The big day is almost here. After many months of in-person scouting, late-night film sessions, and countless debates, the 2026 NBA Draft is less than a week away.

We here at No Ceilings still have a few more tricks up our sleeves before the first prospects begin to walk across the stage, so be on the lookout for our final BIG Board, our remaining lottery previews, and some more surprises up ahead. For now, though, our No Ceilings + subscribers get an extra gift. As usual, we had our Mock Draft V.7 earlier today, but the true Sickos get the full view of our No Ceilings War Room as we discuss every pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. Without further ado, here is our full Mock Draft V.7 Video.

Read more

It’s getting to be that time, folks.

We have THREE MORE MOCK DRAFTS.

If you’re a regular around No Ceilings, you know how it goes.

In case you’re new, here’s how we do things around here.

Here’s how our FINAL THREE MOCKS go.

TODAY:

V.7 Mock

• More of what we would do…sprinkled in with some intel

V.8: “What WE Would Do”

• Mock Draft that is simply just what we would do, not intel driven.

V.9: MORNING OF DRAFT DAY aka “What WE’RE HEARING”

• All Intel. The Goods.

So, that means don’t get too caught up with the projections in this one. The NBA Draft might be less than a week away…

But a LOT of intel is about to start cooking around in the next week. For now, this is another Mock Draft that showcases some names that could be in the conversation throughout the first round.

As always, our entire No Ceilings team comes together for a Mock Draft “War Room” exercise. We go pick-by-pick and nominate players that should be under discussion for each pick. After a round of nominations…we take it to a vote.

Disclaimer: it might have taken us an hour to get to the fifth pick.

Here are the results. Get pumped, folks; Draft Day is RAPIDLY approaching.

Subscribe now

#1. WASHINGTON WIZARDS — AJ Dybantsa | F | BYU

• Profile: 6’9”, 210

• Year: Freshman

  • 25.5 PTS | 6.8 REB | 3.7 AST | 1.1 STL | 0.3 BLK

  • 51.0 FG% | 33.1 3P% | 77.4 FT%

  • 35 Games | 34.8 MIN

Jam: Luckily for Washington, the franchise is in a situation where the consensus top three (in whichever order you want) are no doubt first overall picks in the wide majority of draft cycles. The two leading candidates appear to be AJ Dybantsa and Darryn Peterson, though. Here, Dybantsa gets the nod. He’s the type of potential big wing two-way superstar that every organization covets. An explosive athlete at 6’9” with a 7.0.5” wingspan, there is nobody in the class that matches his combination of elite physical tools, multiple-level shotmaking, ball skills, and an offensive skillset that’s still growing. It’s more so flashes defensively than real plus defense right now, but it’s an easy toolkit and a fiery competitive spirit to believe in to reach his defensive upside.

With All-Star veterans in Trae Young and Anthony Davis alongside an exciting young core (Sarr, Johnson, George, Coulibaly, Riley, Carringnton), Dybantsa is a franchise building block for both the short and long term that the fanbase can dream about leading deep playoff runs for a long time.

#2. UTAH JAZZ — Darryn Peterson | G | Kansas

• Profile: 6’5”, 200

• Year: Freshman

  • 20.2 PTS | 4.2 REB | 1.6 AST | 1.4 STL | 0.6 BLK

  • 43.8 FG% | 38.2 3P% | 82.6 FT%

  • 24 Games | 29.1 MIN

Stephen: There are a million ways to have the discussions: “Which prospect worked out where?” “Which personal relationship has more weight?” “Should fit be taken into consideration within the Top Four prospects?”...and so on.

With Darryn Peterson, he may be the cleanest fit for what the Utah Jazz already have. The frontcourt of this team is largely in place. Ace Bailey looks like the star in the making on this team, and is likely to play between the Small Forward and Power Forward positions. Lauri Markkanen has been a mainstay on this team. They just invested a ton of capital into Jaren Jackson Jr. Walker Kessler may be on this team (more to follow, there). While Keyonte George has experienced a massive step in the right direction, there is a massive workload put on him. Darryn Peterson may fancy himself as a point guard, but he could play to his strengths off the rip with the Jazz while taking on some lead reps in particular lineups. His elite shooting gravity would be a welcome addition to this team–freeing up some of the pick-and-roll (or pick-and-pop) actions between George and *insert frontcourt player here*. He’s also an awesome defender. Even if he isn’t a “point guard” exactly, the NBA at large–particularly in the Western Conference–has leaned into multi-guard lineups who have versatile skill sets.

This would be the perfect marriage of fitting a need, being a best-player-available candidate, and having the runway for Peterson to grow with roster help.

#3. MEMPHIS GRIZZLES — Cameron Boozer | F | Duke

• Profile: 6’9”, 253

• Year: Freshman

  • 22.5 PTS | 10.2 REB | 4.1 AST | 1.4 STL | 0.6 BLK

  • 55.6 FG% | 39.1 3P% | 78.9 FT%

  • 38 Games | 33.4 MIN

Rucker: Regardless of how the top two picks go, the Memphis Grizzlies are in a perfect situation to add a heck of a talent here. If things go according to plan, though, the Grizzlies could land one of the best fits in the entire first round. Adding Cameron Boozer to the mix for Memphis is an absolute home run. The Grizzlies would have one of the best immediate frontcourt pairings in the NBA in Zach Edey and Boozer, two dominant rebounding machines who could pair beautifully together to give opposing defenses headaches. Boozer’s playmaking ability alone would give an immediate boost to Edey’s production.

The best possible outcome for Boozer is having him able to play alongside a natural five who can allow him to bully up on teams with an enforcer alongside him. Could we be looking at the NBA version of Fulton Reed and Dean Portman? The Memphis Grizzlies Bash Brothers? Print the shirts. Memphis could be a team that is looking to hit a bit of a “reboot” to their foundation moving forward. They look to have a heck of a piece in Cedric Coward, who is trending up rapidly. Adding Boozer to the mix, alongside some fun pieces on the roster already, gives Grizzlies fans reason to be excited for the immediate future.

#4. CHICAGO BULLS — Caleb Wilson | F | North Carolina

• Profile: 6’10”, 211

• Year: Freshman

  • 19.8 PTS | 9.4 REB | 2.7 AST | 1.5 STL | 1.4 BLK

  • 57.8 FG% | 25.9 3P% | 71.3 FT%

  • 24 Games | 31.3 MIN

Corey: The Bulls have the easiest decision in the draft, and they don’t overthink it here, lucking into Caleb Wilson out of North Carolina.

Wilson is 6’10”, long, bouncy, plays with a ferociousness that feels like it never shuts off, and yet somehow that’s not even the most interesting thing about him because he can actually play. Wilson showed real feel, finishing with a 1.4 AST/TOV ratio on near-30% usage, consistently went deep into his midrange bad–drilling 46.6% of those. The three-point shooting finished at 26% on low volume, and yeah, that’s a real number you have to sit with for Wilson. However, the form isn’t broken, and the middy touch makes me think it’s a work in progress, not a red flag. Defensively, he’s already making life hard on people. He gets low, uses every inch of that length to be disruptive and make things hard on dudes. There are certainly moments of inconsistency, but the instincts are there, and the flashes were loud.

Chicago walks away with a two-way prospect with an upside that’s genuinely hard to put a ceiling on. If the shot comes, this pick is going to look very, very good.

#5. LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS — Mikel Brown Jr | G | Louisville

• Profile: 6’4”, 190

• Year: Freshman

  • 18.2 PTS | 3.3 REB | 4.7 AST | 1.2 STL | 0.1 BLK

  • 41.0 FG% | 34.4 3P% | 84.4 FT%

  • 21 Games | 29 MIN

Albert: After the Top 4 find their respective homes, this is where the draft really gets spicy with all the different permutations of how things might actually go down. In our mock, we have the Clippers taking the most electrifying point guard in the class, Mikel Brown Jr. The sell with him isn’t crazy complicated. He struggled with some back issues early in the season, but once he got going, he was human dynamite: exhibiting his elite athleticism and his dynamic shooting ability from outside, both off the catch and off the dribble. Brown may have only shot 34.4% from three this season, but he’s a better shooter than the numbers show. You also know he’s got supreme confidence in the jumper because he took over 7.6 three-point attempts per game and 14.7 per 100 possessions. That’s real volume that only comes from real confidence. He also has good vision and is a creative passer who will get to show off even more on the NBA level with more space. The Clippers are in an interesting spot with a roster that still has some real star power to it, and adding a dynamic guard like Brown, who can easily play next to Kawhi Leonard and Darius Garland, they could easily find themselves fighting for a playoff spot next season. For all the concerns around Brown’s back issues, after spending time with him in Chicago, we can confirm he’s 100% healthy and ready to roll.

#6. BROOKLYN NETS — Darius Acuff Jr. | G | Arkansas

• Profile: 6’3”, 186

• Year: Freshman

  • 23.5 PTS | 3.1 REB | 6.4 AST | 0.8 STL | 0.3 BLK

  • 48.4 FG% | 44.0 3P% | 80.9 FT%

  • 36 Games | 35.2 MIN

Nathan: The Brooklyn Nets are looking for not just a great player in this draft, but a potential “face of the franchise” at #6 overall. And in Darius Acuff, they’re getting a lead guard who put the Arkansas program on his back and performed like few others have of late at his position in the SEC. Acuff is tough; he’s able to score from all three levels, distribute and find teammates out of the pick-and-roll, and is excellent at setting the pace and pulling levers as needed, depending on the situation on offense. His defense has been heavily scrutinized, and that will certainly be something to monitor from a developmental perspective in the NBA. But the Nets have a chance to grab a star offensive prospect with this pick, and shouldn’t think twice about it.

#7. SACRAMENTO KINGS — Kingston Flemings | G | Houston

• Profile: 6’3”, 183

• Year: Freshman

  • 16.1 PTS | 4.1 REB | 5.2 AST | 1.5 STL | 0.3 BLK

  • 47.6 FG% | 38.7 3P% | 84.5 FT%

  • 37 Games | 31.7 MIN

Nick: The Sacramento Kings might not be in a good position as a franchise, but they are perfectly positioned in the 2026 NBA Draft to let the chips fall where they may in front of them and still pick up an elite point guard in one of the most loaded guard classes in a generation. Ultimately, after arguments for Brayden Burries and Keaton Wagler, the Kings went with Houston Cougars star guard Kingston Flemings with the seventh overall pick. Flemings would instantly boost the team’s defense while providing traditional point guard play offensively. His ability to get others involved while having some scoring punch himself when needed sets him up to be an ideal running mate for Keegan Murray and Maxime Raynaud as the franchise begins to plot the next steps for the team.

#8. ATLANTA HAWKS (via NOLA) — Keaton Wagler | G | Illinois

• Profile: 6’6”, 188

• Year: Freshman

  • 17.9 PTS | 5.1 REB | 4.2 AST | 0.9 STL | 0.4 BLK

  • 44.5 FG% | 39.7 3P% | 79.6 FT%

  • 37 Games | 33.9 MIN

Jam: The Hawks address one of their two priority needs (lead guard and big) with the selection of Keaton Wagler. Wagler’s versatility at the guard spot is a fantastic match for them. Although best on the ball, he’s able to thrive oscillating on and off the ball from savvy pick-and-roll operation to spacing the floor with deep range and attacking closeouts for either scoring or playmaking opportunities. Because of his size (6’6”), ball skills, and shooting, Wagler is capable of playing 1-3 while complementing NAW and Daniels in the backcourt and being a formidable two-man game partner with Jalen Johnson. If Wagler’s meteoric draft cycle rise is any indication, there could be more potential within Wagler to unlock than he’s given credit for having.

#9. DALLAS MAVERICKS — Brayden Burries | G | Arizona

• Profile: 6’5”, 215

• Year: Freshman

  • 16.1 PTS | 4.9 REB | 2.4 AST | 1.5 STL | 0.2 BLK

  • 49.1 FG% | 39.1 3P% | 80.5 FT%

  • 39 Games | 29.8 MIN

Stephen: Considering the Mavericks have their top guy–as well as a second banana–getting a player who can contribute from Day One while still having upside seems like such a no-brainer of a move. For all of the discourse that has taken place about the importance of winning, Burries is a winner. One of the most indicative plays of his was him diving on the deck for a loose ball during March Madness, with the game already well in hand. On a team with upperclassmen and other freshmen who were more highly recruited, Burries led the Wildcats in scoring on a balanced shot diet. Burries shot over 63% at the rim, 39% on catch-and-shoot three-pointers, 45% on his long two-pointers, and over 40% on his dribble-jumper threes. Oh, and he led the team with 18 And-Ones. His power and twitch, while weighing in at roughly 215 pounds, make him somewhat safe.

BUT, Burries has upside! For all the ceiling conversations with Darius Acuff, Mikel Brown, Keaton Wagler, Kingston Flemings, etc., Burries sacrificed on-ball dominance to play off other future NBA players! Who knows exactly what Brayden left on the table to fit into a role on a 36-3 team? His ability to play on and off the ball, while being a staunch defender, while having upside…this could lead to Burries being one of the biggest steals in this class.

#10 MILWAUKEE BUCKS — Cameron Carr | G | Baylor

• Profile: 6’5”, 184

• Year: Sophomore

  • 18.9 PTS | 5.8 REB | 2.6 AST | 0.9 STL | 1.3 BLK

  • 49.4 FG% | 37.4 3P% | 80.1 FT%

  • 34 Games | 33.6 MIN

Corey: After two years of barely playing at Tennessee, Cam Carr needed a single season at Baylor to prove it was a circumstance problem, not a talent problem.

He proved it.

Coming off the heels of an NBA Finals series featuring dudes like Devin Vassell and Mikal Bridges, it’s easy to see why Carr would be appealing in the lotto. Carr is an elite athlete on the wing with insane length and a 3-and-D ready profile. Carr wrapped up his junior campaign at 18.9 points per game on 49/37/80 splits while finishing 67.4% at the rim and real-deal weak-side shot-blocking to boot. The ceiling conversation might be a short one. He’s probably not going to be the guy; if he does find himself in that situation, it probably looks like Bridges in Brooklyn. But Milwaukee isn’t drafting him to be the guy. They’re drafting him to be exactly what he is: a reliable, high-floor wing who can finish, defend, and hit shots in a system built around stars who you could see contributing for years on winning basketball teams.

#11. GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS — Yaxel Lendeborg | F | Michigan

• Profile: 6’10”, 241

• Year: Senior

  • 15.1 PTS | 6.9 REB | 3.3 AST | 1.2 STL | 1.2 BLK

  • 52.3 FG% | 38.3 3P% | 81.9 FT%

  • 39 Games | 30 MIN

Nick: The Golden State Warriors appear to be gearing up for one last dance, with Steve Kerr inking a contract extension after plenty of indications that he might be moving on from the team. With one last run in mind, Yaxel Lendeborg slots in almost perfectly as one of the most ready-made prospects in the draft. The 6’9”, 240-pound forward should be a defensive force right away, and his exceptionally high-level playmaking and all-around offensive game will work wonders in Golden State’s system. Lendeborg’s age might be a turn-off for some teams (he will turn 24 before his debut), but the Warriors are positioned to benefit from him being ready to play NBA-level ball quickly and ink a rookie extension that would potentially lock him up for his entire prime.

#12. OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER (via LAC) — Morez Johnson | F | Michigan

• Profile: 6’10”, 251

• Year: Sophomore

  • 13.1 PTS | 7.3 REB | 1.2 AST | 0.7 STL | 1.1 BLK

  • 62.1 FG% | 34.3 3P% | 77.9 FT%

  • 39 Games | 25 MIN

Albert: After falling to the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference finals, some fans may be looking to make a big splash with the roster to ensure that they’re ready to take down the Alien that resides in San Antonio next season. With the roster they have, a dramatic overhaul just makes no sense. With Jalen Williams healthy next season and Thomas Sorber hopefully ready to contribute, adding a piece like Morez Johnson Jr. could be a phenomenal addition. It’s not hyperbolic to say that Johnson could be the best big man in this class and could go on to become an all-league defender. Johnson is an elite competitor who demonstrates exceptional lateral movement on the defensive end. Johnson is a strong rebounder and will be an enforcer inside with his ability to protect the rim and guard multiple positions. He’s also a strong finisher at the rim who doesn’t overcomplicate his game. He’s shown some growth as an outside shooter, but obviously will need some time before he becomes reliable from beyond the arc. Seeing him in Chicago at the combine, his mechanics looked clean and left us optimistic about his outlook as an outside shooter. The fact that he shot just under 80% from the free-throw line this season is also another reason to be optimistic about his shooting. Johnson brings a load of toughness to the Thunder’s front court and is a clean fit next to Chet.

#13. MIAMI HEAT - Ebuka Okorie | G | Stanford

• Profile: 6’2”, 186

• Year: Freshman

  • 23.2 PTS | 3.6 REB | 3.6 AST | 1.6 STL | 0.3 BLK

  • 46.5 FG% | 35.4 3P% | 83.2 FT%

  • 31 Games | 35.1 MIN

Rucker: As of now, we are all anxiously awaiting to see if one gigantic domino shakes things up a little bit in the NBA Draft space. For now, Miami is sitting firm with the 13th overall selection and continues to be a team that could go in any direction, given they keep this pick. The roster continues to feel like an island of misfit toys. But in a good way. There’s intrigue to work with, but it feels like they are missing a large piece of the puzzle. In this draft, the Heat could be in an interesting spot to let value fall into their laps, or they could potentially take a bit of a swing. Stanford freshman Ebuka Okorie was one of the most surprisingly attention-grabbing freshmen in the early portion of the season. Even as a founding member of the Okorie Fan Club, it was still shocking to see how good of a year he had, in terms of consistency and the level of play he took his game to by season’s end. Okorie has the need for speed, but pairs that beautifully with a change of gears and a desire to attack the basket. He’s got the goods to be a talent that could blossom into a heck of a weapon in the backcourt, and Miami might be willing to let him fly.

#14. CHARLOTTE HORNETS - Aday Mara | C | Michigan

• Profile: 7’4”, 260

• Year: Junior

  • 12.2 PTS | 6.8 REB | 2.5 AST | 0.3 STL | 2.6 BLK

  • 67.0 FG% | 30.0 3P% | 56.4 FT%

  • 39 Games | 23.3 MIN

Nathan: There’s been legitimate smoke for Aday Mara to go as high as #5 in this draft to the LA Clippers, with the Atlanta Hawks also being a popular destination at #8 for Mara’s services. Given how the board broke here, Charlotte Hornets fans would be thrilled to find a 7’3” center to round out a young platoon of bigs in Moussa Diabate and Ryan Kalkbrenner. Mara is similar in defensive role/style to what Kalkbrenner provides, except he covers even more space vertically with a 9’9” standing reach. In terms of offensive gifts, he not only has soft touch around the basket, but is a brilliant passer for a player his size. Having him run actions at the top of the floor with all of LaMelo Ball, Kon Knueppel, and Brandon Miller would be a ton of fun to watch, especially with several other wings/forwards who could cut and take advantage of offensive misdirections off the team’s backcourt shooting talent.

#15. CHICAGO BULLS (via POR) - Jayden Quaintance | F/C | Kentucky

• Profile: 6’10”, 253

• Year: Sophomore

  • 5.0 PTS | 5.0 REB | 0.5 AST | 0.5 STL | 0.8 BLK

  • 57.1 FG% | 0 3P% | 30.8 FT%

  • 4 Games | 16.8 MIN

Corey: Scared money don’t make money. Chicago may have already homered on a potential franchise cornerstone at four with Caleb Wilson. At #15, they’re still swinging for the fences by selecting Jayden Quaintance out of Kentucky.

JQ barely played this season due to a knee injury he suffered during his freshman season, and that is the kind of thing that rightfully makes teams nervous. But when he’s healthy, the defensive impact is exceedingly rare; he’s equally adept at defending space vertically and laterally in a way that very few players at any level can accomplish. Though there are some fun flashes, the offense is still a major work in progress. He’s got no jumper and can get frazzled when things speed up. But if he’s right physically–and that’s the whole thing, really–the Bulls add a defensive centerpiece to grow alongside Wilson in the frontcourt: two high upside, two-way forwards who can get the Bulls back in contention if things go right.

#16. MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES (via PHX) - Hannes Steinbach | F | Michigan

• Profile: 6’11”, 248

• Year: Freshman

  • 18.5 PTS | 11.8 REB | 1.6 AST | 1.1 STL | 1.2 BLK

  • 57.7 FG% | 34.0 3P% | 75.9 FT%

  • 30 Games | 34.6 MIN

Nathan: The Memphis Grizzlies have a chance to turn one of the NBA’s most important skills in rebounding into a core strength of the team with a pick like Hannes Steinbach, after already taking Cameron Boozer at No. 3 earlier in the draft. At 6’11”, Steinbach is a monster on the glass, who uses his excellent hands, reach, and timing to secure boards on both ends of the floor. Winning basketball games is all about creating and ending possessions at a high level, and that’s exactly what Steinbach is best at. He’s an excellent finisher, and he is developing touch from the outside as well as a face-up game off the dribble. There are questions about how good he will be at defending in space and switching onto different matchups, but there’s no reason why Memphis shouldn’t target a third big to support Boozer and Zach Edey in the frontcourt, especially given how his strengths would complement the rest of the team’s young core.

#17. OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER (via PHI) - Karim Lopez | F | NZ Breakers

• Profile: 6’9”, 220

• Year: 2007 Born

  • 11.9 PTS | 6.1 REB | 1.9 AST | 1.2 STL | 1.0 BLK

  • 49.4 FG% | 32.2 3P% | 73.9 FT%

  • 30 Games | 25.6 MIN

Nick: The Oklahoma City Thunder have their stars locked down and are well-positioned to simply continue to fill out their already-deep roster. With one of the most versatile big men in the class already locked down with Morez Johnson Jr., the Thunder could use some more size and flexibility in their forward rotation. Enter Karim Lopez, the probable top international prospect in the class, who has continued to expand on his jack-of-all-trades game in his second season in New Zealand with the Breakers. Lopez has legitimate size, measuring in at 6’8.25” and 221.8 pounds with a wingspan just shy of 7’, and has the dribble-pass-shoot skill set that has been typical of recent Thunder picks. Lopez has real competitive fire, which is easiest to see when he puts his head down and attacks the basket, and his defensive playmaking will allow him to fit right in with the rest of the Thunder and provide solid complementary play on both ends of the floor.

#18. CHARLOTTE HORNETS (via ORL) - Labaron Philon | G | Alabama

• Profile: 6’3”, 176

• Year: Sophomore

  • 22.0 PTS | 3.5 REB | 5.0 AST | 1.2 STL | 0.2 BLK

  • 50.1 FG% | 39.9 3P% | 79.8 FT%

  • 33 Games | 30.9 MIN

Jam: The Hornets really need another guard that can generate paint touches, pressure the rim, and bend the defense without a screen. Enter Alabama’s Labaron Philon, arguably the draft’s best rim pressurer and the most improved collegiate returnee. Not only can he pressure the rim for scores, drop-offs, and spray-outs to Charlotte’s shooters, but Philon is also proving to be a reliable three-pointer and floor spacer. He’ll help alleviate some of LaMelo Ball’s ball-handling and playmaking burden, freeing Ball up to be more of a scorer at times and potentially with more in the tank to close games late. Additionally, Philon bolsters Charlotte’s improving defense with his defensive playmaking and feisty point-of-attack defense.

#19. TORONTO RAPTORS - Tarris Reed Jr. | C | UConn

• Profile: 6’11”, 265

• Year: Senior

  • 14.8 PTS | 8.8 REB | 2.4 AST | 0.9 STL | 2.0 BLK

  • 61.7 FG% | 0 3P% | 60.8 FT%

  • 34 Games | 27.1 MIN

Stephen: When considering Tarris Reed Jr. higher than where he is usually mocked, it’s always easy to think: “Why not?” Reed doesn’t shoot. Reed isn’t the biggest big man. But he does so many of the “big man things” at an incredible rate. While he isn’t the tallest center in the class, Reed weighed in just under 264 pounds. He is an absolute unit who will annihilate defenders on screens, carve out rebounding pits, and be an immoveable object on defense. Despite being a tank, there is a certain “bumblebee” quality with him–in the sense that he shouldn’t be as nimble as he is. While it’s not something that he should spam, Reed can switch out onto the perimeter and survive some reps.

On offense, Reed being an outside threat may never come to fruition, and that’s okay. Playing at UConn, Reed had to learn how to make quick decisions as a passer. This skill should come in handy playing on the Raptors, who play a unique style of play that prioritizes decision-making from all positions. Reed will help mightily in that regard, but he’ll also be a bruiser in the paint, on the glass, and as a screener. While he may not seem like an exciting big man, for teams looking to add players who can drive winning, there aren’t other big men at this point who hold a candle to Tarris Reed Jr.

#20. SAN ANTONIO SPURS (via ATL) - Zuby Ejifor | F | St. John’s

• Profile: 6’8”, 245

• Year: Senior

  • 16.3 PTS | 7.3 REB | 3.5 AST | 1.2 STL | 2.1 BLK

  • 53.6 FG% | 30.5 3P% | 71.8 FT%

  • 37 Games | 30.0 MIN

Albert: Zuby Ejiofor is a big-time No Ceilings favorite. Most of us are big fans of his game and what he brings to both sides of the ball. After finishing off a glorious senior season with St. John’s, Ejiofor is becoming a hot commodity with teams drafting in this range. Despite him being a little older as a four-year player, Ejiofor flashed real growth over the course of his four-year career and comes into the league as a leader and influential force on both ends of the floor. Ejiofor’s calling card will be his defense, powered by his relentless drive. Ejiofor’s ability to blend power with lateral mobility and length makes him a real headache on defense for the opposing team. His ability to switch and guard guards and wings in a pinch makes him very valuable, and he relishes the harder assignments. Ejiofor averaged 3.3 stocks per game, as he really flashed his defensive playmaking ability. On offense, he’s shown real growth as a playmaker, as he averaged just under four assists per game in his senior season. Ejiofor won’t be looked upon as an offensive hub, but he can reliably get you into early offense as a grab-and-go threat, while also being a good connective passer in the halfcourt. Adding his toughness, size, and versatility to a young and exciting Spurs roster would be a five-star move. Also, for a team like the Spurs, who are trying to make it back to the Finals, adding a player like Ejiofor, who is mature and ready to contribute right away, is a huge plus.

#21. DETROIT PISTONS (via MIN) - Bennett Stirtz | G | Iowa

• Profile: 6’3”, 186

• Year: Senior

  • 19.8 PTS | 2.6 REB | 4.4 AST | 1.4 STL | 0.2 BLK

  • 47.7 FG% | 35.8 3P% | 84.8 FT%

  • 37 Games | 37.8 MIN

Rucker: There are a lot of potential player/team fits in the first round you can get excited about, but Iowa senior guard Bennett Stirtz landing with the Detroit Pistons has to be up there. Detroit needs exactly what Stirtz can bring to the table. They need shooting and someone who can take some stress off Cade in terms of running the show. Stirtz can shoot with the best of them, and he’s a magician with the ball in his hands. Although older, Stirtz has some highs that cannot be overlooked at this point in the draft. If Detroit is looking for someone who can really open up the floor while also putting people in position to succeed, Stirtz can answer the call emphatically. There’s a great chance that Stirtz could be a player who really thrives early on with the right systematic fit. In Detroit, there’s a chance Stirtz could be asked to contribute early on, due to the team’s need for his strengths.

#22. PHILADELPHIA 76ERS (via HOU) - Christian Anderson | G | Texas Tech

• Profile: 6’2”, 180

• Year: Sophomore

  • 18.5 PTS | 3.6 REB | 7.4 AST | 1.5 STL | 0.2 BLK

  • 47.2 FG% | 41.5 3P% | 80.5 FT%

  • 33 Games | 38.4 MIN

Nathan: There’s been quite a bit of buzz swirling around Christian Anderson, given his recent green room invite, on top of reported performances in workouts. Anderson is only about 6’2” in shoes, but possesses a 6’6.5” wingspan, and is arguably the best shooter in the entire draft—not to mention he’s excelled as a floor general in pick-and-roll actions, both in terms of creating shots for himself and his teammates. A guard with parking-lot range, craft utilizing ball screens, and defensive aptitude in the sense of just knowing where to be and how to play against different matchups is so valuable in today’s NBA. There are questions around his turnover rate and whether he’s going to be able to pressure the rim any better than he did in college. But few players in this class have his blend of dribble, pass, and shoot skills with a mind that knows how to play the game the right way, and a heart that’s ready to compete from day one. He’d be an immediate boon to the Philadelphia 76ers as a backup guard who could offer on and off-ball flexibility alongside either one of Tyrese Maxey or VJ Edgecombe.

#23. ATLANTA HAWKS (via CLE) - Chris Cenac Jr. | F | Houston

• Profile: 6’11”, 240

• Year: Freshman

  • 9.5 PTS | 7.9 REB | 0.7 AST | 0.8 STL | 0.5 BLK

  • 48.5 FG% | 33.3 3P% | 62.1 FT%

  • 37 Games | 24.8 MIN

Corey: Chris Cenac Jr. heads to Atlanta here at #23. Cenac’s tools have always been intriguing, as a near seven-footer with shooting touch and the physical tools that make teams drool. There are times when Cenac is a little too content with settling for perimeter jumpers, but that combination doesn’t grow on trees. Pairing Cenac with creators like Wagler, Niceil Alexander Walker, and Jalen Johnson should allow Cenac to thrive in ball screens and settle into a role where he gets efficient looks early on. Defensively, he is a strong mover on the perimeter, where his strength and length can really bother perimeter creators. He also has an argument to be considered amongst the top rebounders in the class. He’s struggled a bit as a rim protector–a trend consistent dating back to high school, which is slightly concerning given the tools. Cenac wants to be Anthony Davis, but might end up closer to Bobby Portis if he doesn’t figure that part out. Pick #23 is a good place to take the bet that he does.

