The 2026 NBA draft is shaping up as a legendary one, perhaps rivaling 1984 (Olajuwon, Jordan, Barkley, Stockton), 1996 (Iverson, Kobe, Ray Allen, Nash) and 2003 (LeBron, Wade, Carmelo). The NBA Draft lottery is Sunday, May 10th. Gambling odds will pop up after that. Here Mock Draft 1.0.
1 Washington Wizards - AJ Dybantsa, F, BYU
Total package who should put up 16-5-3 as a rookie and be on track to be an All-NBA player before he gets his second contract. As his 3-point shot (33 percent) improves, he takes the step to potential MVP candidate. With a healthy Trae Young and Anthony Davis, the Wizards could at least be watchable next season.
2 Indiana Pacers - Caleb Wilson, F, North Carolina
The Pacers went from Game 7 of the NBA Finals to possibly drafting in the Top 5 due to the Tyrese Haliburton injury. Wilson turns 20 this summer, and projects as a small-ball five. Analytically-driven front offices covet steal & block percentage in college, and Wilson ranks near the top of this class in those. If you squint, you can see a young Kevin Garnett. Will be surprised if he doesn’t go 2nd.
3 Brooklyn Nets - Darryn Peterson, G, Kansas
Nobody doubts his talent, but how will he enjoy himself on arguably the league’s worst roster? There’s plenty of young talent - Egor Demin, Nolan Traore, Noah Clowney - but they’re going to be right back here next year, and that might mean Peterson is checking out and resting more - the way he did at Kansas. He’s just too offensively talented to pass up.
4 Utah Jazz - Darius Acuff, PG, Arkansas
With this pick, they’re going from 22 wins to the playoffs (or at least the play-in) next year. Their front court is Markkanen, Jackson and Kessler - unless something wacky happens with the latter this summer. Ace Bailey is perhaps their future at SG. That leaves the need for a PG, and I love Acuff here.
5 Sacramento Kings - Keaton Wagler, G, Illinois
No freshman made a bigger leap from high school (4 star recruit) to college hoops (17.9 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 4.2 apg). Moves quickly and efficiently like Tyrese Haliburton, and instantly the Kings can gut the roster and build around fellow youngsters Keegan Murray and Maxime Raynaud.
6 Memphis Grizzlies - Kingston Flemings, PG, Houston
Won’t make Ja Morant happy, but Flemings is the future in Memphis. Shot 38 percent on 3’s, and was often differing to seniors on the Cougars. Dropped 42 points against Texas Tech.
7 Atlanta Hawks (via New Orleans) - Cameron Boozer, F, Duke
He’ll fit better on a good team where he can slide into a role, as opposed to a reclamation project where he’ll be asked to be the franchise savior. Hawks displayed a losing mentality in the playoff loss to the Knicks, and Boozer can change that. Yes, the athleticism questions will have him drop a bit. Can play the four or the five, alongside Okongwu. Love him as a player, but I’m looking to bet he doesn’t go top three or top five.
8 Dallas Mavericks - Brayden Burries, G, Arizona
Possibly the most underrated player in the Top 10 because he was next to the Big 12 DPOY (Jaden Bradley), and a star freshman power forward (Koa Peat) on a team that was led by bigs. Burries has drawn some young SGA comps for his mid-range skill set. Would lessen the offensive burden on Cooper Flagg.
9 Chicago Bulls - Mikel Brown, PG, Louisville
The Bulls are a wild card with two lottery picks. Do they package them to get into the Top 5? They’ve got a lot of needs and everyone can be moved except Matas Buzelis. If we’re drafting best on the board, that might be the 6-foot-5 Brown who missed 14 games due to injury. Scored 45 against NC State, 29 against Kentucky, but 7 against Duke (1-13 shooting).
10 Milwaukee Bucks - Nate Ament, F, Tennessee
The Bucks are the most interesting team this offseason, given the Giannis situation. There are needs all over the place. Ament, 19, is a modern 6-foot-10 big - can shoot (made 46 three’s), draws fouls (28th in the country per 40 minutes), but only had two double-digit rebound games all season.
11 Golden State Warriors - Yaxel Lendeborg, F, Michigan
Lendeborg turns 24 in September, and historically, you don’t draft anyone over 23 in the lottery. But the Warriors don’t need to draft anyone with high upside - they need someone to help them now given the age of their core. Or perhaps trade this pick in a package to get Giannis?
12 OKC Thunder (via LA Clippers) - Aday Mara, C, Michigan
Went from solid player at UCLA to pivotal player for title-winning Michigan. At 7-foot-3, he’s fluid and can certainly be an NBA contributor at both ends. Mara is only 21 and could have a Zach Edey-type impact.
13 Miami Heat - Christian Anderson, PG, Texas Tech
This pick on the market in a deal for Giannis? Anderson reminds me of Mike Conley - a really good point guard prospect who can hit 3’s (41 percent). His assist rate ranked Top 30 in the country.
14 Charlotte Hornets - Koa Peat, F/C, Arizona
A throwback big who would have been a Top 10 pick in the 1990s. Listed at 6-8, 235, but doesn’t shoot 3s and in this analytics-heavy era of basketball, he may slide in the draft. Struggled badly against Michigan’s length in the Final 4 (5-for-17). Charlotte attempted the 2nd most 3’s in the league, and given how 3-point shooting teams are struggling in these playoffs you wonder if anyone will go counter to that and look for mid-range scorers.
