2026 NBA draft thread

[Winter]

I think evaluations have gotten a lot better. I think teams understand a lot more now than they did in the Don Nelson era. I also think the good players get better equipped for the draft. They get better advice and get selective about their metrics before the draft.

[michaeltex]

While we've talked a lot about how good this draft was, I just watched a video grading this last year's draft with Flagg. I was really surprised at how strong this 1st round was.  In the top 10, Tre Johnson had a bad year, and Khaman Malach could have played better... but that's about it. The top 4 players last year may be as good as the top 4 players this year. And the bottom half of the draft had some very good players in Cedric Coward and D Queen, and some very serviceable players like Gonzales and Newell. Yang Hansen was a big fat "F" but overall this draft was good.

1. Mavericks draft Cooper Flagg (Duke)
2. Spurs draft Dylan Harper (Rutgers)
3. 76ers draft VJ Edgecombe (Baylor)
4. Hornets draft Kon Knueppel (Duke)
5. Jazz draft Ace Bailey (Rutgers)
6. Wizards draft Tre Johnson (Texas)
7. Pelicans draft Jeremiah Fears (Oklahoma)
8. Nets draft Egor Demin (BYU)
9. Raptors draft Collin Murray-Boyles (South Carolina)
10. Rockets draft Khaman Maluach (Duke) – Traded to Suns
11. Trail Blazers draft Cedric Coward (Washington State) – Traded to Grizzlies
12. Bulls draft Noa Essengue (Ratiopharm Ulm)
13. Hawks draft Derik Queen (Maryland) – Traded to Pelicans
14. Spurs draft Carter Bryant (Arizona)
15. Thunder draft Thomas Sorber (Georgetown)
16. Grizzlies draft Yang Hansen (Qingdao) – Traded to Trail Blazers
17. Timberwolves draft Joan Beringer (Cedevita Olimpija)
18. Wizards draft Walter Clayton Jr. (Florida) – Traded to Jazz
19. Nets draft Nolan Traoré (Saint-Quentin BB)
20. Heat draft Kasparas Jakučionis (Illinois)
21. Jazz draft Will Riley (Illinois) – Traded to Wizards
22. Hawks draft Drake Powell (North Carolina) – Traded to Nets
23. Pelicans draft Asa Newell (Georgia) – Traded to Hawks
24. Thunder draft Nique Clifford (Colorado State) – Traded to Kings
25. Magic draft Jase Richardson (Michigan State)
26. Nets draft Ben Saraf (Ratiopharm Ulm)
27. Nets draft Danny Wolf (Michigan)
28. Celtics draft Hugo González (Real Madrid)
29. Suns draft Liam McNeeley (Connecticut) –  Traded to Hornets
30. Clippers draft Yanic Konan Niederhauser (Penn State)

It will be interesting to compare this upcoming draft with the 2025 draft.

2 observations...

1/3 of the selected players were traded. I know there are always trades, pre and post pick, but that seems like a high number. With cap crunch teams like OKC, could that be a way to get talent without having to actually make the pick?

This was the first draft that was seriously impacted by NIL money. Some of the late FRPs might have otherwise been SRPs. Could happen again this year, so maybe #30 isn't so valuable since it comes with 2 years of guaranteed money.

[Chicagojk]

The Ringer has a new mock drafft and they have Brown jr at 5.     Wagler at 8.   I have been searching for at least one wing to jump into the middle of the guard run.  I haven't settled on one yet.   Although, just like Vecenie, they have Mara at 9.  I had not considered him that high.   A few quick thoughts.  I think they are way high on Swain and way low on Peat.   

https://www.theringer.com/nba-draft/2026...au#content

[Smitty]

The Ringer has a new mock drafft and they have Brown jr at 5.     Wagler at 8.   I have been searching for at least one wing to jump into the middle of the guard run.  I haven't settled on one yet.   Although, just like Vecenie, they have Mara at 9.  I had not considered him that high.   A few quick thoughts.  I think they are way high on Swain and way low on Peat.   

https://www.theringer.com/nba-draft/2026...au#content

Evans at 30. Love to see it. A Brown*/Evans combo at 8/30 would bring much needed outside shooting to this team, and help a lot with spacing for Coop. Add in Kyrie, and you start to see the vision... 

*Assuming Brown's back checks out

[mvossman]

The Ringer has a new mock drafft and they have Brown jr at 5.     Wagler at 8.   I have been searching for at least one wing to jump into the middle of the guard run.  I haven't settled on one yet.   Although, just like Vecenie, they have Mara at 9.  I had not considered him that high.   A few quick thoughts.  I think they are way high on Swain and way low on Peat.   

https://www.theringer.com/nba-draft/2026...au#content

If we don't land top 4, next best case is somebody takes Brown in top 7 and we get Wagler or Flemings at 8.