#24. NEW YORK KNICKS- Koa Peat | F | Arizona

• Profile: 6’8”, 245

• Year: Freshman

  • 14.1 PTS | 5.6 REB | 2.6 AST | 0.6 STL | 0.7 BLK

  • 52.8 FG% | 35 3P% | 62.3 FT%

  • 36 Games | 27.8 MIN

Albert: Your world champions, the New York Knicks, are on the clock at 24, and we have them selecting Koa Peat from Arizona, and this pick is so valuable on so many levels. The first thing you love about Peat is that he comes from a great sports family. He had a very successful freshman season at Arizona, where the team made the Final Four, and he showed he doesn’t need to be the team’s star. Peat finished the season averaging 14.1 PPG, 5.6 RPG, and 1.3 stocks per game. For all of his warts, and of course, he has some of those, the thing you want to focus on, especially at this point in the draft, is what he can offer to your team. Peat is a powerful athlete with the strength and mentality of an NFL offensive lineman. He’s also a good passer who can play within your system without needing the ball in his hands a ton. The Knicks love their backup bigs to grab boards, set good screens, and bring physicality to the defensive end of the ball. Peat can do all that while also offering much more of a ceiling on the offensive side of the ball with his ability to score in the mid-range, and once the reconstruction of his outside jumper is complete, who knows what type of shooter he might become. Peat may not have lived up to the hype coming into his freshman season, but he was still a strong contributor on both sides of the ball for a winning team, and that’s all he’ll need to do for the defending champs.

#25. LOS ANGELES LAKERS - Nate Ament | F | Tennessee

• Profile: 6’10”, 207

• Year: Freshman

  • 16.7 PTS | 6.3 REB | 2.3 AST | 1.0 STL | 0.6 BLK

  • 39.9 FG% | 33.3 3P% | 79.0 FT%

  • 35 Games | 29.7 MIN

Jam: Although a big will certainly be in play for LA, Ament’s slide ends here in a landing spot where his blend of size, ball skills, and shooting is desperately needed. Standing at 6’11” with his growth plates reportedly still open, Ament’s shoot-pass-dribble skill set gives him the foundation to become an excellent complementary piece to the gravity-drawing duo of Luka and Reeves. Ament must find more ways to consistently leverage his defensive tools, but there is a 3-and-D baseline role for him to impact games and evolve from there, thanks to his uncommon size, skill, and touch profile.

#26. DENVER NUGGETS - Dailyn Swain | G | Texas

• Profile: 6’7”, 211

• Year: Junior

  • 17.3 PTS | 7.5 REB | 3.6 AST | 1.6 STL | 0.3 BLK

  • 54.2 FG% | 34.4 3P% | 81.5 FT%

  • 36 Games | 32.8 MIN

Nick: The Denver Nuggets had plenty of positives last season, including a league-leading Offensive Rating, but they could still use more size on the wing and more downhill juice in terms of attacking the basket. Enter Dailyn Swain, one of the best rim-pressuring prospects in the class, who also showed more playmaking juice than ever before at Texas this season. His shot is still a question mark, though it has been on an upward trajectory, but he will have plenty of openings to drive and dish when surrounded by Denver’s elite marksmen as he continues to establish himself as a shooting threat.

#27. BOSTON CELTICS - Henri Veesaar | F | North Carolina

• Profile: 7’0”, 227

• Year: Junior

  • 17.0 PTS | 8.7 REB | 2.1 AST | 0.6 STL | 1.2 BLK

  • 60.8 FG% | 42.6 3P% | 61.5 FT%

  • 31 Games | 31.3 MIN

Rucker: The Boston Celtics might as well have a neon sign in the streets telling someone what their top position of preference could be in the draft. Boston overachieved last year with a roster that looked to be trying to find some players who could be around for the upcoming year. It became evident that the Celtics are going to need to improve their frontcourt in some capacity before the upcoming year. Time will tell if Boston invests in that through the draft or on the trade market. The challenge for Boston doing that in the draft? They have a gauntlet of teams ahead of them that could be chasing a similar path. Much like the early portion of the draft with the guards, Boston could be facing a run of the bigs near the 20s in this draft. For now, Boston adds a big man who could be a perfect fit in terms of their scheme. North Carolina big man Henri Veesaar is more of a finesse big, but his strengths could blossom in “Mazzulla ball.” He’s a dangerous pick-and-pop weapon with a beautiful shot, and Veesaar has much more feel as a playmaker than some might suggest. If Boston could find some real muscle in the center position, potentially in free agency or via trade, which would make Veesaar even more attractive as an addition, because of the lineup versatility he could give you.

#28. MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES (via DET) - Isaiah Evans | G | Duke

• Profile: 6’6”, 186

• Year: Sophomore

  • 15.0 PTS | 3.2 REB | 1.3 AST | 0.7 STL | 0.7 BLK

  • 43.3 FG% | 36.1 3P% | 86.0 FT%

  • 38 Games | 28.3 MIN

Stephen: It’s always hard to find the perfect fit at this stage of the draft, but Minnesota adding a wing player who can space the floor is a good fit here. With Donte DiVencenzo missing time, and there being some uncertainty with Ayo Dosunmu, shoring up the wing room makes a ton of sense. Isaiah Evans steps into his rookie season as one of the better shooters in the class. He has shot 36% and 41% over the past two seasons, respectively. That shooting also came off of crazy volume, with his lowest season saw him attempt 15.6 three-pointers per 100 possessions. Evans shocked many in the draft community with his newfound driving ability. His growth in going to the paint when being chased off the line helped him to grow as a more complete, complementary player.

“Slim” is Evans’s nickname, and it’s apt. The strength concerns show in his rebounding numbers and his willingness and capability to finish in the face of contact. BUT–even with a slender build–Evans gave a ton of effort on the defensive end. It’s that underlying competitiveness on top of the floor spacing ability that makes E vans a more-than-worthy selection here for Minnesota.

#29. CLEVELAND CAVALIERS (via SAS) - Allen Graves | F | Santa Clara

• Profile: 6’9”, 225

• Year: Freshman

  • 11.8 PTS | 6.5 REB | 1.8 AST | 1.9 STL | 0.9 BLK

  • 51.2 FG% | 41.3 3P% | 75.0 FT%

  • 35 Games | 22.7 MIN

Nathan: This would be a surprising fall from one of the draft’s analytics darlings in Allen Graves. But should Graves actually be on the board for this long, Cleveland Cavaliers fans should be ecstatic. Graves has the size and length to compete at the power forward position, with an expanding offensive skill set that includes making plays for others out of post-up possessions, shooting from three-point range, and operating as a hub from the top of the floor. He may not have elite juice as a ball handler, but he produces on the glass, and lit up the charts as a defensive playmaker. Freshmen who produce with room to grow shouldn’t be ignored in the NBA Draft, especially if they can come in and fill an immediate need off the bench for a team that’s looking to continue taking the next step in the Eastern Conference.

#30. DALLAS MAVERICKS (via OKC) - Sergio De Larrea | G | Valencia

• Profile: 6’7”, 204

• Year: 2005 Born

  • 7.2 PTS | 2.1 REB | 2.9 AST | 0.5 STL | 0.2 BLK

  • 45.0 FG% | 41.2 3P% | 81.9 FT%

  • 63 Games | 14.5 MIN

Rucker: Even after adding Brayden Burries with the ninth overall pick, the Mavericks could be a team that has all of the options on the table here. A new front office is going to mean a new vision for a team that is looking to build assets around rising superstar Cooper Flagg. International guard Sergio De Larrea has been a very popular name in scouting circles since last year. A crafty playmaker with good feel and floor spacing upside, Sergio offers great size and versatility on the offensive side of the ball, at around 6’7”. If he’s still on the board, which could be a big “if”, this could be a value pick that Dallas wants to have on the roster early, as De Larrea has the upside to be a jumbo creator with real potential.

#31. NEW YORK KNICKS (via WAS) - Ugonna Onyenso | C | Virginia

• Profile: 7’0”, 237

• Year: Senior

  • 6.5 PTS | 4.9 REB | 0.6 AST | 0.6 STL | 2.9 BLK

  • 56.8 FG% | 27.8 3P% | 72.7 FT%

  • 36 Games | 18.6 MIN

#32. MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES (via IND) - Joshua Jefferson | F | Louisville

• Profile: 6’9”, 245

• Year: Senior

  • 16.4 PTS | 7.4 REB | 4.8 AST | 1.6 STL | 0.8 BLK

  • 47.1 FG% | 34.5 3P% | 70.0 FT%

  • 35 Games | 30.9 MIN

#33. BROOKLYN NETS - Meleek Thomas | G | Arkansas

• Profile: 6’4”, 190

• Year: Freshman

  • 15.6 PTS | 3.8 REB | 2.5 AST | 1.5 STL | 0.2 BLK

  • 43.3 FG% | 41.6 3P% | 84.3 FT%

  • 37 Games | 30.5 MIN

#34. SACRAMENTO KINGS - Alex Karaban | F | UConn

• Profile: 6’8”, 225

• Year: Senior

  • 13.1 PTS | 5.1 REB | 2.4 AST | 0.8 STL | 0.8 BLK

  • 46.8 FG% | 37.8 3P% | 86.4 FT%

  • 39 Games | 34.1 MIN

#35. SAN ANTONIO SPURS (via UTA) - Richie Saunders | G | BYU

• Profile: 6’6”, 205

• Year: Senior

  • 18.0 PTS | 5.8 REB | 2.1 AST | 1.7 STL | 0.3 BLK

  • 48.9 FG% | 37.6 3P% | 81.7 FT%

  • 25 Games | 31.4 MIN

#36. LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS (via MEM) - Baba Miller | F | Cincinnati

• Profile: 6’11”, 208

• Year: Senior

  • 13.0 PTS | 10.3 REB | 3.7 AST | 0.7 STL | 1.2 BLK

  • 52.9 FG% | 19.2 3P% | 65.8 FT%

  • 31 Games | 31.8 MIN

#37. OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER (via DAL) - Ryan Conwell | G | Louisville

• Profile: 6’3”, 215

• Year: Senior

  • 18.8 PTS | 4.8 REB | 2.7 AST | 1.1 STL | 0.2 BLK

  • 40.8 FG% | 34.5 3P% | 83.2 FT%

  • 34 Games | 30.9 MIN

#38. CHICAGO BULLS (via NOLA) - Dillon Mitchell | F | St. John’s

• Profile: 6’8”, 202

• Year: Senior

  • 8.3 PTS | 7.0 REB | 3.0 AST | 1.3 STL | 0.7 BLK

  • 55.9 FG% | 6.7 3P% | 49.4 FT%

  • 37 Games | 28.2 MIN

#39. HOUSTON ROCKETS (via CHI) - Trevon Brazile | F | Arkansas

• Profile: 6’10”, 225

• Year: Senior

  • 13.1 PTS | 7.3 REB | 1.6 AST | 1.5 STL | 1.6 BLK

  • 52.6 FG% | 34.1 3P% | 71.7 FT%

  • 36 Games | 31.5 MIN

#40. BOSTON CELTICS (via MIL) - Jaden Bradley | G | Arizona

• Profile: 6’3”, 205

• Year: Senior

  • 13.3 PTS | 3.4 REB | 4.4 AST | 1.4 STL | 0.1 BLK

  • 46.3 FG% | 39.4 3P% | 80.9 FT%

  • 39 Games | 30.6 MIN

#41. MIAMI HEAT (via GSW) - Tyler Nickel | F | Vanderiblt

• Profile: 6’7”, 220

• Year: Senior

  • 13.5 PTS | 3.3 REB | 1.2 AST | 0.8 STL | 0.5 BLK

  • 44.5 FG% | 40.0 3P% | 84.7 FT%

  • 36 Games | 30.6 MIN

#42. SAN ANTONIO SPURS (via POR) - Maliq Brown | F | Duke

• Profile: 6’9”, 217

• Year: Senior

  • 4.9 PTS | 5.2 REB | 1.6 AST | 1.8 STL | 0.6 BLK

  • 62.9 FG% | 16.7 3P% | 50 FT%

  • 38 Games | 20.3 MIN

#43. BROOKLYN NETS (via LAC) - Felix Okpara | C | Tennessee

• Profile: 6’11”, 237

• Year: Senior

  • 8.0 PTS | 6.3 REB | 0.5 AST | 0.4 STL | 1.5 BLK

  • 59.7 FG% | 36.4 3P% | 63.5 FT%

  • 35 Games | 26.8 MIN

#44. SAN ANTONIO SPURS (via MIA) - Emanuel Sharp | G | Houston

• Profile: 6’4”, 208

• Year: Senior

  • 15.5 PTS | 3.0 REB | 1.7 AST | 1.2 STL | 0.1 BLK

  • 41.3 FG% | 37.2 3P% | 89.1 FT%

  • 37 Games | 29.3 MIN

#45. SACRAMENTO KINGS (via CHA) - Otega Oweh | G | Kentucky

• Profile: 6’5”, 215

• Year: Senior

  • 18.6 PTS | 4.8 REB | 2.7 AST | 1.8 STL | 0.3 BLK

  • 46.5 FG% | 33.3 3P% | 73.1 FT%

  • 36 Games | 32.8 MIN

#46. ORLANDO MAGIC - Aaron Nkrumah | G | Tennessee State

• Profile: 6’6”, 188

• Year: Senior

  • 17.7 PTS | 5.5 REB | 3.0 AST | 2.8 STL | 0.5 BLK

  • 43.8 FG% | 35.1 3P% | 78.6 FT%

  • 33 Games | 31.3 MIN

#47. PHOENIX SUNS (via PHI) - Quadir Copeland | G | NC State

• Profile: 6’6”, 220

• Year: Senior

  • 13.9 PTS | 3.6 REB | 6.5 AST | 1.8 STL | 0.1 BLK

  • 49.4 FG% | 39.7 3P% | 77.5 FT%

  • 34 Games | 28.8 MIN

#48. DALLAS MAVERICKS (via PHX) - Tyler Bilodeau | F | UCLA

• Profile: 6’8”, 225

• Year: Senior

  • 17.6 PTS | 5.6 REB | 1.1 AST | 0.5 STL | 0.4 BLK

  • 51.8 FG% | 46.4 3P% | 87.3 FT%

  • 31 Games | 30.3 MIN

#49. DENVER NUGGETS (via ATL) - Jack Kayil | G | Alba Berlin

• Profile: 6’4”, 189

• Year: Senior

  • 12.2 PTS | 3.0 REB | 3.6 AST | 1.0 STL | 0.2 BLK

  • 38.3 FG% | 30.3 3P% | 78.0 FT%

  • 62 Games | 21.4 MIN

#50. TORONTO RAPTORS - Braden Smith | G | Purdue

• Profile: 5’11”, 167

• Year: Senior

  • 14.3 PTS | 3.5 REB | 8.8 AST | 1.7 STL | 0.2 BLK

  • 44.0 FG% | 36.2 3P% | 82.5 FT%

  • 39 Games | 34.5 MIN

#51. WASHINGTON WIZARDS (via MIN) - Ja’Kobi Gillespie | G | Tennessee

• Profile: 6’1”, 188

• Year: Senior

  • 18.4 PTS | 2.8 REB | 5.4 AST | 2.1 STL | 0.2 BLK

  • 41.0 FG% | 33.8 3P% | 81.4 FT%

  • 37 Games | 34.7 MIN

#52. LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS (via CLE) - Seth Trimble | G | North Carolina

• Profile: 6’3”, 200

• Year: Senior

  • 14.0 PTS | 3.8 REB | 3.0 AST | 1.3 STL | 0.2 BLK

  • 47.1 FG% | 28.6 3P% | 66.7 FT%

  • 24 Games | 32.4 MIN

#53. HOUSTON ROCKETS - Bruce Thornton | G | Ohio State

• Profile: 6’2”, 215

• Year: Senior

  • 19.9 PTS | 5.1 REB | 3.9 AST | 1.2 STL | 0.3 BLK

  • 55.4 FG% | 40 3P% | 82.9 FT%

  • 34 Games | 36.6 MIN

#54. GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS (via LAL) - Rafael Castro | F | George Washington

• Profile: 6’10”, 224

• Year: Senior

  • 15.3 PTS | 9.1 REB | 1.7 AST | 1.8 STL | 1.7 BLK

  • 62.7 FG% | 0 3P% | 66.1 FT%

  • 29 Games | 27.2 MIN

#55. NEW YORK KNICKS - Kowacie Reeves Jr. | G | Georgia Tech

• Profile: 6’7”, 194

• Year: Senior

  • 15.1 PTS | 3.8 REB | 1.2 AST | 0.9 STL | 0.7 BLK

  • 45.6 FG% | 38.7 3P% | 77.9 FT%

  • 29 Games | 30.2 MIN

#56. CHICAGO BULLS (via DEN) - Nick Martinelli | F | Northwestern

• Profile: 6’7”, 224

• Year: Senior

  • 23.0 PTS | 6.2 REB | 2.0 AST | 0.8 STL | 0.4 BLK

  • 51 FG% | 41.7 3P% | 80.9 FT%

  • 33 Games | 35.5 MIN

#57. ATLANTA HAWKS (via BOS) - Lamar Wilkerson | G | Indiana

• Profile: 6’6”, 206

• Year: Senior

  • 20.9 PTS | 3.5 REB | 2.4 AST | 1.0 STL | 0.2 BLK

  • 46.3 FG% | 37.8 3P% | 88.8 FT%

  • 32 Games | 34.1 MIN

#58. NEW ORLEANS PELICANS (via DET) - Jaden Henley | G | GCU

• Profile: 6’6”, 209

• Year: Senior

  • 17.7 PTS | 5.7 REB | 2.9 AST | 1.6 STL | 0.3 BLK

  • 46.6 FG% | 26.8 3P% | 75.6 FT%

  • 32 Games | 31.4 MIN

#59. MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES (via SAS) - Kylan Boswell | G | Illinois

• Profile: 6’2”, 225

• Year: Senior

  • 12.3 PTS | 4.0 REB | 3.0 AST | 0.7 STL | 0.0 BLK

  • 44.4 FG% | 30.7 3P% | 78.1 FT%

  • 30 Games | 30 MIN

#60. WASHINGTON WIZARDS (via OKC) - Vsevolod Ishchenko | G/F | Lokomotiv Kuban

• Profile: 6’8”, 215

• Year: 2005 Born

  • 8.7 PTS | 4.6 REB | 2.0 AST | 1.3 STL | 0.7 BLK

  • 50.6 FG% | 45.1 3P% | 78.1 FT%

  • 48 Games | 23.6 MIN

Stephen: Boy oh boy, do the Memphis Grizzlies have an interesting Summer laid out in front of them. There has already been a reckoning of sorts for the team–from the Desmond Bane trade to the Orlando Magic, to the Jaren Jackson Jr. trade to the Utah Jazz. Ja Morant is really the only remnant of the high-upside Memphis team that was once thought to be “next” in Western Conference contention. For a number of reasons, it feels like Morant will be moved off of, though nothing is imminent or for certain.

Conversely, Memphis has young talent to be hopeful for going forward! Cedric Coward looks to be a steal based on where he was selected and how he performed. Zach Edey is one of the most impactful bigs when he is on the court. Jaylen Wells has proven to be a steal. Scotty Pippen Jr., Javon Small, Cam Spencer, Ty Jerome, GG Jackson, Taylor Hendricks, and Santi Aldama: all of them are good NBA players who provide value to the team.

Now the Grizzlies have an opportunity to help add a franchise-altering player to help turn the page into a new chapter for the organization. And, with the rule changes to the NBA Draft Lottery the league has adopted for the short term, Memphis has an added layer of pressure to nail this selection.

In a way, their selection almost happens for them. It’s heavily believed that some order of AJ Dybantsa and Darryn Peterson will be drafted before the Grizzlies are on the clock with the #3 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. There is a chance that Washington or Utah go with Cameron Boozer–or even Caleb Wilson–leaving one of Dybantsa or Peterson available for Memphis at three.

There have also been rumors that teams are interested in trading up to the 3rd pick. To that I say: No kidding. Of course, teams would be willing to move up in this draft. But, like I mentioned, the draft lottery changes have further cemented my opinion that the Grizzlies should keep this pick, select who they feel is best available, and begin a new phase in their franchise.

Subscribe now

Having said all of that, Nathan, I know you have been keen on a particular legacy prospect all season long–especially for this team. Is he the only logical choice here? Also, Memphis has the 16th pick in this draft. How would you look to attack the board for the Grizzlies?

Nathan: We most certainly have to start with exactly what you laid out for the #3 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft: it’s determined by who goes at the first two spots. Largely, we expect AJ Dybantsa and Darryn Peterson off the board by the time the Memphis Grizzlies are picking. That means the debate goes to two prospects: Duke’s Cameron Boozer and North Carolina’s Caleb Wilson.

I want to be clear: I’ve stated for months and months that Wilson is a top-shelf prospect that should be firmly in the mix with the group of Dybantsa, Peterson, and Boozer. You don’t find forwards at his size with his jump-out-of-the-gym athleticism, motor, and competitive mean streak—especially when his skill package has continued to evolve since his days in high school, when he actually spent some time on the AAU circuit playing alongside Boozer, funnily enough.

But as you alluded to, Stephen, I’ve had one player at the top of my board this entire cycle. Boozer, by all accounts, is an elite prospect based on my scout, and I do strongly believe he would fit perfectly with how the Grizzlies are building out this current roster.

That’s not to say any of the other three prospects couldn’t work with Memphis. What the Grizzlies have now is a “clean slate,” if you will, once the widely speculated Ja Morant trade is completed. Some excellent young players in Zach Edey, Cedric Coward, Jaylen Wells, Cam Spencer, and Javon Small, among others. But there really isn’t a “guy” to carry the franchise forward and actually build an identity around. Edey has the dominating raw talent on the low block, but how available is he actually going to be moving forward, given he hasn’t even played in 50% of available games yet as an NBA player? Coward looks the part of an awesome second or third option as a two-way wing, but does he have the potential to take over an NBA offense the way a Kawhi Leonard or Paul George did?

Boozer’s best strengths would further optimize this team around him. There’s no limit to how you could utilize him on the floor offensively. Want to put him in ball-screen actions with Edey? Go ahead, I dare other teams to stop that play, given how excellent Boozer is as a passer. Throw two at the ball, and Boozer can kick it out to the open man. Fail to tag the roller in Edey, and he’s got a clean slip to the basket and a full head of steam to finish. What about in high-low situations where Boozer is at the free-throw line, and Edey is commanding full attention on the block? Boozer is an excellent entry passer if Edey has a mismatch, or he can skip the ball on the perimeter should Edey draw the double team—not to mention Boozer is a great screener in his own right, who can create open threes and driving opportunities for the other perimeter talent on the roster.

Also, perhaps one of my favorite actions for Boozer is as an inverted pick-and-roll player. Imagine Wells ghost screening for Boozer as Isaiah Evans did last year at Duke, or even Coward. Dynamic shooting threats working off actions with a player who can draw as much defensive attention as Boozer is a winning combination.

There’s been a lot of fuss about Boozer not having the talent to be considered the top player in the class because he doesn’t look the part of Dybantsa and Peterson. He’s not the first guy you think of in terms of “go get me a bucket” on the offensive end. But it’s his overall approach, processing, and decision-making that prop up his overall value, and have long before he’s set foot in the NBA. His well-rounded skill set, mental ability, and winning pedigree would put him in position to play a pivotal role for this Grizzlies franchise moving forward by making everyone around him better, and that’s what this team needs most.

I know you aren’t the biggest Boozer guy, Stephen, and we can certainly get to what Memphis should do with its non-lottery pick, but why don’t you give me the sell on potentially taking Wilson here, given that’s how your board has fallen as of late?

Stephen: In the spirit of transparency and being clear, I do respect the heck out of Cam Boozer and what he has done. I just don’t view him in the same light as AJ Dybantsa and Darryn Peterson. He and Caleb are in a tier of their own–and I like both players. But, alas, when you’re lower than consensus on a player, you’re open to being questioned. Which I welcome!

There is probably going to be some sort of “pick ‘em” regarding Boozer and Wilson. While it’s not the best or only way to decide between two prospects, I think it is worthwhile to see how they performed against each other. In early February, Wilson led the Tar Heels to a 71-68 win over Cam’s Crazy Blue Devils. Boozer put up 24 points in the game–along with 11 boards and three assists–but he had zero stocks (steals + blocks) and had four turnovers. Caleb had 23 points, four rebounds, two assists, two steals, one block, and zero turnovers as UNC won the game. It’s also worth mentioning that Caleb’s Heels beat Darryn Peterson’s Jayhawks this year, too.

Outside of the matchups of teams, Caleb works in the NBA because he is what every NBA team wants. Length for days, a non-stop motor, and criminally underdiscussed feel for the game. For all of the love that Cam Boozer gets in terms of winning and culture, Caleb brings the same things. Yes, Cam was a winner in school, but also went to a winning program. Duke went 35-4 last year with Cooper Flagg, and Boozer helped them get to 35-3 this season. UNC went 23-14 last season. Caleb Wilson injected new life into this program until he was injured, going 19-5 when he was in the lineup.

Wilson will likely spend a large portion of his time at the four–whether it be here in Memphis, or a pick later in Chicago. But he is the sort of player I would not be in a rush to put some sort of positional cap on. I’m aware that Wilson shot under 26% from deep this season, but he shot over 71% from the free-throw line–and he also shot over 44% on 108 long two-point attempts. And those shots were about as difficult as they can get at moments, with Wilson wowing us on how far back he can fade away on his turnaround middies. There are some in the scouting realm who would say that Caleb Wilson’s defense was laughable or poor. I don’t see it that way at all. I definitely felt Wilson’s defensive impact was quantified in his 4.4 Block Percentage and his 2.8 Steal Percentage. Even his fundamental line of 67 stocks forced to just 46 fouls committed shows a baseline of understanding of where to be and how to play. Sure, he wasn’t flawless, but neither was Cameron Boozer or AJ Dybantsa.

To touch on the feel of Caleb Wilson, he came into this year not really known as a passer–especially on volume. However, teaming with Henri Veesaar, Wilson really leaned into showcasing a real level of playmaking that helps his translation in the league. In the halfcourt, Wilson showed he could find teammates on the move while operating in the perimeter–as well as in the mid-post and on the block. In transition, Wilson looked awesome in those grab-n-go looks. His rim pressure really opened up passing lanes for others.

Nathan, all of this is without considering how Caleb can create the most efficient shot in all of basketball by putting his armpit in the rim. Somehow, we’ve gotten to the point where dunking the ball is met with grinding of teeth and hand-waving, but his 37 halfcourt dunks in the number of games that he played is quite impressive, and exemplifies how skilled he is and how hard he works to get to the shots that he wants. Oh, and he finished through contact well, too. His 16 And-Ones led the Tar Heels while playing nine fewer games than the other starters.

If the Grizzlies do happen to draft Cameron Boozer, I would certainly understand that pick. If Darryn Peterson should fall to the #3 overall pick, it would be a dream scenario for Memphis, and I would sprint to the podium to draft him. If they opted to select Caleb Wilson, I wouldn’t bat an eye at the pick. In fact, I might buy my first-ever NBA jersey.

How was that, Nathan? Budge you at all?

You touched on it earlier, but the Grizz also have the 16th pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. I, for one, still love the names on the board that still figure to be there. That’s without the eventual fall of some player that we’re not expecting. Let me throw you a two-parter here:

1. Who is your bet to be the surprise fall to 16 for Memphis?

2. Let’s say the draft goes the way of consensus. Who are some interesting names to look out for here?

Nathan: I can almost promise there will be enticing guard options on the board at #16 overall, just given how many lead options there are in this class, along with teams wanting to prioritize size and length after seeing the physicality in these playoffs.

However, are we sure that skilled ball-handlers shouldn’t be targeted as often as possible if the upside warrants it? With teams getting longer and more aware of how to defend the gaps, you need skilled handlers who can navigate in traffic and actually pass/shoot through tight windows. Several guards have those skill sets that should be on the board in this range for the Grizzlies in any combination of Labaron Philon, Christian Anderson, Bennett Stirtz, and Ebuka Okorie. If Memphis drafted any of those options, I’d say that, plus a top-tier selection at #3, would warrant a high grade from me on draft night.

Let’s also zoom out a bit and remember what Memphis currently has on the roster in terms of backcourt optionality. This is a team that has routinely found guards in unheralded markets and parts of the draft. Scotty Pippen Jr., Cam Spencer, Javon Small, Ty Jerome. The Grizzlies trade and sign these types of players all the time, which is astounding first and foremost but also assuring to the fanbase that even without Ja Morant after a projected trade, there are enough soldiers in the backcourt to battle next season alongside a talented group of wings and bigs.

So IF that’s the case and Memphis continues to roster several of those aforementioned guards, then is there pressure to draft another one with a valued first round pick, or could the Grizzlies target bolstering the depth at another position?

Karim Lopez has massive buzz as a lottery selection in the draft, but to your initial question about who could “fall” in this class, it’s not out of the question for him to drop a bit based on where I’ve graded him on my board. He presents intriguing upside as a power forward who can put the ball on the deck a bit, score in different ways, and rebound with a good motor. But how does that translate to the NBA level? If he’s not a consistent shooter from the outside or off-ball defender at his position, does he have as much utility as his projection states? If he’s on the board for the Grizzlies, I could see this team falling in love with a player like him.

What about a guy like Allen Graves, who has drawn considerable buzz after a freshman season that lit up analytics models like a Christmas tree? Could he be a great fit at the forward spot behind someone like Cameron Boozer or Caleb Wilson? He’d provide more shooting from that position, with another high/low option around the free-throw line area.

Perhaps the most surprising player I could see falling on the board would be Yaxel Lendeborg. By my board, he should be gone long before the Grizzlies pick again. But if the NBA is going to prioritize youth for as long as possible in the lottery, it’s entirely possible that a player who will be 24 during his rookie season falls outside the lottery and is on the board to be drafted in the middle of the first round.

Also, there are other targets like Chris Cenac and Dailyn Swain who project to be available in that area of the draft. If I were the Grizzlies, I’d take some phone calls from teams who may want to move up out of the 20s to get a player they like while also continuing to take back future assets. If no such deal materialized that suited my future needs, I’d stick and pick the best overall player on the board regardless of position. If it were a frontcourt player that graded out higher than any of the projected available lead guards, I wouldn’t hesitate to take that guy like a Lopez, Lendeborg, Graves, or even a center. But Grizzlies fans would be thrilled no matter what with any of those guard options.

Take us home, Stephen. What would you look to do with the #16 pick for the Grizzlies?

Stephen: There were a lot of great names mentioned there, Nathan, and I see a lot of those really working out with Memphis.

