Early 2026 NBA Mock Draft: Before the New College Season Begins

Two full rounds, all 60 picks, and complete team fits — who should each franchise take before the new season begins.
USA v Germany: Final - FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup 2025
USA v Germany: Final - FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup 2025 | Milad Payami/GettyImages

The college basketball season is almost here. NBA preseason is underway. Overseas pro leagues have already began their regular seasons.

Basketball season is upon us - which means it's time for an NBA Mock Draft!

For this mock, we're using the draft order on Tankathon. We'll do the full two rounds, 60 picks.

Rather than trying to predict what pick each team will make, this mock will be my own personal opinion of what pick I think each team should make.

I think it shows more critical thinking and knowledge as an evaluator to do it this way - rather than having various websites posting the same mock drafts as each other.

Alright, here we go...

Round 1

1. Utah Jazz - Darryn Peterson

Kansas - 6'5" - G

Peterson is the best prospect in this draft class in my opinion - this article does a good job of explaining why. Also, Peterson is perhaps the closest thing we have seen to a Jordan/Kobe type of player - since Jordan/Kobe.

I think Peterson is more of a point guard than a shooting guard. He'll play a role on offense similar to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Luka Doncic as big point guards who can both score and pass. But if he ends up being more of a shooting guard (and play a role more similar to guys like Anthony Edwards and Donovan Mitchell) he's still worthy of the number one pick.

Peterson is just what Utah needs at this stage of their rebuild. He gives them a true no. 1 guy they can build around. And while they have a good amount of depth and talent at the wing/forward/big man positions, they have less in the back court in terms of players they can point to as definite starters for them long term. Peterson solves that and he also gives them a good perimeter defender - which they're lacking right now.

2. Washington Wizards - Cameron Boozer

Duke - 6'9" - PF/C

Washington is another team that currently is lacking that true no. 1 guy they can build a team around. Boozer gives them that guy. He's been the no. 1 guy on some very good teams already - even before getting to Duke. Boozer's teams won four high school state championships, three Peach Jam championships and one Chipotle National Championship with him as the best player.

Boozer projects more as a power forward who can also slide over and play small ball center. He's a good shooter (when given time and space), he's good (but not great) as an isolation driver and low post scorer. Very good passer who can potentially be used as a passing hub type of big, similar to how guys like Jokic, Sengun and Sabonis operate out on the high post.

Boozer fits well on the Wizards. They can play him at the 4 with Alex Sarr at the 5. Sarr can be more of the defensive menace - switching on defense, protecting the rim - focusing more on being an elite defender. Boozer meanwhile could be the guy you run the offense through.

3. Brooklyn Nets - AJ Dybantsa

BYU - 6'9" - Wing

This pick is pretty much a no brainer. Dybantsa is the clear best player available at this point in the draft and Brooklyn just drafted four point guards and a center in the 2025 draft. They also drafted a wing (Drake Powell) but Powell and Dybantsa can absolutely play together in the same lineup - with Dybantsa being the scorer and Powell being the defender who can just be an off ball shooter on offense.

More importantly, Dybantsa gives the Nets a guy to build their team around - which they too are currently lacking.

4. Charlotte Hornets - Nate Ament

Ament is not only the best player available on my big board, but he's a good fit in Charlotte. While some may see there's too much overlap between him and Brandon Miller, I think it can work - you play Miller at the three and Ament at the four - which is fine. I think Ament can play the three or the four. He played mostly the five on his high school and AAU teams.

The Hornets don't really need a guy to build the whole team around. They have Lamelo Ball and Miller. Ament gives them a guy who can play off ball more. Hits shots. Be a connector.

Ament's ceiling is also pretty high on the defensive end. That makes him a good fit for the Hornets since the other main pieces of their young core (Ball, Miller, Kon Knueppel) are not so great on defense. Ament gives them a guy who (long term) can defend the Jayson Tatum's, the Paolo Banchero's, the Julius Randles and the Lauri Markannens of the world.

5. Portland Trailblazers - Tounde Yessoufou

Baylor - 6'5" - Wing

Okay, this might be the first pick that raises some eyebrows. The five through eight spots on my big board are all in the same tier so they are fairly interchangeable. Those players are Yessoufou, Jayden Quaintance, Mikel Brown Jr. and Caleb Wilson.

A case could be made for each of them so it comes down to fit - especially since the fit with some of these guys could be so wonky in Portland. Like Quaintance - he's a center. Quaintance coul maybe play the four but he is essentially a non-shooter so ideally if he's at the four then your five is a shooter. That's not the case in Portland where they just drafted non-shooting centers with their highest picks in the past two drafts (Hansen Yang and Donovan Clingan).

I can't justify taking Brown Jr. here, since they already have Scoot Henderson at PG - plus Jrue Holiday and Damian Lillard.

It's either Wilson or Yessoufou. I think Yessoufou is the slightly better prospect right now (he's one spot higher on my board). That's partly because he's the better volume scorer - and that is something Portland lacks in terms of their young core - a guy who can go and get you a bucket - who can drop 20+ on any given night. Yessoufou has that potential. I don't think Wilson does.

Deni Avdija is obviously a part of their long term core. I think he can play the three or the four. So long term you could play Avdija at the four, with Yessoufou and Shaedon Sharpe interchangeably at the two and the three with Henderson at the one and Clingan at the five.

6. Chicago Bulls - Jayden Quaintance

Kentucky - 6'9" - C/PF

The Bulls finally get their center of the future. Not only that, but they get a guy who can anchor their defense which is also something they have lacked - ever since they traded away Alex Caruso. Since then, they've had offensive firepower with guys like Coby White, Matas Buzelis, Demar Derozan, Josh Giddey and Zach Lavine - but no one with the potential to be a truly elite defensive anchor.

