2026 NBA First Round Mock Draft

As we approach the 2026 NBA Draft, one of the more anticipated drafts in the last decade, here’s my final 2026 NBA Mock Draft of the first 32 picks. This mock draft is a mixture of rumors around the league, intel from creditable reporters, and what I would do with each pick. With that being said, I hope you enjoy the article and good luck to all teams.

1) Washington Wizards - AJ Dybantsa (BYU)

SF | 19.4 | 6’9.75” / 7’0.5” | 217 | Big Board: 3rd | Aquarius

While there’s still talk about wether or not it’s AJ Dybantsa or Darryn Peterson, it feels like the majority of the league has settled on the idea that AJ Dybantsa will be the number one pick on June 23rd.

With AJ’s combination of size, skill, often compared to Tracy McGrady, Dybantsa is simply too hard to pass on for Washington. He’s the prototypical elite scoring scoring wing franchises dream about having, and the Wizards may soon have their own.

The aquisitons of veterans Trae Young and Anthony Davis could help ease Dybantsa into the NBA, especially from an expectations and offensive workload standpoint.

2) Utah Jazz - Darryn Peterson (Kansas)

PG/SG | 19.4 | 6’6” / 6’9.75” | 199 | Big Board: 1st | Capricorn

The talk of NBA Draft world this week has been Darryn Peterson’s camp mentioning he prefers to get draft to Washington or Memphis, even cancelling scheduled workouts with the Utah Jazz.

So that means the Utah Jazz should stay away from Darryn Peterson, right? When in a similar situation last NBA Draft with Ace Bailey, the Utah Jazz drafted Bailey regardless and so far it seems to have played out well with no major issues.

I understand the argument for Cameron Boozer to Utah, especially since I believe he could be the perfect fit long term to cover up some of Jaren Jackson Jr’s struggles when playing center. However, with the amount of depth the Jazz already have in the frontcourt, I believe Darryn Peterson gives the Jazz the opportunity to have an off-ball scoring superstar that pairs perfectly with their current roster.

3) Memphis Grizzlies - Cameron Boozer (Duke)

PF | 18.9 | 6’9.5” / 7’1.5” | 253 | Big Board: 2nd | Cancer

With an inevitable end to the Ja Morant era coming, it couldn’t be better timing for the Memphis Grizzlies to draft who will be the most talented player in franchise history.

For Memphis to have the most productive player in men’s college basketball, who doesn’t turn 19 until next month, fall into their laps at number three overall is an incredible consolation.

Throughout the draft process, there’s been questions about Boozer’s athleticism and ceiling, but I don’t buy into those narratives as we've some of the best players overcome those same concerns with elite skill and basketball IQ. Cameron Booozer, even at the age of 18 years old, clearly does not lack skill and basketball IQ. There’s a real chance we look back at this draft in 20 years scratching our heads at how Boozer fell to three.

4) Chicago Bulls - Caleb Wilson (North Carolina)

PF | 19.9 | 6’10.5” / 7’0.25” | 211 | Big Board: 4th | Cancer

The Chicago Bulls find themselves in a similar spot as the Memphis Grizzlies. There are folks that debate the idea of Caleb Wilson being a tier below the top three I’ve already mentioned, but if a player with potential as high as Wilson is your consolation, you’re one happy NBA franchise.

With the combination of size, speed, and athletic explosiveness, Wilson will instantly make the Bulls more dynamic and a perfect forward to pair with Matas Buzelis long term.

Whether or not Wilson ends up becoming a #1 option and superstar likely depends on the development of his jump shot and his defensive basketball IQ. If Wilson can develop a consistent three point shot, along with polishing some of his defensive struggles, he could end up a special two-way superstar in the NBA.

5) Los Angeles Clippers - Mikel Brown Jr (Louisville)

PG/SG | 20.2 | 6’4.75” / 6’7.5” | 190 | Big Board: 6th | Aries

Before the college basketball season started I had Mikel Brown Jr ranked 5th on my big board, that’s still where I have him ranked on my final big board going into the draft. I watched Mikel earn MVP for his play in the FIBA U19 Men’s World Cup, where he beat players like AJ Dybantsa for the award.