Like you, I have Karim Lopez closer to the 16th spot in the 2026 NBA Draft by my board, and I do quite like his fit with Memphis. Admittedly, I am a little more on the side of being able to see him operate on the perimeter a little bit more than consensus. BUT, with the Grizz, Lopez playing the power forward position seems like something they would value. He is a very strong rebounder, does well handling physical play, and does show some pretty promising playmaking feel. The biggest question with him is the jumper. He did improve there this season, but he still has some work to do to make NBA defenses respect it.

I also really liked the shout out for Allen Graves. It’s more likely that one of Cameron Boozer or Caleb Wilson is the third pick to Memphis–but it wouldn’t be the craziest thing in draft history for Memphis to have taken Darryn Peterson, depending on what Utah does. In that world, selecting Graves would give the team some facsimile of what Boozer offers a team. Floor spacing, rebounding, positional playmaking, and defensive playmaking. Memphis walking away with Darryn and Graves would be an exciting outcome.

You kind of broke my heart by mentioning Yaxel Lendeborg as a potential faller, but you’re on to something there. We’ve seen that it is hard for NBA teams to ignore age. The Dalton Knecht effect could be lingering in the minds of some front offices, and cause teams to be willing to let other organizations find out if he dominated college simply because he is older. The Grizzlies have shown a greater tolerance for going with older prospects, drafting Zach Edey as a senior with the ninth pick. They took Cedric Coward in a trade with the Portland Trailblazers–leveraging their 16th pick to take the Senior. Even their Second Round picks of Javon Small and Jaylen Wells were upperclassmen. Yaxel would be one of the oldest rookies in recent memory, but he has the sort of versatility that Memphis traditionally values.

I’m in line with you on them taking a guard, given the guards they have. They like, play, and trust a number of those players, and I’m not sure that they would just take another one even if they are the best available player. A couple of more names to consider here: Hannes Steinbach and Jayden Quaintance. Quaintance would be more of a fall due to medicals. Without knowing the facts and going off of what I have seen and heard, JQ being available at 16 wouldn’t be the craziest thing in the world. Michael Porter Jr. went from being a Top 3 pick in his class to being drafted at 14 due to back issues. Jayden could be available at 16, and could give Memphis some much-needed depth behind Edey, given his bouts with injury. Hannes could do the same thing, but provide a much different look. Steinbach is one of the best rebounders in this class–if not the best. He has solid passing feel, and has shown the willingness to improve as a floor spacer. On defense, he isn’t quite as impactful, but there are encouraging signs of footwork. Maybe he can be a “charge guy” in the mold of a Jaylin Williams type of player.

The biggest thing that Memphis Grizzlies fans should take away from this is that there are many pathways for them to take big steps in the right direction.

Share No Ceilings

Nathan: It’s felt like an eternity since the Chicago Bulls have had a meaningful direction as far as a rebuild is concerned, but new boss in charge Bryson Graham has that very opportunity in front of him. The decks are cleared in terms of the previous iteration of this roster/coaching staff, and he’s free to make this team in his image (most notably “SLAP”).

The good news for Graham and Co. is that the Bulls are in a position to add a core piece to the roster based entirely around the principles of their lovely acronym that focuses on positional size, length, and athleticism.

Each of the Top $ prospects in the 2026 NBA Draft have those physical qualities, while also offering enticing skill blends that lead to meaningful star-powered upsides in AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer, and Caleb Wilson. The order in which these players are expected to go off the board is exactly that, with Wilson being the prime candidate to head to Chicago at #4 overall.

Maxwell, you’re our resident Chicago expert (along with Corey Tulaba), given your proximity to the city. Why don’t you start us off with your thoughts on Wilson as a prospect, his potential fit with the Bulls, and if you’d potentially consider trying to trade up for another player IF there is a better target for the team in your humble opinion.

Maxwell: I’m extremely bullish on Caleb Wilson, and I feel like he perfectly fits the identity the new front office is seeking to build. The biggest knock on Wilson is that he didn’t shoot the three well this year, nor did he take that many threes. That said, there are a lot of reasons for optimism about his game. When I did a piece a few years back on the path to starter value for non-shooters, one common thread was that they checked all the other boxes, and Wilson does that. He’s an outrageous defensive event creator. He fights like hell on the boards. He’s a super smart facilitator. He’s a big-time lob target and an excellent transition player. All of the non-shooting stuff is there.

But the reason I’m encouraged about Wilson’s shot was that in that same course of research, I dug into which types of players who struggled to shoot in college ended up finding success as shooters in the NBA. The two traits most common among players who made that leap: a hefty college usage rate and youth. Caleb Wilson has both. A third commonality was a high level of athleticism, which again, Wilson has. Throw in a nice percentage on pull-up two-point jumpers this season, and there’s reason to believe that Caleb Wilson could be an intelligent outlier athlete with size who can contribute in every area of the game. That sounds pretty damn good to me.

As far as fit, I’m into it. The Bulls still need a real, long-term starting five man, but Buzelis and Wilson bring a fun, nasty, athletic punch to the three-four slot. I also feel much better about them playing alongside each other now that Buzelis is putting up more threes. Plus, Wilson can hopefully tighten up his off-ball defensive instincts to cover up for Josh Giddey’s shortcomings on that end, though Giddey has improved quite a bit, as well as the bevy of smaller guards the team currently employs.

I actually have Wilson third on my board, so I’m sort of content to stay put and let him fall to four with regards to a trade-up scenario. Two questions for you, though. One, where are you at with Wilson as a prospect, and two, what would this hypothetical trade-up look like to you?

Subscribe now

Nathan: I’m all for the Chicago Bulls drafting Caleb Wilson, and it’s not just because of the raw talent package. Like you said, he’s a scrapper in the best way with an unstoppable motor, and heart to win AND come in and change a culture. The last time the Bulls had players like that was when they had Derrick Rose and Jimmy Butler, and then it was Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen long before them. The city of Chicago deserves a player who embodies those principles, and they’d get him in Wilson.

But from a skill perspective, his blend of long strides, ball-handling, and flexibility/coordination are so enticing for what I’m personally looking for in the modern NBA. I get the concerns over a three-point shot. It’s important for any player positioned 1-4 in the league. However, we could be looking at a player who has the type of game that dominates teams inside the arc. He’s comfortable shooting from the midrange, his standstill passing continued to take leaps at North Carolina, and he’s working on how he can get others involved on the move. He’ll continue to get stronger, so his one or two dribbles to the rim and finish off those aforementioned long strides will only become more valuable and back-breaking against even great defenses.

Do I have some concerns about spacing and what that looks like on the court, should Matas Buzelis not develop as a shooter? Absolutely. However, are those questions enough to stop me from taking a talent like Wilson and figuring it out with a combination of forwards that’s been a successful franchise model in different capacities around the league? Absolutely not.

So, for a trade-up scenario to even be thought about when you can get that kind of talent staying right where you are, I’m not sure, Maxwell. And you know how much I love Cameron Boozer. I have him just like you at the top of my personal draft board. What would a trade-up to #3 look like with the Memphis Grizzlies?

Would Noa Essengue, the #4 pick, and a 2028 future first be enough to get it done for the Grizzlies to move off the chance to draft Boozer, a player that would give that franchise an offensive identity it doesn’t currently have? I’m not entirely sure, and it’s not a deal I personally would make. So, for as much as Chicago fans could dream about moving up and getting a guy other than Wilson, I’d say in this draft, none of these other franchises would even think about moving off their spot unless it was a godfather offer. And even then, I can’t with good conscience put together a package like that for a player that hasn’t even played a minute in the league, no matter how much I like them as prospects.

We don’t need to spend too much more time on the #4 selection, given that there realistically aren’t other options at that pick, no matter how much you or anyone else as a scout could talk themselves into one of the lead guards such as Mikel Brown Jr., Darius Acuff, etc. But I am curious, Maxwell, since you’re one of the best at identifying undervalued talent, who would you target at #4 IF the answer wasn’t Wilson?

Maxwell: The prospect of giving up a future first at this stage in the rebuild, especially given the uncertainty of lottery odds in the future, is a little too much to stomach off the top of my head. I’d gladly give up this year’s pick and Essengue to move up, but obviously, I get why Memphis would turn that down. I adore Cam Boozer, and I’d basically consider giving up anything else, but I think they really need to be stingy with draft equity at this point.

I obviously see the appeal of the lead guard crop. Mikel Brown Jr. can make threes from the parking lot and explode to the rim. Darius Acuff Jr. seemingly never turns it over and is an elite shot maker. Keaton Wagler had one of the best “out of nowhere” seasons in the country. This is an awesome group of prospects, and I understand the appeal of betting on them.

That said, at this stage in the process, each of them has a flaw so severe that I’d feel much more comfortable betting on Wilson. Mikel Brown Jr.’s shot selection is erratic, which led to him being far less efficient than desired this year. Darius Acuff’s defense was a total mess. Keaton Wagler is rail thin and somehow managed to go the whole season without dunking once, pointing to serious athletic flaws. I get that Wilson struggles to shoot it, but again, I think his indicators are more promising than people realize on that front. I also think his value is the highest if none of them improve upon their flaws, as well as if all of them improve upon their flaws. I just like his collective range of outcomes better.

Nathan: I’ll take us home by going over a few options at #15 for the Chicago Bulls, given that pick is close enough to be considered a lottery selection with all of the talent that projects to still be on the board.

The Bulls have a chance to absolutely swing for the fences BECAUSE of the option available at #4 in a loaded 2026 draft class. With a player like Caleb Wilson in tow, nailing this second first-rounder is something that could jumpstart a rebuild in ways fans only dream of. Chicago made considerable moves at last year’s trade deadline to strip down the previous iteration of the Bulls in favor of building towards the future. That meant shipping out some guards to bring in…even more guards, surprisingly. However, even if it’s in the cards to re-sign players like Collin Sexton and Anfernee Simons, alongside Josh Giddey, none of those guys are stopping me from taking the best player available on the board by my rankings if that so happens to be yet another guard.

Labaron Philon, Christian Anderson, Ebuka Okorie, and Bennett Stirtz all project to come off the board anywhere from #9 to #26 in this 2026 draft. Those are wide ranges, given all of the lead guard prospects available in the class. But all of them have arguments for lottery grades, and all rank differently depending on who you talk to. If I were taking a guard for this team, I’d prioritize someone who has shot the cover off the ball prior to stepping foot in the NBA. So Anderson, Stirtz, and even Philon are the names I’d come up with for Chicago, and Philon and Anderson know how to defend and where to be to help their teams win big games.

I think any of those lead guards would be value picks at #15, but I’m also considering if other frontcourt talent takes a tumble down the board. Cameron Carr is the best wing prospect in this class who isn’t one of the aforementioned top talents like AJ Dybantsa. It’s between Carr and Dailyn Swain as next best wings, then a considerable drop off after that. So if Chicago wants to target an athletic shooting dynamo who can also cover ground and make plays defensively, then the franchise might have to move up a few spots to target a player like him.

But what if there’s a tumble down the board for a player like Jayden Quaintance? By pure talent, he projected as a potential Top 5 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft before the season started as one of its youngest players with defensive tools to fawn over at 6’9” with a 7’5” wingspan and a strong frame to keep building on. His ability to legitimately guard all over the floor, protect the rim, and run the floor in transition/roll to the basket is a skill set every NBA team wants on its roster. But given some serious medical questions that could impact his availability/durability moving forward, it’s growing likely that he’d be on the board for the Bulls in the middle of the first round. Would taking a swing like that be a massive risk for Bryson Graham’s first draft in Chicago? Absolutely. But would a frontcourt with size, athleticism, and defensive versatility fit the exact philosophy he’s trying to build? Also a yes.

Whichever direction Chicago goes on draft night, there’s a real shot to inject some serious talent into this organization and present one of the most fun products to watch in the Eastern Conference next season. Bulls fans, get excited!

Share No Ceilings

The 2026 NBA Draft is right around the corner, and that means it’s time for the annual “my guys” column from yours truly, Draft Deeper!

Defining what “my guys” means is pretty simple. Everyone who analyzes, scouts, and evaluates prospects makes a big board ranking of their top available players. In that type of exercise, you’re attempting to aggregate talent based on personal philosophies, core principles of the league, said players are going to compete in, as well as any values of said team/organization one is scouting for, both on and off the court.

Even though individual rankings aim to identify the best overall talent available, every person is biased towards players they would want on their team or in their building, whether they care to admit it or not.

That’s where the phrase “my guys” comes from, and why it’s a popular topic around the water cooler and on social media.

So in this piece, as I do each year, I’m laying out the cases for the players who I trust the most to become the best versions of themselves and contribute to winning in the NBA. These are guys I would want in key situations, both in the regular season and the postseason, for a variety of reasons. This group of players is the collection of talent I would want to go to war with.

Without further ado, the 2026 edition of Draft Deeper’s favorite prospects!

Cameron Boozer, Duke

It’s only right to lay claim to the player who sits atop my 2026 draft board as “my guy” out of the consensus top prospects.

Cameron Boozer, AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, and Caleb Wilson have all taken over the top of nearly everyone’s draft board for good reason. This is a STACKED group of players at the top, but one in particular has never budged from that lead spot in my rankings.

Boozer is the most accomplished prospect we’ve seen domestically this century. The only other player who has as many accolades and trophies as Boozer over the last 20 or so years is international phenom Luka Doncic.

Now, that doesn’t automatically make him the best prospect I’ve scouted in 15 years of doing this work. That would belong to Victor Wembanyama. After that, it’s a close group between Boozer, Doncic, Cooper Flagg, Anthony Davis, and Zion Williamson (Duke Zion was a different beast; let’s not forget).

Subscribe now

What Boozer has done throughout his entire career up to this point is drive winning through any means possible on offense. He’s the most complete offensive talent in this draft, in my opinion, when factoring in his combination of dribble, pass, and shoot utility as a 6’9” 250-pound forward with a 7’1” wingspan.

Players who can operate with both hands comfortably off the bounce, shoot at high efficiency, and pass in nearly any context don’t come around often at Boozer’s size. He can run actions on the ball, whether it’s calling for a screen or working in isolation against a mismatch. He can post and draw two. Boozer can operate as a screener, and slip to the basket, short roll into a separate action, or pop out and knock down threes. He can even spot up from distance and space out to the corners!

Look at the efficiency metrics, the play type profiles on Synergy, and the shot charts. Everywhere you look, Boozer is at or near the top of his class, and among the best prospects statistically in college basketball’s history.

Go through every competition, be it in college, high school, AAU, or FIBA. Boozer has trophies/accolades from them all, and he’s done it while not being the most gifted vertical athlete amongst his peers.

Boozer’s superpower is his mind. He consistently makes excellent decisions in halfcourt settings, while also having the vision and passing chops to hit ahead on the break. He’s so versatile and so smart at dissecting mismatches and open reads that he just makes everyone else around him better.

Drafting Boozer doesn’t have to be about taking a guy who looks to score 25+ PPG while running a billion pick-and-rolls or posting up constantly on the block. Boozer is a nightly triple-double threat, and that comes from his strength, coordination, and mental processing.

What an NBA team is getting in Boozer is one of the best rebounders in his class, a multi-faceted offensive talent, and someone who will find a way to make an impact on defense. There are real concerns about whether Boozer can chase matchups around or guard straight up against 7-footers in the post. But he’s got great hands, excellent reflexes, and knows how to box out and end possessions on the glass.

If I were running an NBA franchise and I was picking at the top of the 2026 draft, I just wouldn’t be able to say no to Boozer. He’s produced and won everywhere he’s been, and embodies what I want in a modern basketball player through and through. He may not be the second-best prospect I’ve scouted after Wembanyama, but he’s absolutely my favorite in all my years of scouting. I’m betting on Boozer to be the best player in this class when it’s all said and done.

Christian Anderson, Texas Tech

Anyone who has followed my work in the draft space over the last few years knew this was coming. I’ve been talking about Christian Anderson as a draft prospect since he was in high school.

Naturally, there’s been quite a bit of pushback on just how good of a prospect Anderson is. He doesn’t possess elite size, doesn’t pressure the rim by the metrics as often as some of the other best lead guards in this class, and will certainly be prone to defensive mismatches in the NBA that will test him even in ways he wasn’t in college basketball. He’s even struggled with turning the basketball over at times because of the intense pressure he’s faced as a primary ball handler.

All of those concerns are valid. However, they aren’t stopping me from considering Anderson my favorite point guard prospect in the 2026 draft. Anderson is a potential star in plain sight as someone who sits at the very intersection of everything I’m looking for in an NBA guard.

Anderson is the best shooter in this class, pound for pound. There is no other player who can knock down shots from any spot on the floor like Christian. He’s been pulling up from the parking lot since he came out of the womb! I remember watching just how deep Anderson was pulling up in high school, and I’ve been reminded on several occasions by sharp basketball minds that he’s been known as a lethal shooter long before that.

Where Christian has shown immense promise is as a pick-and-roll ball handler and passer. There is no more polished floor general in this class than Anderson when he’s able to go to work in ball-screen offense. He has all of the passes in the book and can make them with either hand. His vision and creativity off the bounce is uncanny, and can make defenses look foolish at times. He’s not the type of player to dribble the air out of the ball and run the clock down. Anderson’s handle and pace are functional. He knows how to time accepting or rejecting the screen, can keep a defender off his hip, and deliver crisp passes from a variety of angles—not to mention he’s an automatic bucket if defenses don’t chase him over the screen, or put a body on him in transition.

Even considering the perceived “weaknesses” in his game, Anderson has finished well at the rim during his collegiate and high school careers, and even threw down some nasty dunks on the break and in the halfcourt this year. He tested well athletically at the combine and measured with a 6’6.5” wingspan that matters greatly when projecting to the next level.

On defense, I never found Anderson out of position or unaware of what’s going on. He competes and knows how to play against matchups who are bigger than him. Does that mean he’s getting stops like Stephon Castle every time? No, but given what he can provide on offense, I’ll gladly take a player who I’m not questioning their effort or awareness on defense, both on and off the ball.

Sometimes, we rank players based not only on production, tools, and intel, but on faith. That may sound like a foreign concept to analytical scouts who stand firm on letting the algorithm tell the story on a player. It may also sound strange to the film junkies who believe solely in letting what they’ve seen on tape tell the entire story about a player.

I’ve seen Christian play at a high level in several settings, step up clutch in big games, and I have a firm belief he’s going to become the best version of himself and succeed in his career. This kid has been breaking molds since he was in middle school. Why should I believe he’s going to stop now as he transitions to the NBA?

Morez Johnson Jr., Michigan

I didn’t anticipate having Morez Johnson Jr. as one of “my guys” in the 2026 NBA Draft when the season started.

Yet here we are, and I now consider Johnson as the best big man in the class. He can play either the PF or C position, and possesses the best defensive versatility I’ve seen in a big man since Bam Adebayo came into the NBA years ago.

Johnson can legitimately switch 1-5 on defense, and relishes guarding opposing backcourt players as much as he does mixing it up down low with opposing forwards and centers.

It’s one thing for a bigger player to enjoy guarding players smaller than them. It’s an entirely different thing for said big man to actually have the lateral agility and flexibility to keep those players in front of them and make their lives a living hell away from the basket—not to mention that he can cover ground and rotate away from the ball to help protect the rim and seal off drivers.

Johnson’s motor is his particular superpower, but his athleticism and measurables certainly help make his case as this draft’s best defensive player. Johnson plays with an attitude and ferocity that makes it seem like he takes every possession personally, and is a monster at boxing out on the glass and ending possessions with defensive rebounds.

Excellent hands, feet, and mobility for a 6’10” forward in shoes with a 7’3.5” wingspan who weighs in at 251 pounds: that’s a player who is built to play multiple frontcourt positions and thrive on defense in playoff environments.

His game on offense isn’t as refined as his overall defensive impact, but there are real reasons for optimism given shooting touch indicators from the three throw line and on a more limited sample size of jumpers across multiple years in college. He’s always been an excellent finisher at the basket, and there have been some flashes from Johnson of face-up drives and instinctual passing.

High-level play finishers who can actually guard all over the floor, block shots, and impose their will on the glass are incredibly valuable in the postseason. That’s one lesson that’s become even more evident over the last few seasons. Any team that’s looking to solidify its defensive identity would be wise to consider drafting Johnson, as he has the talent to wind up going far higher than he’s currently projected in re-draft exercises down the road.

Zuby Ejiofor, St. John’s

Speaking of multi-positional frontcourt defensive talents, Zuby Ejiofor shares a lot of the same qualities as Morez Johnson, just not quite as gifted in terms of lateral mobility and length.

However, Zuby is about 6’9” in shoes with a 7’2” wingspan, weighing in at about 245 pounds. He is a LOAD to handle down low, someone who isn’t exactly very “movable” unless he’s going up against a true giant like what he could find in the NBA in Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid.

Against the bigs Ejiofor found in college, he stood his ground phenomenally, and allowed St. John’s to operate in several defensive contexts, especially when it came to switching different ball-screen actions. Zuby isn’t quite as equipped to defend true 7-foot-plus size in the post as Johnson is, but he’s as close as you’re going to find to Morez in a fully switchable forward. He’s a better rebounder than the numbers indicate on the defensive glass, and he made a living grabbing offensive rebounds for easy put-back finishes.

Where Ejiofor carves out his own lane on the court is on offense, and not because of the more “traditional reasons around scoring.

Yes, Ejiofor can finish around the basket and position himself on the block. What he can also do is operate as a screener, work in handoff actions, attack matchups downhill, and pass on the move like a big wing.

Ejiofor is surprisingly nimble with the ball in his hands on the move. He’s gotten to some drives to the rim where there’s just no one able to knock him off his spot and prevent him from converting on his shot attempt. Not to mention he posted passing numbers that I’d be comfortable projecting for a combo guard, let alone a player that primarily operated as a center in college basketball.

Yes, the outside shot is a real question mark, but there’s hope for Zuby given more of a willingness to shoot as his career has gone on. His touch isn’t terrible, and the mechanics look workable on spot-up attempts. If he’s able to knock down threes close to a league-average clip, it only helps his cause as a secondary/tertiary creator by dragging defenders out to cover him, which opens up driving lanes for Ejiofor to barrel through.

For as long as I can in the draft, I’m looking for players with positional size and strength who can handle the ball and make decisions. And if Ejiofor ends up shooting it down the line, he could wind up much higher than projected in future re-draft exercises.

If anyone loved Collin Murray-Boyles last draft, they should value Ejiofor for a lot of the same reasons as that’s the blueprint for his potential NBA success. And that’s a player I want to bet on more often than not.

Tarris Reed Jr., UConn

If I’m looking to draft a center, I want them to play with a level of physicality that actaully earns said positional label.

I want a nasty big man who screens hard, rolls harder, and is an actual presence in the paint on both ends of the floor. That’s exactly who Tarris Reed Jr. has been, especially during his time at UConn.

Reed has excellent rebounding and shot blocking metrics in a 6’10” frame with a 7’4” wingspan, and weighing in at 264 pounds. These are all plus numbers for an NBA center, which bodes well for his ability to actually match up with some of the league’s best bigs.

What Reed accomplished as a winner at UConn was everything I want in a modern center. He routinely created shot/passing attempts as a screener, punished matchups on the block as an elite-level finisher, and controlled the glass on both ends of the floor. His excellent hands, instincts, and timing as a shot blocker played right into UConn’s defensive schemes that funneled drivers into Reed in the paint. And boy, did he take advantage of those opportunities to challenge and contest shots.

Where his offense could really take another leap is from distance. There haven’t been a ton of indicators at the college level that Reed is going to shoot in the short term once he gets to the league, but it’s been noted as something he’s working on down the line. And he has shown solid touch on runners and hook shots at the collegiate level.

When projecting who will be great role players in the NBA, it’s important to take inventory of who actually understands their personal strengths and overall identity. Reed knows who he is, how he can impact a game tomorrow, and what he needs to continue building on to be the best version of himself throughout his pro career. That’s the type of self-awareness I would want to draft into my organization, and the foundation of why I value Reed as a first-round caliber big man. Do not be shocked if he ends up going much higher than projected on draft night.

Alex Karaban, UConn

If there’s one role player I’m betting on in the second round of this 2026 draft to outperform his projection, it’s Alex Karaban.

Karaban has been a mainstay for the winningest program in college basketball since he got to UConn. Now, Dan Hurley is the most important part of the success of the Huskies; that’s not up for debate. However, it also helps that Hurley has had one of the most versatile forwards out there to play off NBA-level talent like Stephon Castle, Donovan Clingan, and the aforementioned Tarris Reed.

Karaban shoots the ball at a high level, makes all of the connective passing reads one could want a combo forward to make, can handle the ball and take mismatches off the dribble, and he can work in several defensive schemes such as zones or switch-heavy coverages.

In terms of on-and-off ball instincts on both ends of the floor, Karaban is one of the sharpest players college basketball has seen over the last few years. He’s not going to blow anyone away athletically, but he has the size, strength, and length to play both forward spots in the league. He’s another player who understands that it’s his job to make everyone else’s lives easier, and complement the best players on the team.

Karaban has done that job very well during his time in college, and even though he’s not a young, upside-down talent like higher first-round picks, there’s no question that Karaban has a real shot at returning that type of value when we look back on the 2026 draft class years from now.

Share No Ceilings

Rowan: If it wasn’t over when Paul George left in free agency, I think we can finally say it: it’s a new era in Clippers land. Now, that’s not exactly true: the team still made the play-in, Kawhi Leonard looked truly stupendous during the season, and the team had the 11th-ranked offensive rating in the NBA this season. On the other hand, the team moved James Harden for Darius Garland in a move that represented their lack of belief in their veteran core and traded away their stalwart center in Ivica Zubac. LA really would have been up the creek with no paddle, or rather no lottery pick, due to the continued curse of the Paul George trade, if not for a stunning work of general managing to land Indiana’s pick with the right protections to net them the fifth overall pick in this draft. Now, instead of a bare cupboard, the Clippers are in a prime position to draft a blue-chip player to add to their team.

Who they should draft is obviously the hard part to figure out. Most of this roster, from Kris Dunn and Derrick Jones Jr. to John Collins and Brook Lopez, are either veterans who won’t fit as well in a rebuild or are long past their primes. On the other hand, the team would appear to have the makings of a promising young backcourt with Darius Garland and Bennedict Mathurin. LA will operate in whatever direction that Leonard decides to go, but he’s a versatile enough player that he could likely keep up his high-level play next to virtually any type of lineup.

With most of the players in this tier being guards, should the Clippers thumb their nose at positional fits and take the best player available? Who may that be? And if they do try to fill out their lineup, who else might fit for them at #5?

Subscribe now

Nathan: No matter the position the LA Clippers find themselves in, the answer this high in the draft is always taking the best talent available, no questions asked.

Everyone’s board is going to look a bit different at this portion of the draft. After the star-studded collection of talent in Cameron Boozer, AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, and Caleb Wilson, it appears as though we’re headed for a slew of guards emerging from the green room. Darius Acuff Jr., Keaton Wagler, Mikel Brown Jr., Brayden Burries, and Kingston Flemings all have arguments to be taken as high as fifth overall in the draft.

As I mentioned, though, everyone’s board is different. I, for example, have Yaxel Lendeborg as the fifth-best TALENT in this class. Now, given that he’ll be clocking in at 24 years of age to start his rookie season, I’d be utterly stunned if the Clippers actually took him at that spot, given the other younger options on the board.

But as you aptly noted, Rowan, this team has solidified a new direction in the backcourt with Darius Garland and Bennedict Mathurin, two players acquired via trade at this past deadline. I wouldn’t let those two players stop me from taking who I thought was the best overall player left on the board, but there may be a way for LA to draft for both fit and talent with Wagler in particular.

Before I lay out the case for Wagler, that comes with a major caveat. For the team’s best players to share the floor in that scenario, that would mean someone might have to play a bit out of position. Garland is a lead guard given his size and how he lines up positionally on the defensive end. Kawhi Leonard is honestly best at this point in his career as a power forward, given he has the strength and length to make it work while also having more freedom to roam on defense rather than chase wing shooters. Mathurin is the player who might be the trickier fit defensively. If you’re comfortable with putting him on bigger wings at that small forward spot, then the Wagler selection could really be a homerun that’s great for all parties.

But if Mathurin is best as a shooting guard in between a lead option and a more defensive-minded wing, then Wagler would be spending most of his minutes coming off the bench, alternating in substitution patterns with Mathurin.

Again, that’s not stopping me from taking whoever the best guy on the board is, but it’s an interesting wrinkle to consider when building out the rest of the roster.

Back to Wagler. He’s a 6’6” guard out of Illinois who wasn’t heralded as a top-shelf recruit out of high school. Still, he earned his spot as the team’s primary decision maker with an injury to Kylan Boswell around the early-mid part of the college season. When Wagler was handed the keys, he took off, and so did the rest of the team around him. Wagler stepped up as not only a table setter for the rest of the established veterans around him, but as a lethal shooting option with one of the best go-to moves in this entire draft class in the step-back three.

Wagler has the frame, creative ball-handling, footwork, and shooting ability to become a special weapon in the NBA. As we’ve seen in the playoffs, teams need several creative handlers on the court at all times, so seeing Garland and Wagler work off one another would be a treat around Leonard’s mid-post style offensive game.

Even though Wagler has been the most popular mock to the Clippers, I’m not entirely convinced that’s the direction this franchise would go. What are your thoughts on the guards available in this range, Rowan, and are there any other players at different positions you’d consider as high as #5 in the 2026 draft?

Rowan: Asking my thoughts on the guards in this range would require a bit more space than we’ve got here, sadly, but that’s because of how great I think the players in this range truly are. While I’m sure every NBA team was hoping for a Top 4 pick in this draft, the guards in this class are far from a consolation prize. As you mentioned above, everyone’s board will look different when you get down to the brass tacks, and even the Clippers will have their own internal draft board, which will have to parse out which of the talented players in the draft’s second tier they rank highest.

For me, I have a few players over Keaton Wagler, but we’re talking about the thinnest of margins. I’ve got Mikel Brown Jr. and Darius Acuff Jr. over Wagler on my own personal board, but that doesn’t mean that I think both should go to the Clippers over Wagler. In fact, while I agree with your take on LA taking the best player available, I wonder how feasible that could be if the team decides that Acuff Jr., or even Kingston Flemings, is the fifth-best player in this draft.