Quaintance gives them that. As long as things go smoothly with his recovery from a torn ACL.

I thought about Brown Jr. in this spot but I don't think it makes sense to pair him with Giddey. They are both point guards (so it'd redundant) and both have defensive limitations so pairing them together would hurt a defense which already has some issues.

7. Memphis Grizzlies - Caleb Wilson

UNC - 6'9" - PF/SF

Best player available here is either Wilson or Brown Jr. Similar to the Bulls pick, I don't love the fit for Brown Jr. in Memphis either since then you'd have two point guards on the same team who need the ball in their hands - who both have defensive (and size) limitations with Brown Jr. and Ja Morant.

Wilson is the type of guy who could slide in in fit on pretty much any team, who doesn't need the ball in his hands to make an impact. He could play the three in Memphis if they could big with Jaren Jackson Jr at the four and someone like Zach Edey at the five. Or Wilson could play the four. Its a pretty easy pick.

8. Sacramento Kings - Mikel Brown Jr.

Louisville - 6'3" - PG

This is also an easy pick to make. Brown Jr is the clear cut best player available in this slot and the Kings desperately need a point guard. They probably need a point guard more than any other team. So it's pretty much a match made in heaven.

The only reason why the fit great but not perfect is because the Kings do have some struggles on defense. They have a good amount of offensive firepower but they could use some guys who are better on defense. Brown Jr. is more of an offensive oriented player. However, he has shown some intriguing flashes on the defensive end, which this article touches on.

9. Atlanta Hawks - Karim Lopez

NZ Breakers - 6'8" - Wing

Okay, this is kind of funny. If you asked me who I think are the three best players available here, I would say Karim Lopez, Sergio De Larrea or Dash Daniels.

Yes, you read that right.

It is possible that the Hawks got draft Dash Daniels here and pair him up with his older brother, Dyson Daniels. And you could make an argument that Dash Daniels is the best player available here so it's not like it would even be that much of a reach to pair the brothers up together.

It could happen and it would be prett funny if it did. And I'm sure the Daniels brothers would love playing together. But I'm not doing it in this mock.

Why? Because I don't think it's a good fit. Dash Daniels is basically the same type of player as Dyson. Pairing them together (while it would be funny) is not the wisest decisions from a team building / roster construction perspective. They would be too redundant.

Also, I don't think Dash is the best player available here. I think Karim Lopez is. So Lopez is the pick.

While the fit with Lopez is not quite ideal in Atlanta (it might be somewhat of a logjam with all of these big wing SF/PF types there with Lopez, Zaccharie Risacher and Jalen Johnson) I think you can rotate them in and out of the lineup. You can afford to bring Lopez along slowly rather than just throwing him into thw starting lineup before he's ready. Maybe he ends up being a super 6th man, with Johnson and Risacher starting. But you could also play them together at times, at the two, three and four positions.

It's a better fit than Dash Daniels and it's a better fit than De Larrea since you would often have two guards on the floor together with defensive concerns (Trae Young and De Larrea).

10. Miami Heat - Dash Daniels

Melbourne United - 6'6" - Guard

It's probably either Daniels or De Larrea here for best player available. But I think there's a bit too much overlap between De Larrea and the player who Miami just drafted with a top 20 pick in the 2025 draft - Kasparas Jakucionis.

Therefore, I think Daniels is a better fit in Miami. I think you can play him in the back court next to Davion Mitchell. Mitchell can play point guard and Dash Daniels can play shooting guard which is Daniels' natural position. Daniels has some questions about his perimeter shootign ability, but Mitchell has developed into a capable shooter and of course Miami has othger shooters like Tyler Herro.

Coach Spoelstra likes tough, gritty guys who can defend - Daniels fits that. And Daniels is so young (still just 17 years old) that he has enough long term potential that picking him at 10 could end up looking liker a steal down the road.

11. Toronto Raptors - Sergio De Larrea

Valencia - 6'6" - Guard

De Larrea is the best player available on my board here. And I like the fit - he's not the best defender but Toronto just drafted an elite defender in the 2025 draft with PF/C Collin Murray-Boyles.

The Raptors have a bunch of talented scorers with Murray-Boyles Brandon Ingram, Scottie Barnes, etc. This pick gives them a guard who is very good at running an offense, facilitating, finding the open man and distributing the basketball to the scorers on his team. Also, some of the guys on this team like Murray-Boyles, Jakob Poeltl and Barnes have shooting limitations so I think anyone they take here has to be a good shooter - De Larrea checks that box as well.

It's unclear whether Immanuel Quickley will stay in Toronto long term but I like the way De Larrea could fit alongside the other pieces they have in place.

12. Memphis Grizzlies - Brayden Burries

Arizona - 6'4" - Guard

I like this fit. If I think about an ideal fit in the back court next to Ja Morant, it's someone who has respectable positional size (since Morant is only about 6'2" and skinny), it's someone who can shoot (since Morant isn't a great shooter) and it's someone who can defend (since Morant isn't a great defender).

Burries checks all of those boxes. He's got sufficient positional size at 6'4" (from his film he looks like he may end up measuring closer to 6'5" at the draft combine). He's built strong, plays tough and has good athleticism so he plays bigger than his listed height.

Burries is a good (but not an elite) shooter and a good (but not an elite defender) so he checks those boxes as well.

Losing Desmond Bane hurts. He was pretty much the perfect back court mate for Morant. Burries could end up being a good Bane replacement.