[Winter]

The Ringer has a new mock drafft and they have Brown jr at 5.     Wagler at 8.   I have been searching for at least one wing to jump into the middle of the guard run.  I haven't settled on one yet.   Although, just like Vecenie, they have Mara at 9.  I had not considered him that high.   A few quick thoughts.  I think they are way high on Swain and way low on Peat.   

https://www.theringer.com/nba-draft/2026...au#content

I think analysts are seeing Mara as an immediate impact player in the middle. Because of that, I don't think he fits at the bottom of the first round either. These types of guys never seem to hold up very long, but I get why you might draft him in the top 10.

I think they are high on Swain and low on Evans. I can't say much for Peat. I don't see any reason to have him as a high draft pick, but Arizona didn't really feature any one player much so I'm not sure how he manages in the NBA. It's not like he has any elite skill.

We'll know more in 10 days.

[dirkfansince1998]

Okorie rising on the last few boards I have seen. Expected. Just don't see that much of a difference between him and the lottery guys. As far as scoring goes he might be better than all of them.

[michaeltex]

Okorie rising on the last few boards I have seen. Expected. Just don't see that much of a difference between him and the lottery guys. As far as scoring goes he might be better than all of them.

I don't know much about him, but I get nervous when you start seeing post-season risers. Makes me wonder if some aren't talking themselves into taking a bigger chance than they normally would.

[dirkfansince1998]

I don't know much about him, but I get nervous when you start seeing post-season risers. Makes me wonder if some aren't talking themselves into taking a bigger chance than they normally would.

I think he wasn't getting as much attention because Stanford isn't a competitive program. Now that the season is over and it is all about film and analytics his name just continues to pop up next to Dybantsa or Boozer when people look at scoring numbers and offensive metrics. Not suprising that his draft stock is rising.
Same for other analytics darlings like Graves or Tanner.

[Smitty]

I don't know much about him, but I get nervous when you start seeing post-season risers. Makes me wonder if some aren't talking themselves into taking a bigger chance than they normally would.

Okorie was talked about plenty throughout the season as a late round Guard for the Mavs at 30. He's been mocked in the late first/early second most of the year. He may have jumped up some in that particular mock... Some of it because of other projected first rounders going back to school, and also because he's a really good player. Just undersized.

[Chicagojk]

I think analysts are seeing Mara as an immediate impact player in the middle. Because of that, I don't think he fits at the bottom of the first round either. These types of guys never seem to hold up very long, but I get why you might draft him in the top 10.

I think they are high on Swain and low on Evans. I can't say much for Peat. I don't see any reason to have him as a high draft pick, but Arizona didn't really feature any one player much so I'm not sure how he manages in the NBA. It's not like he has any elite skill.

We'll know more in 10 days.

Mara is going to be a fascinating evaluation.    Two years with minimal impact at UCLA and then one year at Michigan where he was a key cog in a national champion. Still though he only played 23 minutes a game.   His free throw percentage improved but still finished at 56% for the year.  

His highlights are really fun and his best basketball may be ahead of him, but he may be best served as a tandem guy paired with another center.    It will be really interesting to see where teams rank him.  I am not buying too many of the rankings yet for most of these guys.  Especially guys outside the top 7-8.

[Winter]

Mara is going to be a fascinating evaluation.    Two years with minimal impact at UCLA and then one year at Michigan where he was a key cog in a national champion. Still though he only played 23 minutes a game.   His free throw percentage improved but still finished at 56% for the year.  

His highlights are really fun and his best basketball may be ahead of him, but he may be best served as a tandem guy paired with another center.    It will be really interesting to see where teams rank him.  I am not buying too many of the rankings yet for most of these guys.  Especially guys outside the top 7-8.

Quaintance is the biggest mystery. He'll be a project, but what a build on that guy.

[Chicagojk]

Which one would concern you the most?  BTW, I am completely making these up.

Acuff is measured at 6'0 without shoes.
Wagler has a 22 inch standing vertical
Brown Jr may need back surgery in the future
Flemings measures at 6'3 but has a 6'2 wingspan

[Smitty]

Which one would concern you the most?  BTW, I am completely making these up.

Acuff is measured at 6'0 without shoes.
Wagler has a 22 inch standing vertical
Brown Jr may need back surgery in the future
Flemings measures at 6'3 but has a 6'2 wingspan

Easily Brown Jr needing back surgery, for me.

[Scott41theMavs]

Which one would concern you the most?  BTW, I am completely making these up.

