The last domino finally fell. On Monday night, the Bucks sent Giannis Antetokounmpo to the Heat along with Bobby Portis for a package that included Tyler Herro, Kel’el Ware, Kasparas Jakucionis, Jaime Jacquez Jr., three first-round picks, a pick swap, and a second-round pick, per Shams Charania of ESPN.
Though it was overshadowed by the Giannis trade, Monday night also saw the Timberwolves send Julius Randle to the Nets in a three-team deal that also saw Nic Claxton head to the Bulls.
The stage has been set for Tuesday night’s first round. How will the lottery play out? Will we see any major surprises? And what will the Bucks and Nets do with their new picks? Let’s take one last predictive look with all the latest intel:
NBA Mock Draft Lottery: Chaos Starts at Pick No. 5
GettyINDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – APRIL 04: Keaton Wagler #23 of the Illinois Fighting Illini dribbles against the UConn Huskies in the Final Four of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium on April 04, 2026 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
1 — Washington Wizards: BYU F A.J. Dybantsa
According to Charania, the Wizards are honing in on Dybantsa over the other options at this spot. It’s been widely reported that they’d been deciding between him and Kansas G Darryn Peterson for a few weeks now, but the league-wide belief is that Dybantsa will be in Washington by the end of the night.
2 — Utah Jazz: Kansas G Darryn Peterson
The Jazz met with Peterson over the weekend after he refused to work out for them earlier in the cycle. While I won’t rule out Cameron Boozer in this spot — especially considering his father works in their front office and he fits everything Danny Ainge loves — Peterson is a flawless fit in Utah. They need a lead ball-handler and volume scorer at the guard position.
3 — Memphis Grizzlies: Duke F Cameron Boozer
Boozer could not be a better fit in Memphis, and I think the Grizzlies would take him at No. 1 if they had that selection. Next to third-year C Zach Edey, Boozer will dominate the boards. He has elite feel and touch, processes the game well beyond his years, can shoot it from long-distance and create for others, and he’s one of the youngest prospects in the class.
4 — Chicago Bulls: North Carolina F Caleb Wilson
The Bulls are excited to add Wilson to their young core. He only worked out with Chicago, indicating where he falls in this class. Wilson isn’t as strong a prospect as the top three, but don’t think he’s not an elite prospect in his own right. Athletic, rim-running, playmaking, rebounding. If he hones in on defense, the sky’s the limit.
5 — Los Angeles Clippers (via IND): Illinois G Keaton Wagler
The Clippers seem to be honing in on Wagler with this pick. He’s only worked out with Chicago and Los Angeles. Given the Bulls are all but a certainty to take Wilson, that indicates where Wagler might be headed. He’s a great fit next to Darius Garland in the Clippers’ backcourt and he’s lauded for his shooting and ability to play off-ball.
6 — Brooklyn Nets: Tennessee F Nate Ament
The Nets have been continually connected to Ament and I don’t think acquiring Randle changes anything for them. Ament is a raw prospect but he’s archetype is alluring. He can dribble, pass, shoot, and crash the rim at 6-10 with a good handle. Though he has a lot of development to undergo in the league, he can get there, and the Nets can afford to be patient with his timeline.
7 — Sacramento Kings: Arkansas G Darius Acuff
Acuff might be the highest-upside prospect after Boozer, but due to his small size and defensive deficiencies, some teams are getting cold feet. The Kings, though, have been craving for a prospect like Acuff. He’s so dynamic with the ball in his hands and has 30-ppg potential in the NBA.
8 — Atlanta Hawks (via NOP): Arizona G Brayden Burries
Teams love Burries, and he could go higher than this tonight. His combination of athleticism, shooting, and defense makes him a picture-perfect NBA shooting guard. He can score at all three levels, is physically matured, and fits into primary or secondary offensive roles. Burries is such a versatile prospect.
9 — Dallas Mavericks: Louisville G Mikel Brown Jr.
The hiring of Michigan HC Dusty May yesterday suddenly makes this selection really interesting, given the Wolverines have three bigs all projected to go in the lottery. But I don’t think the Mavericks could pass up Brown if he’s on the board. Brown’s size, shooting, playmaking, and defensive potential is a high-upside fit next to Cooper Flagg.
10 — Milwaukee Bucks: Baylor G Cameron Carr
Carr is my candidate for surprise lottery selection. He’s got a 7-1 wingspan, plays good defense, and is an elite shooter and scorer with size. That archetype does historically well in the NBA, and the Bucks need some upside with these picks as the enter a new team era.
11 — Golden State Warriors: Michigan C Aday Mara
The Warriors have been chasing a competent starting center for the last few seasons as they try and squeeze one more title out of the tail end of Steph Curry’s career. If Mara’s on the board, they should sprint the card in. This might be the bottom of his range, given his incredible defensive tape and plus passing at the center position.
12 — Oklahoma City Thunder (via LAC): Michigan F Morez Johnson Jr.