I think it’s more feasible for the team to draft Wagler, as you detailed, given he can play in some small-ball lineups or get a ton of touches off the bench. For Acuff Jr., who I really like, this spot would be one of the more befuddling unless the team moved Darius Garland. Trying to have a backcourt of Garland, Acuff Jr., and Mathurin would stress the backline of the defense for the Clippers too much for me to see an easy path to winning, even though I do love Acuff Jr. as a draft prospect.

Instead, while I think Wagler would do wonders with the Clippers, I would be more inclined to have the team draft Mikel Brown Jr. out of Louisville. Although he labored through some back issues and just played on a team with a loaded backcourt, I think that Brown Jr. has both the positional size necessary to form some potent lineups with the rest of the team’s backcourt options and could, if he reaches his ceiling, be the best player of the aforementioned potential trio. To grossly simplify his ceiling, Brown Jr. has the top-end athleticism of Bennedict Mathurin and the pull-up shooting potential of Darius Garland, combined in one player.

He’d be able to play next to either Garland or Mathurin, while also having the savvy to run a bench offense that could be a major strength for LA. It will obviously swing upon whether he’s healed enough from his back issues, but having heard that he has, I’d consider Brown Jr. quite heavily. By the same token, I’d also want to look into Arizona’s Brayden Burries, given he has the size and versatility needed to play alongside multiple players on this LA roster, while also having the creation chops needed to be a valuable sparkplug at the NBA level.

Outside of guards, I’d be reaching a bit on my own board at this spot. From a roster perspective, however, the Clippers do have a bit of a hole in the middle. They traded away Ivica Zubac to get this pick, which means they could fill it with a future franchise center. I do think this would be a different conversation if Jayden Quaintance were healthy, as he put up some truly jaw-dropping defensive tape last season for Arizona State, but his lingering knee issues are enough to understand him sliding down a few draft slots.

Instead, I could see a player like Michigan’s Aday Mara being a dark-horse sleeper for the fifth pick. He’s got a massive frame, has the fluidity needed to protect the rim and score easily around it, and has shown great defensive tools for a winning team this season. I was high on Mara when he first became eligible for the 2024 NBA draft, but his quiet years at UCLA did blunt my assessment of his game. A strong campaign for my alma mater has reawakened my love for his game, even if I do think his ceiling as a center is debatable in the long run.

Nathan, how do you see the fits of guards like Mikel Brown Jr. and Brayden Burries on this Clippers team? Do you think either of Darius Acuff Jr. or Kingston Flemings could work in any way? And what about Mara at five? Too rich for your blood or just the wrong Michigan Wolverine?

Nathan: What I would say about Mikel Brown Jr. and Brayden Burries specifically is that no one on this roster should be stopping the LA Clippers from taking the player they deem the best talent on the board, even if the immediate short-term fit is potentially questionable. Brown arguably has the highest ceiling of any guard in this class, which is wild to think about given all of the options we’ve laid out in the mid-late lottery range. He reminds me of all of the BEST qualities that I saw in LaMelo Ball before he came to the NBA. His creativity, shooting range, and speed/athleticism blend into a package that doesn’t really have a comparison in this class. He can just do things these other guards can’t if he’s hitting on all cylinders, making him an appealing option at any point in this lottery.

I’ve personally risen on Burries as this cycle has gone on, particularly after having a refresher of what the NBA Playoffs actually entail from a physicality standpoint. Burries isn’t afraid of contact and can finish in traffic. He’s willing to defend multiple positions, take on different assignments, rebound, and quietly grades out pretty well everywhere across play and shot types per Synergy Sports. He has a much more complete package on offense than given credit for, with the type of build (6’5” in shoes, 210-215 pounds) that excels at the guard position in playoff environments. I don’t think it’s crazy for the Clippers to consider him at the fifth spot.

On your point about Aday Mara possibly filling in the hole at the center spot for LA, that’s a swing I wouldn’t particularly be thrilled to make, given the star power on the board with some of these other players. Mara makes basketball look easy at 7’3” with the type of touch and coordination you don’t often see from a player his size. However, while I think he’s going to do some things well during his time in the league, I don’t see a “star” per se in Mara outside of just being a star in his role. Again, it’s very valuable to have skilled size that can hold its own, especially in the playoffs. But teams get burnt when trying to fill a need rather than just taking the best player on the board, even if there’s a positional logjam. With that in mind, the Clippers will have plenty of premier choices at the top—and since the Pacers would have held onto the pick if it had stayed in the Top 4, this is just about the best-case scenario for the Clippers.

Share

Nick: The Brooklyn Nets were probably the unluckiest team on Draft Lottery night. Despite entering the night with the third-best odds, they were jumped by the Bulls, the Grizzlies, and the Jazz, falling all the way to the #6 overall pick after a brutal 20-62 season. While all five members of their 2025 rookie class showed flashes, especially #8 pick Egor Dëmin, only Drake Powell played in 60 games in an injury-plagued campaign for the Nets.

Falling outside the Top 4 was a brutal blow for Brooklyn, but there is still a wealth of talent in this draft class beyond the top of the charts. As the team with the lowest Offensive Rating in the league last season, the Nets are in desperate need of some scoring punch–and they will have quite a few options to pick from in terms of players who are elite at putting the ball in the basket.

Subscribe now

Stephen, what are your thoughts here? Which prospects would you be looking at if you were in Sean Marks’s position here with the #6 overall pick?

Stephen: Not to get into a “talking head” rant here, but Brooklyn needs an identity. Regardless of position, they need someone with both the capability and the desire to take the reins of the organization. And, before I give the names I prefer, I want to acknowledge something. I understand that the Nets drafted “four point guards” last season. Egor Dëmin is effectively a wing in the NBA. And, c’mon y’all. Sure, it was funny to call Danny Wolf a point last season, but enough is enough.

Even still, who did the Nets draft that you’re afraid to draft over right now? I’ll wait…

Now that that is out of the way, I really like one of Mikel Brown Jr. or Darius Acuff Jr. to go to Brooklyn. The problem is that the Los Angeles Clippers have the pick ahead of them, and one of those two could be off the board. Depending on who Brooklyn favors more, they may be off the board when they are on the clock–especially if Sacramento trades up with Los Angeles.

Still, either one of those guards would be fantastic for Brooklyn. Mikel is probably the most imaginative and creative guard in this class. Still, there will be some adjustments as he continues to grow into that frame and as he determines how impactful he can be on both sides and across all three levels of offense. Acuff is a stronger guard build, can dribble, pass, and shoot as well as anyone. The big question with him comes on the defensive end of the floor.

I don’t think it’s going to happen, but Nick, do you think they could entertain another position with this pick? Is there another guard that could rival Mikel Brown Jr. or Darius Acuff Jr.?

Nick: So the short version of my answer is: no, yes. The longer version: even though I’m a big believer in both Dëmin and Nolan Traoré, I wouldn’t be concerned about drafting a point guard over them, given both the strength of this guard class and how the board is likely to shake out here for the Nets.

That brings me to the second part of my answer: I would strongly consider both Keaton Wagler and Kingston Flemings here for the Nets in addition to Acuff Jr. and Brown Jr. For all that the Nets had a really bad break on lottery night, they will still have three of those four guards available for them at #6 barring a shocking turn of events in the Top 5.

Of the two I just added, I think Wagler is probably a better fit for Brooklyn because of his more diverse offensive game. Wagler’s explosion onto the draft scene this year was driven by how spectacular a job he did both on and off the ball for one of the better offenses in the country in Illinois; his remarkable shooting on high volume and a high degree of difficulty would work wonders for Brooklyn’s anemic offense. I think Acuff Jr. would probably be my pick if he were still on the board, but I would definitely kick the tires on all four of them if I were in Brooklyn’s position.

There have also been growing rumblings over the last few days that the Nets are considering non-guard options with the #6 pick. The most commonly-discussed name has been Tennessee’s Nate Ament, who had an up-and-down year but was the fourth-ranked prospect in his high school class. The 6’10” Ament certainly showed flashes in terms of his shot creation and defensive potential, and his roster fit is cleaner than that of any of the guards.

While I would take one of the elite guards in the class and figure it out later, I can at least understand kicking the tires on Ament. Aday Mara might also jump the guard queue here for the Nets, though he has been less prominent than Ament in terms of how much the interest might be mutual between player and team.

Before we go, though, Stephen, the Nets also have one of the most valuable second-round picks, with #33 on the board. The second round is a lot sparser than it has been in previous years, given all the withdrawals, but getting one of the first three selections on Day Two of the draft gives the Nets a chance to snag someone who fell out of the first-round mix.

I have a grab bag of prospects here to suggest for the Nets: two St. John’s guys, and two teammates of players we’ve already mentioned. On the St. John’s front, I would be sprinting to the podium if Zuby Ejiofor were still on the board. His versatility on both ends and great passing touch would allow him to fill a ton of gaps. I’ve also been partial to Dillon Mitchell for a long time, and he would be a great lob threat and roaming defender to complement the rest of their roster. On the teammates’ front, I also think that Ryan Conwell and Meleek Thomas could both be interesting choices to boost the offense while also providing defensive value.

What do you think, Stephen? Any more thoughts on #6 and #33 to close things out?

Stephen: While I personally wouldn’t take either Wagler or Fleming over Acuff or Brown, I certainly understand the “why” behind them. To your point, I do think Wagler offers the most offensive versatility of the two, which is part of why I rank him higher. But I might trust Flemings more to play in the NBA on Day One.

Isn’t it fun how talented all of the top guards are in the class–with such contrasting strengths and weaknesses? I think so.

To address the non-guard discussion, I personally would stick with the player who I think–well, who I know will be the better player in the class. I’m genuinely not trying to be overly harsh here, but I do not get the player, Nate Ament. I get the idea of him, but those two things have been vastly separated from my Summer dive into him, and what he showed when he played in college this year.

Yes, I know: “If he hits, he’s a ____ player.” He was promoted as an on-ball guy coming into the season. I do not trust the ball in his hands at the next level. There is a lack of bend and lean with him. And, to be honest, confidence to do things off a live dribble. Especially shooting off the bounce, where he shot under 29% from deep on off-the-bounce threes.

Okay, so now he is an off-ball, three-and-D prospect. Well, he wasn’t very good in either of those respects this season. He shot under 34% 8.0 attempts per 100 possessions from deep. His 2.7 Block Percentage and 1.9 Steal Percentage were okay, but don’t scream “stopper”. His tape didn’t either. Put another way, he committed more fouls (69) while generating only 56 stocks. His teammate, Ja’Kobi Gillespie–who measured in under 6 feet at the combine–had 30 more stocks than Ament.

Did he rebound well for his position? Yes. Did he show any passing vision from a standstill? Yes. But teams have got to stop falling for the idea of someone like Nate Ament–especially in the Top 8 of this class! Do not pass up on some truly special talents because you think you can “fix” him. There are too many areas of his game that require refinement. And what prospect has Brooklyn shown that they can overhaul this many areas of their game?

I like Mara. I like Mara a lot. But he is not going to be the potential franchise-altering big man that would keep the seats in Brooklyn cool. Get someone who can truly take the reins of this franchise.

You’re absolutely right to highlight the 33rd pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. To put that pick into context, players who were available at picks 33 or later in the past three drafts include: Ajay Mitchell, Toumani Camara, GG Jackson, Sion James, Ryan Kalkbrenner, Maxime Raynaud, Will Richard, Jamal Shead, Cam Spencer, Quinten Post, Ariel Hukporti, Jordan Walsh, among others. I’m sure fan bases would be thrilled to mention.

Every one of those players would have a chance to get some burn on this team. With this class, I think Zuby would be a dream as an in-state fan favorite. I also love the shout of Dillon Mitchell for similar reasons. The idea of them doubling down on teammates for either Mikel and Conwell, or Acuff and Meleek, is always going to give an extra layer of intrigue. I’m here for it!

Alex Karaban played in New York quite a bit as a UConn Husky. I could see him bringing value to the team. Joshua Jefferson could be a fun addition to the team should he be available, given his awesome playmaking. He could be a point forward! How fun is that?

The important thing with the 33rd pick is to keep in mind that the Second Round is happening on a completely separate night from the First Round. There could be some added value in that pick, depending on how players might fall, compared to what may be expected. Brooklyn could be the beneficiary of adding a player, a pick, or even a combination of both in exchange for that pick. Strangely, the Nets would have some power.

The thing I would want to stress to Nets fans is that–regardless of how talented this class is–there should be a “brick-by-brick” mentality over the next couple of seasons. It is incredibly difficult for a rookie to change the fortunes of a team in just one season. Especially if it’s a prospect taken at six. Yes, be excited and enjoy the possibility of landing one of the best guards in a deep class, but maintain a long-term vision for this team.

Share No Ceilings

The NBA draft is almost upon us. Oh, what a glorious day. Yes, I’m being melodramatic, but it really is an unofficial holiday that I love to celebrate. One of the many perks of my job is that I almost always have that day off, which means I get to revel in the pre-draft suits, red carpet interviews, and real-time selections. As a draft writer, it really doesn’t get any better than seeing the fruits of my many hypotheticals smashed to smithereens with the singular draft order of the night.

Each draft night is different. Some drafts, like the 2023 or 2025 NBA drafts, have an overwhelming favorite at the top who dominates the conversation. Others, like the 2013 or 2024 NBA drafts, are more unpredictable at their apex. There’s always a shocking selection in the lottery, an unsuspecting fall from grace, and a slew of steals in the second round. While lottery picks are statistically more likely to achieve higher-end success in the NBA, any player drafted at any spot can become a star, as Nikola Jokic and Isaiah Thomas have shown in recent memory.

2026’s particular draft quirks are centered around the top of the draft. Heading into the NCAA season, there was a rough consensus of a three-way battle for the top spot between Duke’s Cameron Boozer, BYU’s AJ Dybantsa, and Kansas’s Darryn Peterson. As the season wore on, scientifically speaking, a ton of stuff happened on the court. Peterson suffered through a confusing, injury-plagued year, Dybantsa had some of the highest individual highs among the top prospects, and Boozer led his team the farthest in the NCAA Tournament. Amidst each of their star seasons, a fourth can’t-miss prospect emerged in UNC’s Caleb Wilson.

Subscribe now

By the time that the NBA draft lottery rolled around, there was a different vibe of fervor in the air. Unlike the year prior, when it felt more like an all-or-nothing hope for the top slot, the general sentiment was that a top-four pick would net you a franchise cornerstone talent. That made for an eventful Sunday, as the Washington Wizards held onto their top spot, while the Utah Jazz, Memphis Grizzlies, and Chicago Bulls all experienced potentially franchise-changing jumps up into the top four of the draft.

Since then, the conversation has moved from who will pick where to who will get picked where. Scan through tweets, articles, and video clips, and you could reasonably establish a consensus opinion for any of the four prospects. Each player has their own monumental strengths, which make their cases fair, while also having notable weaknesses that could limit their ceilings. The issue of positions is also key, as the Wizards, Jazz, Grizzlies, and Bulls are at different stages of their rebuilds, with varied needs on their respective rosters.

If you ask me, which the NBA doesn’t at the moment, any team drafting in the Top 5 shouldn’t have any qualms about positional fits. Sure, exceptions for traded picks or clear superstars can be made, but I’m of the mind that if you’re at the bottom of the barrel in the NBA, you need all the help you can get. There are clearer fits on each team, but I’d even argue that players like Matas Buzelis, Will Riley, or Cedric Coward, to name a few, haven’t shown enough in their short NBA careers to keep their respective teams from considering prospects who could usurp their spots in the lineup.

In honor of this uniquely quadrilateral draft, I looked at all 24 possible combinations of how Dybantsa, Peterson, Boozer, and Wilson could be drafted. A few caveats are needed for an article like this. First, all of the opinions and analyses below are my own, and anything you find dumb should not needlessly be attributed to anyone else at No Ceilings. Second, I would be floored if the consensus four is shaken up by a player like Mikel Brown Jr., Darius Acuff Jr., or Keaton Wagler. That’s not to say that one of these players, or another player I didn’t mention, won’t factor into the Top 4 when the draft comes around; I just personally consider it so unlikely that I won’t mention it. Plus, that would require me to add another “0” onto the end of my word count to consider every possible possibility with a fifth player added.

I’ve done my best to sort each scenario into tiers. Some have funny or punny names, while others are a bit more straightforward. With 24 distinct scenarios, I won’t have the chance to go into much detail in my thought process. Honestly, I’ll be talking about players in the same four spots over and over. Instead, take this article as a kaleidoscopic view into the draft’s multiversal future before the timelines align and spit out the true results. That’s where the fun of the draft is for me, and hopefully, by the end of this article, for you too!

The Predicted Section

Since the day of the lottery, this has arguably been the most visible and widely circulated projection of the Top 4 of the 2026 NBA draft. Nitpick it all you want, but whether it comes from analysis, intel, or a mixture of both, there are strong arguments for the expected outcome to actually go that way. The Wizards have added veteran stars in Trae Young and Anthony Davis to buttress their young core, which includes Alex Sarr and Kyshawn George, but they still lack the most valuable resource in the modern NBA: an elite wing scorer.

That’s what AJ Dybantsa projects to be with his great athletic profile, advanced on-ball arsenal, and crisp shooting stroke. He showed notable strides as a ball-handler and passer this season, making him an even more exciting potential offensive fulcrum for a team like Washington. The Wizards haven’t made the postseason since 2021, and both ownership and fans are clamoring for a return to the playoffs, which Dybantsa could help deliver.

Elsewhere, the Utah Jazz snag Darryn Peterson with a similar idea in mind. Their roster has an established frontcourt and a deeper backcourt, but lacks a go-to perimeter scorer. That’s a role that Peterson has been predicted to play since his high school days. The Grizzlies, whether they trade Ja Morant or not, need a star to establish a new identity for the team, which Cameron Boozer can do on both ends of the floor. Finally, with no clear frontcourt stars, the board breaks nicely for the Bulls to take Caleb Wilson and build around a fearsome forward duo of him and Matas Buzelis.

As soon as any sort of “consensus” was established in the wake of the 2026 NBA draft lottery results, a second counter-narrative of sorts developed for what the Washington Wizards should do with their top pick. It’s a bit silly to think of the Wizards as only considering two players, as they’ve cast a wide net in past drafts and have shown a willingness to draft prospects who refused to work out for them. That makes it likely that whether the Wiz can get them in the building or not, they’ll consider all four of Dybantsa, Peterson, Boozer, and Wilson for their first #1 overall pick since drafting John Wall in 2011.

While the Wizards have a ton of young wing players, which they do in Tre Johnson, Will Riley, Bilal Coulibaly, and Kyshawn George, their current players shouldn’t keep them from looking at a wing like Dybantsa or Peterson for their top slot. The same is true with big men, although that room is a bit more cluttered, given Sarr’s jump as a defender in his second year and the presence of Anthony Davis in the middle. Thus, it makes a bit more sense for Washington to target a perimeter player, especially given their lack of a go-to scorer last season.

If the Wizards end up selecting Peterson, they’ll have looked past the injury issues that plagued him as a Jayhawk and considered his high school tape as an equally important factor. Before the college basketball season started, Darryn Peterson had risen to the top rank by many recruiting services, which was well-deserved after a dominant season at Prolific Prep, where his conditioning, athleticism, and playmaking all looked leagues better than they did at Kansas. In that case, the selection shouldn’t come as a shock if Peterson does end up as the Wizards’ choice.

For the Jazz, this is a coup on and off the court. They get to keep BYU’s biggest basketball star in years in the state, especially after he and his family spent a year there in high school, too. Dybantsa is also a great fit for their team, as they have the frontcourt and backcourt depth to support a ready-made wing scorer who can make an immediate impact. While they certainly wouldn’t mind Peterson either, it’s fair to wonder whether this would be the best possible outcome for the Jazz from the 2026 NBA draft.

To some, this flip-flop will raise eyebrows. To others, it raises eyebrows that people consider this controversial. Blame that on Cam Boozer, who had a transcendent freshman year for Duke. Boozer was a dominant force on both ends for the Blue Devils, looking like every bit the type of franchise cornerstone that one could hope for. Some concerns about his athleticism and ability to be “the guy” did emerge, whether well-founded or not.

If the Jazz end up choosing Boozer over Peterson, it will come down to a simple reason: they decided to take the player they thought was the best available, position notwithstanding. They already have a loaded frontcourt with Lauri Markkanen, Jaren Jackson Jr., Walker Kessler, and Kyle Filipowski, but this selection would lay bare a stark truth that Utah had discerned for themselves: none of the players I just mentioned are in the same ballpark as Boozer. He’d give the Jazz a north star to follow in their team construction, which could also help improve the outlooks of Keyonte George, Ace Bailey, and others.

For the Grizzlies, they’ll be happy to let the board fall as it may and take Peterson. They’ve had success built around an explosive guard in the past decade, although Peterson is a better draft prospect than Ja Morant was coming out of Murray State. Peterson could play lead guard for this Memphis team, spraying passes out to shooters like Jaylen Wells and Cedric Coward while tossing lobs over to Zach Edey. That’s a future that the Grizzlies would love and one that is nowhere near a consolation prize.

The Jumbo Section

This section, as you can probably tell from the title, stems from the Wizards changing the course of the draft by going with a big man. This shouldn’t be considered the craziest set of scenarios simply because the Wizards are still figuring out their future team concept. They are 50-196 over the past three seasons, which doesn’t inspire enough confidence in anything they’ve done or in anyone they’ve played to have faith in a direction. In this way, these should be considered selections of the best player available.

Let’s start with a few scenarios centered on Cam Boozer. There have already been reports that the Wizards will work out all four of the top prospects and choose their preferred player. That’ll be their reasoning behind selecting Boozer, which will have some interesting wrinkles. It’ll cast some doubt about the long-term future of their frontcourt, as the team traded for Anthony Davis during the season and chose Alex Sarr with the second pick in 2024. With Boozer selected first, it’s likely one of those other bigs will have to go to give him his room to work.

Elsewhere in the draft, the Jazz would have their choice of perimeter prodigies and would likely feel great about adding a player like AJ Dybantsa to their young core. The Grizzlies would again pounce on the chance to get Peterson, given the perimeter scoring infusion he could give to their team. And last but not least, the Bulls would still be very glad to leave the draft with a two-way monster like Caleb Wilson.

It’s the same story at the top of the draft for the Wizards and the Jazz, with both of them taking their top target and not thinking twice. The Wizards haven’t had a frontcourt player like this in years, which makes Boozer’s selection a worthy one. Same for Dybantsa to the Jazz, who would likely do cartwheels to the podium to grab the rare star prospect who has expressed interest and is excited about a future in Utah.

The intrigue of this multiversal future starts with Memphis. The Grizzlies are going to go in a new direction after the Ja Morant era derailed despite flying out of the gates. They have some great young pieces to work with, like Cedric Coward, Zach Edey, and Jaylen Wells, along with some fun fliers like Javon Small and Taylor Hendricks. Still, with the team’s first Top 3 pick since Morant, the Grizzlies need to get this pick right, especially given the deflated draft capital from the Jazz under the new lottery rules.

If the Grizz go with Wilson, it’s a strong statement of belief in his eventual upside and ceiling. There’s a ton of two-way terror that Wilson can inflict next to a bruising center like Edey, and he’ll have the lion’s share of touches early in his career to improve upon his shooting and shot creation. For the Bulls, nabbing Darryn Peterson is a bit of a shock scenario, but it’s one that they would happily live out. They haven’t had a guard this athletic since Derrick Rose, or maybe even further back, although Peterson would have a lot of work to do to live up to either legacy.

If you’ve been watching the NBA playoffs this year, you’ll notice that, despite the past decade’s reliance on perimeter play, there’s still a need for skilled height. Victor Wembanyama is a generational talent, so I’m not referencing him exactly, but players like Karl-Anthony Towns, Chet Holmgren, Evan Mobley, Isaiah Hartenstein, and Jarrett Allen, to name some from the conference finals, are all necessary parts to their team’s success.

There isn’t a dominant center in this draft class, but this order of picks would represent teams valuing the skilled size that we’ve seen in the playoffs this year. I wouldn’t expect either Boozer or Wilson to play much small-ball center in their early years, but both of them have the defensive chops and offensive packages to be a force on both ends for years to come. Neither the Wizards nor the Jazz has a strong team identity that has helped them reach the playoffs in recent years, which makes centering their futures on a dominant big man a viable strategy.

For the Grizzlies, who face a choice of perimeter stars to select, this version sees them go with the bigger player. While Dybantsa is primarily a wing, he could form a potent, switchable frontcourt with Coward and Edey. It would be good on both ends, with enough varied firepower to be a mismatch for most teams. Meanwhile, the Bulls are hardly disappointed, as they have a player with real shooting-guard size who can help them improve their 6th-ranked threes taken but only 19th-ranked percentage from deep, while putting a ton of pressure on the rim.

This variation is another one that looks like it came out of a bizarre alternate dimension compared to the consensus, but hear me out. The Wizards will do their due diligence to host as many top prospects as they can, and even if they can’t, the front office has shown no hesitancy in drafting someone without a visit. I have no clue what Caleb Wilson’s visit schedule is like, but I would also be shocked if he doesn’t visit the Wizards, given that he rightfully thinks he’s the best player in this draft.

If the Wizards choose Wilson but the Jazz are still jonesing for a big man, then it wouldn’t surprise me to see them select Boozer. There’s even a familial connection in the organization; if that convinces you otherwise, but the basketball reasons are more than compelling for this selection to happen. Boozer would be a staple of any lineup the team threw out next season and would give the Jazz a clear player to mold their team concept after for the next decade.

For the Grizzlies, the opportunity to take a player who has as much size as Dybantsa will be too much to pass up at this high slot. The Bulls, as detailed above, won’t mind this either, as they’ll be able to let the board fall as it may to take a player who could give them a perennial wing All-Star.

Consider this a remix of some of the variations we’ve looked at already, where size has been a primary focus for teams drafting this highly, and the return of AJ Dybantsa to the top spot. I think the Wizards will seriously consider drafting Boozer and Wilson with the first overall pick, but will end up going with either Peterson or Dybantsa. It’s simply too hard to pass up on a top-tier perimeter scoring talent, given how much of a dearth there is in the league of players that fit this archetype.

The real intrigue, then, would come with the Jazz selecting Boozer. I’ve already gone over why I think they would in the sections above, but it’s worth repeating that, despite their veteran frontcourt, the Jazz haven’t won anything of value with this current roster, so none of these incumbent players are worth moving. I do love the idea of a jumbo lineup built around Boozer, Markkanen, and Jackson Jr., as all three are versatile enough to play together on offense due to their inside-out arsenals.

The Grizzlies, in this scenario, also go with the bigger option in Wilson than Peterson. It’s a fair place for them to go, given the synergy that Wilson and Edey could have as a modern NBA frontcourt, but I would be quite surprised if the Grizzlies had the chance to draft Peterson and didn’t. I’m not saying he’s a perfect fit, but I could only see this scenario happening if there were some lingering medical concerns for him that Wilson did not have. Those concerns, unless they were career-threatening, would likely have no effect on the Bulls’ decision to draft him, as they’ve been starved for a perimeter monster in recent years.

The Shakeup Section

Let’s be clear: if this happens on draft night, social media and sports betting apps will likely break. I’m including this scenario because it is technically possible, but, like most people who follow the NBA Draft, I’d be quite surprised. It’s not because these four players, especially Caleb Wilson, are not worthy of being drafted first overall. Instead, it will serve as a referendum on how all four teams feel about their current rosters.

We’re into the section of this article where you should throw conventions out the window. The consensus about this draft, or any, is built upon opinions upon opinions. Even the thoughts that I have as a draft pundit, no matter how much objectivity I strive for, have been touched by a subjective perspective somewhere along the line. While this draft won’t likely have a crazy selection like Keaton Wagler or Darius Acuff Jr. at #1, it’s worth thinking about how even a jumbling of the consensus can create an entangled spider web of ripple effects.

For the Wizards, selecting Caleb Wilson will be a shock to the system. He would fit well with Alex Sarr due to the athletic combos both could serve on both ends. At the same time, however, neither is a proven shooter, which could create some future spacing issues. Plus, he doesn’t seem to fit with Trae Young or Anthony Davis in the present. Wilson’s selection would potentially indicate that neither player will have a long future in Washington.

I’ve already detailed above what it would look like for Utah to select Boozer and why they might do so, but it would be an even starker decision for them to do so with both Dybantsa and Peterson on the board. The same can be said for Memphis, who I doubt would expect to have a choice between Dybantsa and Peterson here. Choosing Peterson will say more about how they view the two as perimeter prospects who can lead their team in the future. Finally, I’m sure that Chicago would be ecstatic to add an electric player like AJ Dybantsa to their roster, as he would instantly give them a star wing the likes of which they haven’t had in years.

This situation is the most likely one that could shake up the consensus at the top of the draft without shattering the Richter scale. In this universe, the Wizards come to the conclusion that Cameron Boozer is the best player in the draft and then take him. It’s not the most outlandish take, but it’s certainly one that isn’t being mocked as often as either Peterson or Dybantsa.

Maybe it’s the media machine in the Beehive State that’s stirred up the region’s assured views toward Dybantsa, but selecting Peterson over him wouldn’t be a massive stretch given Peterson’s past dominance as a prospect. Again, in concert with Boozer’s top selection, the draft would be going a bit off the rails, but not in a substantial way. Dybantsa going third to the Grizzlies would make their fan base happy to have a top-scoring option, while the Bulls continue to sit back and let the chips fall as they may by waiting to take Wilson with the fourth pick.

Instead of the presumed “1, 2, 3, 4” that many media outlets started their mock drafts with, this “4, 1, 2, 3” order shakes up the convention without shaking up much of the prospect order. Caleb Wilson going first overall would represent a massive jump up for him from his preseason rankings, as he was a five-star recruit, but wasn’t considered in the same tier of prospects by many as the other trio of players taken here. That sort of leap has happened before, but should be lauded nonetheless.

He’d instantly turn the frontcourt of the Wizards into arguably the best young big man lineup in the league, as he and Alex Sarr will be menaces on the outside and on switches as well. For Utah, their potentially preferred scenario of getting to choose between AJ Dybantsa and Darryn Peterson would earn them the biggest basketball star of the decade with some connection or other to the state. Dybantsa would have a clear path to stardom on and off the court. The Grizzlies, getting to choose between two prospects they may have expected to select only one of, would be a coup for their scouting department. In this scenario, they don’t pass up on their future franchise perimeter scorer.