Burries is also a guy who can play either guard position. So long term of they end up moving Morant, it's possible that Burries could maybe even slide over to the point and be the team's primary point guard. He's also the best player available on my board here.

13. Indiana Pacers - Flory Bidunga

Kansas - 6'9" - Center

Alright, this pick might seem surprising - to take Bidinga this high. But let me explain. At this point in the draft it gets wide open. There's a lot of different guys you could take here and say they are possibly the best player available. These next 10 or so picks, it really comes down to team fit - as well as personal preference if you are higher on one player over another.

Bottom line, Indiana needs a center. They lost Myles Turner and are pretty limited at that position moving forward. Pascal Siakam can play some small ball center but it's not ideal for him to play the five full-time. And he's also no spring chicken at age 30.

You need someone younger at that position you can develop - to go along with the other guys in the young core like Tyrese Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith and Bennedict Mathurin. Notice all of those guys are guards and wings.

A young big man is necessary. And with all of the guys they have who can handle the basketball an score (Haliburton, Nembhard, Siakam, etc.) I like the idea of adding a big who doesn't need the ball in his hands to be effective. So you need either a big who's a really good off ball shooter or a big who's a really good lob catcher / screener typer. There isn't really a big available at this point in the draft who's a good shooter. Bidunga definitely fits that second archetype, though.

Bidunga gives them a young big who can catch lobs, set screens, rebound and block shots. Plus, Indiana likes to play fast and Bidunga is a big who can run the floor well and play an up tempo style of play. He often beats opposing bigs down the floor.

14. San Antonio Spurs - Thomas Haugh

Florida - 6'9" - Forward

Second year in a row the Spurs get the 14th pick (yes, I know it's very early in the draft cycle so this might not end up being the real draft order). In 2025 they took Carter Bryant with that pick.

This time around, the Spurs could go in a few different directions. They have talent and depth at pretty much every position. I think you pretty much take best player available here. But you also take a guy who fits what the Spurs culture is like. That is team oriented players who play 0.5 basketball, who are unselfish, are willing to fit into whatever role the team needs from them, and are willing to play defense. Spurs culture is about winning, rather than personal glory.

One guy who I think fits that is Haugh. Haugh played an instrumental role in Florida winnng the 2025 NCAA championship. He did the dirty work. He hustled. He moved the ball quickly, he defended, he got rebounds. He hit some clutch shots.

If Haugh reaches his ceiling, he could be somewhat similar to the type of player Robert Horry was - I'm sure Spurs fans remember him fondly. Bryant's ceiling could be similar to that type of player as well. But I'm not too worried about the overlap there since again, this Spurs team has talent/depth at every position so pretty much anyone you draft here would result in overlap somewhere.

15. Milwaukee Bucks - Labaron Philon

Alabama - 6'3" - PG

Pretty easy here. Philon is the best player available on my board. And the Bucks really need a point guard. They traded Jrue Holiday for Damian Lillard. But now Lillard is gone and all they have at that position is Kevin Porter Jr. and Cole Anthony. Both of them are more of a shooting guard - especially Anthony. Neither of those guys are sure fire starters for a good NBA team and neither are certain to be long term pieces in Milwaukee.

Philon gives them a guy who (if he hits his ceiling) could give them a lot of the things that Holiday did. That's the vision. You develop Philon and try to make him into a Jrue Holiday type of guy. Philon's usage % was a bit low last season for a point guard, but that's okay - you have Giannis Antetokounmpo (for now) who has a ton of usage so you don't need a point guard who has the ball in his hands so much. Philon can give them a lower usage point guard who can run the offense, find the open man, hit open threes, drive the ball to the basket and play tough, gritty, team oriented basketball which is how they played when they won the 2021 NBA title.

16. Detroit Pistons - Eric Dailey

UCLA - 6'8" - PF/SF

I know this pick might seem like a reach. But again, this part of the draft there's like 10+ different guys who you could say is possibly the best player available. In my opinion, Dailey is one of them. And I think he's a good fit in Detroit.

You draft Dailey and groom him to eventually take over for Tobias Harris as the starting power forward. Dailey is a similar player to Harris. And Harris seems like a vet who (especially getting up there in age at 33) wouldn't mind mentoring his eventual replacement.

Whoever Detroit gets has to be able to shoot the basketball. There's quite a few guys there who have shooting concerns or they don't shoot threes at all (Ausar Thompson, Ron Holland, Jalen Duren, etc.) so you need someone here who can shoot.

Detroit turned their franchise around last season with a tough, gritty, defense oriented style of play. So ideally they draft someone who can fit that. While Dailey isn't an elite defender, he is a capable one and I think he can get even better on that end - especially on a team where he won't be asked to be a main focal point of the offense.

17. Boston Celtics - Patrick Ngongba

Duke - 6'10" - Center

Ngongba is one of the guys in the conversation for best player available here. And I like the fit for him in Boston. When we look at the Celtics roster, there's some obvious questions about who their long term starting center will be but they have plenty of talent at the other positions. Makes sense here to go with a big man.

Once Ngongba is developed enough and ready, the vision is you could possibly start him at the five alongside Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Derrick White and either Payton Pritchard or Anfernee Simons. That's a lineup that can do some serious damage - especially if Ngonga reaches his ceiling.

Ngonga has some shooting upside but he isn't a shooting big per se. That's alright though, since the Celtics have so much shooting on the rest of their roster. And we've seen guys like Robert Williams and Luke Kornet play effective roles in Boston as non-shooting bigs.

The two common traits that all of the effective bigs the Celtics have had in recent years (Williams, Kornet, Al Horford, Kristaps Porzingis) share is they can all pass and they can all defend. Ngongba checks both of those boxes.