Brown Jr, at 6’5” with a 6’7.5” wingspan could be the perfect backcourt pairing with the Los Angeles Clippers recently acquired Darius Garland, who is one of the smaller guards in the NBA.

6) Brooklyn Nets - Darius Acuff Jr (Arkansas)

PG | 19.6 | 6’3.25” / 6’6.5” | 186 | Big Board: 8th | Scorpio

Darius Acuff Jr had one of the best offensive seasons I’ve seen from a guard in men’s college basketball, even leading his team on an impressive March Madness run. Acuff Jr gives you everything you'd want from a franchise point guard as he averaged 23.5 points and 6.4 assists on an efficient 44% shooting from three.

With the New York Knicks winning it all behind their small guard offensive engine in Jalen Brunson, could the Brooklyn Nets look to build something similar with Darius Acuff Jr? I think Acuff Jr is good enough to draft despite all the guards that Brooklyn drafted in last years draft.

7) Sacramento Kings - Keaton Wagler (Illinois)

PG/SG | 19.4 | 6’6.25” / 6’6.25” | 188 | Big Board: 5th | Aquarius

With the Sacramento Kings seemingly being zeroed in on Darius Acuff Jr, they have to go to plan B as I have the Brooklyn Nets selecting Acuff Jr the pick before. That plan B could be Keaton Wagler, a player that many had as high as 5th on big boards throughout the season.

Keaton Wagler bursted onto the scene out of nowhere, establishing himself early as a top pick in the NBA Draft by averaging 19. points, 5.4 assists, and 4.5 assists per game in his freshman season. He lacks athleticism and quickness, but makes up for it with incredible pace, touch, and angles.

8) Atlanta Hawks - Brayden Burries (Arizona)

SG | 20.8 | 6’5” / 6’6” | 215 | Big Board: 7th | Virgo

The Atlanta Hawks proved they were maybe closer to putting it all together than people thought, giving played the defending champion New York Knicks arguably their toughest series the entire playoff run. With CJ McCollum being with the team for at least one more season, Brayden Burries is the perfect long term replacement and short term backup. I’m higher than most on Burries’ shot creation as I see him as a Jamal Murray type player with better defense, even Burries’ mentioned he models his game after Jamal Murray. Whether you see him as a PG or SG, I think Burries’ is a hooper that can give you minutes at both.

9) Dallas Mavericks - Kingston Flemings (Houston)

PG | 19.5 | 6’3.75” / 6’3.5” | 183 | Big Board: 9th | Capricorn

Flemings showed some concerns when it comes to being a #1 scoring option, but the potential is clearly there as he was one of few freshman to score 40 points in a game this past college basketball season. The good thing in this scenario is, you don’t have to worry about that with Cooper Flagg on your team.

Flemings would pair perfectly with Flagg who carries himself with a similar Houston-like defensive mentality. The Mavericks size and length will help cover up size concerns surrounding Flemings.

10) Milwaukee Bucks - Nate Ament (Tennessee)

SF/PF | 19.5 | 6’10.75” / 6’11.5"” | 211 | Big Board: 28th | Sagittarius

Last night the Giannis saga finally came to an end in Milwaukee as he and Bobby Portis got traded to the Miami Heat for Tyler Herro, Kel’el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kasparas Jakucionis, 3 first-round picks (including No. 13), 1 pick swap and 1 second-rounder, per Shams Charania and ESPN.

I have many questions about Nate Ament and how much I believe he will succeed in the NBA, but you simply can’t deny the potential and idea of Nate Ament.

Do the Bucks take a huge swing to start their rebuild? In a draft where they could have multiple first round picks after a Giannis trade, I believe the Bucks take that swing.

