The 2026 NBA Draft is just one week away, with day one of the draft beginning on June 23. With the NBA Finals officially over, the NBA landscape can look drastically different before the Washington Wizards are on the clock.
The Milwaukee Bucks, in particular, are a team to monitor this week as they hope to decide on Giannis Antetokounmpo's future before the draft. They have reportedly told teams they expect to have an additional first-round pick in the draft, which could also alter the projections of where these prospects get selected.
We did our best to break it down.
1. Washington Wizards: AJ Dybantsa (F, BYU)
Darryn Peterson is hellbent on landing with the Washington Wizards. He believes he deserves to be the No. 1 overall pick and certainly has a strong case.
That said, the Wizards will have a difficult time passing on Dybantsa. His positional size, three-level scoring, crafty footwork, and underrated playmaking give Dybantsa all the tools to become a matchup nightmare at the next level.
2. Utah Jazz: Darryn Peterson (G, Kansas)
Peterson doesn't seem to want to go to Utah, but we've seen this story before with Ace Bailey. It wouldn't be surprising if Cameron Boozer is the selection here, especially considering the Jazz's roster construction as a team that values size and versatility in their frontcourt.
But Peterson was widely viewed as one of the best guard prospects in recent memory before an injury-riddled and relatively underwhelming season at Kansas. The superstar upside hasn't gone anywhere, and it should be too tantalizing for Utah to pass up here.
3. Memphis Grizzlies: Cameron Boozer (F/C, Duke)
Memphis should be thrilled with this spot in the lottery, as they can simply select whoever remains in the top tier of Dybantsa, Peterson, and Boozer. There are no wrong answers, as all prospects could be key building blocks for a retooling Grizzlies team.
Boozer may arguably be the best fit for them, given his floor spacing and ability to play alongside Zach Edey. Barring health, Memphis would be set in the frontcourt for the next decade.
4. Chicago Bulls: Caleb Wilson (F, North Carolina)
The Chicago Bulls have hired Tiago Splitter as their next head coach. Under Splitter, the Blazers attempted the third-most three-point attempts in the league. That doesn't quite play to Caleb Wilson's strengths, but the Bulls still need to take the best available prospect.
They've finally embraced a retool after years of being in purgatory. Wilson is the two-way prospect they need to bring hope back to the Windy City.
5. Los Angeles Clippers: Mikel Brown Jr. (G, Louisville)
In some ways, this is where the draft officially starts. The Los Angeles Clippers should have their choice of multiple intriguing guard prospects. In our previous mock, they went with Illinois guard Keaton Wagler. This time around, it's Louisville's Mikel Brown Jr. who emerges at the top of this tier.
This pick doesn't come without risk, given concerns surrounding his back injury. But with his offensive creation, Brown possesses the highest upside of the guards in this range, justifying a top-five selection for Los Angeles.
6. Brooklyn Nets: Darius Acuff Jr. (G, Arkansas)
Brooklyn prioritized positional size in last year's draft, going with 6-foot-8 guard Egor Demin with the No. 8 overall selection. It remains to be seen whether Demin can be a lead guard, as he doesn't quite create enough separation. That's where Acuff comes into play as someone who is arguably the best offensive guard outside of Peterson.
If the Nets select Acuff, they'll need to surround him with the right pieces to cover for his defensive flaws. But as Jalen Brunson's Knicks just proved, an undersized, offense-minded guard is capable of leading a team to contention.
7. Sacramento Kings: Keaton Wagler (G, Illinois)
The Kings should select whoever remains between Brown, Acuff, and Keaton Wagler. Ironically, they land Wagler here, who has drawn comparisons to Tyrese Haliburton -- the player they traded to the Indiana Pacers in exchange for De'Aaron Fox. Wagler represents a mulligan for the Kings, who can finally fix one of their many mistakes.
The upside may not be the same as Brown or Acuff, but with his positional size and shooting, Wagler's floor gives them a guaranteed contributor.
8. Atlanta Hawks: Aday Mara (C, Michigan)
While the Hawks still need a long-term answer in their backcourt, prospects with Aday Mara's size and skillset are few and far between. We've seen how valuable bigs like Edey, Donovan Clingan and others have been in recent drafts, and Atlanta could use that as a blueprint to prioritize their center spot.
Even if he spells starting center Onyeka Okongwu, having Mara as another frontcourt option to play 20-plus minutes a night would do wonders for this Hawks roster.