Especially with the recent news that Tatum has been hired as Duke's Chief Basketball Officer, I'm sure that the Celtics will be paying close attention to Ngongba this season. If he's available when Boston is on the clock (and if he is able to stay healthy enough this season) it could be a perfect match.

18. Oklahoma City Thunder - Nikolas Khamenia

Duke - 6'7" - Wing

This is an interesting pick. As I'm sure we all know, OKC is pretty much loaded at every position. I think eventually it might get too expensive to keep all of their guys together with the amount of money they're gonna pay their big three (Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren) so Isaiah Hartenstein may be a guy who's contract needs to get moved. But they just drafted a big man in the 2025 draft (Thomas Sorber) to hopefully fill that void.

I think they have enough guards, especially with Nikola Topic waiting in the wings. Bottom line, I figured that when in doubt, go with the guy who a) has a case as the best player available and b) fits the way the Thunder plays. And that's guys who have high feel, high basketball IQ, can dribble/pass/shoot, play read/react basketball, who play unselfishly and compete on defense.

The player on the board who most closely fits that is Khamenia. It didn't really work with Gordon Hayward in OKC. But they got him for a reason. Because he fits that mold. And Khamenia - if he pans out - could be a similar player to Hayward. At least after the injuries took away some of Hayward's explosiveness.

19. Dallas Mavericks - Tahaad Pettiford

Auburn - 6'1" - PG

It's the 19th pick and Pettiford is currently the 19th ranked player on my big board so that checks out. Fit-wise, I like it a lot. The main thing Dallas needs at this point is a long term answer at point guard. Kyrie Irving is getting up there in age and is recovering from a torn ACL. D'Angelo Russell is a temporary solution there - not a long term one.

Which brings us to a few available players in the conversation for best player available who play point guard: Pettiford, Neoklis Avdalas and Bennett Stirtz. Avdalas is out because I'm not quite sold that he'll be a point guard at the NBA level. He pretty much only played as a wing last season in Greece. He played point guard this past summer for Greece's U20 team but that was a small sample size of games and the FIBA youth tournaments are often not the best context for evaluating prospects.

I like Pettiford here over Stirtz for a couple of reasons. One is I buy the shooting more with Pettiford. He's got a quicker release on his shot, more range on shot and a better, smoother pull-up jumper. And I think shooting is important in this pick for Dallas since their bigs aren't really shooters (Gafford, Lively. Davis isn't a great shooter). Flagg is a good shooter but not a great one. I think this team needs more shooting.

Pettiford is also about two years younger than Stirtz so he has more room for growth/development. Lastly, the idea of Pettiford learning from Kyrie Irving and being mentored by Irving - having Irving show Pettiford the ropes and teach him some moves is very intriguing.

20. Atlanta Hawks - Shon Abaev

Cincinnati - 6'8" - Wing

This one was a tough pick. At this point (especially after I already drafted Karim Lopez for them in this mock) they don't need much. They're pretty deep all over the roster. I figure best player available is either Abaev, Dame Sarr or Bennett Stirtz. Stirtz isn't an ideal fit because playing him and Trae Young together would be tricky since they both need the ball in their hands to be effective and neither is a good defender.

So it's either Abaev or Sarr. I went with Abaev because he's a better, more consistent shooter. I am much more confident that Abaev will be able to shoot the ball at the NBA level than Sarr. And whoever they go with here is likely just going to be a role player who comes in off the bench. So I think the safer pick is the guy you know can come in off the bench and hit open shots.

Also, I think Abaev is the better ball handler and shot creator which is a plus since outside of Young, the Hawks don't have a lot of other guys who can break down a defense off the dribble and create.

Lastly, while Atlanta is pretty deep at each position, I like that Abaev has the versatility to play the two or the three. He could even play the one if need be at times - which he did in high school.

21. Golden State Warriors - Bennett Stirtz

Iowa - 6'4" - Guard

It's either Stirtz or Avdalas here. If I'm Golden State, I think they are in pretty good shape with their roster but one thing they could use as a guy they can groom as the eventual replacement for Steph Curry at point guard.

As mentioned earlier, I think Avdalas may be more of a wing than a point guard. Stirtz is definitely more of a point guard. And when you watch Stirtz play, there are some flashes here and there where he looks like a player who's been influenced by Curry.

Jordan Poole learned a ton from Curry - playing with him helped Poole's development a lot. I can see something similar happening there with Stirtz. I also think that Coach Kerr would like Stirtz a lot. The way Stirtz reads the game, processes it on both ends - it's like he's a coach out on the floor.

With Kerr and Curry helping him along - plus Stirtz will be an older, more developed rookie with high basketball IQ - I think he could really succeed on the Warriors.

22. Oklahoma City Thunder - Alex Condon

Florida - 7'0" - Center

Again, the Thunder are loaded and have plenty of depth - especially after I drafted Khamenia for them earlier in this mock. With this pick, I figure why not grab another big man?

As I mentioned before, Hartenstein may eventually be lost in free agency. While they drafted Sorber this past June, he tore his ACL last month so adding some additional depth up front couldn't hurt.

OKC is a team that just won an NBA title and they are clearly gunning for another one this season. Why not draft a guy who just won an NCAA title? That way you know you're adding a winner to a winning organization.

While no one would tell you that Condon is as good as Chet Holmgren, if Condon can learn from Holmgren, watch him and practice against him, over time he could pick up on some things can at least help him be a solid backup to Holmgren. And even if he won't be quite as good as Holmgren, the hope is that eventually he can be a similar type of player and give you a lot of the same things on the floor that Holmgren does. In particular, a big who can block shots, hit some open threes and be a center hub running dribble handoffs, making connective passes to keep the offensive flowing, setting screens and catching some lobs.