Somehow it’s taken me this long to get to a scenario where Cameron Boozer ends up with the Bulls, which would be a fascinating, high-upside fit for both the team and the player. Chicago lacks a clear identity, one that Boozer could establish on both ends of the floor early in his career. It also doesn’t hurt that his father used to play for the team, which should help endear him even faster to the Bulls’ crowd.

This configuration of the Top 4 draft picks is a reshuffling of the top three high school players in their respective classes. Throughout the year, at different times, anyone could’ve reasonably made a compelling argument that Peterson, Boozer, or Dybantsa was the top player in their senior class. It’s even more impressive if you turn back the clock further: at one point, Cooper Flagg was in this draft class as well before his reclassification. If he were, this would be a 5! article about the Wizards, Jazz, Grizzlies, Bulls, and Clippers, though I digress.

If the Wizards zero in on Darryn Peterson at this spot, they’d be relying more on that high school tape in their evaluation. I was a big fan of Peterson based on his Prolific Prep and Phenom United film from last season. There was simply no other guard, or maybe even player, in the country who could’ve had the same dominant two-way stretches that Peterson had. There hasn’t been a guard with that kind of potential on the Wiz since John Wall; if everything goes right, Peterson could even have a higher ceiling than Wall did as a superstar.

Utah getting a chance to choose between Dybantsa and Boozer is a positive outcome for their organization, as is choosing a talented two-way forward who was arguably one of the best analytics prospects ever. The Grizzlies will have no qualms with AJ Dybantsa spearheading their next era with his wing scoring acumen, while the Bulls will, as they have in a handful of these scenarios already, be more than happy to shape their frontcourt around Caleb Wilson.

At first, this variation doesn’t appear to shake up the consensus at all. AJ Dybantsa still goes to the Wizards to be their next star player, and Darryn Peterson completes the young, burgeoning core in Utah. Both are the current expected outcomes in most mocks, given the easy fits for both players on their respective teams and the presumption that they are the best players available. The intrigue, then, will start in which of the two Tobacco Road big men is worth taking at the third spot for Memphis.

The decision for the Grizzlies will come down to projection for the future, as both Cam Boozer and Caleb Wilson are good enough to be immediate stars in their rookie years. Boozer has the more analytically impressive profile, while Caleb Wilson’s athleticism on both sides of the field appears to offer greater eventual upside. Of course, as we’ve seen over the past few years, the idea of a “false ceiling” may be relevant to either player. Boozer’s athletic concerns and qualms about the optics of how he gets his points won’t matter if he is simply a great scorer who fits into the NBA. Wilson’s skill limitations and shooting concerns are both issues that, with enough time in the gym, he can conceivably fix.

For the Bulls, then, the chance to select Boozer at four is one they can feel confident about for their franchise. They’ll still need to pair Boozer with an NBA center given the departure of Nikola Vucevic, but they have one of the more underrated situations for a young frontcourt player. With Josh Giddey as a distributor, Matas Buzelis on the wing, and no one else to demand a ton of touches inside, both Boozer and Wilson land in situations that are extremely beneficial toward their futures early in their careers.

The “In Quotes” Section

Having gone through just over half of the scenarios, we’ve entered the territory where the arguments get a bit more rooted in semantics. I call this the “in quotes” section because while the reasoning behind the selections in this will focus on certain specific criteria, there’s no actual proof that those criteria are correct or even usable. Rather, these are the arguments I imagine each team would make when selecting each player for their specific spot, since they don’t make as much sense otherwise.

In this case, the defensive chops of each prospect enter the equation for each of the top spots. It’s a fair point to note that elite offense is more valuable than elite defense in most cases when it comes to basketball players, although Victor Wembanyama would likely want to have a word with my last statement. Still, all the players in the top tier of the 2026 NBA Draft class project as high-level scorers, which creates an opening for teams to consider whether their defense will hold up at the next level.

That’s what happened here, although not in the most traditional sense. Here, with no interior anchors available, the Wizards choose to invest in a player who has shown some monster two-way potential in Peterson. This is a reliance on his high school tape, as he made some jaw-dropping steals and blocks there, but it’s also one that rests on his overall upside. Wilson’s defensive game, which is built around his timing and athleticism, would be enough to sway the team to take him over Boozer, who is nowhere near a poor defender but will benefit from getting to play next to a giant center in Zach Edey.

This scenario, really, is a referendum on how teams view AJ Dybantsa’s defense. He had some rough advanced metrics on that end this season, without enough good tape to back up claims that the numbers were lying. Part of it was that Dybantsa wasn’t asked to be a stopper on that end, given his massive offensive load, but it is still concerning enough, in this scenario, to drop him to the fourth pick. The Bulls won’t mind, given they get to center their franchise around his flamethrowing, but it is a potential reason that, if teams are forced to split hairs between near-equal prospects, they could fade Dybantsa.

This is almost the same scenario as before, but with a slight twist. The Wizards still conclude that Darryn Peterson is the best player available and take him, with his defensive potential factored in. The Bulls are still the lucky recipients of AJ Dybantsa, taking advantage of his slide due to defensive concerns to get their next star perimeter player. The Jazz, then, get to swing their pick, and the Grizzlies get to choose which forward they believe is better.

I’m not sure that, despite their current reputations, Caleb Wilson is definitely a better present and future defender than Cam Boozer. A ton of Wilson’s reputation on that end centers on his stunning athleticism and frame, both of which suggest he should have all the tools in the world to be an all-world defender. Boozer, on the other hand, has gained an unfounded reputation as a worse athlete than Wilson, which has bled into concerns that he will have issues with his defense at the NBA level.

If the Jazz choose him here, there’s either not enough of a gap to convince them in Wilson’s direction due to defense, or they’ve come to the conclusion that the gap doesn’t matter. They only had the 29th-ranked defense in the NBA last year, so it’s imperative that they start to address that soon. However, it’s almost impossible to get a top-end scorer without a high lottery pick. The Grizzlies won’t mind taking Wilson, as he should help shore up their 27th-ranked defense while also providing a ton of future promise on offense.

Ah, athleticism. If you make it to the NBA, you are, by default, one of the best athletes on the planet. Once you get to the NBA, however, there are definite rungs of athleticism that separate out players. That’s something all NBA teams try to measure when scouting prospects, but it isn’t as easy as measuring some advanced stats for other skills. Sure, there are vertical heights and shuttle run times, but parsing who is more “athletic” also needs to take into account micro-skills like quickness, deceleration, fluidity, and so much more.

Thus, when looking at this potential scenario, I’d guess that the top teams decided to skew slightly more toward athletic tools than pure basketball skills. There’s no right or wrong way to value a prospect, but it’s easier to teach someone to shoot than it is to teach them to jump ten feet in the air. While you could certainly argue that Darryn Peterson and AJ Dybantsa are equally athletic, it is worth noting that Peterson looked quite athletic this year at Kansas, even while clearly less than 100% and hobbled by his injury issues.

Peterson’s past athletic profile, alongside his crazy two-way talent, makes him the selection for Washington. AJ Dybantsa isn’t too far behind, as he’s a monumental wing athlete in and of himself. The Jazz would be able to boast the most athletic wing duo in maybe the entire league with Dybantsa and Ace Bailey once they reached their ceilings. For the Grizzlies, taking Wilson over Boozer is a bet on his athletic tools and frame, allowing him to grow beyond where he’s already grown. Finally, the Bulls should have no issues getting Cam Boozer, as he’s a good athlete in his own right, if not the most conventional-looking forward athlete in the draft.

Few teams, if any, ever really let health determine whether or not they’ll take a top prospect. Greg Oden, Victor Wembanyama, and a whole host of other top players have had injury concerns ranging from mundane to make-or-break, yet most of the time, teams will gamble and hope for the more positive outcomes rather than the more broken ones. None of the top four players in this draft has major long-term health issues, but if one is going to fall due to health issues, it’ll be Darryn Peterson.

It may sound odd for the Wiz to take a player who suffered multiple hand injuries in the “health” scenario, but consider that the athletic tools Wilson brings to the basketball court make him a uniquely singular athlete. He moves like a player smaller than him, is faster, and leaps higher than most players around him, and is still growing into his frame. The clean bill of health and monster set of tools that Wilson could have access to make him the top spot for Washington here.

Elsewhere, the Jazz and Grizzlies both select players with cleaner bills of health who also have enough tools to be high-upside bets. Dybantsa to the Jazz is one I’ve already detailed a ton, so I’ll focus on the Grizzlies selecting Cam Boozer over Peterson. The team would be ecstatic to have such a tough choice in front of them, but if there are any issues with a star guard and nagging injuries, it may not want to repeat its last mistake and could go for a slightly safer option.

At this point, Darryn Peterson has done all he can to dissuade any rumors about his health. He’s given interviews, had lengthy features written about his issues, and also should have more than enough time to ramp back up to his regular level of elite athleticism. The Bulls certainly won’t mind, as they’re in a patient stage of their rebuild and could even survive Peterson’s slower start to his career if he catches the injury bug again.

At this point in the exercise, we’ve already gone through sixteen scenarios. The case has already been made for all these players in all these spots, just not in this exact configuration. Given it’s not one of the likely scenarios in my view, I’ve done my best to put on my thinking cap to parse through what could make teams pick in this manner. What I’ve come down to, to summarize it into an idea, is a true prioritization of tools.

The Wizards find it impossible to pass up a forward with the measurables and athletic profile to be an outlier at his position. Compared to the rest of the prospects in this tier, Wilson has the highest athletic ceiling given his frame and wingspan, along with his great leaping and running ability. The next-best case for an outlier athlete at a given position would be Darryn Peterson. If he gets back to his past levels and improves upon them, he may rank as the best shooting guard athlete in the NBA, or at least enough to give Anthony Edwards a run for his money.

The Grizzlies, needing a true killer wing athlete, would happily take Dybantsa here. It doesn’t matter that they just took a great athlete last year in Cedric Coward; with the way the NBA game is going, you can never have too many high-level wings. That leaves the Bulls to once again claim the “consolation” prize of Boozer, who would have gone first in several other draft classes. Although he may never become an outlier at his position, Boozer is more than capable of handling NBA athletes while remaining a productive player.

The Jazzed About Caleb Section

Welcome to the weirdest section of this article for me, personally. I think there’s certainly a case to be made for each of the Top 4 prospects at each of the first four spots, but if you asked me which fit would puzzle me most, it would be Caleb Wilson to the Jazz. As I mentioned above, the Jazz aren’t in a position to be picky about fit, given their lack of winning ways. At the same time, they’ve recently invested heavy monetary and draft capital into Lauri Markkanen, Jaren Jackson Jr., Walker Kessler, and Kyle Filipowski.

If the Wizards took Dybantsa and, out of Boozer, Peterson, and Wilson, the Jazz chose Wilson, it would send a clear message that the Jazz were still firmly in their rebuild. They could try to play him as a big wing, but they just took a big wing with the fifth pick last year in Rutgers’ Ace Bailey. It’s more than possible to play Wilson and Bailey together, while keeping in mind that they may need to fix a few backboards and rims, but the team would need to majorly reshuffle their frontcourt to get them enough minutes to reach their full potential.

The Grizzlies, having their pick between Boozer and Peterson, would want to pair two analytics darlings in Boozer and Edey to form what could be the best frontcourt in all of basketball if the computers are right. The Bulls, then, would find themselves in an oddly-MJ-esque situation, where the best guard in the draft fell to them. While it would take some majorly positive outcomes for Peterson to reach those heights, to say the least, he would give them a true north star prospect to orient their whole organization around in the pursuit of a title.

In the second scenario, it’s a flip of who the Grizzlies would take with Peterson going third instead. This choice would be one where they’d want to keep their future tied to a stud guard, but one who may have a higher ceiling than Ja Morant ever did. The Bulls won’t mind the good fortune of Wilson going higher than expected to grab Boozer, who would be a great fit for their frontcourt for at least the next decade.

This isn’t the most outlandish way that the draft could go, in my opinion, but it is up there with those other outcomes. It’s less about whether I could see each of these star prospects fitting with their teams in a vacuum, and more about the process and steps it would take for the draft to unfold this way. Namely, the first decision that sets off this cascade of moves isn’t one that would shock me: without a clear direction and no indication that the team wants to be a contender immediately, it’s well within the expected outcomes for this draft class for the Wizards to take Cameron Boozer with the top pick.

Then, the conventional ideas about the second pick go out the window. If Utah had the choice between Darryn Peterson, AJ Dybantsa, and Caleb Wilson, few people would bet on them to pass up on both perimeter prospects to take Wilson. It wouldn’t be the easiest fit, while it would also pass up on two players who have had higher rankings in high school and college for most of their time in the class. It would, then, represent the Jazz doing their homework and deciding that Wilson, not Peterson nor Dybantsa, was the right call for their first Top 3 pick since Enes Kanter in 2011.

That leaves the Grizzlies in the unexpected position to choose between Dybantsa and Peterson. In this particular scenario, the ability to grab a lead guard is too tempting for the team to pass up, leaving Dybantsa to fall to the Bulls. Both players would be in immediate positions to take a ton of shots, develop as creators, and be able to grow their games a bit outside of the spotlight, compared to the scrutiny that Boozer and Wilson will face as more unquestioned stars on their respective teams.

The Section that Stumped Me

We’re in the endgame now, which means that I’m at the point of scenarios where I’m not quite sure what would lead to these specific scenarios. It may be because of my current biases and beliefs about prospects, or maybe because of presumed team needs, despite the desire for teams to take the best player available. Either way, for the last three scenarios in this section, I’ll do my best to explain why I think each team would make its decision, even if it doesn’t make as much sense to me.

Let’s start with this first situation. As I’ve said before, it wouldn’t shock me to see Washington take Cameron Boozer here. He would be a great player to lead their franchise into their next era. It also wouldn’t shock me if, between the three remaining prospects, Utah chose to go with Peterson over Dybantsa and Wilson. He fits a clear hole for their team as a dynamite perimeter scorer who could help them return to the playoffs.

In that sense, the more perplexing move would come from the Grizzlies. Choosing between Dybantsa and Wilson would seem to come down to a bit of positional fit instead of best player available, as Memphis would seek to complete its frontcourt instead of taking a dynamic young wing. As I’ve said many, many times during this article, any team could come to any conclusion on who they think is the best player available. I’d only say I’d be surprised if the Wizards, Jazz, and Grizzlies all came to these conclusions in a row.

Maybe this could’ve fit in the last section, where I discussed a handful of scenarios in which Caleb Wilson went to Utah, but this one felt different enough that I didn’t know quite what to do with it. At the top, Darryn Peterson going to the Wizards would neither be a shocking conclusion nor should be one that we discount as anything but the favored outcome at this juncture, as Peterson’s stellar guard play can turn a franchise like Washington around almost overnight.

That would leave the Jazz with the choice of the home state hero in Dybantsa, an analytics darling with a dad who works in the front office in Boozer, and a two-way, high-upside terror in Wilson. While the Jazz, as I’ve already covered, could choose to select Wilson due to their belief in who he could be now and one day in the future, it would register as a pretty large shock for them to take him over either Dybantsa or Boozer at this juncture in the draft.

That gives Memphis a surprising decision between Dybantsa and Boozer, with the team opting to secure their future franchise cornerstone wing in Dybantsa. The Bulls, who have likely accepted their fate and lack control over their future, will enjoy having Boozer continue his father’s legacy with the team.

For the final scenario for what could happen with the first four picks, it’s again a bit of a befuddling mix of selections. On their face, none of these picks should surprise you; if you’ve read this far, you’ve heard about Wilson to the Wizards, Peterson to the Jazz, Boozer to the Grizzlies, and Dybantsa to the Bulls already.

It’s more interesting, however, to consider what would lead each team to make these choices. It’s a large drop for Dybantsa, who has been the presumed favorite for the top pick, to tumble down to the Bulls. They’ll gladly take him, and he should fit well with their system to get a ton of shots early in his career.

The Wizards taking Wilson will be a bit surprising, but shouldn’t be, given he’s a monster talent in his own right. Peterson over Dybantsa would be more surprising, if only for the other prospect’s connections to the team. The Grizzlies taking Boozer shouldn’t be the most shocking, but passing up on a dynamite wing for a big man will ruffle some feathers even if it shouldn’t.

And there we have it! We’re only a few days from the draft at this point, which means it’s time to check your notifications to see if a shocking trade has disrupted this whole article. Most importantly, four star-level prospects are about to change the futures for four basketball teams, and I can’t wait to see who gets to be the future face of which NBA team.

Share No Ceilings

Not every door is easy to open. When the call came that we’d be granted access to AJ Dybantsa’s private pre-draft workout—the projected first overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft—we didn’t take it for granted for even a second. Even after all the years of grinding, we still feel humbled by every opportunity we’re given and approach those moments with the excitement of a kid on Christmas morning. What AJ showed us that day only deepened that feeling.

Corey: AJ’s workout opened with some ball handling. Nothing crazy; it was clearly a warm-up rather than a full-on display of his ball-handling ability. Still, it set the stage with reps that got him comfortable to actually highlight those skills later on in the workout during live action, where he diced up his defenders by showing the ability to get low, slither through tight spaces staying under control, keep the handle tight while playing through physicality, and the ability to utilize advanced combo moves to create space for jumpers or free up routes to the rim.

Albert, it isn’t every day a dude that tall can keep the ball on a string like that.

Albert: It was an absolute masterclass and really highlighted part of the reason why we’re talking about AJ as a player with a hall of fame type of ceiling. The ability to be twitchy in tight spaces and to slither his way around the floor with the ball in his hands is not normal for a 6’10” guy. We’ve had tall guys who can handle the ball before, but having a tall guy who can handle and navigate tight spaces with the flexibility, balance, and quick twitch that AJ has is a truly wild experience, especially up close.

Read more

Nick: The Sacramento Kings finished a brutal season with one last kick to the teeth, dropping two slots in the lottery from #5 to #7 for the 2026 NBA Draft. Pretty much everything that could go wrong did go wrong, with Domantas Sabonis and Keegan Murray missing most of the season and the team picking up some meaningless wins down the stretch that took them from the league’s worst record at the All-Star break to a coin flip with the Utah Jazz that the Kings lost for the #4 slot heading into the lottery.

With a grim campaign in the rearview mirror that didn’t have many positives (outside of strong performances from the rookie class of Maxime Raynaud, Nique Clifford, and Dylan Cardwell, including a Second-Team All-Rookie nod for Raynaud), the Kings are once again looking toward the future.

The good news from a Kings fan perspective is that the greatest strength of this draft class matches up with the team’s greatest need: a point guard of the future. Russell Westbrook had a much better campaign than anyone anticipated, given that he didn’t sign with an NBA team until October, but the 37-year-old is not the future of the point guard position for the Kings. However, at least two exceptionally talented point guard prospects will be available for the Kings at #7, assuming the presumptive Top 4 of the draft (AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Cam Boozer, and Caleb Wilson) go off the board in some order to kick off the 2026 NBA Draft. That would guarantee that at least two of Darius Acuff Jr., Mikel Brown Jr., Kingston Flemings, Keaton Wagler, and Brayden Burries will be on the board for the Kings to take with that #7 overall pick.

Subscribe now

There has been plenty of smoke connecting the Kings to Acuff–especially since Kings lead executive Scott Perry coached Darius Acuff Sr. back in the day. Acuff would certainly provide a much-needed shooting boost to the team that ranked dead last in three-point makes and 29th in three-point percentage last season, but it’s hard to go wrong with the exceptional guard talent at the top of this draft class.

Rucker, what are your thoughts on how the Kings should approach this draft? Who stands out to you as the best potential fits among this point guard class? Would you consider going in a different direction if you were in the draft War Room in Sacramento?

Rucker: Nick, I think you, of all people, know just how important this draft selection is for the Sacramento Kings. While some Kings fans might be a bit down that they didn’t get lucky on the night of the lottery, I think they could be in a perfect position to let the board fall into their lap.

At this point, I think the worst-kept secret of the draft is the fire surrounding the Sacramento Kings and Darius Acuff Jr. I understand why it’s a potential perfect fit from both sides. Acuff would give the Kings and their fans a legit go-to option as a floor general. He’s a bucket-getting machine with an NBA-ready frame and the mentality you want from a potential franchise tone-setting guard. Putting him alongside some of the young pieces they have could pay off in a big way. There are going to be questions about the defense, but I think those will get figured out with time. For a team like the Kings, they need someone with legit highs on one side of the ball that can move the needle for their trajectory, and I think Acuff would do that for sure with his offensive weaponry and intangibles.

But, the question is…has the noise surrounding the Acuff/Kings match gotten too loud too early? Are teams now aware that the Kings might have a clear number one target, so if they want Acuff…they know where they need to get ahead of?

Let’s for fun say that Acuff isn’t the route, or maybe he perhaps is off the board…I still think there are a number of really fun paths for Sacramento to travel down.

Brayden Burries hasn’t been a name that has been discussed much as a potential Kings fit. I think this would be an incredibly smart option as well. Burries would give Sacramento a tough-minded combo guard with positional versatility who would be an extremely valuable piece for this organization. If you’re looking for a two-way guard with upside, I think Burries could provide sensational value down the road. He’s a winning player who is one of the top prospects in this class that you can envision being on the floor in a playoff series.

Another option I think would be fantastic for the Kings? Keaton Wagler. Look, we know the guards who could be in discussion for teams picking from 5-10. What we don’t know is the order. These next two weeks are going to be a madhouse for intel. So for now, I think it’s important for fans to realize that every potential option is on the board.

With Wagler, the Kings would get a plus-sized ball handler with tremendous feel and sensational floor spacing ability. Wagler might not be the greatest athlete, but he makes up for it with feel, pace, poise, and intangibles that are through the roof.

Nick, if Acuff isn’t the route, what option do you think makes the most sense? Do you think any other guards, or other players, could really cement themselves near the top of the list? Does Kingston Flemings start to generate a lot of noise here as well?

Nick: Kingston Flemings is the other name I’ve heard in connection to the Kings, beyond the massive amount of smoke behind the Acuff connection. Flemings would be the guy that I would most want for the Kings here–he’s the best defender of the point guard group at the front of the draft by a pretty decent margin, and I’m less concerned about some of the discussions around his shooting frequency than others. Flemings plays more like a traditional point guard in the sense of “getting his guys involved” and continuing to feed his teammates to try to get them in a rhythm rather than hunting his own shot. Acuff certainly answers more offensive questions for the Kings, given his prolific long-range shooting and the fact that the Kings ranked dead last in three-point attempts and makes last year while also sitting at 29th in three-point percentage. Still, I would slightly favor Flemings for his capabilities on both ends of the floor; that being said, I would be very happy with either one of those guys for the Kings if one or both of them are still on the board.

Wagler and Burries are interesting shouts as well; I think Burries might make more sense for the Kings, given his defensive bona fides over Wagler, but I would still have Flemings and Acuff as the top two guys for the Kings here. Either way, I would hope that the Kings sit and let the board fall to them, rather than trying to trade up. There’s been plenty of smoke around the notion of the Kings trading up two spots to get the Clippers pick at #5, but quite frankly, I can’t see that trade being anything other than a loss for the Kings. There are so many great point guard options in this class, and mortgaging the future to move up two spots to ensure that they “get their guy” would be remarkably short-sighted, in my opinion.

Before we wrap things up, the Kings also have two picks in the second round, at #34 and #45. That pick at #34 stands out to me in particular; with the draft moving to a two-day format, the first few picks of the second round can be immensely valuable for snatching up guys who fall out of the first round (or moving the pick at a premium for teams that are desperate to secure one of those fallers). I’ve been a believer in Alex Karaban for a long time, and it’s hard to imagine a better fit for the Kings at #34; he’s an elite shooter, a proven winner, a great connective passer, and a solid off-ball defender with real size at 6’8”. The Kings have already had Karaban in for a workout, as well as two of my other favorite potential early second round picks: Ryan Conwell and Otega Oweh, who would both provide two-way play and veteran leadership as guys who could work their way into the rotation right away.

Rucker, any thoughts on either #7 or the second round picks for the Kings to close things out here?

Rucker: I’m in a weird position in which I think the Kings really can’t go wrong with one of the names mentioned. The obvious factor in all of this is what they do with the rest of the roster. If Sacramento can add one of these talented guards and accept the fact that they need to hit a bit of a “reboot” to let them get some early run, though, I think that would go a long way.

But as much as Kings fans are going to obsess over their #7 overall selection. I think the two second rounders they have are just as important in this class. We know how it goes in every single NBA Draft. There are always a couple of players who go in the first round that might be a bit earlier than “consensus.” That means that value always finds itself sliding down the board. It just happened to the Kings last year with Maxime Raynaud, and they are in a great spot to take advantage of that again. For the Kings, I think with that 34th overall pick, you might want to look at just simply BPA instead of need. That early 30s pick range can be juicy to get a name that fell a bit, and with this roster, there’s a really good chance to find a nice name on the board. Ryan Conwell is a fantastic shout. I’m a huge Conwell believer, and I think he’s going to be tremendous value in the second round.

We don’t know who could still be on the board. I think if somehow a Joshua Jefferson, Koa Peat, or even Henri Veesaar somehow found their way still on the board, you’d be smart if you were Sacramento to jump on the opportunity. There are always a few players who end up sticking around in the draft longer than expected, and the Kings are in prime position to pick up some important rotation pieces in the second round to complement their franchise point guard of the future.

Share No Ceilings

Stephen: After an interesting turn of events in Atlanta, the Hawks ended up making it to the NBA Playoffs this season. Trae Young was moved in exchange for CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert. Jalen Johnson took on the star load for ATL–averaging 22/10/8, and being named to the All-NBA Third Team, as well as being named an All-Star.

Onsi Saleh was promoted to President of Basketball Operations after his first season as the General Manager, replacing Landry Fields in April of last year. With the success of Jalen Johnson, the production of Nickeil Alexander-Walker, who was named Most Improved Player after being acquired in free agency, and the contributions of CJ McCollum, the Hawks appear to be trending in the right direction.

But there is still room for improvement. McCollum is going to have a lot laid at his feet at the age of 34. Onyeka Okongwu made strides as a floor-spacer, but Atlanta could really use some legitimate size. Zaccharie Risacher looks like he is going to be a fine NBA player, but living up to the #1 player in a draft is looking less likely.

With the 8th and 23rd picks in the 2026 NBA Draft, this team could certainly add some contributors. How do you think this team could continue its upward trajectory, Jam?

Jam: Atlanta continuing its upward trajectory will be dependent on those core young players that you mentioned taking another significant step forward (adding in Dyson Daniels and Jonathan Kuminga) while adding the appropriate pieces. I’m sure the team will make calls about moving up with a package of #8, #23, and a player (maybe Hield or Kispert). However, it’s more likely the team keeps both firsts and seeks to draft two impact pieces.

Adding a lead guard and frontcourt depth, particularly a big, would be at the top of my list of needs for Atlanta. Do you see similar needs?

Stephen: The Hawks could really go in a number of directions. I’m not sure that any of the teams ahead of them would want to move back in exchange for the picks they have on hand. Maybe you could get there with more assets, but at that point, you’ve got to wonder if it’s worth it. I’m with you, Jam, to stay put with the #8 pick. I think that this board is about eight or nine players deep at the top of my board–and that’s not taking into account some rumors centered around Brooklyn perhaps valuing Nate Ament with the #6 pick in the draft.

If there is real fire to that smoke, there is a real chance that someone of real value could fall into the laps of Onsi Saleh and company.

When looking at the possible areas of need for the Hawks, I do agree in large part with your assessment. Looking back at the playoffs, I would value adding valuable size in the front court over a guard, depending on who is available.

The big man I would look to target is Aday Mara. Atlanta already has the mobile and versatile–but a bit more undersized–big men on their roster. Onyeka Okongwu really opened up his offensive game by growing as a floor spacer this season. Mara would bring someone who has size you can’t teach. Not only is Aday a fantastic lob threat, putback threat, and rim protector, but he also has immaculate passing feel. Not that you would particularly draft Mara for this, but there could be some floor spacing skill, too.

Having a rotation of Jalen Johnson and Aday Mara offers good size, but also a frontcourt of players who can extend the play with their physical gifts, as well as their minds.

Another big man who hasn’t been getting a ton of projection in being drafted by Atlanta would be Morez Johnson Jr. There may be a little overlap with him and Onyeka Okongwu, but you would have the bones to have a switch-everything defensive scheme. Morez Johnson is a strong player who you could visualize taking on tougher frontcourt assignments so that Jalen Johnson could focus on the things that make him special. That’s not all that dissimilar to what he did at Michigan for Yaxel Lendeborg. Morez displayed floor spacing, too, and that could open up lineups for Jalen, Morez, and Onyeka to share the floor together.

For the guard options, I could see a few options play out here, but I think they would hope for Keaton Wagler to be available. For all of the concerns that may exist with Wagler, Atlanta has a “our team is the point guard” sort of mentality, which would help open up Wagler to attack weaknesses in the defense. At a minimum, Keaton should be able to reliably space the floor and make very smart plays with the ball. He also has a very high offensive upside to be a secondary creator. His game should complement Jalen Johnson and also help NAW continue to improve.

What do you think of the names here, Jam? Anyone else that we should consider here? Let’s also get into the options Atlanta could have available with the 23rd pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.

Jam: It feels like Mara has been linked to Atlanta for quite some time now. I get it for all of the reasons you listed. Although I do like Mara, #8 is a bit too rich for me, despite Atlanta’s need. I still have some concerns regarding his conditioning and being strictly a drop coverage defender who will have trouble in space. For me to go with Mara here, I would need to feel incredible about him being a perennial NBA All-Defensive team. I believe in Mara’s impactful rim protection; I’m just not sure if it’s going to be at the tier needed to be selected at this spot.

If Atlanta drafts a big at #8, Morez Johnson Jr. would be my choice. I completely agree about the overlap with Okongwu, but I believe they can play together. As you mentioned. Johnson Jr. thrived alongside two different big profiles in Mara and Yax. Defensively, they’ll be switchable. Offensively, Okongwu has also developed into a capable spacing threat with some volume, something that’s on the table for Morez as well. I would also expect Jalen Johnson and Kuminga to get some time at the 4 with Morez at the 5.