11) Golden State Warriors - Morez Johnson Jr (Michigan)

PF/C | 20.4 | 6’10.25” / 7’3.5” | 251 lbs | Big Board: 13th | Virgo

I have dreams of Morez Johnson Jr having the opportunity to learn everything Draymond Green has to offer him. If the defense, shooting touch, and motor translate to the NBA, Morez Johnson Jr has the chance to be the perfect pick for the Golden State Warriors in the short and long term.

Johnson Jr’s shooting form looks good and he shot 34% from three and 78% from the free throw line, all positive indications that his shooting touch will translate throughout his career. It starts to get exciting when you pair that shooting potential with his defensive instincts, great lateral quickness for his size, elite physicality, and a good steal and block rate.

12) Oklahoma City Thunder - Yaxel Lendeborg (Michigan)

SF/PF | 23.7 | 6’10” / 7’3.25” | 241 | Big Board: 16th | Libra

Yaxel Lendeborg will be 24 years old by the time his rookie season begins. For that reason, many teams may avoid taking him in the lottery over far younger prospects with maybe a higher ceiling. However, that may end up being the reason Yaxel makes sense for the Oklahoma City Thunder at pick 12.

Lendeborg has played various roles and positions throughout his college career. He could be the perfect player to help the Thunder figure out some potential cap issues with big contracts on the horizon if they don’t end up trading the pick.

13) Milwaukee Bucks - Aday Mara (Michigan)

C | 21.2 | 7’4.25” / 7’6” | 260 lbs | Big Board: 15th | Aries

For a team starting a new rebuild with a brand new roster and coaching staff, why not add a unique talent like Aday Mara? For coach Taylor Jenkins, he can establish his anchor on the inside for the foreseeable future.

Players the size of Aday Mara are extremely rare, at 7’4’ he could become an important piece as we enter the Victor Wembanyama era. Along with his rare size, Mara provides great rim protection an above average passing ability for a player his size.

14) Charlotte Hornets - Hannes Steinbach (Washington)

PF/C | 20.1 | 6’11'.5” / 7’2.25” | 248 | Big Board: 10th | Taurus

I’ve been higher on Hannes Steinbach than most since I placed him in the top 10 of my big board back in November. I buy the jump shot long term (34% from three in the his college), which would round out his game to a level that I think would allow him to be an elite long term center in the NBA.

I know some have doubts about his defense, but I think he makes up for his lack of elite athleticism with good positioning basketball IQ defensively. The Hornets have great bigs, but I don’t believe they're locked in as long term starters, which is why I’d go be best player available and draft Hannes Steinbach.

15) Chicago Bulls - Labaron Philon Jr (Alabama)

PG | 20.6 | 6’3.75” / 6’6.25” | 215 | Big Board: 11th | Virgo

There feels like a world where Labaron Philon Jr puts it all together and becomes a legit two-way star guard in the NBA. In my 2026 NBA Draft Big Board, I compared Philon Jr to Pelicans Dejounte Murray as an example of a potential outcome.

With Josh Giddy, Matas Buzelis, and presumably Caleb Wilson as the Chicago Bulls franchise cornerstones, Labaron Philon Jr could be a solid addition to the starting lineup at point guard on both sides of the ball.

16) Memphis Grizzlies - Dailyn Swain (Texas)

SG/SF | 20.9 | 6’7.75” / 6’10” | 211 | Big Board: 12th | Cancer

In this mock draft, I have the Memphis Grizzlies drafting Cameron Boozer with the 3rd overall pick to pair Boozer with the young core franchise cornerstones Zach Edey and Cedric Coward. That solidifies the frontcourt for the next decade in Memphis, leaving the Grizzlies looking for their point guard and wing of the future.

In an NBA Finals series where OG Anunoby was a pivotal piece in getting the New York Knicks the championship, Dailyn Swain is provided with a clear career trajectory if he chooses to model his game to someone like OG.

Swain has major defensive upside, athleticism, and shooting upside that could help the Memphis Grizzlies by and shorten their rebuild by adding another athletic scoring upside wing.