If Condon can eventually contribute all of that off the bench, that's a good pick in the 20's.

23. Minnestoa Timberwolves - Neoklis Avdalas

Virginia Tech - 6'8" - Guard/Wing

Avdalas is definitely the best player available here. I also like the fit because one thing Minnesota could use is a guy who can give them some secondary ball handling and secondary playaking to help take the pressure off Anthony Edwards. Edwards is awesome but he has to carry things offensive too much for them - especially in terms of handling the ball and creating offense.

Julius Randle helps with that a bit but he is 30 years old now and it's unclear how much longer he'll be in Minnesota. Of course, Mike Conley is the starting point guard but is getitng very old. Rob Dillingham is hopefully the point guard of the future but he has been up and down so far at the NBA level.

That's why I like the Avdalas pick. If Dillingham ends up being a good point guard for them, it's not like you wasted a pick here on a guy who can only play point guard. Avdalas can play thw wing too. But if things don't end up working out with Dillingham as a starter level point guard, Avdalas gives you another option there - he gives you someone else who could possibly be that guy. He averaged 8 assists per game this past summer at FIBA U20, including 14 assists vs Israel.

24. Los Angeles Lakers - Johann Grünloh

Virginia - 6'11" - Center

The Lakers could use another big. While they added Ayton during the offseason, it's uncertain whether that is a long term solution for them at center. Things didn't end well for Ayton in Phoenix and they fizzled very quickly for him in Portland.

The Lakers are pretty well set at the other positions but with this pick I think they should swing on a center.

Grünloh is arguably the best player (and center) available here. The Lakers are building around Luka Donic. Doncic paired very nicely in Dallas with bigs like Dereck Lively and Daniel Gafford who culd catch lobs and protect the rim. Doncic has also made Mike Tobey look like a star at times with the Slovenia national team.

Grünloh fits that mold as a big who can catch lobs, bloc shots, set screens - who doesn't need the ball in his hands much - since the ball will be in Doncic, Austin Reaves or LeBron James' hands most of the time. Grünloh also has good upside as a shooter who can space the floor, knock down open threes - especiallt out of pick and pop situations which also pairs nicely with Doncic.

Once Grünloh has enough time to get adjusted to the NBA and develop chemistry with Doncic, I could see them pairing nicely together.

25. Charlotte Hornets - Hannes Steinbach

Washington - 6'9" - C/PF

I feel pretty good about this pick. Steinbach is in the conversation for the best player available. And at this point (especiallty after I took Ament for them earlier in this mock) the position where they have the greatest need at is center.

Best center available here is either Steinbach or Jaden Toombs. Or you could go with the higher upside (but riskier) pick in Chris Cenac Jr. although he's probably more of a four than a five. I'm not sure Toombs is going to have a big enough role at SMU this season to warrant a pick this high in the draft.

I look at what Charlotte is building (the culture, the identity) and the guys they drafted in 2025. They seem to be going for guys who play hard and with high feel, high IQ - who play smart, team oriented basketball. That describes Steinbach. He's young enough that he has a good amount upside (likely has a higher ceiling than the center they just drafted - Ryan Kalkbrenner) and he should start for Washington and have a pretty big role on their team this season. Taking him in the top 25 does not seem like a reach to me.

26. New York Knicks - Koa Peat

Arizona - 6'7" - Forward

I think that this late in the draft, a prospect with the type of talent that Koa Peat has, you just take him. Peat is a guy who has been considered a top 5 prospect in the 2025 high school class throughout his entire high school career. For much of Peat's high school career, he was considered to be right up there with Peterson, Dybantsa and Boozer.

So why is he down at 26th in this mock? Well, it's partly the shooting. Peat very rarely takes jump shots - especially threes. In the most recent 11 game sample that Cerebro Sports has data for, he shot just 20% from deep, on less than 1 3PA per game and 60% from the free throw line. If we expand the sample to the most recent 38 games in Cerebro, he's still just at 30% from three on just 1.3 3PA per game and 68% from the charity stripe. The ball ball doesn't come out of his hands smoothly either - sometimes it kind of looks like a knuckleball (in baseball) as he shoots it.

There's also some lapses on defense at times. And on offense, a lot of what he does is based on being bigger, stronger and more athletic than his opponents. But as he moves up to college and then to the NBA, he won't have nearly that same type of physical advantage.

With that being said, the combination of size, strength, athleticism, coordination and ability to handle the ball, drive to the basket and finish at the rim is very impressive. Peat has been one of the best players on any court he's played in for years and years now. He can rebound, he can pass, he can defend. It's hard to justify putting him much lower than this in a mock.

Also, the Knicks don't really have a true power forward - especially not one that is part of their core. So Peat fills a need as well. And he could pair nicely at the four with Karl-Anthony Towns at the five - since Peat is limited as a shooter but Towns is an excellent shooter.

27. Oklahoma City Thunder - Cayden Boozer

Duke - 6'4" - PG

The rich get richer. Again, OKC is loaded at every position. No matter who I take for them here, it would creater some positional redundancy / overlap. I went with Cayden Boozer for a couple of reasons.

First, he's a winner and as I discussed earlier, OKC is coming off a championship so they're a winning team that wants to keep winning. They have a chance to maybe even build a dynasty. Cayden (like his twin brother Cam) is coming off four state titles in high school, three Peach Jam titles and one high school national championship. Can't go wrong with someone with that type of winning pedigree - especially this late in the draft.