Wagler and Mikel Brown Jr. are my top two guard options for Atlanta. Both are dynamic pick-and-roll operators with size, shooting, and playmaking prowess that can excel on and off the ball. Brown Jr. occupies the fifth spot on my board, one slot ahead of Wagler. I lean Brown Jr. because of his athleticism, advanced playmaking (arguably the best passer in the class), tough multiple-level shot-making, and ability to generate paint touches on his own.

At #23, Atlanta should still be in best player available mode while favoring whichever need between guard and big that wasn’t addressed at #8. If it’s a big at #8, Bennett Stirtz and Christian Anderson should be in play here. They are two top-tier shooters in the class with passing chops who space the floor, run pick-and-rolls, and can excel both on and off the ball.

If Jayden Quaintance slips due to medical concerns, this could be a value selection for a potential NBA All-Defensive team caliber and a Top 10 player in the class. Another versatile defending big with play finishing that makes sense is Zuby Ejiofor. What do you think Atlanta’s mentality should be at #23?

Stephen: I love the thoughts there with the eighth pick–If Mikel is still there, sprint to the podium.

Things could get pretty interesting for the Hawks with the 23rd pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. Bennett Stirtz and Christian Anderson are awesome names to mention to be in contention for that selection. On my personal board, Stirtz would not be available–but the draft never goes according to the draft media’s consensus. Stirtz would provide plus height for his position, above-average passing feel, defensive playmaking, and some audacious shooting touch and range. Christian Anderson would be the best available point guard on my board, so I definitely understand the Hawks leaning his way–though his frame may see him play sparingly in the early going.

If Jayden Quaintance is still available, I feel like the 23rd pick would be an appropriate swing, even if the medicals are concerning. I do have a hard time seeing that happen, though, because Michael Porter Jr. was taken with the 14th pick, and he could barely walk. However, strange things happen in the draft all the time. I do have Zuby in this range, and I think he would be an excellent choice for very similar reasons that I mentioned with Morez Johnson Jr.

You know how I feel about Ebuka Okorie. I would draft him significantly higher than this, but I could see him going lower than where I rank him just because of the depth of the class, and maybe some teams weigh his Stanford context differently than I do. He has such a high level of feel in creation–both for himself and others. He has great length at his size (with the second-longest wingspan among the top point guards). He has good defensive playmaking and, perhaps, the best handle in this class. He would be excellent running some lineups with good height and length around him on this team.

Someone else who I could maybe see falling to this range despite me having him ranked higher is Dailyn Swain. I could see teams wondering which version of him is the real one–comparing his season as an on-ball dynamo at Texas this season, to the more ancillary version of him at Xavier. He fits Atlanta’s “our team is the point guard” approach and has a real knack for scoring off the bounce.

While things didn’t end the way fans in Atlanta probably hoped they would, I’m not sure you could have asked for a better turn of events after trading away Trae Young and shifting the team’s philosophy this season. The growth of players like Nickeil, Onyeka, and JJ on the team were delightful to see–while adding players who could still be contributors next season with McCollum and Kuminga.

On top of that, Atlanta gets to add to that talent and depth with the eighth pick in a class where you can feel really good about the Top 9 or 10 of this class. They could also take advantage of a fall at pick 23 or take a calculated swing.

Here’s to the next steps of the bright-future Hawks! Ca-cawwwww!

Share No Ceilings

Sergio De Larrea has been on NBA radars for some time now. He made his first appearance in the ACB, one of the best domestic international leagues in the world, during his age 16 season. Listed at 6’6”, De Larrea has always been able to put the ball on the floor and make decisions far better than most his size. This past season, he thrived as a role player for Valencia, a high-end Euroleague squad. Given his pedigree and desirable skill set, it’s easy to understand why front offices have been enamored with him.

As a scout, one of my biggest fears is Anchoring Bias, or relying too much on my first impression of a prospect. When I first watched Sergio De Larrea… I didn’t get it. Sure, he had good size for a guard and could process the game at a high level. But there was a lot I didn’t like. His shooting mechanics bugged me. I worried about how upright he played with the ball and his lack of explosiveness as a handler. I didn’t like how he moved defensively. I was really wrapped up in the negatives.

Every year, there are a few players that I “punt” on. I tell myself, “I have a far more negative view of this player relative to consensus, so maybe it’s best to step away from the tape until after the season is over, take a deep breath, and reassess them later.” This cycle, Sergio De Larrea was one of those guys. The time finally came when I told myself, “Let’s go see Sergio.” And after my reassessment, I was pleasantly surprised. Sure, he still has some shortcomings. But the highs were too high to ignore, and perhaps more importantly, they come in valuable areas for a modern NBA player.

The Juice

I find myself stuck in a similar cycle every year. I watch NBA regular-season games, I see players contribute, and I think, “Ahh, yes, look at this large bevy of prospects who could potentially do similar things.” Then, it becomes nut-crunching time. The playoffs arrive. Suddenly, guys who were solid offensive contributors appear limited. Dudes who looked like passable defenders turn into lambs being brought to the slaughter. It gets serious, intense, and many times, ugly.

Offensively, it’s more apparent than ever that players need to have THE JUICE when the playoffs get here. Specialists have a harder time retaining their value when it matters. If you can playmake but can’t shoot, teams are going to sag. If you can shoot, but you can’t play downhill, teams are going to make you run off the line. If you struggle to make decisions, the defense will find a way to force you to make decisions. If you don’t have THE JUICE, it’s going to be hard to make an impact. And I think Sergio De Larrea may very well have THE JUICE.

De Larrea has proven comfortable creating his own shot against high-level opposition. He hit 39.4% of his pull-up threes this season and 44.4% of his threes the year prior, per Synergy. Most of these attempts aren’t anything groundbreaking. When his man goes under a ball screen, or if his defender gets clipped and the big man doesn’t rise up to the level, he’ll take the space that he’s given and pull up with a confident, smooth jumper. Still, he’s mixed in a little bit of sauce here and there, throwing in the occasional side-step or step-back to generate separation before draining a triple. Still, he’s not prone to settling, taking 31% of his halfcourt shots at the rim according to Synergy’s tracking data. De Larrea is a poised, polished ball-screen operator. He will use, re-use, and reject screens in order to get an advantage going. From there, he can use his size, footwork, and pace to maintain it while getting to the cup. While his 52.6% on half-court rim attempts is below average, it’s not a disaster mark, and there’s room for encouragement. De Larrea can finish with either hand inside, and his .449 Free Throw Rate bolsters his overall efficiency.

De Larrea doesn’t just create shots for others, though. He likes to get his teammates in on the action as well. He had a 2-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio this past year and a gaudy 28.6 AST%, showing that he is both a prolific and trustworthy playmaker. One of my favorite traits of De Larrea’s is that he’s built for the pace of the NBA. He thrives at throwing long passes in transition to get his team on the run and picking teams apart in early offense to get high percentage shots early in the clock. That said, he’s not just a go-go-go action player. His aforementioned ball screen manipulation helps him to create for others within a half-court context. His ability to generate advantages draws the attention of off-ball defenders, and he can capitalize on that with well-timed, well-placed passes out of his live dribble that create clean shots for his teammates. He blends creativity and execution effectively to maximize scoring opportunities. De Larrea’s knack for making plays both at high speed in the open floor and in half-court with pace gives him a rare level of dynamism.

Complementary Work

While Sergio De Larrea can initiate offense for both himself and others, he has routinely found ways to contribute in more of a complementary capacity both this season and last. This season, he’s made 48.3% of his catch-and-shoot threes, per Synergy. Plus, his shot chart shows that he’s comfortable at every spot around the arc. I do have some mechanical concerns, as his base is extremely narrow, and it appears that there can be a lot of guide hand involvement at times. Still, he’s shot it well from three for back-to-back years. It doesn’t take him an eternity to get it off, and he shot over 80% at the charity stripe this year. He’s also shown solid instincts as a cutter, knowing when and which angle to attack through based on where his teammate’s drive is coming from. Lastly, he’s long been a shockingly potent offensive rebounder given his position. He had a 7.5 ORB% last year and a 6.6 ORB% this year, which gives him another low-maintenance way to impact winning. The appeal of De Larrea is that he may have THE JUICE, but THE JUICE isn’t all he has to offer.

Defense

Okay, here’s where I’m still a bit skeptical. Sergio De Larrea’s playmaking numbers aren’t anything to write home about. He had a 1.7 STL% and a 1.7 BLK% this past season. For context, when Luka Doncic faced similar competition as an 18-year-old back in the day, he had a 2.4 STL% and a 1.5 BLK%, and he’s not exactly considered an ace disruptor. As a more recent example, Hugo Gonzalez had a 1.5 STL% and a 3.0 BLK% while playing in ACB and the Euroleague. Again, De Larrea’s aren’t tragic, but they’re not exciting. The off-ball tape does show encouraging signs. His recognition is really solid, and he doesn’t have many lapses. He knows where he’s supposed to be on the court, and more often than not, he gets there on time. That said, he’s held back by his lack of burst and bounce. He doesn’t have the speed to dart into passing lanes or the lift to swat shots around the basket. Granted, these types of action plays generally don’t make up a large part of the game, but it’s better to have a guy who can do those things than a guy who’s not capable of doing them consistently.

The on-ball defense is a mixed bag, and it’s actually where I’m most concerned on this end. There are positive traits here. De Larrea has good positional size, and he’s not afraid to put it to use. He likes to get physical and body up his man. The downside is that De Larrea’s suboptimal athletic traits and technical shortcomings cause a lot of problems. One thing I kept thinking during my watch-throughs was, “It feels like this guy fouls a lot.” He fouls 4.4 times per 40 minutes, which is more than any of the college players who were drafted this past season. When things get hairy, he almost immediately resorts to grabbing his man. Even when he doesn’t do that, the results aren’t a whole lot better. He’s a very “hoppy” defender who leaves his feet too often, and not just against shot fakes. As a result, he’s easy to shake, get off balance, and blow by. His balance in general was a recurring issue, as opponents who could string together multiple dribble moves often got him stumbling in one way or another. Lastly, he lacks the recovery tools to get back into the play when he’s been dusted or clipped by a screen. I have real worries about him being a hunting target at the next level.

Conclusion

I do think drafting Sergio De Larrea in the first round does come with a degree of risk. If the eye test is more correct than the numbers on his jump shot, and he struggles to space the floor, he could see his offensive value diminish pretty quickly. His lack of speed could limit his ability to create advantages as a ball-handler, too. Defensively, both his technique and lack of high-level athletic traits present serious issues, and he’ll be chasing neutral on that side of the ball.

As scary as those shortcomings might be, I always like to say, “You always have to bet on something at some point.” This draft isn’t a deep one. So, when it comes time to bet, the appeal of Sergio De Larrea needs to be considered. He’s been playing at a high level for a long time. He’s listed at 6’6”, and he’s produced like a legitimate dribble-pass-shoot player against ACB and Euroleague competition. Given how versatile modern players need to be in order to not just thrive, but survive in the playoffs, De Larrea’s well-rounded skill set and high level of feel are tough to overlook. While I’ve yet to finalize my board, De Larrea is ultimately a player who’s been slotted in the “Guaranteed Contract Tier” of my board. While his defensive issues and athletic traits could hold him back, I feel that it’s worth swinging on his offensive firepower.

Share No Ceilings

The No Ceilings Draft Guide is a labor of love that we here at No Ceilings pour our hearts and souls into every year. In many ways, it’s the culmination of many months (and for older prospects, many years) of watching these prospects hone their craft, whether in-person or on film, through all hours of the day and night.

This year, we’ve gathered once again to give the people what they want, diving deep into everyone from the top prospects to the players who might just prove to be the steals of the draft in future years.

Without further ado…

The 2026 No Ceilings NBA Draft Guide is officially live and for sale at the link below:

https://noceilingsnba.bigcartel.com/product/no-ceilings-2026-nba-draft-guide

Subscribe now

So, what’s the deal with this beast?

Here’s the rundown:

• 80,000+ words

  • After expanding the guide last year, we kept it rolling this year with all of the good stuff.

• 100 in-depth scouting reports

  • Each player profile has three pages of analysis, graphics, etc.

• Hyperlinks for every player

  • Ask, and you shall receive. The guide now features hyperlinks to each player so you can jump from the Table of Contents to whichever player you want to read about.

• Player Badges

  • We have 33 badges that will be assigned to players throughout the guide. Think of these as “skill” areas that spotlight what the player could bring to the next level. If you’re familiar with NBA 2K, you should be excited.

• “Sell Me This Pen”

  • We devoted a section of the Draft Guide to one of our favorite segments here at No Ceilings. Need to be convinced about a prospect? We’ve got a section for that.

• Analytics Haven

  • Each player will have Synergy percentiles, advanced statistics, 3D shooting charts with hot/cold areas, and more.

• “Notes”

  • Want to know some more behind-the-scenes background information about each prospect? We’ve got you covered, with important details about each prospect’s journey from their early basketball careers to the present day.

• Player Comps

  • We once again have player comps for all 100 players, for those of you who like player comps.

NC+ subscribers, we have a special message and gift for you, so please stick around for another moment.

Read more

Stephen: What a whirlwind of a season the Dallas Mavericks are having! Fresh on the heels of the infamous Luka Doncic trade, they end up winning the Draft Lottery and drafting Cooper Flagg. After a brief stint of running Point-Coop–thanks to the choices of former coach Jason Kidd–Flagg ended up finishing with a heck of a stretch that led to him being named Rookie of the Year.

Not only did Flagg show an encouraging trajectory to being one of the better players in the league, but now the team has some new-but-familiar faces within their front office. Masai Ujiri and Mike Schmitz are now helping to build Dallas’s roster and find a new head coach. These decisions are among the most important in the entire NBA, as they will be instrumental in Cooper Flagg’s ascension into the league’s elite players.

Kyrie Irving’s status appears to be that he will still be with the team. Derek Lively’s return is going to be heavily anticipated.

Adding to the excitement, Nathan, they also have the 9th pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. This is an interesting spot to make a selection in this class because many outlets have a tier break around this spot. However, that’s assuming picks 1-8 go in accordance with the big boards of consensus. This pick could end up being a spot where a player “falls” into their lap.

Subscribe now

With all of the newness and excitement happening in Dallas, which direction could you see them go with the ninth pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, Nathan?

Nathan: There’s a wide assumption among scouts, fans, and anyone you talk to with a pulse on the NBA that the Dallas Mavericks are likely to target whichever lottery-level guard falls to them at pick #9 in the 2026 NBA Draft.

Now that conversation stems from where the value is in this particular class. Starting with Darius Acuff Jr. and Keaton Wagler, this class is loaded in the mid-late lottery with talented lead options like Mikel Brown Jr., Kingston Flemings, Brayden Burries, and some others that will likely go later than projected by raw talent on many big boards.

However, as you mentioned, Stephen, this is a front office that may not be dead set on drafting to fill in the backcourt if a player is available at another position that proves to be a true “difference maker” as quoted by new GM Mike Schmitz.

Mavericks fans have hated any of my social media interactions and mock draft projections that go away from a guard being chosen at that pick, given Kyrie Irving’s status within Dallas. Yes, he’s on this team now, but he’s not going to man the point guard position for as long as Cooper Flagg is with this franchise. So why not go get a potential replacement who could even play alongside him for stretches now, letting Irving focus on scoring the ball as he has in other key roles for better teams?

There’s one player in particular who stands out as a much more intriguing option than even a guard like Burries, who looks the part of a 16-game player. His name is Morez Johnson Jr., out of Michigan.

Johnson can play the center position, but has shared the spotlight in the frontcourt with a giant in Aday Mara, his fellow 7’3” Wolverine. Mara, Johnson, and Yaxel Lendeborg combined for the most physically imposing frontcourt I’ve seen in college basketball since the Florida teams that won championships with Joakim Noah and Al Horford. That team cut down the nets for a reason, in large part because Johnson was the exact piece needed to tie the knot together defensively.

Whether it’s in ball screen coverages, in zone, or in a system that’s built entirely around switching or pre-switching matchups, Johnson can quite literally do it all as one of the best athletes in the draft at 6 ‘9”. Johnson is long, strong, and quick enough of foot to keep up with guards and perimeter-based wings. He swallows up opposing ball-handlers and doesn’t fall much for pump fakes or shot fakes. Johnson knows how to stand his ground, play with balance, and keep drivers in front of him. Not to mention he’s a beast on the glass and in the lane as a shot blocker.

When I watch the NBA Playoffs, I ask myself who the players are in the upcoming draft class that I can see making an impact in the very games I’m watching. I could easily see Johnson on the court for the San Antonio Spurs or New York Knicks because of his energy, physical talent, and defensive acumen. Add to that his promising touch indicators and vertical finishing, and you have a big man who’s built for modern-day basketball.

How would you feel about Dallas taking a swing on a big man like Johnson with the ninth pick, and who would be your favorite guard to look at for the Mavericks if you went the direction of the backcourt?

Stephen: To be honest, Nate, I haven’t given much thought to a big man for Dallas until you posed that thought exercise. If the Western Conference Playoffs have taught us anything, it is that Victor Wembanyama is here to stay, and teams need to throw multiple different looks at him. What I like about Morez is that he can play next to another big man. His footwork is awesome, he is a great rebounder, he’s mobile, and he plays like his hair is on fire. I’m not necessarily drafting him for this, but there is a strong possibility that there is some underlying shooting touch with him. While that isn’t the reason why I’d take him, I’m definitely looking to see if he can space the floor.

Given that he measured better at the combine than I admittedly expected, I think you can ask him to play the five as well. I think a reasonable floor could be Jaylin Williams (J-Will, not J-Dub) from OKC, but with a significantly higher ceiling. I love that suggestion.

As far as guards go, I’ll give you two.

One is a fairly popular choice, but it’s Brayden Burries–the man you already mentioned. I think he helps with Kyrie on the roster now. You ask Burries to take on the more difficult backcourt assignment defensively. You ask him to give you some second-side creation. He helps you in transition. He keeps the floor spaced for pick-and-rolls with either Kyrie or Coop, and whichever big man is on the court. He’s built to play Day One, and there is a possibility that he could run the offense in the mold of a Jamal Murray or Keonte George.

The other guard I’ll throw out there is Ebuka Okorie. I know that he isn’t ranked as highly among other scouting outlets. One of Labaron Philon, Bennett Stirtz, and whichever of Keaton Wagler, Kingston Flemings, and the aforementioned, Brayden Burries, would likely still be available, but Okorie has one of the best handles in the class. He had the second-best wingspan among the guards (only behind Mikel) at the combine. He shot the ball well from deep. He has awesome finishing. The passing feel and vision are better than the numbers indicate. Also, he showed defensive playmaking. If Dallas wants another guard to be the successor to Kyrie, I truly believe that Okorie has a great shot to be an All-Star outside of Darius or Mikel.

The last thing I want to kick over to you, Nathan, is this:

Does the rise of Wemby make Aday Mara inherently more valuable to Western Conference teams? Does a player with a nearly 10-foot standing reach–who can also pass and could maybe shoot–mean more to San Antonio’s in-state foe?

I’ll hang up and listen.

Nathan: There’s been a popular belief that Aday Mara may very well be off the board by the time the Dallas Mavericks pick at #9, largely because the Atlanta Hawks will choose one slot above and are in need of some legitimate interior size.

IF Mara were still available for Dallas, I wouldn’t be stunned if he was the pick, given everything you laid out with Victor Wembanyama’s NBA ascension into the utmost stratosphere of superstar. Teams have to figure out how to beat him, and even though that’s not the same as building an entire foundation around limiting his impact, he’s still a problem teams will have to try to solve in order to win a championship.

That’s exactly why I loved my notion with Morez Johnson Jr., but I could see similar arguments for Mara given the pure size equation. I personally think Wembanyama is a bad matchup for Mara because while I don’t see Mara as a stiff athletically, there is some challenge there in terms of actually staying with a player who can handle the ball like a wing and shoot from well beyond the three-point line like Wemby can. That’s why I don’t love the idea of someone like Mara covering Victor, given nearly all of his value on defense stems from impacting the game around the basket.

If I felt better about Ebuka Okorie’s shooting projection long term, I’d let you talk me into him being an option with the ninth pick because he does so many other things at a top-tier level positionally. His burst, handle, and creativity finishing at the rim are unbelievable for a player his size, not to mention he measured with as long a wingspan as you could hope for with a 6’1” to 6’2” guard in shoes. I’d much rather draft Okorie in the mid-late first round, but that’s just me personally. I completely understand why others have him higher on their boards; I just don’t love the form and speed on his shot, and believe it’s something that will take real work to get right on an NBA level. And I just have a hard time buying into guards at this point that I don’t trust to make threes off the dribble from day one.

You and I both agree on some prime targets for the Mavericks, like Brayden Burries and the aforementioned Johnson Jr. I’ll throw two more potential targets out there, one much more obvious choice and another dark horse that may even spark more intrigue and debate than the Okorie proposition, given the buzz around both prospects.

Yaxel Lendeborg hasn’t been brought up by us yet, but he does make a lot of sense from a pure TALENT perspective. Few players in this draft can match his blend of size, length, and ball-handling ability while also providing equal value on the defensive end of the floor with impressive steal and block rates. Some of his numbers, especially on the rebounding front, took a hit compared to where he rated out at UAB, but that’s because Michigan routinely played essentially three bigs on the court at the same time in him, Mara, and Johnson Jr. I’m confident in Yaxel’s ability to impact the game no matter what his role is, be it reliable scoring option, defensive switch blade, or just pure agitator depending on who he’s assigned to guard. Lendeborg even has the ability to grab a board, push on the break, and either finish the play himself OR get the ball where it needs to go for easy transition points—not to mention his ability to call for screens and attack mismatches in halfcourt situations. He can take smaller matchups on the block or go around larger frontcourt players. Yes, he’ll be a bit older on draft night and in his rookie season than some teams may want out of a lottery pick, but he’d be awesome in between Cooper Flagg and Dereck Lively.

Now here’s the dark horse that you knew I was going to throw out: Christian Anderson.

There have been few who have discussed Anderson at as much length as I have this draft cycle, and I know he’s not a favorite at No Ceilings when comparing him to the other guards available. I’d be hard-pressed to say Mavericks fans would be thrilled with him going as high as # 9 in the draft, given the other backcourt options we’ve discussed.

But man, do I just love the fit of Anderson with frontcourt options like Flagg and Lively.

Anderson’s game is built around the pick-and-roll. He was a legitimate star in college when playing alongside JT Toppin, who dominated in short-roll and post-up situations. Even when Toppin wasn’t on the court, and Anderson could play off an active roller, he’d find a big man for a lob or cut to the basket. Anderson is a great passer, and he can make all the reads necessary while delivering the ball in tight windows. Imagine how good Anderson would be working off Flagg in ball-screen situations, or even with one of the best lob catchers in the NBA in Lively.

And to top it off, Anderson is a SPECIAL shooter. This kid has been nailing threes from the parking lot long before he was a freshman in high school. There isn’t a more consistent pull-up shooting prospect, especially when working in ball-screen sets, than Anderson in this class. You can find him for shots off the ball as well, which mimics how we expect Kyrie Irving to operate alongside Flagg next season in Dallas. I would love Christian to find a mentor like Irving in the NBA, someone who can continue to instill confidence and nuance in a player who has so much natural ability in all of the important areas offensively that I look for in a guard. Defensively, he’s no slouch either, as he possesses a 6’6” wingspan and I rarely see him out of position or unaware of what’s going on out there. He competes and fights on that end, even if he may go up against matchups that are unfavorable to both him and any of these other guards we’re discussing in this range.

Skeptics will push back on Anderson because of the lack of rim pressure metrics in his favor, as well as the turnover issues he battled through at times. But watching back his tape, and seeing how he fared in some key NBA Draft Combine tests for agility/verticality, there’s more to Anderson than meets the eye as someone who can threaten defenses working off ball screens. And if there’s ever a case for a player to hang in isolation situations without the freakish burst to get by every man who covers him one-on-one, I’d want that player to be a supremely gifted pull-up shooter with excellent passing vision and awareness to get himself out of trouble. Few guards in college basketball were double-teamed as often as Christian, and that was out of respect. I still can’t quit Anderson as a lottery-level talent in this class.

Take us home, Stephen. Give me all of your thoughts, good AND bad, about what I suggested for Dallas!

Stephen: Well, I’ll pick up where you left off, Nathan. Look, I like Christian Anderson, which means I have to complete my thought by listing off my concerns. If the Playoffs have taught us anything, it’s that physicality matters. Dealing with pressure and inflicting pressure matters. I certainly understand that Anderson is one of the premier shooting prospects in the class, but, as you mentioned with Okorie, Anderson is 6‘1” without shoes and 180.4 pounds. Both of those numbers are slighter than Ebuka Okorie–so that worries me a little bit for picking with the ninth pick in the draft.

I’m much more in line with the thought of Yaxel Lendeborg being a name to consider in this range. I know that sort of diverges from the opinion of consensus, which believes a guard almost has to be selected in this spot. We’ve seen a number of NBA teams have success by having two larger wing/forwards who can score from multiple spots on the floor. Pairing Yax with Coop provides the Mavs with guys who can get to their spots off of the bounce, play off the ball on the perimeter, rebound, and defend. The whole age discussion with Lendeborg has been quite interesting to follow–with comparing him to Dalton Knecht as a cautionary tale, but comparing him with Cedric Coward as a reason to buy into the production.

There are going to be those who bring up the post-game interview following Michigan’s defeat of Alabama, or the play where he let the ball roll on the court against Tennessee with the game well in hand. They may question his maturity and character based on those sorts of actions, but I simply chalk that up to him being a goof or a cornball. Those are not the sorts of things that would keep me up at night if I took him to play alongside Cooper Flagg.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t at least share a quick thought on the direction Dallas could take with the 30th pick in the draft. Obviously, NIL has done its work on a certain range within this draft, but I think Dallas has the chance to walk away with an awesome contributor. Sure, if the draft goes exactly according to my board, your board, or with consensus, the player drafted here will likely be a rotational player to a certain degree. Last year, Ryan Kalkbrenner, Maxime Raynaud, Yanic Konan Niederhauser, and Sion James were all available with the 30th pick. Someone will inevitably fall or be available who can contribute.

This is where a floor spacer like Isaiah Evans or Meleek Thomas could be players to watch out for with the 30th pick. They might also go with a big man who possesses a particular skill, like Henri Veesaar. Alex Karaban or Richie Saunders have a bit more size as floor spacers compared to Evans or Meleek, and Dallas could deem them as more versatile and ready to contribute. Baba Miller could be a dark horse as a later riser due to his tools. Is there some crazy outcome where Koa Peat could still be available, with teams being afraid of his jumper? What about Chris Cenac Jr. being viewed as more of a potential-driven pick? He could be a later-round grab for Dallas.

That’s what makes this draft class so much fun is because there is that depth of talent–even after the withdrawal deadline. Dallas could even put themselves in position to “win” the draft based on what they do in the first round and with the 48th pick. They could grab Jaden Bradley, Ja’Kobi Gillespie, Tyler Nickel, or someone else!

With all of the changes Dallas has made and having their guy with Cooper, #MMFL have all the reasons in the world to be ecstatic for this summer!

Share No Ceilings

Rowan: After a few years of trying to stave off the inevitable, the Milwaukee Bucks were finally dragged kicking and screaming to their next inflection point as a franchise. In the five years since Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jrue Holiday, and Khris Middleton led the team to its first NBA title since 1971, the Bucks have only won one playoff round. They didn’t even get there this year, as Antetokounmpo struggled through multiple injuries and had one of the silliest trade sagas since Dwight Howard and Carmelo Anthony over a decade ago. It’s hard to imagine a team ranked second in three-point percentage this season had just the 24th-best offensive rating in the league, but the Bucks had a disjointed offense that couldn’t get anything going. Their defense wasn’t any better, as they were 26th in defensive rating after a comedic performance on that end. All in all, it was a season to forget for Milwaukee, one that equated to a wet fart as an end to the Giannis era for the team.

I say “end” even though he hasn’t formally demanded a trade from the team because that’s how the franchise should be operating. Antetokounmpo is still a massive needle-mover on both ends, but he can’t carry that load alone anymore. Ryan Rollins and Myles Turner are good players, but they aren’t good enough to help him either. Thus, even if the team makes the same tired move that they’ve done the past few summers of trying to appease Antetokounmpo’s desire for another star next to him, they should look at every position available to them. This is their first Top 10 pick since 2016. Even if Antetokounmpo is still on the team, I’d argue that no one else was good enough that they should feel secure in their spot, starting or otherwise.

Subscribe now

So, with such a rosy introduction, what do you think the Bucks should look for in this draft? Who could be some good fits for this roster?

Stephen: Heck of an intro there, Rowan! I loved the trip down memory lane; breaking down the gradual decline of a once-promising NBA organization and discussing some of the players I enjoyed watching in my formative years is a way straight to my heart.

You make a great point on the whole “will they/won’t they” narrative surrounding Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks. There is some smoke suggesting that the Clippers could look to add Giannis, which could make that #5 pick a major trade chip in most trade-machine scenarios.

I don’t want to fawn over a pick that they don’t have, so I’ll focus on the bird in hand with the 10th pick.

You bring up such a great point about who the major pieces on the roster are beyond Giannis. It’s pretty bleak. In my opinion, that makes who they pick here a little more nuanced than who other teams may pick if they had the 10th pick. What I mean by that is, other teams could opt to go for a more complementary player, such as Morez Johnson Jr., Brayden Burries, etc.

They need to do something that’s difficult to do: find a potential All-Star with the 10th pick in the draft. I know it’s not a popular choice here, but Ebuka Okorie is the player who makes the most sense for me here. He doesn’t measure the tallest in the class, but he has a near 6’8” wingspan, and he is very strong and athletic. He scored 23.2 PPG on 47/35/83 splits while being assisted on under 19% of his shots. In other words, dude can ball. Don’t let the assist numbers–which are fine–cause you to think he can’t be a lead guard. To put it nicely, his teammates were fortunate to play alongside Okorie.

Oh, and he showed off defensive playmaking chops!

I know he isn’t one of the freshman guards that the draft community has been gushing over all season, but he has all the potential to be one of the best players in this draft. That’s the type of player the Milwaukee Bucks need to take a chance on: someone who can lead a team through tough times.

