It is New Years Eve! I hope you all have a great one!

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

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It has been another miserable year for the Pelicans, and this particular scenario would be a real gut punch to the fan base. Fortunately, Derik Queen has been a very good player, but missing out on the top overall pick would still hurt. The Hawks are in free fall right now, but still have a few good young players to build around if they choose the youth movement, and AJ Dybantsa would be the cream of the crop. He is a complete offensive player, able to score off of isolation, on cuts or even by knocking down long jump shots. He is not a naturally talented defender, but has the ability to be passable on that side of the ball. Make no mistake though, he will be drafted in the top three because of his legitimate offensive ability. He would be a massive upgrade over Zaccharie Risacher.

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Charlotte has drafted very well lately, and the chance to add one of the top picks in the draft could put a nice cherry on the franchises latest rebuild. I do not often mock for need over pure talent this high in the draft, but Cameron Boozer would be a perfect fit for this current roster. While he may not be the best athlete, he is a hard worker, tremendous low post scorer, and has the ability to stretch the offense out ot the three point line. Plus, he has name recognition and could help put this beleaguered franchise back on the basketball map.

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The Wizards have been rebuilding for years. Alex Sarr and Keyshawn George look like solid pieces, but if they can finally land an elite prospect like Darryn Peterson, that would get this franchise back on track. Darryn Peterson has only played four games for Kansas because of injuries. His latest setback has set the rumor mill ablaze that he is trying to protect his draft stock from injury, but I do not like to speculate without knowing all of the information. It would help if he returned to the court, however, because this is a deep draft class, and it is important to play. Still, his NBA ready game as a scorer and facilitator should keep him squarely in the top five.

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If there is one outsider that can break into that top three of prospects, it is Caleb Wilson. He has been North Carolina’s best freshman performer in years, perhaps decades. He is a double double threat, and is coming off of a 22 point, 16 rebound, 6 assist game against Florida State. He is a lanky, rim running big man who can score, rebound, block shots, steal the ball and even has a developing three point shot. Simply put, he is an ideal 2026 NBA power forward, and would be a fantastic fit on Brooklyn, playing off of their various young point guards.

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Yes, The Pacers have Tyrese Haliburton and Andrew Nembhard on the roster, and both are point guards, but this is a San Antonio Spurs Dylan Harper type situation, where they take, by far, the best talent on the board with Kingston Flemings and worry about the fit later. 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 has greater than more than a 2:1 assist to turnover ratio and is shooting 44% from deep. Alex Sarr and Keyshawn George have shown strong improvements as second year players, and Flemings would be a part of a nice young trio for the Wizards.

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Sacramento is a franchise without a clear direction right now. Landing a top five pick would help, but they just miss out on that tier of prospects, and the remaining players have more question marks, but there is still possible franchise talent to be had. A lead guard to replace DeAaron Fox might be at the top of the teams wish list. While some of the highly recruited combo guard freshmen have struggled out of the gate, sophomore Labaron Philon Jr. has excelled. He is one of the top scorers in college basketball, shooting it effectively from deep, and has displayed much improved point guard skills. He should easily be the first non-freshman drafted.

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Teams everywhere are rooting for the Clippers to continue to win games, because the Thunder adding a top three talent to its envious roster should scare the rest of the NBA. The talent pool opens up a bit after the top five guys are gone, and Oklahoma City will probably just take the best talent available to add to its bench. It has been a rough going for Nate Ament recently, but I still believe in his talent and see a Michael Porter Jr. type offensive player, thanks to his length and athleticism. The Thunder can afford to be patient with him, work out his kinks, and hopefully add a solid source of secondary scoring to the second unit.

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Even though rookie phenom Cooper Flagg can play a point forward role offensively on occasion, adding a dynamic scoring guard to take some of the pressure off him should be priority number one for Dallas. Mikel Brown Jr. has struggled to shoot at a consistent clip, but still has contributed as a passer and defender. His jump shot should improve with time, and he could have a Jamal Murray-like role as a scoring combo guard.

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Utah just does not know how to tank. The Jazz are coming off of back to back wins against the juggernaut Pistons and Spurs, and, once again, this pick goes to Oklahoma City, since it will fall out of the top eight. The Thunder will simply draft an over-qualified bench player 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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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 forty years. Milwaukee has gone point guard by committee in its attempts to replace Damian Lillard, and could opt for a potential long term option here. 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 Trail Blazers have struggled to build upon a solid 2024-2025 season, showing how hard it is to break through in the cutthroat West. Perhaps this team could use some front court scoring punch to go with its various guards. Koa Peat is a jump shot away from being a top five pick. Scouts hope he can follow the Aaron Gordon career path. Peat is a strong low post scorer, can rebound and even handle the ball on occasion. He would be a nice fit next to Donovan Clingan in the Portland front court.

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The Hawks have been in free-fall mode the past couple of weeks, and the fantastic San Antonio Spurs land a late lottery pick as a result. 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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Tounde Yessoufou is the type of tough wing player that would endear himself to fans of the old grit and grind Memphis Grizzlies. He is big, strong, can slash to the basket and plays tough, ferocious defense. Baylor has played the ultimate cupcake schedule early, but if Yessoufou can keep up his play during the brutal Big 12 schedule, he should rise up my draft board.

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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. Braylon Mullins is the type of prospect that can fit in anywhere, thanks to his solid size for a wing and ability to knock down three point shots. UConn has brought him along slowly following his injury, but I expect his minutes and production to ramp up during conference play.

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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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Once again, Atlanta benefits from a disappointing team, as the preseason Eastern Conference favorite Cleveland Cavaliers are barely hanging over .500. Neoklis 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, but he is still talented enough to push the disappointing Zaccharie Risacher for the starting small forward spot in Atlanta.

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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 even more toughness to its bench with this selection. 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, though, and has starting potential.

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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 has been as good as advertised for Iowa, showing the ability to knock down jump shots at a high level and lead an offense. He may not be a good enough athlete to start and play 30 minutes per game, but would keep the offense moving when the starters come off of the floor.

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I seriously doubt the Thunder have room for three, or four, rookies on its roster, so this is another best player available situation. After a slow start, Brayden Burries 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 league, but Burries looks like a definite NBA talent.

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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.

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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. He even showed off his playmaking chops with a 10 assist game his last time out.

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The Celtics have a guard heavy roster, and should look to add cheap front court depth with this selection. Patrick Ngongba II is an analytic favorite. Big men like him will not put up monster stats playing for Duke, but he fills his roll quite well. He is an athletic big man who can rebound, block shots and score on put backs. He may never be more than a Day’Ron Sharpe type, but could fill important minutes for a playoff team like Boston.

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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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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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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. Keaton Wagler is the extremely rare sub-100 ranked prospect to make a big impact for a top team as a freshman. He has been a knock down shooter, and has displayed solid play making ability. He may not be much of a defender, but his ability to score will be an asset for any team.

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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. 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 Pistons are a fantastic team, but could use additional shooting. They get it from an unlikely source 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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The Washington Wizards round out the first round, and draft another play maker to go along with Darryn Peterson. 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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