Teams around the league should use these playoffs to gain clarity on what translates into postseason success. But as this historic NBA Finals has shown, there's no single blueprint to follow.
Jalen Brunson is a 6-foot-2 superstar on the verge of leading the Knicks to their first championship since 1973. It's served as a refreshing reminder that in an NBA world trending towards size, talent needs to take precedence in player evaluation.
Meanwhile, the Spurs look like the team to beat for the next decade, given they have Victor Wembanyama, a generational prospect with a combination of size and skill we've never seen before.
So while Brunson is proving that undersized guards still have a place in this league, teams are also wondering how on earth they are going to match up with San Antonio's 7-foot-4 alien.
The 2026 NBA Draft class presents a mix of guards and size, with the lottery projected to feature more of the former. It's expected to be one of the strongest draft classes in recent memory, giving teams hope that they'll land a building block to help them eventually reach the level of New York and San Antonio.
1. Washington Wizards: AJ Dybantsa (F, BYU)
Darryn Peterson and Cameron Boozer should be in serious consideration here as well. But AJ Dybantsa's superstar ceiling and rare combination of physical tools and three-level scoring should ultimately be too good for Washington to pass up here.
The tiebreaker could be the value of Dybantsa's player archetype in today's NBA, with skilled wings suddenly playing the role of jumbo guards initiating several of the league's most successful offenses.
2. Utah Jazz: Darryn Peterson (G, Kansas)
Peterson is far from a consolation prize, and our personal top-ranked prospect on the board. A mysterious rookie season at Kansas shouldn't overshadow Peterson being one of the most intriuging guard prospects to enter the draft in recent memory.
He should be even better with the pace and space of the NBA, with his underrated playmaking, solid positional size, and ability to score from anywhere. With Peterson in the picture to complement Utah's established frontcourt, the Jazz are quietly becoming a very scary team out west.
3. Memphis Grizzlies: Cameron Boozer (F/C, Duke)
With Boozer and Zach Edey, the Grizzlies are getting back to their "Grit and Grind" era.
Caleb Wilson should be in consideration here as well. Still, they should be thrilled to land the No. 3 pick, jumping inside that top tier of prospects and simply selecting wherever remains between Dybantsa, Peterson, and Boozer.
Some perceive Wilson to have higher upside than Boozer because of his elite athleticism, but in the modern NBA, it's his skill set and basketball IQ that actually determine one's ceiling. If Boozer can become more of a forward who can initiate offense at the next level, it wouldn't be surprising if he emerges as the best player in this class.
4. Chicago Bulls: Caleb Wilson (F, North Carolina)
The Chicago Bulls are finally embracing a retool, and Wilson should help reset their timeline as a two-way building block. The lack of a go-to move or a polished offensive skill set prevents Wilson from being in that top tier of prospects, but his physical tools should help him establish a new identity in Chicago. With Josh Giddey, Matas Buzelis, and Wilson to build around, the Bulls suddenly have the length and versatility that every team covets.
5. Los Angeles Clippers: Keaton Wagler (G, Illinois)
The Indiana Pacers' questionable Ivica Zubac trade has backfired, as the LA Clippers now have the No. 5 overall selection. They do have Darius Garland in the backcourt, but that shouldn't prevent LA from selecting who they deem to be the best available guard out of the tier of Keaton Wagler, Darius Acuff, Mikel Brown Jr., and Kingston Flemings.
You could make a compelling case for any of them. Still, Wagler's shooting and length make him the ideal combination of floor and upside. As a bonus, his combo-guard skill set should fit far better alongside Garland while also giving them insurance for Bennedict Mathurin.
6. Brooklyn Nets: Mikel Brown Jr. (G, Louisville)
Mikel Brown Jr. arguably has the highest upside of any guard in this tier. With his positional size, creativity, playmaking, shooting, and shot-creation, he has all the tools required to become an impactful offensive weapon at the next level.
The Brooklyn Nets are desperately seeking a face for their rebuild, and it very well could be Brown. There's relative risk here, given his back injury that derailed his season at Louisville. But Brooklyn is taking a patient rebuild approach and can afford high-risk swings, similar to what they did last summer's draft.
7. Sacramento Kings: Darius Acuff Jr. (G, Arkansas)
The Sacramento Kings would be thrilled to see Darius Acuff Jr. fall to them, as it's reasonable to see a scenario in which he goes to Brooklyn at No. 6. Sacramento at No. 7 could be his floor, with the Kings in dire need of a point guard.
There are concerns surrounding Acuff's positional size and lackluster defense in a league that continues to trend in the opposite direction. But at some point, you have to bet on the talent.
Drafting Acuff means investing in someone who you will have to surround with the complementary two-way pieces to cover for his defensive limitations. The Kings are actually a good landing spot in that sense, as they should probably be starting from scratch anyway.