At this point (especially after I drafted Khamenia and Condon for them earlier in this mock) if there's any position they are perhaps less deep at, it's guys who are true point guards who can run an offense, see the floor and find the open man. Cayden excels at all of that, he plays with good pace, makes smart decisions with the ball and has a knack for creating high quality looks for his teammates.

28. Cleveland Cavaliers - Jaden Toombs

SMU - 6'9" - C/PF

I feel like one area Cleveland could use some depth is up front. Someone to come off the bench and rotate in there when Evan Mobley and/or Jarrett Allen is getting a breather. Dean Wade is good but he's had some injury issues in recent years. He's also more of a four than a true five.

Allen is in trade rumors so we don't know how much longer he'll be on the Cavs. Allen and Mobley have injuries here and there as well. It can't hurt to have another big in the pipeline being developed.

There's a few different options for available bigs here but I like Toombs. One reason is you have Mobley there who's obviously been a great fit on that team. The Cavs also drafted Mobley's brother Isaiah Mobley in the 2nd round of the 2022 draft. It didn't work out in the long run for Isaiah in Cleveland, but I think part of that is because he was a bit older for a prospect and really old big man prospects often don't work out in the NBA.

Toombs is much younger, though. He's 18 years old and won't turn 19 until right before the 2026 draft. Toombs also plays this season at SMU, where Eric Mobley (Evan and Isaiah's father) is an assistant coach, where he coached with SMU head coach Andy Enfield. That duo (Enfield as the head coach and Eric Mobley as the assistant) previously coached together at USC - when both Mobley brothers played for the Trojans.

Not only that, but Toombs plays fairly similar to the Mobley brothers. They're all bigs who can pass, have high feel and process the game at a high level on both ends. Toombs is not as tall or as explosive/athletic as Evan. But he is quicker than Isaiah and a few years younger. He's kind of a mix between both Mobley brothers.

Toombs has also been learning and being mentored by his high school coach, former NBA all-star Jermaine O'Neal.

Toombs is somewhat limited as a shooter. But so was Evan Mobley when he was in college - and even early on in his NBA career. But Evan worked at it and has continbued to get better as a shooter which has helped him take a leap as a player. It wouldn't surprise me if Toombs shows a similar improvement trajectory with his jumper.

I'm not fully sure that Toombs will be a One and Done player. But if he is, I like this fit and think that he could turn out to be really solid value this late in the draft.

29. Denver Nuggets - Boogie Fland

Florida - 6'2" - PG

I feel like the biggest need for Denver right now is at backup point guard. They really don't have anybody there. They have Bruce Brown playing some point guard this season but that's playing him out of position.

Fland might be a little bit of a reach here but I think he is going to have a strong season for Florida. He's probably the best point guard available here. And if he reaches his ceiling, he'd be a similar player to Denver's starting point guard Jamal Murray (mixed with Kemba Walker and Jason Terry). Murray played college ball for Coach John Calipari at Kentucky, who was Fland's coach last season at Arkansas.

Now this season Fland is at Florida, and will try to play a similar role to what Walter Clayton Jr. played last season. Clayton Jr. is a guy who some folks compared to Murray. So I think that between Fland's situation as a freshman and this season as a sophomore, he's in a good spot to develop into a similar player as Murray - plus if he gets drafted by Denver, he'll be able to learn from Murray.

I think it's a good fit. Guys usually succeed in Denver playing with Nikola Jokic if they can move without the ball and can shoot the ball. Fland checks those boxes.

30. Washington Wizards - Kayden Mingo

Penn State - 6'3" - PG

This pick might surprise some people. I think that the Wizards roster is pretty crowded with wings. There's a definite logjam of wings, with Tre Johnson, Kyshawhn George, Cam Whitmore, Bilal Coulibaly, etc. They've got Cam Boozer and Alex Sarr up front. Their main need at this point is a point guard.

All they really have there is Bub Carrington, who may be more of a two than a one. Best point guard available here is Mingo, in my opinion. Mingo was the primary point guard on one of the top high school teams in the country (LUHI) and he's slated to be the primary point guard for his college team - Penn State.

Mingo is young (will only be 19 on draft night) so he's getting better, has room to develop. He's unselfish, can find the open man. But can also score the basketball himself - especially from deep - he's a good shooter.

Mingo really impressed me in the game last season when he helped lead LUHI to a win over Columbus (led by the Boozer twins) who went on to win the high school national championship. LUHI played an amazing game in the upset win (when LUHI won, despite not having one of the better players, Kiyan Anthony). Mingo had a big game and was a big reason they won it.

Mingo comes in to a young, rebuilding Wizards team. He can earn a backup point guard spot and could maybe even end up being their starting point guard if he develops well enough.

Round 2

31. San Antonio Spurs - Kohl Rosario

Kansas - 6'5" - Wing

On a team that has lots of guys who need the ball in their hands, Rosario is a good off ball player. He also fits their winning culture - Rosario helped lead his team to the Overtime Elite championship last season.

32. New York Knicks - Chris Cenac Jr.

Houston - 6'10" - PF/C

Good value this late in the draft, as many folks see him as a lottery pick. I like the idea of him learning from Towns and being mentored by him. If Cenac is going to reach his potential, it would likely be on a team where he can learn from a guy like Towns and practice with/against him. Plus, the Knicks could use some another guy who can play the five.

33. Brooklyn Nets - Josh Jefferson

Iowa State - 6'8" - C/PF

The Nets really don't have many guys who are good defenders. Jefferson gives them a potentially elite defender. He can help them become a better defensive team. Plus, they could use some more depth at the PF/C positions.