15 Chicago (via Portland) - Morez Johnson, F, Michigan
Bruising big made a quantum leap from a quiet freshman year at Illinois to a huge factor with Michigan, shooting 65% on two-pointers, and becoming one of the best offensive rebounders in America. How much of that was playing alongside two lottery picks?
16 Memphis (via Phoenix) - Hannes Steinbach, F/C, Washington
With Jaren Jackson gone, there’s a need in the front court. Steinbach flashed a 3-point shot in the second half of the season, and the 20-year old is very athletic for 6-foot-11, which might push him into the lottery as we get closer to the draft.
17 OKC (via Philadelphia) - Karim Lopez, F, New Zealand Breakers
One of the best prospects to come out of Mexico, Lopez is only 19 and spent the last two seasons in the NBL. The Thunder remain so loaded, we probably won’t hear from Lopez for a year or two. (Full disclosure: I was a minority owner in the Breakers when Lopez joined the team. I have since sold my stake.)
18 Charlotte Hornets - Allen Graves, F, Santa Clara
Freshman who mostly came off the bench for the Broncos last year but shot 40 percent on 3’s (low volume, though), and his length at 6-foot-9 and defensive metrics are what have teams excited. Ranked 7th in the country in steal percentage. Terrific with 17 points vs Kentucky in gutting NCAA tournament loss.
19 Toronto Raptors - Cameron Carr, G/F, Baylor
Was an old sophomore (21), but made a massive leap after transferring from Tennessee. Shot 37 percent on 3’s, 80 percent on FTs and he could provide some offensive firepower to a Raptors backcourt that lacks it.
20 San Antonio Spurs (via Atlanta) - JT Toppin, F, Texas Tech
An ACL injury February ended his season, but he was in the mix for Player of the Year. He’s an elite defender and turns 21 right before the draft. Would add toughness and tenacity alongside Wemby.
21 Detroit (via Minnesota) - Chris Cenac Jr, F/C, Houston
If he stayed in school another year, the athletic 6-foot-11 Cenac could have been a Top 10 pick. The freshman was a non-factor in NCAA loss to Illinois and Big 12 tournament loss to Arizona. Then again, had a surprising 17-14 against Kansas, including shooting 3-of-4 on three’s.
22 Philadelphia (via Houston) - Labaron Philon, PG, Alabama
Tough to gauge the market for a scoring point guard, of which they are many. Shot 39 percent from deep and ranked in the top 60 in assist rate. Is there a world where he becomes Tyrese Maxey-lite?
23 Atlanta Hawks (via Cleveland) - Meleek Thomas, G, Arkansas
There’s a chance he could return to school, and that might make sense as he has Top 10 potential for next year’s draft. Turns 20 before the NBA season, but his shooting metrics show the major potential - 84 percent on FTs, 41 percent on three’s. At 6-foot-5, you can see some VJ Edgecombe in his game.
24 New York Knicks - Jayden Quaintance, C, Kentucky
Will this pick be on the move if the Knicks fall short of the Finals? Quaintance is a mystery man in this draft, and once workouts begin, the 6-foot-10 big could sniff the lottery. He went from ASU to Kentucky, but injuries limited him to four games. Turns 19 in July.
25 LA Lakers - Bennett Stirtz, PG, Iowa
Not sure Charlotte would pass on him twice but you have to admit, this pick would add to all the “Snow Time” Lakers jokes. Stirtz as a backup to Luka Doncic as a rookie would be pretty darn good.
26 Denver Nuggets - Isaiah Evans, SF, Duke
Losing Michael Porter Jr hurt worse than they thought. Cameron Johnson was underwhelming as his replacement. The 20-year old Evans projects as a 3-and-D wing who is a terrific defender and shot maker. Might be undervalued playing 2nd fiddle to Cameron Boozer, Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel and others over the last two seasons.
27 Boston Celtics - Ebuka Okorie, PG, Stanford
Might return to school, but the 6-foot-2 guard was one of the best scoring guards in America as a freshman, with eight games of 30+ points. He dropped 36 on North Carolina, but could only muster nine points vs Duke in a 30-point loss.
28 Minnesota (via Detroit) - Tyler Tanner, PG, Vanderbilt
Leaving the door open to return to college. Only 6-feet tall but an absolute baller. Elite defender (32nd in steal percentage), had a true shooting percentage of 61 (!) as a freshman. Might be 1st team All-American if he goes back to Vanderbilt.
29 Cleveland (via San Antonio) - Amari Allen, F, Alabama
Draft small forwards until you finally hit one? Allen is only 20, and the potential is there for the 6-foot-8 wing to grow into the 3-and-D role despite modest stats of 11.4 ppg and 6.9 rpg.
30 Dallas (via OKC) - Joshua Jefferson, F, Iowa State
Turns 23 in November, but if the Mavericks are looking to bring in more talent around Cooper Flagg, they’ll probably have to move PJ Washington. Jefferson is a high IQ player who is slightly larger than Washington, but a top notch defender and started to flash 3-point shooting ability last season. There’s some Michigan State Draymond Green to his game.