17) Oklahoma City Thunder - Cameron Carr (Baylor)

SG/SF | 21.6 | 6’5.75” / 7’0.75” | 184 | Big Board: 17th | Scorpio Cusp

Cameron Carr is a perfect match for the Oklahoma City Thunder that seems to continues to rely on defensive switchability, athleticism and shooting. Carr is a fluid athlete with some of if not the best athleticism in this draft class.

There’s some questions about his defensive discipline, but with an elite Thunder team defense and one of the best developmental programs, I think Carr would be in one of the more ideal situations for him.

18) Charlotte Hornets - Ebuka Okorie (Stanford)

PG | 19.2 | 6’2.5” / 6’7.75” | 186 | Big Board: 14th | Aries

For a Charlotte Hornets team that may lose valuable back up point guard Colin Sexton, Ebuka Okorie could be the perfect plug and play point guard off the bench.

Ebuka Okorie would fit in seamlessly with the high scoring Hornets offense, having averaged 23.8 points per game at Stanford off some impressive isolation scoring.

19) Toronto Raptors - Bennett Stirtz

PG | 22.7 | 6’3.75” / 6’6” | 186 | Big Board: 20th | Libra

With Bennett Stirtz still on the board, it feels like a bit of a no brainer for the Toronto Raptors who are in clear need of another guard that’s an offensive threat and capable shooter.

With Stirtz turning 22 years old during his rookie season, he could be a nice blend of experience and potential for a Raptors team looking to be competitive again next season.

20) San Antonio Spurs - Jayden Quaintance

PF/C | 18.9 | 6’10'.25” / 7’5.25” | 253 | Big Board: 21st | Cancer

The idea of Jayden Quaintance is one of the more exciting ones in the 2026 NBA Draft. However, there’s a ton of questions around whether or not it’s simply an idea that will never come to fruition.

For the ahead of schedule San Antonio Spurs who are coming off of a devastating NBA Finals 4-1 loss to the New York Knicks, I think Quaitance could be a risk worth taking. If you trust your ability to development and get Quaintance to come even remotely close to his ceiling, him and Wemby are a terrifying duo for the next decade in San Antonio, Texas.

21) Detroit Pistons - Christian Anderson Jr (Texas Tech)

PG | 20.2 | 6’2.25” / 6’6.25” | 180 | Big Board: 19th | Libra

While there are some questions about Christian Anderson Jr’s size and ability to defend in the NBA, I believe there’s still room for him to grow into his body and be a serviceable defender.

With Detroit’s length and size, especially on the defensive end, I think Anderson Jr’s size will be less of an issue than it would be on other teams. If he can figure out defensively, there’s no denying the shot making as Christian is one of if not the best shooter in the class.

22) Philadelphia 76ers - Isaiah Evans (Duke)

SG/SF | 20.5 | 6’6.75” / 6’8.75"” | 186 | Big Board: 23rd | Sagittarius

It’s clear Paul George isn’t the long term answer on the wing for the Philadelphia 76ers. There were times throughout the season, and especially the playoffs, where the 76ers relied a bit too much on Maxey, Edgecombe, and Embiid (when healthy) for a bucket.

Isaiah Evans provides more spacing, timely shots, and has a high defensive upside long term making him a great option for Philadelphia with the 23rd overall pick.

23) Atlanta Hawks - Tarris Reed Jr (Uconn)

C | 22.9 | 6’11” / 7’4.25” | 263 | Big Board: 26th | Leo

The Atlanta Hawks were more than happy with Onyeka Okongwu’s play at center last season, especially offensively. Pairing Tarris Reed Jr to that center rotation could solidify that position for the next 5 years in Atlanta. Reed Jr provides a nice complement of size, physicality, and rebounding to what the Hawks already have in Okongwu.

24) New York Knicks - Zuby Ejiofor (St. John’s)

PF | 22.2 | 6’8.75” / 7’2” | 245 | Big Board: 24th | Aries

The New York Knicks are celebrating their first championship in over 50 years, congratulations New York. With a championship usually comes the inevitable roster changes as teams move on for more money and bigger roles.