9. Dallas Mavericks: Brayden Burries (G, Arizona)
Dallas is ready to build around Cooper Flagg and seems to like Brayden Burries as the next addition to that young core. Burries may not have that same ceiling because of his lack of a go-to trait, but it's also difficult to find a flaw in his well-rounded game.
The ceiling of this roster is one where Flagg has the ball in his hands, initiating the offense as a point forward. They need guards who can contribute to winning without the ball, and Burries' two-way impact makes him the perfect fit.
10. Milwaukee Bucks: Kingston Flemings (G, Houston)
Ryan Rollins' breakout season makes this pick somewhat redundant. But the Bucks, in all likelihood, are going to trade Giannis soon, which would catalyze a rebuild. In that scenario, they need to simply take the best available prospect, and should be thrilled that Houston's Kingson Flemings -- who has a case to go as early as five -- falls to them here.
11. Golden State Warriors: Yaxel Lendeborg (F, Michigan)
The Golden State Warriors aren't getting any younger. Stephen Curry is 38. Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green are 36. They're even in the running to land LeBron James this summer, who has defied Father Time at 41 years old.
With that timeline and rapidly closing window in mind, Michigan national champion Yaxel Lendeborg makes sense as he's the most NBA-ready prospect. His age and collegiate experience may give him a lower ceiling compared to other lottery picks, but Golden State would go into the season knowing they have someone who can be an immediate contributor.
12. Oklahoma City Thunder: Nate Ament (F, Tennessee)
The Oklahoma City Thunder have all 15 players under contract for next season. With picks No. 12 and 17 in the draft, they could be looking to make a consolidation trade of some sort. But if they keep the pick, front office wizard Sam Presti can afford to take these high-risk, high-reward prospects.
Nate Ament is raw, but he also dealt with injuries at Tennessee that clouded his evaluation as a prospect. One thing you can't develop in this league is positional size. As a 6-foot-10 forward who is just 19 years old, OKC could view Ament as their latest project.
13. Miami Heat: Labaron Philon (G, Alabama)
The two teams currently leading the Giannis sweepstakes are the Miami Heat and Boston Celtics. If Miami lands the Great Freak, this pick will almost certainly have to be included in that package. With Milwaukee taking Flemings at No. 10 in this mock, they could address the frontcourt with this pick.
However, if the Heat are still on the clock, Alabama's Labaron Philon would help fill their backcourt void. He could be best suited as a sixth man in the NBA, given his combo guard skillset and defensive limitations that come with his size. But Philon held his own as one of the best guards in college hoops. Even in that role, he's capable of being an offensive engine, and unless Bam Adebayo drops 83, that firepower is something Miami currently lacks.
14. Charlotte Hornets: Karim Lopez (F, New Zealand Breakers)
Karim Lopez has some similarities to Tidjane Salaün, Charlotte's No. 6 overall selection in 2024, who still remains a work in progress. They could take another high-risk, high-reward international prospect in hopes of one eventually panning out in a major way.
The Hornets have their backcourt solidified and need to shift their focus to the frontcourt, especially with Miles Bridges now a trade candidate. Lopez may be relatively raw, but he has the type of upside that justifies a lottery selection.
15. Chicago Bulls: Cameron Carr (G/F, Baylor)
16. Memphis Grizzlies: Morez Johnson (F, Michigan)
17. Oklahoma City Thunder: Jayden Quaintance (C, Kentucky)
18. Charlotte Hornets: Hannes Steinbach (F/C, Washington)
19. Toronto Raptors: Bennett Stirtz (G, Iowa)
20. San Antonio Spurs: Koa Peat (F/C, Arizona)
21. Detroit Pistons: Ebuka Okorie (G, Stanford)
22. Philadelphia 76ers: Chris Cenac (F/C, Houston)
23. Atlanta Hawks: Christian Anderson (G, Texas Tech)
24. New York Knicks: Dailyn Swain (F, Texas)
25. Los Angeles Lakers: Joshua Jefferson (F/C, Iowa State)
26. Denver Nuggets: Meleek Thomas (G, Arkansas)
27. Boston Celtics: Allen Graves (F, Santa Clara)
28. Minnesota Timberwolves: Henri Veesaar (C, North Carolina)
29. Cleveland Cavaliers: Alex Karaban (F, UConn)
30. Dallas Mavericks: Tarris Reed Jr. (C, UConn)
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