8. Atlanta Hawks: Aday Mara (C, Michigan)
Kingston Flemings and other guards should be given serious consideration, but Atlanta also needs more size. In HoopsHype's recent aggregate mock draft, Cyro Asseo noted that the Hawks are currently "leaning toward" Aday Mara to fill the frontcourt void, adding that Mara matches Quin Snyder's preference for drop coverage bigs.
The national champion would give Atlanta much-needed depth and another frontcourt dimension, with Onyeka Okongwu currently undersized at the position.
9. Dallas Mavericks: Kingston Flemings (G, Houston)
The Dallas Mavericks need to rebuild their roster around Rookie of the Year Cooper Flagg. Flemings may not have the star ceiling of these other guards in the top ten, but he's an ideal complementary piece thanks to his two-way impact. He's someone who can help take some of the playmaking burden off Flagg to initiate the offense while also providing valuable floor spacing, despite an unconventional shot.
With Kyrie Irving now 34 and coming off an injury, this is a great opportunity for Dallas to land its next point guard of the future to continue building around Flagg.
10. Milwaukee Bucks: Brayden Burries (G, Arizona)
Milwaukee is hoping to decide on Giannis Antetokounmpo's future before the draft. Whether they ultimately trade their superstar will determine what direction they take this pick.
Should Giannis stay, a more immediate impact prospect like Yaxel Lendeborg makes sense. However, Milwaukee is reportedly operating as though it will have multiple first-round picks in the draft, which could signal that it is leaning towards finally resolving the Giannis trade saga once and for all.
If they do trade Giannis, the Bucks need to embrace a full-on rebuild. Arizona product Brayden Burries would be a solid backcourt pairing with Ryan Rollins, given them at least a foundation to build off of in this potential post-Giannis era.
11. Golden State Warriors: Cameron Carr (G/F, Baylor)
Baylor's Cameron Carr has seen his draft value skyrocket after a successful draft combine performance. It's reminiscent of Cedric Coward last year, so it's fitting Carr lands at No. 11 here like Coward did last season.
The Warriors desperately need more backcourt depth to help maximize the closing window of their aging stars, particularly Stephen Curry. Carr not only addresses that need but also would be a perfect fit in Steve Kerr's system, which values player movement and floor spacing.
12. Oklahoma City Thunder: Yaxel Lendeborg (F, Michigan)
Given the Thunder's situation as a team with championship aspirations and a looming financial dilemma in retaining such a deep young core, it makes sense to have immediate impact prospects who can contribute on rookie deals. Yaxel would be the ideal fit as someone who also fits Sam Presit's mold, given his versatility and ability to impact winning in multiple facets with a well-rounded game.
Given their amount of first-round picks and roster crunch as a team that already has all 15 players under contract for next season, it also wouldn't be surprising if OKC made a consolidation trade involving this pick.
13. Miami Heat: Labaron Philon (G, Alabama)
This pick could be packaged to Milwaukee if the Miami Heat ultimately win the Giannis sweepstakes. Assuming they stand pat, the Heat are in a prime position to address their murky backcourt picture.
Labaron Philon projects as somewhat of a combo guard, but is quietly a better playmaker than given credit for. His shooting and creativity are tailor-made for the pace and space of the NBA, and would be a great fit for a Miami offense that stalls far too frequently.
14. Charlotte Hornets: Hannes Steinbach (F/C, Washington)
The concern surrounding Hannes Steinbach is that he's somewhat of a tweener. He could prove to be too slow to guard fours out on the perimeter, but too small as a true rim protector to anchor a defense at the five.
The silver lining for Charlotte is that he could address multiple areas in the frontcourt. They still need to shore up the center position, while Miles Bridges is also a trade candidate this summer. With their electric backcourt providing the majority of the scoring and playmaking in a high-octane offense, Steinbach could be the frontcourt glue guy this team is missing.
15. Chicago Bulls: Morez Johnson (F, Michigan)
16. Memphis Grizzlies: Nate Ament (F, Tennessee)
17. Oklahoma City Thunder: Karim Lopez (F, New Zealand Breakers)
18. Charlotte Hornets: Bennett Stirtz (G, Iowa)
19. Toronto Raptors: Jayden Quaintance (C, Kentucky)
20. San Antonio Spurs: Allen Graves (F, Santa Clara)
21. Detroit Pistons: Ebuka Okorie (G, Stanford)
22. Philadelphia 76ers: Dailyn Swain (F, Texas)
23. Atlanta Hawks: Christian Anderson (G, Texas Tech)
24. New York Knicks: Koa Peat (F/C, Arizona)
25. Los Angeles Lakers: Chris Cenac (F/C, Houston)
26. Denver Nuggets: Isaiah Evans (G/F, Duke)
27. Boston Celtics: Henri Veesaar (C, North Carolina)
28. Minnesota Timberwolves: Meleek Thomas (G, Arkansas)
29. Cleveland Cavaliers: Joshua Jefferson (F/C, Iowa State)
30. Dallas Mavericks: Luigi Suigo (C, KK Mega)
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