Acuff is measured at 6'0 without shoes.
Wagler has a 22 inch standing vertical
Brown Jr may need back surgery in the future
Flemings measures at 6'3 but has a 6'2 wingspan

All would be terrible. #3 is a complete dealbreaker.

[dirkfansince1998]

Which one would concern you the most?  BTW, I am completely making these up.

Acuff is measured at 6'0 without shoes.
Wagler has a 22 inch standing vertical
Brown Jr may need back surgery in the future
Flemings measures at 6'3 but has a 6'2 wingspan

Back surgery. Not touching another walking injury disaster.

Wagler's style of play doesn't really require him to jump. We already know that Acuff is undersized. One inch more or less doesn't really change all that much. Not a fan of a rim attacking guard with negative wingspan but at least Flemings still has his first step.

[myconsumerclub]

I hope and pray we improve our position through luck in the lottery. If we can get a major piece of the puzzle like a top 4 player this teams future gets a lot brighter.

Kyrie is here now so I do not see getting a PG as being super important you always go after BPA-best player available.

If we need to we can steal a PG later on in free agency then that is an option to fill in behind Kyrie.

All the speculation about prospects is BS till we get to see them at the combine to know what they can do and what they really are.

I consider anyone that is not a part of the future as a major piece to be trade fodder, if they can get us a future pick via trade. I want to keep Kyrie he gets us up and winning faster plus Cooper can learn faster with him here. Everybody else is a trade piece.

But if we pick at 8 and Brown, Fleming, or Acuff are there you take whoever is available. At 30 you try to move up by trading our trade fodder and top of that list are guys we want to trade now anyway like AJ and Martin. I would love to not have to stretch waive these guys by finding a team willing to take them off our hands.

Objective with 30 is still BPA but I personally think the team needs a 5 that we can use and I also want us to resign Bagley plus give Cisse a spot.

I can see whoever we take with this pick playing the 5 a lot this year. Bagley has PF skills so use him there behind Cooper and as a backup 5. Lively cannot be counted on because he may step off the curb funny and end up getting hit he is so snakebit he may get hurt playing video games. Also, Gafford is not exactly super healthy himself hence the need for a rookie, a 2 way guy Cisse, and a PF Bagley who is also useful at the 5.

I saw a mock last week showing us taking Tarris Reed jr. and that is a good choice if he is there at 30.

He outplayed Mara in the national championship if you ask me and Mara had a lot of help look at Michigans front line and for Tarris to perform as well as he did he is to be commended. Michigan had Yaxel, Morez and Aday. What a batch of messed up names and Tarris is not that normal either.

Our next thing to worry about is 3 pointers. Hopefully we are drafting guys that can shoot the 3 very well. Avoid guys who are not good at hitting 3 pointers.

[hakeemfaan]

I am not going to lie that I watch too much college ball these days. I also know highlights are curated to show only strengths, but having watched the consensus top guys, I feel that Labaron Philon will be a very difficult to guard player. He has more moves in every sequence than many of the guards projected to go before him. He doesn't play just a head down and attack style. He is fast, yet patient, always stopping , starting, and slithering around. Plus he generates a lot of his offense in the half court than relying on getting downhill in transition.

If we are not top 3 or 4, which will most likely be the case, I'd be thrilled if they picked Labaron.

[Mavs2021]

I am not going to lie that I watch too much college ball these days.  I also know highlights are curated to show only strengths, but having watched the consensus top guys, I feel that Labaron Philon will be a very difficult to guard player.  He has more moves in every  sequence than many of the guards projected to go before him.  He doesn't play just a head down and attack style. He is fast, yet patient, always stopping , starting, and slithering around.  Plus he generates a lot of his offense in the half court than relying on getting downhill in transition.

If we are not top 3 or 4, which will most likely be the case, I'd be thrilled if they picked Labaron.

Good for him. Would explain why he improved so much, cause his metrics at the Combine last year were horrible, like Dirk 2018.

[Mavs2021]

I hope and pray we improve our position through luck in the lottery. If we can get a major piece of the puzzle like a top 4 player this teams future gets a lot brighter.

Kyrie is here now so I do not see getting a PG as being super important you always go after BPA-best player available.

If we need to we can steal a PG later on in free agency then that is an option to fill in behind Kyrie.

Even if we draft a PG, we need at least one more guard. I´d argue we need two more.

I´d draft BPA, but use the MLE and TPE to get two guards in here.

Irving/Burries/Nembhard
Christie/Simons/Monk
Flagg/Thompson/Martin
Washington/Marshall/30th pick
Gafford/Lively/Bagley

That´s a balanced roster that can sustain itself accounting for Irving´s age and injury history, even if they get Dybantsa/Boozer/Wilson.