What do you think, Rowan? Are you going to make fun of me for my selection here?

Rowan: I think that fortune favors the bold. The Bucks, despite some general manager changes over the years, have never shied away from taking the player that they want, whether the consensus favors it or not. Antetokounmpo was a bold choice as a true unknown at the time. MarJon Beauchamp had an unconventional path to the draft as well; the same is true with A.J. Johnson and Tyler Smith. While it would be easiest to swing for a star if they were to trade Antetokounmpo and skyrocket to fifth, you’re right: given how rarely Milwaukee has picked in this slot, it’s paramount that they grab their next star.

Okorie is a player that I’ve really enjoyed watching this year as well. I’m not faulting him for his assist numbers, as it was clear that he was given a gargantuan load to carry on the offensive end. There were several nuclear scoring performances by freshmen this season, but Okorie may have had the most total eruptions from any prospect, although I can’t track a fake stat like that. His wingspan and height numbers coming out of the combine should assuage any last doubts about whether he can play at the NBA level, and although there are a ton of talented guards in this draft class, there’s no shame in thinking that Okorie has the scoring chops to become a lead guard at the NBA level.

I also like the unconventional shout, given the tough place where the Bucks are on the draft board. After Chicago’s fourth pick, there’s a drop-off in talent. You could argue that the drop-off is somewhere between fifth and 11th, as I look with a fat-toothed comb, that the draft has another tier of talent that ends there. Players like Mikel Brown Jr., Keaton Wagler, Kingston Flemings, and Darius Acuff Jr. are projected to be off the board. Any of those players would be a “teleport to the podium” moment for Milwaukee, but they’d have to either leapfrog a higher team or double-check what led to any of these talented floor generals falling out of the second tier of talent.

I may be biased because I wrote about him recently, but I do see a clear fit for Brayden Burries at #10 for Milwaukee. He has the right skills that overlap with breakout guard Ryan Rollins, while also showing a bit more shot-creation chops and still having enough size to play next to each other. It would be the best kind of redundancy for Rollins and Burries to play next to each other, as teams would have their hands full between the two of them. If the Bucks wanted to still look at point guards even after the four I mentioned above were gone, they’d have their pick of the next tier in Alabama’s Labaron Philon, Texas Tech’s Christian Anderson, and Iowa’s Bennett Stirtz. I’m highest on Philon from that group due to his potential ceiling, but I could see the argument for any of those three.

If the Bucks don’t want to grab a guard, which is perfectly reasonable given they may have a Greek Freak-sized hole at forward soon, they’ll have a host of options too. Michigan’s trio of frontcourt prospects in Yaxel Lendeborg, Morez Johnson Jr., and Aday Mara may not be included in many “future star” conversations, but both forwards project as long-term starters for Milwaukee, whether Antetokounmpo stays or goes. The team could also target a high-upside swing like Tennessee’s Nate Ament or New Zealand’s Karim Lopez at forward, although both come with questions of their own.

I know I’ve thrown out a lot of names, so I’ll simplify the conversation a bit: How would you feel about Burries at that spot? Would you have Philon or another guard, not counting Okorie, over him? And which forward would you take if the Bucks don’t address their backcourt?

Stephen: Oh, you’re not going to have to twist my arm for the Bucks to rock with Brayden Burries with the 10th pick if he’s there. Part of the reason I didn’t mention him off the top is that I wouldn’t expect him to be there–but that’s probably me projecting my infatuation with him onto other NBA front offices. But that’s rarely a safe thing to assume.

Anyone who is consuming NBA Draft coverage–or NBA Draft discussions on NBA-centric mediums–has probably heard some sort of conversation regarding how the NBA playoffs are swaying their perception of this class. Buries is one of the front-runners in those discussions, and it’s easy to see why.

Looking at the major contributors in both conferences, one of the more common themes is how valuable tough, hard-nosed guards are in these pressure cooker situations. You need players who can both apply and handle pressure. And they have to handle physicality. Burries weighing in around 210 pounds, while being athletic, is exactly the frame you need to be a Day One guy. It’s quite impressive that one of his “least effective play types” was on Spot Ups while he shot over 39% from deep on real volume. Oh, and he can defend, too.

The one tiny issue I have with him is that I’m not certain he can be a lead guy, and I’m not sold that he can’t be; maybe he was just limited by playing on a stacked team. Maybe there is a Jamal Murray-type player here.

The physicality does worry me a tad with Philon, and sort of has all season. I get that he may not be afraid of contact necessarily, but you don’t have to be scared of electricity to be shocked. Know what I mean?

That’s what makes this pick so tricky for this team in particular: you’re likely looking at a contributor instead of an initiator–a thermometer instead of a thermostat–if you pick off of a consensus board at this spot.

This is why I had Milwaukee pretty high on my worry-meter in my last article. There is a Giannis-sized decision to be made–and it must be done correctly. And then you have to nail this pick–and whatever other picks you pull in that presumed Giannis move.

Pressure can either form diamonds or burst pipes. I can’t wait to see which one happens with the Bucks!

Share No Ceilings

Nick: The Golden State Warriors appear to be on the precipice of a turning point in franchise history. While the rumors about Steve Kerr leaving were apparently greatly exaggerated, given that he signed another extension with the franchise, it’s hard to ignore that the team's franchise icons are getting up there in years. Steph Curry missed more games than he had since the disastrous 2019-20 season, Jimmy Butler missed more than half the year, and the Jonathan Kuminga saga ended in ignominious fashion. Some of the younger players stepped up, but the team still had one of the league’s oldest rotations. The #11 pick will certainly help in that regard, as the team begins to contemplate the impossible question of how to transition from the Steph Curry era.

Filling in Curry’s shoes would be an impossible task for anyone, but the 2026 NBA Draft has an incredibly deep guard class, and a number of them could make sense as the team's next era begins. Several NBA-ready players could step in right away and help keep the flame going for a couple more seasons, with Curry’s mega-extension expiring at the end of the 2026-27 season. Given that Kerr is sticking around for a bit longer, they may be looking to pick up an older prospect who can come in and contribute right away–just as Will Richard did this past season.

Subscribe now

What do you think, Rucker? Which players stand out to you as potential targets for the Warriors with the #11 pick here?

Rucker: Warriors fans have to feel like they are in the ultimate “endgame” section of the timeline. Look, I’ve followed this team as close as any over the years. Make no mistake: this might be one of the most fascinating selections of any team in the first round. Golden State has GOT to hit on this pick. You have an incredible dilemma that you must accurately conquer for this draft.

Are you making this pick to chase one last ride into the sunset? Or are you making this selection for the franchise's future? At first, that question might seem a little ridiculous, but you could argue they are two DRASTICALLY different paths that could shape the entire direction of your Big Board rankings if you’re within that front office.

Personally, I consider any pick 10-14 as the “Danger Zone.” You’ll see a team often think that a player in this range might have as much upside as prospects going fourth or fifth. So this is where you might still swing for the fences. But while you’re doing that, you could also be missing out on some of the highest floor prospects in the class. That’s the line in the sand that you have to dance with. Do you chase the ceiling or accept the floor?

Golden State at 11, like some other teams in this range, could be pleasantly surprised with the names on the board. As you hinted, Nick, we’re going to get some run on the guards. But the fact is, with this class, the guard class is so deep that Golden State could still have a heck of a piece on the board.

Personally, my dream for Golden State would be Arizona freshman Brayden Burries. He’s a playoff-series prospect. A guy that you need on the floor at the end of games because of his ability to make winning plays, even when he’s not scoring. If you need a game to sell you on Burries? Try the road game against BYU at the end of January, in which I thought he was the best player on the floor (yes, I know what I said).

If Burries is gone, plenty will wonder if the Warriors could go in another direction for an earlier contributor. Some options could be Yaxel Lendeborg (Michigan), Hannes Steinbach (Washington), Labaron Philon (Alabama), or the ultimate “let’s get nuts” pick… Aday Mara (Michigan). Obviously, those names would still need to be on the board…

But Nick, there’s one name I’m very intrigued with for the Warriors. That would be Baylor junior Cameron Carr, who I think would fit that system like a glove.

What do you think? Any of those names intrigue you the most? Any others you think deserve some spotlight?

Nick: I’m going to start with Yaxel Lendeborg here because I think he would be a hand-in-glove fit for Golden State. Some might be less inclined to bring Lendeborg on board due to his age, but that might matter less for the Warriors than other teams; he’ll be ready to play a major role on both ends of the floor pretty quickly, he has the passing touch to fit right in with the motion offense and constant ball movement of the system, and he’ll be able to learn from the old guard for the Warriors to start his career and then hit restricted free agency just in time for the Warriors to ink him for his full prime.

Burries would be a very different style of player from Lendeborg, but I think he would also make a ton of sense as more of a bridge to the future than a plug-and-play option right away. His development over the course of the season at Arizona was very encouraging, and he has the scoring punch to be more of an offensive engine than Lendeborg. As you already know from our discussion of the Miami Heat a couple of days ago, I’m also very high on Labaron Philon, and I think he could be a huge pickup for Golden State if he ends up at the end of the run of elite guards in this draft class.

Steinbach could also make a lot of sense for them; adding one of the best rebounders in the class to a team that ranked in the bottom 10 on the glass last season could work wonders, especially given Steinbach’s shooting potential and the long-term lack of big man depth for the team beyond the aging Al Horford and perennially injured Kristaps Porzingis. I like the idea of the Carr fit; he was one of the breakout players of this past college season, and his remarkable athleticism, two-way play, and shooting touch could all work wonders for the Warriors. I’m a bit more skeptical about Mara, but I could see him fit with the Warriors much more than with the other teams in this range.

I think those are the main names to focus on for the Warriors, but I’m going to throw out one more wildcard for them here: what about Jayden Quaintance? He’s very much a high-risk, high-reward type of pick given his injury history and limited offensive game, but Quaintance could be one of the best defensive centers in the league if he can put it all together and stay on the court. I would certainly be worried about going in that direction, given how badly the Warriors need this pick to work out in both the short term and the long term. However, players with Quaintance’s high-end outcomes are rarely available at #11, and pairing him with Draymond Green on defense is a terrifying prospect. I could also see the Warriors taking a look at Karim Lopez, given his athletic tools and versatile off-ball game.

Back to you, Rucker; any thoughts on Quaintance or Lopez? Any other players that you would want to mention?

Rucker: NICK! Dropping the Jayden Quaintance curveball. See, that’s where things can get really fun if you’re an NBA Draft fan. If you’re a Warriors fan, the thought of Quaintance might give you some James Wiseman PTSD. But let’s cook for a minute…

If Golden State is looking at the 11th pick as a potential future franchise piece, you won’t find a juicier swing than Quaintance. He’s one of the youngest prospects in this class, and big-man defensive talents like him don’t come around often. The elephant in the room? The health. Quaintance suddenly returned from an ACL injury at the end of his freshman season, much sooner than we might have expected, and in his first game, looked like a potential Top 5 pick. The rest of the film from this year? Well, that’s another story.

He’s become one of the ultimate “jokers in the deck” of any NBA Draft class. Saying this would be a “swing for the fences” somehow feels like an understatement. But if the health is cleared, Golden State could get crazy and say simply: why not?

Lopez is another bit of a swing in my opinion. The film is a tricky evaluation. I thought he looked rusty in the first half of the year before he really found his groove as the NBL season progressed. After seeing the shot in person at the NBA Draft combine, I left with even more questions than before. If Golden State went that route, I think it would have to be as a down-the-road swing. They’d be taking Lopez for what they can mold him into.

Another name we need to discuss: Tennessee freshman forward Nate Ament. Look, I might not be the highest person here at No Ceilings on Ament…but this is the wheelhouse where he starts to get into serious conversation. If he’s on the board, Golden State could be looking at a lengthy, stretched-out forward with intriguing upside. Ament had a tricky year on film. In the first half of the season, he looked like a player who was struggling to find his way. Then there was a stretch of games in the SEC where he looked like you would sprint to the podium to draft him. After an injury popped up, we never got to see that same player who was teased to us again. In so many words, Ament is still a polarizing prospect. At the 11th pick, though, he could present an idea to teams of serious upside and value to be found.

Nick, we’ve given Warriors fans a lot of options. Anyone else we are missing? If the Warriors want to go the route of finding an early-impact option, what do you think is the best fit?

Nick: I think we’ve touched on the key prospects who might be in contention here for the Warriors. I think that Lendeborg is their best bet for an early-impact option overall, with Philon also in the mix as a bit of a bridge guard who can play with Steph Curry to start, as he focuses on defense before potentially expanding his offensive role down the road.

I’m with you in the Ament skeptic camp, but I also agree that he needs to be brought up here for Golden State. His size and wing-tilted skill set could make him a mismatch nightmare if he continues to bulk up and find more consistency with his shooting.

Ultimately, the player the Warriors select at #11 will be quite indicative of how they see themselves at this point in their franchise history. There’s every reason to believe that they will continue to go all-in on the Curry era until the wheels fall off, given that Steve Kerr inked another extension after plenty of buzz that he wouldn’t return (not to mention what looked a lot like an on-court farewell between Curry, Green, and Kerr at the end of their play-in loss). They may well try to split the difference between a ready-now player and a future piece—just as they did in the infamous Wiseman “two timelines” era that you mentioned earlier. Whatever the case may be, the Warriors are in a prime position to pounce on any prospect who drops further than expected. What they choose to do with that opportunity will tell the basketball world quite a bit about how they see the state of the league—and how they see themselves.

Share No Ceilings

The Outcome Window is one of my favorite exercises and pieces to write. I believe envisioning realistic and creative low, medium, and high outcomes for prospects is a necessary tool when evaluating across all sports. Understanding the major outcome possibilities helps complete the prospect puzzle and significantly affects team building, as different outcomes shape what’s needed to build and sustain a championship team.

This will be the first of three parts, led by the bigs, followed by the wings and guards. Let’s get it started with my favorite big in the 2026 NBA draft, Duke’s Cam Boozer.

Subscribe now

Cam Boozer | Freshman | Duke

Low: Domantas Sabonis with better ball skills and shooting

Boozer arguably has the highest floor in the class because of his archetype, consistently elite production, and versatility. When envisioning a high-floor outcome for Boozer, Domantas Sabonis kept coming to mind. I understand how some could see Sabonis with better ball skills and more shooting as a medium or high-end outcome. That speaks to the caliber of prospect that Boozer is.

Both are versatile, physical double-double machines with NBA bloodlines. Although athletically limited, both possess tremendous feel and passing ability. The athletic prowess is more of an issue defensively, where both seek to leverage their size, strength, and IQ to defend on and off the ball. I can see this as a low-end outcome if Boozer doesn’t quite reach the self-creation levels I believe he can.

Medium: Paolo Banchero with less scoring juice, but more feel and shooting

This has long been a comparison for Boozer, and it makes a ton of sense. Both win with a very similar mix of physical tools (size, strength, physicality) alongside ball skills, playmaking, and multiple-level shotmaking. The key differences are rooted in Banchero’s athleticism and more dynamic self-creation compared to Boozer’s higher feel, decision-making, and pure shooting ability.

I wrestled with making this the high-end outcome, and really, it’s a 1A-1B situation with the next player's outcome.

High: Kevin Love with more offensive upside

Love is another double-double monster with limited athleticism that brought three-point shooting, multiple-level shotmaking, and passing feel to excel. He was a perennial All-Star, NBA champion, and future Hall of Famer-a path that is certainly in play for Boozer. Boozer provides more offensive upside thanks to better ball skills, athleticism, and primary playmaking ability.

Morez Johnson Jr. | Sophomore | Michigan

Low: Moussa Diabate with shooting upside down

It’s all about the blend of defensive versatility, activity, motor, and physicality for Morez Johnson to impact both ends of the floor. It’s a profile that aligns with Moussa Diabate, who received the NBA’s Hustle Award and has developed into a vital piece of Charlotte’s frontcourt rotation.

Medium: Montrezl Harrell with shooting upside

This is absolutely another 1A-1B situation where the medium outcome could easily be the high-end outcome, too. Harrell had a productive eight-year career that culminated in winning the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year during the 2019-2020 season. There might not be a Sixth Man of the Year in Johnson’s future, but the same could have been said about Harrell’s NBA projection. Harrell’s game was rooted in tenacity, energy, fearlessness, and the emergence of his mid-range shotmaking. Many of the same qualities can be used to describe Johnson, who has more shooting potential than Harrell entering the NBA.

High: Isaiah Stewart

Isaiah Stewart is a popular comparison outcome for Johnson, and I’m all for it. A high-end rotation player on a contender that makes his presence felt through physicality, a relentless motor, rebounding, defensive versatility, and capable floor spacing. Stewart’s three-point shooting was based on projectable touch and mechanical indicators just like Johnson’s. If Johnson reaches his high end, providing value as a floor spacer will be a major reason why.

Jayden Quaintance | Sophomore | Kentucky

Low: Kevon Looney

In this outcome, Jayden Quaintance doesn’t hit those NBA All-Defensive Team marks, but he’s still a distinguished defender on and off the ball, a reliable rebounder, and a playfinisher with functional ball skills.

Medium: Less athletic Robert Williams

When healthy, Williams is a game-changing rim protector with defensive versatility and excellent play-finishing ability. That sounds exactly like Quaintance, right down to the medical concerns. Williams should be considered amongst the potential high-end outcomes as well.

High: Jalen Duren with elite defense

If Quaintance reaches his peak, there is a real possibility that he’s a perennial All-NBA Team and All-Defensive Team member. There is no question that he has one of the highest upsides of any big in the class. Ideally, Duren’s offensive role is the blueprint. Thriving as a forceful, athletic playfinisher, setting good contact screens, hitting the offensive glass, and utilizing functional ball-handling and movement skills when the situation calls for it.

The big separator is Quaintance’s monster defensive upside. Although he’s slightly undersized, he has anchor potential thanks to his blend of tools, instincts, and scheme versatility.

Henri Veesar | Junior | North Carolina

Low: Taller Mike Muscala

Muscala logged 11 years in the NBA, mostly as a rotational stretch big with functional ball skills. On the floor, that’s Henri Veesar’s foundation.

Medium: Quinten Post

Post has brought immediate value to Golden State, a team looking to win now, because of his coveted pass-dribble-shoot skillset at 7’0”. He’s started in 49 of his 109 games, including 35 this season. Equipped with a comparable skill set, it’s fair to expect a similar impact, especially against playoff-caliber teams.

High: Kelly Olynyk with better physical tools

A high-end outcome could look like Olynyk, where the pass-dribble-shoot skill set translates alongside the ability to handle more usage (especially on DHOs and short rolls) and to start in the right situations. Taller and longer, Veesar brings a dimension of playfinishing and weakside shotblocking that Olynyk can’t provide.

Ugonna Onyenso | Senior | Virginia

Low: Jeff Withey

Jeff Withey was a second-round pick (39th overall) by the Portland Trail Blazers after establishing himself as one of the top rim protectors in college basketball at Kansas, despite lacking ideal vertical pop. He spent roughly five years in the NBA in a fringe rotation spot but delivered a shot-blocking presence when on the floor.

Medium: Christian Koloko

Before being sidelined by blood clots, Koloko appeared to be a potential rotation player for the Raptors. Like Ugonna Onyenso, he operated as a playfinisher with a large catch radius and mobile shotblocker. If Koloko was able to continue on his Raptors trajectory, it could look similar to Onyenso.

High: Less athletic Moussa Cisse

The Mavs hit on the margins by nabbing Cisse on a two-way deal last year. Although raw offensively and lacking a modern big's skill set, Cisse produced in his role-play finishing-shot-blocking role by leveraging his physical tools and motor.

Share

Stephen: We’re getting into this conversation relatively fresh off a tough Western Conference Finals series defeat for the Oklahoma City Thunder at the hands of the San Antonio Spurs. There are a myriad of ways to have a conversation on how the Thunder can get better, but the good news for OKC is that they can get better.

Look, Jalen Williams was hurt–and so was Ajay Mitchell. Even still, they were just a few possessions away from facing the New York Knicks in the NBA Finals.

But they can’t stand pat in my opinion, Nathan. They have big free agency questions to get right. They also have the 12th and the 17th picks in the 2026 NBA Draft. I don’t know if you want to have the discussion on trading up, back, or out to obtain a particular player, but I still think they could add some intriguing talent with these picks.

Subscribe now

What about you, Nathan? If you’re Sam Presti, what’s the direction you go with the picks that you have?

Nathan: Discussing trades around the Thunder’s first round picks in the 2026 NBA Draft is tricky because this team clearly can stand to add to its depth, but moving up wouldn’t appear to be an easy option to target a player like Cameron Boozer (a hot rumor in draft circles these past few weeks).

The Memphis Grizzlies at #3 overall would be the team to circle as far as moving up to acquire Boozer is concerned. The issue is, what type of comparable value could OKC give Memphis in a deal when the Grizzlies have to find a face of their franchise, given the recent trades of Jaren Jackson Jr. and Desmond Bane?

I’ve pondered a deal that would send #12, #17, two future firsts, and three seconds plus the contracts of Ajay Mitchell and Thomas Sorber to the Grizzlies for #3, Cam Spencer, and Scotty Pippen Jr. That’s a deal that works financially, but what does that give Memphis now? Both first round selections this year won’t be as productive as Boozer, both short and long term, so it’s a true star bet on Mitchell becoming a franchise lead guard to fill directly in for Ja Morant should he actually be dealt this offseason.

There is no trade with the Grizzlies or Chicago Bulls at #4 that works financially to throw in Jalen Williams or Chet Holmgren before the draft. So we’re left with the best option on the board being either a small trade back by OKC (or out) to acquire some more assets, or sticking and picking two players this franchise is confident in to potentially step into the rotation given pending team options/free agency for Isaiah Hartenstein, Luguentz Dort, and any other players the Thunder could move off of to open up some cap space/tax relief.

If OKC has to move on from a few of its key rotational pieces, who are some players you believe could be targets in this draft? Or would you consider maybe a small move up the board with #12, #17, and another future first or two to land one particular piece that can bolster the back end of the rotation with room to grow into a starter down the road?

Stephen: If I am Oklahoma City, I am in pure talent-acquisition mode, and I am not so knee-jerky to move off of Chet or J-Dub in response to San Antonio. I’m actually pretty keen on a slight trade-up in this situation, though, Nathan. Actually, given how unlikely it will be that the Thunder will keep Lu Dort and/or extend Cason Wallace, I’m looking to work the phones in a potential trade-up with Dallas.

The Mavs have the #9 pick in this draft. They are likely to have identified the same thing as me here, but there is a bit of a fall-off in talent right around that range. If the Mavs are fine with moving back three measly spots for the 17th pick and some trade-fodder, I like the idea of the Thunder drafting Brayden Burries if he is still on the board. Burries is a sturdy guard who can play on and off the ball, given his strength, athleticism, and floor spacing. He’s shown solid defensive technique, too. For all of the things teams may be worried about in handing the keys over to him outright, Burries would be a seamless plug-and-play talent for OKC.

Heck, even if he isn’t on the board, trading up could ensure you get the big man you like–if the Thunder value one of these big men over the contract situation they could be in with I-Hart, J-Will, Chet, and the recovering Thomas Sorber.

I don’t like the idea of them trading back, so I will kindly just leave that alone.

What do you think, Nathan? Do you like the proposed trade-up?

What do you think they should do if they stay put? How would you attack these two spots?

Nathan: If the OKC Thunder were to trade up to #9, currently owned by the Dallas Mavericks, I would actually prefer a different target (though I love Brayden Burries as a prospect and have him closer to fifth than tenth on my updated big board).

How about Morez Johnson Jr. being a great fit for the Thunder, given the team’s current construction now? He would allow OKC to still retain players like Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein, while offering a new look alongside either of them in double-big lineups. Johnson played alongside another true big in Aday Mara at Michigan (and another player who can masquerade as a small-ball five in Yaxel Lendeborg) and excelled in those situations. He’s an excellent diver in pick-and-roll, can cut to the rim, and has shooting indicators in terms of touch and free-throw progression that offer optimism he’ll even spot up and shoot from three in the league.

Defensively, though, is where Johnson’s calling card is. There is NO VICTOR WEMBANYAMA STOPPER IN THE WORLD; let me make that loud and clear. BUT…If I were to build a player in a lab that had a chance at making Wemby’s life more difficult, I’d actually look towards a player with the frame, athleticism, and motor/mean streak of Morez. Excellent core strength, agile footwork, and stout lower base offer him a chance to knock Victor off his spots, limit penetration should Wemby pull Johnson out to the perimeter, and it’s another player that can box out and keep Wemby off the offensive glass, thereby limiting extra possessions created. Again, Wemby can score over anyone with his alien-like size and length, but Johnson has the type of game that could end up offering something a bit more effective than having Holmgren guard Wemby for longer stretches, or even Hartenstein. Not to mention that Johnson LOVES switching onto perimeter players and swallowing them up on defense, which matches some of the schematic styles that OKC tends to favor without Hartenstein on the floor.

If the Thunder were to stay at 12 and select a player, I’d still target someone like Johnson if he were available, or maybe even his teammate in Lendeborg. Yaxel has the versatility, size, strength, and length to affect the playoffs right now, and OKC loves prioritizing players who can dribble, pass, and shoot. Perimeter shooting was Lendeborg’s largest question coming into this season, but he tripled his three-point attempt rate and knocked in a larger percentage of those looks, albeit a bit streaky through various points in the season. It’s still an impressive progression for a player who was largely inside-the-arc dependent during his time at UAB before he transferred to Ann Arbor.

The only caveat with both of those picks is that they’d be outside of Sam Presti’s normal “range” as far as lottery picks are concerned. In terms of starting with OKC’s FIRST lottery pick (or only in other years), Presti has always targeted young talent, as age has been a factor given the Thunder’s excellent developmental track record. Find a freshman-equivalent player with upside that has enough skill to get on an NBA floor within his first two years of service to continue developing within the main system.

Following that line of logic to wrap up, would either of Hannes Steinbach or Karim Lopez stand out to you as options for OKC, or maybe even a wilder swing on a forward like Allen Graves, who has lit up analytics models but could come off the board before the Thunder’s second pick in the first round?

Stephen: All great points, man. I love the nod to Morez Johnson Jr. as a potential trade-up candidate if OKC did move up.

But, to your point, we don’t know if they’re going to do that.

Should the Thunder stay where they are slated to draft, I think they have some options in who to draft. I think that Steinbach and Lopez are fine players, but 12 may be a little high for me. Perhaps one of those two could be around at pick 17–their second selection in the First Round. I hear you on how Presti has historically treated their first pick in years where they’ve had multiple Firsts, but this may be a class to buck that trend a little.

Maybe the Western Conference Finals open up the possibility of Yaxel Lendeborg being in play here. With the injury to Jalen Williams, I think the Thunder understand how vulnerable their team can be if they’re less than 100% coming into the postseason. Yax does contribute from deep, yes, but I love the fact that he can come in and rebound at a high clip, and also make smart decisions with the ball in his hands. He posted a 3.1 Assist-to-Turnover ratio with Michigan this season, and I could see him doing good things playing with the talent of OKC. He offers such lineup flexibility within the frontcourt and perimeter, and that’s something the Thunder should value given what we saw from them in these playoffs.

When it comes to the 17th pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, I feel like one of Hannes or Karim would be fun to look at here–even Allen Graves, who I am a little bit lower on, admittedly. The other name I want to highlight here would be Cameron Carr. I know some people feel as if he should go a little higher. I don’t completely disagree, but I could see some teams wanting a little more upside; perhaps they aren’t sold on his slimmer frame, or why it took him until his third year to live up to his potential.

Regardless of those concerns, I really like Carr for the Thunder in this range. Carr knocked down almost 38% from deep this year on very nice volume. He is a great, vertical athlete and can finish above the rim. Defensively, he is quite adept at making plays on the ball–even rotating over from the perimeter and challenging shots at the basket. He tested well athletically, and he has a massive 7’0.75” wingspan. Carr could provide something close to a traditional wing option for this team.

Even though their season ended in disappointing fashion, Oklahoma City is still in a position to be one of the more talented teams in the NBA. And it’s almost certainly to be that way no matter what they do in the draft, given their track record. They can relax on their laurels, sure, but this isn’t the type of team to do that. Whether it’s trade up, down, or out for a trade, Thunder fans have plenty to be excited about due to the talent of their team and the talent within the 2026 NBA Draft.

Share No Ceilings

DRAFT MANIACS.

As the beat rolls on, we find ourselves rapidly approaching the big day.

The anticipation is building with each passing day. Workout videos continue to flood social media timelines. Rumor season continues to pump out ridiculous amounts of smoke.

Is there anything better than Draft Season?

Before we get into our latest BIG Board installment, we have a SPECIAL announcement.

Our 2026 NBA Draft Guide is Ready to Rock.

In case you missed our previous teaser: this year’s theme for the NBA Draft Guide?

NBA Street.

What better way to celebrate an exciting NBA Draft Class than by paying tribute to the legendary NBA Street video game franchise?

So this Friday…put your feet up. Get the 2026 No Ceilings NBA Draft Guide. Throw on some Pete Rock and let the good vibes roll.

They Reminisce Over You…

Alright, let’s get into this bad boy. We officially have under 20 days left until the 2026 NBA Draft. As always, our No Ceilings team is given an assignment. Every member of our team puts together their Top 60 players for the class. We then average those rankings to ONE COMPOSITE BOARD.

Here are the results.