34. Sacramento Kings - Dame Sarr

Duke - 6'7" - Wing

Best player available. This could be a steal, as Sarr is arguably a top 15 prospect in this draft class. We took a point guard for them earlier in the draft (Brown Jr.) so mine as well add some wing depth here.

35. Boston Celtics - Isaiah Evans

Duke - 6'6" - Wing

We took Duke big man Patrick Ngongba in the 1st round. Why not keep the Duke theme going? More importantly, the Celtics shoot more threes than any team in league history so you can't go wrong with an elite wing shooter who seems to be getting better at defense and passing heading into his sophomore season.

36. Washington Wizards - Jackson McAndrew

Creighton - 6'9" - Forward

When in doubt, you can't go wrong with a guy who can shoot, has good size, knows how to play the game, high basketball IQ abd is also fairly young. There's of guys on that Wizards team who need the ball in their hands - McAndrew can just space the floor and knock down open shots, which will help improve the chances of their other young guys developing well.

37. Washington Wizards - Karter Knox

Arkansas - 6'6" - Wing

At this point the Wizards have depth everywhere. I just went with best player available here. Also, someone who can shoot and is a little bit on the younger side which works for a young, rebuilding Washington team.

38. Sacramento Kings - Zuby Ejiofor

St. John's - 6'9" - Center

We took one point guard (Brown Jr.) and one wing (Sarr) for the Kings in this mock. Well it seems like they are always looking for a better backup center so why not go for one here? Their starting center is Domantas Sabonis and they drafted Maxime Raynaud in the 2nd round in the 2025 draft - those are both more finesse / offense oriented bigs. So for this pick I went with one who is more of a defender, someone who can really bring some defense, toughness, strength and phsyicality - to complement the offensive skill that Sabonis and Raynaud bring to the table.

39. San Antonio Spurs - Joseph Tugler

Houston - 6'7" - C/PF

Imagine how good defensively the Spurs could be with Wembanyama and Tugler on the floor together? You could also sub them in and our for each other, to keep one elite defensive big on the floor at all times.

40. Memphis Grizzlies - JT Toppin

Texas Tech - 6'8" - C/PF

With all of the injuries Memphis has been hit with to their front court to start the 25-26 season, I'm sure they wish they could have Toppin on the roster right now. It'll have to wait a year but the depth at the PF/C positions he'll bring are sure to be a welcome addition.

Some of their other bigs like Zach Edey and Brandon Clarke are limited as shooters (and Edey is limited as a switch defender) so I like the fit of Toppin - being a big with the potential to shoot the three ball a bit and also hold his own when defending switches.

41. Toronto Raptors - Shelton Henderson

Miami - 6'5" - Guard/Wing

Toronto has struggled a bit over the past few years. This late in the draft, why not take a swing on upside and go with a young (just 19 years old on draft night) player with strength, athleticism and the potential to possibly end up being a top 10-15 player from this class?

42. Los Angeles Clippers - Ian Jackson

St. John's - 6'4" - Guard

James Harden is getting up there in age. So eventually the Clippers will need someone who can take over at least some of the ball handling duties. Jackson models his game after guys like Harden and Donovan Mitchell. I like the idea of drafting Jackson here and letting him learn from Harden to increase the chances that he reaches his ceiling.

43. San Antonio Spurs - Alex Karaban

Connecticut - 6'8" - Forward

Similar to the Rosario pick, Karaban gives the Spurs another guy who doesn't need the ball in his hands. Can just come in and play a role, fit in tothe team concept, knock down open shots. And Karaban is bigger - more of a PF/SF, whereas Rosario is more of a SF/SG so I'm not worried about overlap with them.

Karaban also comes with that winning DNA, having started on back to back NCAA championship teams at UConn.

44. Minnesota Timberwolves - Yaxel Lendeborg

Michigan - 6'9" - PF/C

Minnesota drafted two non-shooting bigs in 2025 (Joan Beringer and Rocco Zikarsky). But Lendeborg is likely more of a four in the NBA so he could play with them. He also has a fair amount of shooting potential to complement the non-shooting bigs on the Timberwolves (Rudy Gobert included).

I'm also intrigued by how Lendeborg could develop his game from playing on a team with Julius Randle. If Lendeborg reaches his ceiling, he may end up being a pretty similar player to Randle in terms of the size, strength, athleticism and ability to dribble/pass/shoot from a four man.

45. Boston Celtics - Wesley Yates

Washington - 6'4" - Guard

When in doubt, go with the best player available. And go with a shooter, when drafting for the team that shoots lots of threes. Also, Anfernee Simons is likely not going to stay with the Celtics beyond this season. Yates could give them a somewhat similar player at a fraction of the contract price.

46. Orlando Magic - David Mirkovic

Illinois - 6'9" - PF/C

Orlando could use another big. Someone to give them more size and depth up front. And the Magic always need more shooting. Especially with guys like Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, Jalen Suggs, Wednell Carter and Anthony Black being below average shooters last season.

Mirkovic shot a solid 35% from deep last season on four 3PA per game in a good pro league when he was only 18 years old when the season began. He's also an underrated defender - can switch fairly well on the perimeter.

47. Atlanta Hawks - PJ Haggerty

Kansas State - 6'3" - Guard

Haggerty can play either guard spot. Helps give the Hawks some more depth in the back court. And he's an older prospect so will come in more ready to play which is good for a team that made a few win-now moves over the summer. They're looking to win now and Haggerty could possibly be a contributor from day 1. Could end up being great value at pick 47.

