up to 14 points per game, as his jumper and overall offensive consistency continue to improve. Combo guards are a mixed bag in the NBA, but Burries looks like he could be a solid first guard off the bench.

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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. If he can put up some big performances against better competition, I would feel better about moving him up the board.

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Sometimes, it takes big men longer to develop. Chris Cenac Jr., a pre-season top ten recruit, has been a productive member of perhaps the best team in college basketball, but has taken a back seat offensively to the various guards on the Houston roster. He has the potential to average a double double at the next level, with the ability to make some three point shots. He should be a modern day NBA big man, but it will take time. I see starting center potential with him, though. He is not much of a defender, but his game should pair nicely with Ryan Kalkbrenner in Charlotte.

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After a hot start, the Raptors are predictably coming back to Earth a bit.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. He will be 23 years old before the 2026 season and is not much of a defender, which is why he is still available here, but I may be undervaluing him a bit.

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The Thunder could have up to four picks in the 2026 draft, 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. Henri Veesaar continues to impress. He is precisely what you want as a backup big man, as he can score, shoot, rebound and block some shots, with the potential to develop into a starter.

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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, as the Celtics continue to be one of the best teams in the NBA the past month or so. 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 the Celtics have minutes to spare in the front court.

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The Thunder are one of a small handful of teams that can afford to take a project such as Dash Daniels, and if he does not develop, it will not matter in the grand scheme of things. 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.

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The point guard duo of Mike Conley Jr. and Rob Dillingham leaves a lot to be desired. While it is a stretch to think anyone taken this late can challenge those two immediately, bringing in competition could be a good thing. Christian Anderson has been a revelation for Texas Tech as a sophomore. He is small and may struggle to hold up for 30 minutes a game, but has Bones Hyland ability as a scorer and distributor, and could be a solid change of pace backup.

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Flory Bidunga is the type of rim running, defensive minded big man that would be ideal in a Luka Doncic-led offense. While he will never be a shooter and may be limited to put backs to generate offense, he is a good rebounder, solid shot blocker and can get up and down the floor. You could do worse as a rotational big man, especially if you are the Lakers and have been trotting out the likes of Jaxson Hayes for years.

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New York has one of the weakest benches in the NBA, and could use a veteran to come in and absorb some minutes. After playing sparingly during his first two years at Tennessee, Baylor transfer Cameron Carr has been a scoring machine as a redshirt sophomore. He is a fantastic shooter and can fill it up from all over the court. I want to see him continue this success once Big 12 play begins, but it is hard to not envision a Jordan Clarkson-like microwave scoring role for Carr.

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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. 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 combo guard.

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It has taken a while, but Aday Mara has shown consistency as a junior, and looks the part of, at least, a solid backup center. He is not a shooter, but has great size, can rebound and block shots and it athletic. He may be a center only, which limits his upside, but he should be able to carve out an NBA role.

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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. Braden Smith could be a perfect backup point guard for a team with championship aspirations. He will never win athlete of the year, but can shoot, score and takes great care f the ball. He has a 3:1 assist to turnover ratio, and, oh yeah, leads the entire nation with 9.6 assists per game.

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The Washington Wizards round out the first round, and should draft whatever freshman may have slipped through the cracks. Meleek Thomas has struggled badly with his shot the past three games, scoring 18 points total, which has torpedoed his draft stock. Combo guards who cannot consistently score are not all that valuable. There is still plenty of time for him to turn it around and remain in the back half of the first round, but with so many mouths to feed at Arkansas, it could be tough.

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