One of those players most likely moving on is Mitchell Robinson who provided the Knicks with toughness and rebounding off the bench. Zuby Ejiofor can step in on day one and do exactly that for the Knicks while providing more of an offensive upside and better spacing.

25) Los Angeles Lakers - Baba Miller (Cincinnati)

PF | 22.4 | 6’11.75” / 7’1.75” | 208 | Big Board: 32nd | Aquarius

The Lakers need to get better defensively and more athletic overall. An addition of Baba Miller could provide a boost in both of those deficiencies along with being an elite rebounder off the bench.

26) Denver Nuggets - Maleek Thomas (Arkansas)

SG | 19.9 | 6’4.25” / 6’6.75” | 190 | Big Board: 25th | Leo

The Denver Nuggets have a few roster issues to figure out. The emergence of Payton Watson and his shot creation proved to be valuable as it relieved Jokic from always having to do everything offensively. Maleek Thomas could provide a similar shot creation upside to Payton Watson and gives Jokic another option when he’s inevitably double teamed.

27) Boston Celtics - Karim Lopez (México)

SF/PF | 19.2 | 6’9.5” / 6’11.5” | 222 | Big Board: 18th | Aries

In my opinion, Karim Lopez is a consistent jump shot away from putting it all together and proving why some have the Mexican born prospect as high as the lottery. If any team can help someone develop a jump shot, it’s the franchise that lives and dies by them, the Boston Celtics.

28) Minnesota Timberwolves - Sergio de Larrea (Spain)

PG/SG | 20.5 | 6’7.25” / 6’9” | 204 | Big Board: 22nd | Sagittarius

The Minnesota Timberwolves have come short after good runs in the playoffs the last few seasons. They have a few paths they can take this offseason. If they choose to run it back, Sergio de Larrea provides the Timberwolves with a much needed taller ball handler and passer to allow Anthony Edwards to play more off ball long term.

29) Cleveland Cavaliers - Joshua Jefferson (Iowa State)

PF | 22.6 | 6’9” / 6’10.5” | 246 | Big Board: 31st | Scorpio

I personally think the Cleveland Cavaliers are much further from a championship than the franchise would like to admit. With questions surrounding their roster and how they fit together, the Cavaliers can add a Swiss army knife big like Joshua Jefferson to try and be a connecting piece offensively.

30) Dallas Mavericks - Koa Peat (Arizona)

SF/PF | 19.4 | 6’8.25” / 6’11.25” | 245 | Big Board: 29th | Aquarius Cusp

Koa Peat is one of the hardest players to evaluate in this draft class. It feels like Peat desperately needs to develop a jump shot but so far throughout his career has shown almost no signs of development. However, if the Mavericks can find a way to help him develop a jump shot, he could be a perfect piece timeline wise with Cooper Flagg.

31) New York Knicks - Henri Veesaar (North Carolina)

PF/C | 22.2 | 7’0.5” / 7’2” | 227 | Big Board: 27th | Aries

I have the New York Knicks selecting Henri Veesaar who proved to be a much improved rebounder and continued to provide his usual spacing for North Carolina last season as he shot 43% from three. He can pair perfectly with Jalen Brunson as a backup to KAT, providing spacing without a major drop-off in rebounding ability thanks to his 7’0.5” frame.

32) Memphis Grizzlies - Chris Cenac Jr (Houston)

PF/C | 19.4 | 6’11.5” / 7’5” | 240 | Big Board: 30th | Aquarius

To end my 2026 NBA Mock Draft, I have the Memphis Grizzlies taking reasonable swing on Chris Cenac Jr. Cenac Jr may not be available at 32, but with the depth of this class, someone has to fall further than most expect. For a Grizzlies team that was able to add Cameron Boozer and Ebuka Okorie with the 3rd and 16th pick, they would walk out the clear winners of the draft adding Chris Cenac Jr to that draft class.

Intuitive Hoops - 2026 NBA First Round Mock Draft