48. Oklahoma City Thunder - Dwayne Aristode

Arizona - 6'7" - Wing

OKC is loaded with depth and talent. They can afford to bring Aristode (a player who is only 19 and missed all of last season with a foot injury) along slowly. But long term he could be a nice 3&D complementary piece for them. The vision is to develop him into a somewhat similar player as Aaron Wiggins / Kenrich Williams. Because in 2-3 years there's a good chance that one (or both) of those guys will no longer be on the roster.

49. Houston Rockets - Darrion Williams

North Carolina State - 6'6" - Wing/Forward

Houston is a win-now team. They're going for it - now. So why not take an older, more developed prospect who can come in from day 1 and contribute. Not only that but Williams proved last season that he is not afraid of big games and big moments. If he has to get thrown into a playoff game in his first couple of years, I think the chances are pretty good he would deliver.

50. Brooklyn Nets - Braylon Mullins

Connecticut - 6'5" - Wing

Mullins gives Brooklyn something their current roster doesn't really have. A guy who is just a pure shooter, can play off ball and doesn't need the ball in his hands. A guy who can just hit shots, play hard and make the right basketball play. Plus, he's fairly young which fits well with a young, rebuilding Nets team.

51. Charlotte Hornets - Xaivian Lee

Florida - 6'3" - PG

I went with a point guard here. It seems like the Hornets are always trying different guys in that backup point guard spot, during the Lamelo Ball era. Lee gives them a nice option there to potentially be Ball's backup and possibly start if there's games Ball is out with an injury. There's also rumors that Ball might not stay in Charlotte much longer so you can't go wrong by drafting the best point guard available as insurance.

52. Los Angeles Clippers - Pavle Backo

OKK Beograd - 6'11" - Center

This is an upside swing. Backo is very young (only 18 years old on draft night) but the skill level for a big man of his size is very advanced for his age. I'm not saying he'll be as good as Jokic but his play style is similar, they're from the same country (Serbia), wear the same number (15), are the same height and about the same weight at age 18. Five years from now, this pick could end up looking like a steal.

Backo could give the Clippers a solid backup for Ivica Zubac and I could even see a world where they could play them together in a double big lineup (given Backo's perimeter shooting potential and Zubac's ability to hold his own defending out on the perimeter).

53. Washington Wizards - Mario Saint-Supery

Gonzaga - 6'3" - Guard

We already drafted a point guard earlier in the draft for the Wizards in Mingo. But it can't hurt to take another one here - two bites at the apple. Saint Supery was solid last season in ACB (the most competitive domestic pro league in the world after the NBA) and vs NBA players at this summer's FIBA EuroBasket tournament so it is possible he ends up being the better player than Mingo.

54. Toronto Raptors - Luigi Suigo

KK Mega - 7'3" - Center

It's uncertain how much longer Jakob Poeltl will be a Raptor. And Collin Murray-Boyles is perhaps more of a four than a five. So why not add some depth at the five and draft a center who is young with some upside.

55. New York Knicks - Miles Byrd

San Diego State - 6'5" - Wing

The Knicks may be trading Pacome Dadiet soon so it makes sense to add another young wing prospect to the pipeline. Byrd's potential to shoot the three, defend and pass makes him an intriguing option - especially this late in the draft.

56. New York Knicks - Milos Uzan

Houston - 6'4" - Guard

Long term, Uzan could possibly give New York an adequate backup for Jalen Brunson. There's so much pressure on Brunson to handle the ball, run the show, score, etc. If he goes down, you need a backup ready. And you also need a capable backup point guard so you're not having to play Brunson a ton of minutes. By managing his minutes better, he's more likely to stay healthy.

Uzan's ability to defend and shoot could be a good fit. Also, the Knicks are title contenders and Uzan should be able to handle the pressure - he was the starting point guard for Houston in the NCAA title game this past spring.

57. Houston Rockets - Nate Bittle

Oregon - 7'0" - Center

Similar to the Darrion Williams pick, I like the idea of a veteran Rockets team that's going all in for a title (with a head coach Ime Udoka who prefers playing vets over young guys) going with an older, more developed prospect here in Bittle.

Bittle gives them a big who knows how to play, has good basketball IQ, he can protect the rim and is a decent shooter. That skill set seems to be a nice complement to what the Rockets other bigs bring to the table.

58. Cleveland Cavaliers - Isiah Harwell

Houston - 6'5" - Wing

The Cavs seem to always be looking for more wing depth. And Harwell is projected to start for Houston on the wing this season as a freshman, after being one of the better wings in high school basketball last year. He's a solid shooter and has the potential to be a similar player to Max Strus - a guy who has fit in well in Cleveland.

Harwell will be able to learn from Strus and from a good coach in Kenny Atkinson. He'll only be 19 years old on draft night so the long term upside is fairly high.

59. Phoenix Suns - Braden Smith

Purdue - 6'0" - PG

The Suns badly need a point guard. They're very thin at that position. For a pick this late in the draft, Smith could end up playing a lot. There's a chance he's simpy too small for the NBA but there also a chance that he ends up being a combination of Payton Pritchard, TJ McConnell and Fred VanVleet. If that happens, this pick would be a huge steal. Smith will be arguably the best player in all of college basketball this season.

Smith also seems like a high character guy who can help shift the culture in Phoenix.

60. Washington Wizards - Amari Allen

Alabama - 6'6" - Wing

This is the sixth pick of the draft for the Wizards. And they're a team that already had lots of young players. So I basically just went with best player available here. And when in doubt, go with a wing, one who can bring toughness, competitiveness, who has adequate athleticism, can shoot it a bit. And is also fairly young, which fits a young, rebuilding Wizards team.

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