2026 NBA draft thread

[dirkfansince1998]

As far as I can tell the Mavs haven't signed any undrafted camp/summer league players yet. Probably trying to figure out the roster structure first. How many roster spots are left after the draft? Who gets a two-way deal? What happens with the euros?

[HoosierDaddyKid]

Michael Scotto: TRADE: The New York Knicks have selected Ugonna Onyenso with the 53rd pick in the 2026 NBA Draft and he will be traded to the Detroit Pistons in exchange for cash considerations, league sources say.

x.com

[HoosierDaddyKid]

Amen to that. Details matter.

Regarding Summer League.

I don´t see any reason why De Larrea should not play Summer League. It´s not like he´ll be burned out from the European season. He´s just in the swing of things. Take 10 days off, come to Dallas, watch some World Cup, have a look at the city, meet the staff and then play some Summer League. Lawal should obviously be there, too. I´d love to see Ishchenko, but absolutely no clue whether there are any travel restrictions/work restrictions currently (probably not) or how fast you can get a work&travel VISA as a Russian citizen.

Even the no f**** given Mavs had Ajinca play Summer League, so I´d guess the more invested new FO and Dutsy May would like Ishchenko to play Summer League just to get a better feel for his skill level.

The Dallas Mavericks are still mapping out when Spanish guard Sergio De Larrea will join the roster, general manager Mike Schmitz said, leaving open whether the 20-year-old reports for the 2026-27 season or remains overseas a year longer. Dallas acquired De Larrea’s draft rights in a draft-night trade with the New York Knicks, who selected him at No. 25 before routing the pick to the Mavericks. He is widely projected as a draft-and-stash prospect expected to stay with Valencia in the near term. Asked whether De Larrea would suit up for Dallas next season and play in Summer League, Schmitz declined to set a timeline. “We’re still working through all of that with Sergio,” Schmitz said. “Whether it’s next year or the following year, just to have that level of size and IQ in our program is huge for us.”

Dallas Hoops Journal

[HoosierDaddyKid]

Dan Woike: Had been a lot of noise with the Lakers and Veesaar, but the Hawks jumped them and got him in a trade with the Clippers. Atlanta traded No. 57 and cash to the Clippers for No. 52, leapfrogging the Lakers at No. 56, who a lot of teams thought were targeting Henri Veesaar as well.



x.com

[HoosierDaddyKid]

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/4914...ms-classes


Draft grades for all 30 teams. Winners, losers, and sleepers.

[Winter]

Tyler Metcalf - NoCeilings video

"Morez Johnson Is the Best Big Man in the 2026 NBA Draft | Full Scouting Report"

One of the reasons I liked this video is that Tyler talks about Morez's improvement from his year at Illinois. Hat tip to Dusty May on this improvement. This video is from two weeks ago, but there's a svengali moment where Tyler actually says in the middle of the video, ... "Now imagine this play with Cooper Flagg in Dallas". Wow. He mentions a few other scenarios with different teams, but it woke me up. Two opposing players converge on "Cooper" leaving Morez wide open on a cut to the basket.

It's a pretty long video, but I took my time to watch it. Really good breakdown of what to expect.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mqC24YUqMg

[dirkfansince1998]

These days it's possible to watch even the smallest leagues in europe. Even 2nd or 3rd division games, youth tournaments and so on. Hours of tape for any given prospect.
Ishchenko pick comes with some real throwback vibes. We don't have any of that. A few highlight clips and that's it. Old school euro drafting. Schmitz had to travel to Russia to watch him play.

[Mavs2021]

Dan Woike: Had been a lot of noise with the Lakers and Veesaar, but the Hawks jumped them and got him in a trade with the Clippers.  Atlanta traded No. 57 and cash to the Clippers for No. 52, leapfrogging the Lakers at No. 56, who a lot of teams thought were targeting Henri Veesaar as well.



x.com

Ballmer: Why should we help you.
Hawks: We are trying to screw the Lakers.
Ballmer: Say no more.

[Mavs2021]

Just in the last couple of days and even hours there were multiple Ukrainian drone attacks on strategic military facilities in the Krasnodar region. For civilians the risk in Russia is probably still very low, but if I can become a millionaire abroad I´m getting the f*** out. How easy that is without repercussions is a different matter. De Larrea has a contract. Ishchenko might have a contract and the KGB watching his a**.

I had to guess the Mavs roster for next season:

Irving/TPE/MLE
Trade/Christie/DeLarrea
Flagg/Marshall/Trade
Washington/Johnson/Bagley
Gafford/Lively (not seen before 2027)/Cisse

Two way:

Nembhard
Lawal
Poulakidas

Stash:

Ishchenko

[From Dirk to SCREW YOU Nico]

Ballmer: Why should we help you.
Hawks: We are trying to screw the Lakers.
Ballmer: Say no more.

I LOL'd...love it

[mvossman]

I’m more optimistic now.  Only the Mavs have the inside information needed to make a judgement.  However, if their reading is that Kai, DLive, and Gaff will be healthy, the team they put on the floor next season is practically identical to their 50 win NBA finals team, with Luka and DJj swapped for Flagg, Mo, and in my scenario, Norman Powell.  The bench next year would also be notably better. Players like Luka, LeBron, and Flagg tend to take the leap to all star level their second season. For slightly lower quality players like Tatum or Cunningham, it may take three, but Flagg seems to be in the most elite tier of player. He might do it in two. Given this, you start to go for it while the Aprons align. Also factor in that the TPE is the only way to get much value for the Luka/AD trades, no one is taking PJ’s bloated contract off your hands, and you have no incentive to tank, and maybe you just go for it. Powell will still be an efficient 20 ppg shooting guard for a couple of years.