Subscribe now

#1. Darryn Peterson | G | Kansas

• Average Ranking: 2.00

• Previous Ranking: 1st

• Profile: 6’5”, 200

• Year: Freshman (19)

  • 20.2 PTS | 4.2 REB | 1.6 AST | 1.4 STL | 0.6 BLK

  • 43.8 FG% | 38.2 3P% | 82.6 FT%

  • 24 Games | 29.1 MIN

#2. Cameron Boozer | F | Duke

• Average Ranking: 2.09

• Previous Ranking: 2nd

• Profile: 6’9”, 253

• Year: Freshman (18)

  • 22.5 PTS | 10.2 REB | 4.1 AST | 1.4 STL | 0.6 BLK

  • 55.6 FG% | 39.1 3P% | 78.9 FT%

  • 38 Games | 33.4 MIN

#3. AJ Dybantsa | F | BYU

• Average Ranking: 2.18

• Previous Ranking: 3rd

• Profile: 6’9”, 210

• Year: Freshman

  • 25.5 PTS | 6.8 REB | 3.7 AST | 1.1 STL | 0.3 BLK

  • 51.0 FG% | 33.1 3P% | 77.4 FT%

  • 35 Games | 34.8 MIN

#4. Caleb Wilson | F | North Carolina

• Average Ranking: 3.73

• Previous Ranking: 4th

• Profile: 6’10”, 211

• Year: Freshman

  • 19.8 PTS | 9.4 REB | 2.7 AST | 1.5 STL | 1.4 BLK

  • 57.8 FG% | 25.9 3P% | 71.3 FT%

  • 24 Games | 31.3 MIN

#5. Darius Acuff Jr. | G | Arkansas

• Average Ranking: 6.73

• Previous Ranking: 5th

• Profile: 6’3”, 190

• Year: Freshman

  • 23.5 PTS | 3.1 REB | 6.4 AST | 0.8 STL | 0.3 BLK

  • 48.4 FG% | 44.0 3P% | 80.9 FT%

  • 36 Games | 35.2 MIN

#6. Mikel Brown Jr. | G | Louisville

• Average Ranking: 6.82

• Previous Ranking: 7th

• Profile: 6’4”, 190

• Year: Freshman

  • 18.2 PTS | 3.3 REB | 4.7 AST | 1.2 STL | 0.1 BLK

  • 41.0 FG% | 34.4 3P% | 84.4 FT%

  • 21 Games | 29 MIN

#7. Keaton Wagler | G | Illinois

• Average Ranking: 7.00

• Previous Ranking: 6th

• Profile: 6’6”, 188

• Year: Freshman

  • 17.9 PTS | 5.1 REB | 4.2 AST | 0.9 STL | 0.4 BLK

  • 44.5 FG% | 39.7 3P% | 79.6 FT%

  • 37 Games | 33.9 MIN

#8. Kingston Flemings | G | Houston

• Average Ranking: 9.09

• Previous Ranking: 8th

• Profile: 6’3”, 183

• Year: Freshman

  • 16.1 PTS | 4.1 REB | 5.2 AST | 1.5 STL | 0.3 BLK

  • 47.6 FG% | 38.7 3P% | 84.5 FT%

  • 37 Games | 31.7 MIN

#9. Brayden Burries | G | Arizona

• Average Ranking: 9.27

• Previous Ranking: 10th

• Profile: 6’5”, 215

• Year: Freshman

  • 16.1 PTS | 4.9 REB | 2.4 AST | 1.5 STL | 0.2 BLK

  • 49.1 FG% | 39.1 3P% | 80.5 FT%

  • 39 Games | 29.8 MIN

#10. Yaxel Lendeborg | F | Michigan

• Average Ranking: 10.18

• Previous Ranking: 9th

• Profile: 6’10”, 241

• Year: Senior

  • 15.1 PTS | 6.9 REB | 3.3 AST | 1.2 STL | 1.2 BLK

  • 52.3 FG% | 38.3 3P% | 81.9 FT%

  • 39 Games | 30 MIN

#11. Morez Johnson Jr. | F | Michigan

• Average Ranking: 11.55

• Previous Ranking: 13th

• Profile: 6’10”, 251

• Year: Sophomore

  • 13.1 PTS | 7.3 REB | 1.2 AST | 0.7 STL | 1.1 BLK

  • 62.1 FG% | 34.3 3P% | 77.9 FT%

  • 39 Games | 25 MIN

#12. Labaron Philon | G | Alabama

• Average Ranking: 13.91

• Previous Ranking: 11th

• Profile: 6’3”, 175

• Year: Sophomore

  • 22.0 PTS | 3.5 REB | 5.0 AST | 1.2 STL | 0.2 BLK

  • 50.1 FG% | 39.9 3P% | 79.8 FT%

  • 33 Games | 30.9 MIN

#13. Aday Mara | C | Michigan

• Average Ranking: 14.00

• Previous Ranking: 12th

• Profile: 7’4”, 260

• Year: Junior

  • 12.2 PTS | 6.8 REB | 2.5 AST | 0.3 STL | 2.6 BLK

  • 67.0 FG% | 30.0 3P% | 56.4 FT%

  • 39 Games | 23.3 MIN

#14. Jayden Quaintance | C | Kentucky

• Average Ranking: 15.18

• Previous Ranking: 14th

• Profile: 6’10”, 253

• Year: Sophomore

  • 5.0 PTS | 5.0 REB | 0.5 AST | 0.5 STL | 0.8 BLK

  • 57.1 FG% | 0 3P% | 30.8 FT%

  • 4 Games | 16.8 MIN

#15. Cameron Carr | G | Baylor

• Average Ranking: 16.09

• Previous Ranking: 19th

• Profile: 6’5”, 184

• Year: Sophomore

  • 18.9 PTS | 5.8 REB | 2.6 AST | 0.9 STL | 1.3 BLK

  • 49.4 FG% | 37.4 3P% | 80.1 FT%

  • 34 Games | 33.6 MIN

#16. Bennett Stirtz | G | Iowa

• Average Ranking: 16.73

• Previous Ranking: 15th

• Profile: 6’3”, 186

• Year: Senior

  • 19.8 PTS | 2.6 REB | 4.4 AST | 1.4 STL | 0.2 BLK

  • 47.7 FG% | 35.8 3P% | 84.8 FT%

  • 37 Games | 37.8 MIN

#17. Hannes Steinbach | F/C | Washington

• Average Ranking: 17.82

• Previous Ranking: 21st

• Profile: 6’11”, 248

• Year: Freshman

  • 18.5 PTS | 11.8 REB | 1.6 AST | 1.1 STL | 1.2 BLK

  • 57.7 FG% | 34.0 3P% | 75.9 FT%

  • 30 Games | 34.6 MIN

#18. Dailyn Swain | G/F | Texas

• Average Ranking: 18.82

• Previous Ranking: 16th

• Profile: 6’7”, 211

• Year: Junior

  • 17.3 PTS | 7.5 REB | 3.6 AST | 1.6 STL | 0.3 BLK

  • 54.2 FG% | 34.4 3P% | 81.5 FT%

  • 36 Games | 32.8 MIN

#19. Nate Ament | F | Tennessee

• Average Ranking: 19.18

• Previous Ranking: 18th

• Profile: 6’10”, 207

• Year: Freshman

  • 16.7 PTS | 6.3 REB | 2.3 AST | 1.0 STL | 0.6 BLK

  • 39.9 FG% | 33.3 3P% | 79.0 FT%

  • 35 Games | 29.7 MIN

#20. Ebuka Okorie | G | Stanford

• Average Ranking: 19.91

• Previous Ranking: 25th

• Profile: 6’2”, 185

• Year: Freshman

  • 23.2 PTS | 3.6 REB | 3.6 AST | 1.6 STL | 0.3 BLK

  • 46.5 FG% | 35.4 3P% | 83.2 FT%

  • 31 Games | 35.1 MIN

#21. Karim Lopez | F | NZ Breakers

• Average Ranking: 21.82

• Previous Ranking: 17th

• Profile: 6’9”, 220

• Year: 2007 Born (19)

  • 11.9 PTS | 6.1 REB | 1.9 AST | 1.2 STL | 1.0 BLK

  • 49.4 FG% | 32.2 3P% | 73.9 FT%

  • 30 Games | 25.6 MIN

#22. Christian Anderson | G | Texas Tech

• Average Ranking: 22.55

• Previous Ranking: 24th

• Profile: 6’2”, 180

• Year: Sophomore

  • 18.5 PTS | 3.6 REB | 7.4 AST | 1.5 STL | 0.2 BLK

  • 47.2 FG% | 41.5 3P% | 80.5 FT%

  • 33 Games | 38.4 MIN

#23. Koa Peat | F | Arizona

• Average Ranking: 24.00

• Previous Ranking: 19th

• Profile: 6’8”, 245

• Year: Freshman

  • 14.1 PTS | 5.6 REB | 2.6 AST | 0.6 STL | 0.7 BLK

  • 52.8 FG% | 35 3P% | 62.3 FT%

  • 36 Games | 27.8 MIN

#24. Chris Cenac, Jr. | F | Houston

• Average Ranking: 24.55

• Previous Ranking: 23rd

• Profile: 6’11”, 240

• Year: Freshman

  • 9.5 PTS | 7.9 REB | 0.7 AST | 0.8 STL | 0.5 BLK

  • 48.5 FG% | 33.3 3P% | 62.1 FT%

  • 37 Games | 24.8 MIN

#25. Tarris Reed Jr. | C | UConn

• Average Ranking: 26.82

• Previous Ranking: 29th

• Profile: 6’11”, 265

• Year: Senior

  • 14.8 PTS | 8.8 REB | 2.4 AST | 0.9 STL | 2.0 BLK

  • 61.7 FG% | 0 3P% | 60.8 FT%

  • 34 Games | 27.1 MIN

#26. Isaiah Evans | G | Duke

• Average Ranking: 26.82

• Previous Ranking: 27th

• Profile: 6’6”, 186

• Year: Sophomore

  • 15.0 PTS | 3.2 REB | 1.3 AST | 0.7 STL | 0.7 BLK

  • 43.3 FG% | 36.1 3P% | 86.0 FT%

  • 38 Games | 28.3 MIN

#27. Zuby Ejiofor | F | St. John’s

• Average Ranking: 27.09

• Previous Ranking: 34th

• Profile: 6’9”, 245

• Year: Senior

  • 16.3 PTS | 7.3 REB | 3.5 AST | 1.2 STL | 2.1 BLK

  • 53.6 FG% | 30.5 3P% | 71.8 FT%

  • 37 Games | 30.0 MIN

#28. Joshua Jefferson | F | Iowa State

• Average Ranking: 27.91

• Previous Ranking: 28th

• Profile: 6’9”, 245

• Year: Senior

  • 16.4 PTS | 7.4 REB | 4.8 AST | 1.6 STL | 0.8 BLK

  • 47.1 FG% | 34.5 3P% | 70.0 FT%

  • 35 Games | 30.9 MIN

#29. Meleek Thomas | G | Arkansas

• Average Ranking: 28.27

• Previous Ranking: 30th

• Profile: 6’4”, 190

• Year: Freshman

  • 15.6 PTS | 3.8 REB | 2.5 AST | 1.5 STL | 0.2 BLK

  • 43.3 FG% | 41.6 3P% | 84.3 FT%

  • 37 Games | 30.5 MIN

#30. Allen Graves | F | Santa Clara

• Average Ranking: 28.36

• Previous Ranking: 31st

• Profile: 6’9”, 225

• Year: Freshman

  • 11.8 PTS | 6.5 REB | 1.8 AST | 1.9 STL | 0.9 BLK

  • 51.2 FG% | 41.3 3P% | 75.0 FT%

  • 35 Games | 22.7 MIN

#31. Henri Veesaar | F/C | North Carolina

• Average Ranking: 29.64

• Previous Ranking: 35th

• Profile: 7’0”, 227

• Year: Junior

  • 17.0 PTS | 8.7 REB | 2.1 AST | 0.6 STL | 1.2 BLK

  • 60.8 FG% | 42.6 3P% | 61.5 FT%

  • 31 Games | 31.3 MIN

#32. Ryan Conwell | G | Louisville

• Average Ranking: 31.00

• Previous Ranking: 37th

• Profile: 6’3”, 215

• Year: Senior

  • 18.8 PTS | 4.8 REB | 2.7 AST | 1.1 STL | 0.2 BLK

  • 40.8 FG% | 34.5 3P% | 83.2 FT%

  • 34 Games | 30.9 MIN

#33. Luigi Suigo | C | Mega

• Average Ranking: 31.82

• Previous Ranking: 36th

• Profile: 7’4”, 289

• Year: 2007 Born (19)

  • 8.5 PTS | 5.3 REB | 0.9 AST | 0.5 STL | 1.0 BLK

  • 55.8 FG% | 30.0 3P% | 63.2 FT%

  • 32 Games | 18.1 MIN

#34. Alex Karaban | F | UConn

• Average Ranking: 34.82

• Previous Ranking: 39th

• Profile: 6’8”, 225

• Year: Senior

  • 13.1 PTS | 5.1 REB | 2.4 AST | 0.8 STL | 0.8 BLK

  • 46.8 FG% | 37.8 3P% | 86.4 FT%

  • 39 Games | 34.1 MIN

#35. Braden Smith | G | Purdue

• Average Ranking: 37.73

• Previous Ranking: 41st

• Profile: 5’11”, 167

• Year: Senior

  • 14.3 PTS | 3.5 REB | 8.8 AST | 1.7 STL | 0.2 BLK

  • 44.0 FG% | 36.2 3P% | 82.5 FT%

  • 39 Games | 34.5 MIN

#36. Richie Saunders | G | BYU

• Average Ranking: 39.55

• Previous Ranking: 49th

• Profile: 6’6”, 205

• Year: Senior (24)

  • 18.0 PTS | 5.8 REB | 2.1 AST | 1.7 STL | 0.3 BLK

  • 48.9 FG% | 37.6 3P% | 81.7 FT%

  • 25 Games | 31.4 MIN

#37. Trevon Brazile | F | Arkansas

• Average Ranking: 40.55

• Previous Ranking: 47th

• Profile: 6’10”, 225

• Year: Senior

  • 13.1 PTS | 7.3 REB | 1.6 AST | 1.5 STL | 1.6 BLK

  • 52.6 FG% | 34.1 3P% | 71.7 FT%

  • 36 Games | 31.5 MIN

#38. Jaden Bradley | G | Arizona

• Average Ranking: 40.64

• Previous Ranking: 45th

• Profile: 6’3”, 205

• Year: Senior

  • 13.3 PTS | 3.4 REB | 4.4 AST | 1.4 STL | 0.1 BLK

  • 46.3 FG% | 39.4 3P% | 80.9 FT%

  • 39 Games | 30.6 MIN

#39. Baba Miller | F | Cincinnati

• Average Ranking: 42.18

• Previous Ranking: Unranked

• Profile: 6’11”, 208

• Year: Senior

  • 13.0 PTS | 10.3 REB | 3.7 AST | 0.7 STL | 1.2 BLK

  • 52.9 FG% | 19.2 3P% | 65.8 FT%

  • 31 Games | 31.8 MIN

#40. Emanuel Sharp | G | Houston

• Average Ranking: 43.00

• Previous Ranking: 50th

• Profile: 6’4”, 208

• Year: Senior

  • 15.5 PTS | 3.0 REB | 1.7 AST | 1.2 STL | 0.1 BLK

  • 41.3 FG% | 37.2 3P% | 89.1 FT%

  • 37 Games | 29.3 MIN

#41. Sergio De Larrea | G | Valencia

• Average Ranking: 43.36

• Previous Ranking: 54th

• Profile: 6’6”, 200

• Year: 2005 Born (20)

  • 7.2 PTS | 2.1 REB | 2.9 AST | 0.5 STL | 0.2 BLK

  • 45.0 FG% | 41.2 3P% | 81.9 FT%

  • 63 Games | 14.5 MIN

#42. Dillon Mitchell | F | St. John’s

• Average Ranking: 43.55

• Previous Ranking: 53rd

• Profile: 6’8”, 202

• Year: Senior

  • 8.3 PTS | 7.0 REB | 3.0 AST | 1.3 STL | 0.7 BLK

  • 55.9 FG% | 6.7 3P% | 49.4 FT%

  • 37 Games | 28.2 MIN

#43. Quadir Copeland | G | NC State

• Average Ranking: 43.64

• Previous Ranking: 44th

• Profile: 6’6”, 220

• Year: Senior

  • 13.9 PTS | 3.6 REB | 6.5 AST | 1.8 STL | 0.1 BLK

  • 49.4 FG% | 39.7 3P% | 77.5 FT%

  • 34 Games | 28.8 MIN

#44. Otega Oweh | G | Kentucky

• Average Ranking: 44.64

• Previous Ranking: 52nd

• Profile: 6’5”, 215

• Year: Senior

  • 18.6 PTS | 4.8 REB | 2.7 AST | 1.8 STL | 0.3 BLK

  • 46.5 FG% | 33.3 3P% | 73.1 FT%

  • 36 Games | 32.8 MIN

#45. Maliq Brown | F | Duke

• Average Ranking: 45.27

• Previous Ranking: 51st

• Profile: 6’9”, 225

• Year: Senior

  • 4.9 PTS | 5.2 REB | 1.6 AST | 1.8 STL | 0.6 BLK

  • 62.9 FG% | 16.7 3P% | 50 FT%

  • 38 Games | 20.3 MIN

#46. Tyler Nickel | F | Vanderbilt

• Average Ranking: 48.73

• Previous Ranking: 55th

• Profile: 6’7”, 220

• Year: Senior

  • 13.5 PTS | 3.3 REB | 1.2 AST | 0.8 STL | 0.5 BLK

  • 44.5 FG% | 40.0 3P% | 84.7 FT%

  • 36 Games | 30.6 MIN

#47. Ugonna Onyenso | C | Virginia

• Average Ranking: 50.36

• Previous Ranking: 59th

• Profile: 7’0”, 245

• Year: Senior

  • 6.5 PTS | 4.9 REB | 0.6 AST | 0.6 STL | 2.9 BLK

  • 56.8 FG% | 27.8 3P% | 72.7 FT%

  • 36 Games | 18.6 MIN

#48. Ja’Kobi Gillespie | G | Tennessee

• Average Ranking: 52.45

• Previous Ranking: Unranked

• Profile: 6’1”, 188

• Year: Senior

  • 18.4 PTS | 2.8 REB | 5.4 AST | 2.1 STL | 0.2 BLK

  • 41.0 FG% | 33.8 3P% | 81.4 FT%

  • 37 Games | 34.7 MIN

#49. Rafael Castro | F | George Washington

• Average Ranking: 52.55

• Previous Ranking: Unranked

• Profile: 6’10”, 224

• Year: Senior

  • 15.3 PTS | 9.1 REB | 1.7 AST | 1.8 STL | 1.7 BLK

  • 62.7 FG% | 0 3P% | 66.1 FT%

  • 29 Games | 27.2 MIN

#50. Bruce Thornton | G | Ohio State

• Average Ranking: 53.24

• Previous Ranking: 56th

• Profile: 6’2”, 215

• Year: Senior

  • 19.9 PTS | 5.1 REB | 3.9 AST | 1.2 STL | 0.3 BLK

  • 55.4 FG% | 40 3P% | 82.9 FT%

  • 34 Games | 36.6 MIN

#51. Seth Trimble | G | North Carolina

• Average Ranking: 55.00

• Previous Ranking: Unranked

• Profile: 6’3”, 200

• Year: Senior

  • 14.0 PTS | 3.8 REB | 3.0 AST | 1.3 STL | 0.2 BLK

  • 47.1 FG% | 28.6 3P% | 66.7 FT%

  • 24 Games | 32.4 MIN

#52. Izaiyah Nelson | F | South Florida

• Average Ranking: 57.50

• Previous Ranking: Unranked

• Profile: 6’9”, 219

• Year: Senior

  • 15.9 PTS | 9.6 REB | 1.2 AST | 1.6 STL | 1.4 BLK

  • 56.1 FG% | 14.3 3P% | 72.5 FT%

  • 34 Games | 27.2 MIN

#53. Nate Bittle | C | Oregon

• Average Ranking: 57.50

• Previous Ranking: 60th

• Profile: 7’0”, 220

• Year: Senior

  • 16.8 PTS | 6.9 REB | 2.6 AST | 0.9 STL | 1.8 BLK

  • 46.5 FG% | 31.9 3P% | 73.2 FT%

  • 25 Games | 31.1 MIN

#54. Aaron Nkrumah | G | Tennessee State

• Average Ranking: 58.10

• Previous Ranking: Unranked

• Profile: 6’6”, 188

• Year: Senior

  • 17.7 PTS | 5.5 REB | 3.0 AST | 2.8 STL | 0.5 BLK

  • 43.8 FG% | 35.1 3P% | 78.6 FT%

  • 33 Games | 31.3 MIN

#55. Nick Martinelli | F | Northwestern

• Average Ranking: 60.98

• Previous Ranking: Unranked

• Profile: 6’7”, 224

• Year: Senior

  • 23.0 PTS | 6.2 REB | 2.0 AST | 0.8 STL | 0.4 BLK

  • 51 FG% | 41.7 3P% | 80.9 FT%

  • 33 Games | 35.5 MIN

#56. Tobi Lawal | F | Virginia Tech

• Average Ranking: 61.00

• Previous Ranking: Unranked

• Profile: 6’8”, 214

• Year: Senior

  • 12.3 PTS | 8.5 REB | 0.6 AST | 0.3 STL | 1.1 BLK

  • 54.2 FG% | 25.0 3P% | 76.3 FT%

  • 23 Games | 29.1 MIN

#57. Kylan Boswell | G | Illinois

• Average Ranking: 63.64

• Previous Ranking: Unranked

• Profile: 6’2”, 225

• Year: Senior

  • 12.3 PTS | 4.0 REB | 3.0 AST | 0.7 STL | 0.0 BLK

  • 44.4 FG% | 30.7 3P% | 78.1 FT%

  • 30 Games | 30 MIN

#58. Tyler Bilodeau | F | UCLA

• Average Ranking: 64.69

• Previous Ranking: Unranked

• Profile: 6’8”, 225

• Year: Senior

  • 17.6 PTS | 5.6 REB | 1.1 AST | 0.5 STL | 0.4 BLK

  • 51.8 FG% | 46.4 3P% | 87.3 FT%

  • 31 Games | 30.3 MIN

#59. Tucker DeVries | G/F | Indiana

• Average Ranking: 65.83

• Previous Ranking: Unranked

• Profile: 6’7”, 225

• Year: Senior

  • 13.7 PTS | 5.3 REB | 3.3 AST | 1.1 STL | 0.6 BLK

  • 39.7 FG% | 33.3 3P% | 85.9 FT%

  • 32 Games | 34.3 MIN

#60. Lamar Wilkerson | G | Indiana

• Average Ranking: 67.07

• Previous Ranking: Unranked

• Profile: 6’6”, 206

• Year: Senior

  • 20.9 PTS | 3.5 REB | 2.4 AST | 1.0 STL | 0.2 BLK

  • 46.3 FG% | 37.8 3P% | 88.8 FT%

  • 32 Games | 34.1 MIN

Share No Ceilings

Nick: The Miami Heat are in a strange position heading into the 2026 NBA Draft. After a second-straight season finishing as the tenth seed in the Eastern Conference, the Heat find themselves at a bit of a crossroads. Aside from the 83-point game from Bam Adebayo, this was a season marred by inconsistent play, extended absences from Tyler Herro and Norman Powell, and a limp to the finish that saw them drop nine of their last 15 games to slide into the play-in picture.

With Powell set to enter free agency after an All-Star campaign and Herro the subject of plenty of trade rumors, the team appears to be unsettled heading into the offseason. It remains to be seen if and/or when they decide to reset the roster, as they seem further and further removed from their #1 seed in the 2021-22 season and NBA Finals appearance the year after that. Whatever the case may be, the Heat will hope to pick up a key piece of the next great Heat team with the #13 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.

Subscribe now

The Heat will have a number of solid guard options on the board when they make their selection, and they might see that as an area of need, given that Powell’s status remains up in the air–and possibly Herro’s as well. Expecting the #13 pick to be a franchise savior is way too lofty, but Miami does have a number of intriguing young players, with Jaime Jaquez Jr. finishing as the Sixth Man of the Year runner-up, Pelle Larsson emerging as a gap-filling starter, and Kel’el Ware showing some of the flashes that made him such an intriguing prospect.

What are your thoughts here, Rucker? Any thoughts on the players that the Heat should be considering here with the 13th overall pick?

Rucker: This is setting up to be an all-time “I can’t believe that guy fell into Miami’s lap.” The Heat are fantastic at letting value play into their hands when it comes to the night of the draft. They stay calm and let the board play out. While there are plenty of teams that wish they were picking earlier in this draft, I think there’s a big opportunity for teams picking right outside the Top 10 to be pleasantly surprised come draft night.

The sweet spot in every draft is at the tail end of the lottery. We will always get a surprise or two in the Top 10, which means that “value” starts to present itself for a certain team. Years after swinging for superstars, I think Miami has done a solid job of improving on the margins. They are chipping away, lurking quietly for an opportunity to strike. Even if the 13th overall pick might not (in theory) be a franchise-altering piece, it’s another piece of the puzzle that can help you take a step forward. ESPECIALLY in this class.

Things are wide open for the Heat in terms of which direction they choose. While some might argue that they have some depth at certain positions, I still think the strength of this draft class could leave that concept up for discussion, especially at this point in the draft. Many expect a guard run inside the Top 10. Because of that, I think that another team could finally “break the mold” and target another position, before the well runs dry. That’s where it could get interesting for Miami. One of my favorite targets for them is Alabama guard Labaron Philon. I’m a huge believer in Philon, and even though they selected Kasparas Jakucionis last year, who I still think will be a big Year 2/Year 3 jump player, I think Philon would give you another dynamic ball-handler, except with real creation juice.

Baylor redshirt sophomore Cameron Carr is another name I think would be a fascinating target for the Heat. Carr has serious bucket-getting juice and has a rare frame to go with that archetype of player. The other name I wouldn’t be surprised to see still on the board when Miami picks: Michigan forward Yaxel Lendeborg. Is he Heat Culture enough?

Nick, I think Miami is in a really good spot. There are some real pieces that could pop and turn into pieces to build with for the Heat. Anyone else come to mind for you? Anyone you are specifically intrigued by?

Nick: I would absolutely sprint to the podium for Labaron Philon if he were still on the board for the Heat at #13. As our colleague Quinn recently wrote, it is long past time for people to stop ignoring Philon. He was a clear first round guy for me last year due to his incredible defense–and then he doubled his scoring this season while improving his efficiency inside the arc and emphatically answering any remaining questions about his shooting. His defense this season wasn’t quite as superlative this season as it was in his freshman year, but that’s to be expected with his much-larger offensive burden this past season. I would expect him to return to being an elite defender pretty quickly at the NBA level, and I’d be even more confident in that prediction if he ended up in a Heat uniform. Philon and Davion Mitchell defending at the point of attack for 48 minutes? Absolutely sign me up.

I would also be quite happy as a Heat fan if Lendeborg fell to them at #13. He might not be “Heat culture” enough, but his two-way play and ability to contribute right away at the 4 would be huge. I doubt it will surprise you to hear that I’m still in on Nikola Jovic, but Miami could still use help in the frontcourt that Lendeborg could provide. Carr also could make a lot of sense for the Heat, especially if one or both of Powell or Herro start next season in different uniforms.

Here’s another name for you: what about Karim Lopez? He’s continued to develop over his two years with the New Zealand Breakers, and I really buy into his shooting development and high-feel, jack-of-all-trades kind of off-ball game. He would fit right in with Miami’s up-tempo offense (they led the league in pace last season), and wouldn’t demand the ball if the Heat end up keeping around their high-volume shooters in Powell and Herro.

Also, just for fun: the Heat are also currently slated to have the 41st pick in the second round. Are there any second round targets who would intrigue you for Miami? I would be ecstatic if I were Miami and Ryan Conwell dropped to #41; Jaden Bradley also just screams “Heat Culture” to me, and I think Alex Karaban could be an intriguing add for them as an elite shooting threat with winning pedigree and solid off-ball defense.

What do you think, Rucker? Any other players you think are worth mentioning at #13? Any potential second round sleepers that make sense to you for the Heat?

Rucker: Karim Lopez is going to be a bit of a wildcard with this class. He’s going to be the top international prospect who didn’t go the NCAA route. Lopez could be penciled in anywhere, including Miami, but he’s got as wide of a range as any right now. If Miami swung, you’re getting a raw talent with some intriguing skills to develop from the forward position. I think the shot will need some work to unlock the goods, but there’s a good two-way talent waiting to be molded.

In terms of other names to have in the mix for Miami at #13, I really think that you’ve got to be open-minded if you’re a Heat fan. All options could potentially be on the table. Yes, I understand that the Heat have Bam Adebayo and Kel’el Ware. But if your team doctor gives the green light on Jayden Quaintance, can you really pass up that type of potential value at 13? It might be a bit rich for my preference, but Texas junior Dailyn Swain could be another name to throw into the mix. Swain has the tools to be an impactful “swiss-army-knife” type of piece. He’s got toughness, and I think he could do wonders on the defensive side of the ball if he leans on the “Xavier version” of his game.

I love the shoutouts from you as well when it comes to pick #41. I’m a massive Ryan Conwell believer and think some team is going to get an absolute find wherever he lands. Even for a team that might have some intriguing pieces in the backcourt, Conwell just knows how to play. That same exact sentence could be said for the other name you mentioned in Arizona senior Jaden Bradley. His growth over the years in Tucson was tremendous, and he’d be a sensational rotation asset for a team.

I’ll throw out another potential “Heat Culture” piece. How about Houston Cougars senior guard Emanuel Sharp? If you’re looking for a player to just “go get him” in the second round, it’s going to be Sharp. He’s got the versatility and toughness every team is looking for in a potential bench asset. If you’re coming off watching these NBA Playoffs closely, it’s hard not to imagine a player like Sharp figuring out a way to earn minutes. He’s an absolute dawg.

Nick, any last thoughts on the Heat? Any names you think should be at the top of the “wish list”?

Nick: I’ll start with Sharp at 41; I think that he could absolutely be a Heat kind of player. There aren’t many players in this draft class or any other who will be tougher or work harder than Sharp.

As for the other names in the mix at #13, I’m with you on needing to be open-minded. Quaintance will be a wild card option for any team in the late lottery mix, and he could absolutely be in consideration here. His defensive upside is outstanding, and if his medicals come back relatively clean, it would be hard for any team to pass him up near the end of the lottery–even with Miami’s big man group. Swain would also be an intriguing bet as someone who could toggle between forward spots, especially if Powell comes back to provide the kind of spacing that Swain would need around him.

The Miami Heat are in a strange in-between spot right now that hasn’t been the norm for them in many a year. Depending on how the board falls for them at #13, they might be one of the best-positioned teams to just take a swing on one of the higher-variance prospects on the board and bet on their coaching staff and system to help them figure it out. Given what history has shown us over the last decade and a half, that might be a safer bet for the Heat than it would be for the vast majority of NBA teams.

Share No Ceilings