As for not drafting for need, I’m pretty sure they believe Mo fills one and that he was significantly better than anyone available. They probably have him rated 5. His season was great and his combine measurements, testing, and performance were epic. He also was reportedly the heart and soul of the national championship team, the team’s undisputed locker room leader despite his youth.

Regardless, they better use that trade exception while they have the chance. It’s the best way to leverage their Apron space with teams just giving good players away these days. They’ll look like chumps if they don’t, and the only thing they really need if healthy, is a quality guard.

Flagg and Luka are very different players.  Luka is an insane high volume creator.  That is not the kind of player Flagg is, and a teenage Flagg is not going to be in the ballpark of prime Luka creation wise.  Not sure what Kyrie is going to be either.  There is likely going to be some decline in his mid 30s.  No idea how much that will be.

This team still has a massive deficient in both creation and shooting.  Getting a 6th man type of player will help, but it won't be nearly enough to bridge the gap.  They are a long way away and spending cap/assets on a win now player on the wrong side of 30 doesn't seem like the way to go.

[DallasMaverick]

Flagg and Luka are very different players.  Luka is an insane high volume creator.  That is not the kind of player Flagg is, and a teenage Flagg is not going to be in the ballpark of prime Luka creation wise.  Not sure what Kyrie is going to be either.  There is likely going to be some decline in his mid 30s.  No idea how much that will be.

This team still has a massive deficient in both creation and shooting.  Getting a 6th man type of player will help, but it won't be nearly enough to bridge the gap.  They are a long way away and spending cap/assets on a win now player on the wrong side of 30 doesn't seem like the way to go.

Flagg is a much more rounded, two-way player than Luka. He’s effective, even without the ball in his hands, so will probably do much better in an offense predicated on motion than Luka would.

Luka is most effective with the ball in his hands, surrounded by great defenders who can also shoot. Different roster construction completely.

Dallas seems to be signaling that they want to at least attempt to win now:

Shutting down any discussion of trading Kyrie.

No apparent movement on any other of their tradeable assets.

Drafting a player in Morez who seems to be ready to contribute sooner than your average 19-year old first-round draft pick.

Time will tell.

[mvossman]

Flagg is a much more rounded, two-way player than Luka. He’s effective, even without the ball in his hands, so will probably do much better in an offense predicated on motion than Luka would.

Luka is most effective with the ball in his hands, surrounded by great defenders who can also shoot. Different roster construction completely.

Dallas seems to be signaling that they want to at least attempt to win now:

Shutting down any discussion of trading Kyrie.

No apparent movement on any other of their tradeable assets.

Drafting a player in Morez who seems to be ready to contribute sooner than your average 19-year old first-round draft pick.

Time will tell.

Agree that Flagg is a very different player. I’m not arguing we need to play Luka ball, just that we need more than Flagg to make up the creation gap. 

Morez is ready to contribute now but that just contributes to the existing roster imbalance. 

There were rumors the Mavs tried to move in the draft with trades but couldn’t. Who knows if true. 

Don’t know what the deal is with Kyrie.  Maybe it’s all smoke, maybe they want to wait til TDL, maybe respecting a vet wishes, maybe a directive from Dumont from the beginning. 

Whatever they are doing, this roster is a mess right now. We will see what they do to clean it up, but I would be willing to bet the solution is not going to be Norman Powell.

[Chicagojk]

Givony loves the late pick talent gamble

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DZ_eXPetc...RoZnFocXNh

[Scott41theMavs]

Agree that Flagg is a very different player. I’m not arguing we need to play Luka ball, just that we need more than Flagg to make up the creation gap. 

Morez is ready to contribute now but that just contributes to the existing roster imbalance. 

There were rumors the Mavs tried to move in the draft with trades but couldn’t. Who knows if true. 

Don’t know what the deal is with Kyrie.  Maybe it’s all smoke, maybe they want to wait til TDL, maybe respecting a vet wishes, maybe a directive from Dumont from the beginning. 

Whatever they are doing, this roster is a mess right now. We will see what they do to clean it up, but I would be willing to bet the solution is not going to be Norman Powell.

I have noted that there were several times in late games where Flagg served as the ball handler in pick and rolls, and looked really good, if not quite point guard-esque. No one acknowledged it. You don't want him being the only creational option, but I think part of the building around Flagg "conundrum" involves people grossly underrating his creational abilities - and his sky's-the-limit growth headroom to get even better (and better... and better...).

[Chicagojk]

https://x.com/all_things_mavs/status/207...38395?s=46

[JamesConway816]

https://x.com/all_things_mavs/status/207...38395?s=46

Would not surprise me one bit. He would be better off even just signing a 2 way and switching between the NBA and the GLeague rather than staying there. The war will only get worse in Russia.

Talentwise I am extremely impressed by what I have seen. I think a lot points to him having flown under the radar due to the war. He is super fluid with the ball and a good athlete for a player his size. Nothing like the type of players you usually get that late in the draft.

I really hope they alle come over to play in Summer league.

[myconsumerclub]

four rookies plus Ryan and our 2 two ways plus Cisse hopefully but no Cooper if what I hear is true.

That's a nice 8 man rotation

De Larrea
Ryan John
Cisse
Morez Taylor
Lawal Ishchenko

[Chicagojk]

If I didn’t know anything about the draft and someone told me this guy was a top 5 pick, I would say of course. LOL

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DZ_fhBYNq...ppcjBydw==

[windjc]

If I didn’t know anything about the draft and someone told me this guy was a top 5 pick, I would say of course.  LOL

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DZ_fhBYNq...ppcjBydw==

He looks nowhere near as good as our Russian prospect.