Johnson is a switchable defender with plus length, some shooting range, and immense physicality down low and on the boards. He’s the Thunder’s archetype, and he’d be a flawless fit in Oklahoma City as they try and retool for another run at a title.
13 — Milwaukee Bucks (via MIA): New Zealand F Karim Lopez
The Bucks can never replace Giannis outright, but Lopez plays the same position as another foreign prospect. He’s more of a below-the-rim player but is physical, rebounds well, and can score in spurts. Though Lopez might be more of a project, the Bucks can be patient and wait for him to settle into the speed of the NBA.
14 — Charlotte Hornets: Michigan F Yaxel Lendeborg
The Hornets have their stars. Now they need to surround their young talent with quality starters and role players. Despite his age, Lendeborg projects as a plug-and-play NBA forward who can shoot, pass, score, and create on defense with the best of them. His age probably precludes star upside, but Lendeborg is one of the safest bets in the entire class to be a good NBA player.
NBA Mock Draft Remaining First Round: Big Names Still on the Board
GettyOKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA – MARCH 19: Kingston Flemings #4 of the Houston Cougars dribbles the ball against the Idaho Vandals during the first half in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Paycom Center on March 19, 2026 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
15 — Chicago Bulls (via POR): Texas G Dailyn Swain
Swain could wind up going in the lottery. Not too many 6-8 guards out there, after all. But with the Bulls taking Wilson and adding Claxton in the Randle trade, they can turn their attention to their backcourt. While Swain needs to get more consistent from range, he’s a walking rim bucket with defensive upside.
16 — Memphis Grizzlies (via PHX): Houston G Kingston Flemings
The Grizzlies would likely need to trade up to land Flemings. Don’t rule out the possibility: Memphis GM Zach Kleiman is known to be aggressive trading up for his guys. Here, though, Flemings slips out of the lottery, and the Grizzlies sprint the card in. He’s exactly the type of lead guard they need.
17 — Oklahoma City Thunder (via PHI): Washington C Hannes Steinbach
The Thunder are likely to lose Isaiah Hartenstein in free agency, so here they add Steinbach to replace him. Steinbach isn’t the bounciest athlete, but he has great touch around the rim, is arguably the best rebounder in the class, and even has a little shooting upside as well.
18 — Charlotte Hornets (via ORL): Texas Tech G Christian Anderson
Anderson has been a steady riser throughout this process, as few prospects can match his combination of playmaking and off-the-dribble shooting. He’s truly an elite shooter, with unlimited range and can light it up from volume. Can he perform well enough on defense to stay on the court? That’s the question.
19 — Toronto Raptors: Alabama G Labaron Philon
Philon is one of my favorite prospects in this class. He’s so fast and explosive, can light it up from anywhere on the court, gets his teammates involved, crashes the glass well for a guard, and his defensive tape is impressive. Toronto can put all of those skills to good use.
20 — San Antonio Spurs (via ATL): Santa Clara F Allen Graves
Graves doesn’t have any one specific skill you can point to as a standout trait. Instead, he’s really good at pretty much everything. One of the analytical darlings on this class, he’s a good shooter, rim finisher, passer, rebounder, and has defensive chops as well. The Spurs are need of more frontcourt help, particularly at power forward, and Graves fits the bill.
21 — Detroit Pistons (via MIN): Stanford G Ebuka Okorie
Okorie’s range is pretty wide, but I love his fit in Detroit. The Pistons need more dynamic shot-making from the perimeter, and that’s exactly what Okorie provides. He gets to the rim at will, is a three-level scorer, and showed some playmaking upside as well. He’d start his career on the bench, but there’s a world in which he’s the perfect fit next to Cade Cunningham.
22 — Philadelphia 76ers (via HOU): Houston F Chris Cenac Jr.
Cenac is unpolished, but he’s a really fun fit next to Joel Embiid if he hits. He can initiate offense from the perimeter, shoot over anyone he likes, and aggressively crashes the glass on both ends of the floor. With some improvement in his shot selection, there’s star upside here.
23 — Atlanta Hawks (via CLE): St. John’s C Zuby Ejiofor
Ejiofor is a sneaky candidate to go higher than people expect tonight. With Burries already in hand, the Hawks can turn their attention to the center position. Though he’s slightly undersized, Ejiofor provides rebounding, playmaking, and scoring at a position the Hawks have struggled at in recent years.
24 — New York Knicks: Connecticut C Tarris Reed Jr.
With the Knicks likely to lose Mitchell Robinson in free agency, Reed would slide in as a pretty seamless replacement. He’s got that same relentless energy, rim protection, and finishing ability of Robinson. But he has better touch around the rim and doesn’t miss over half his free throws, which Knicks fans will appreciate.
25 — Los Angeles Lakers: Arkansas G Meleek Thomas
Thomas projects as an elite NBA starting role player in his prime. He’s got a clean shot and a quick release, with plenty of length and defensive upside. There’s a chance he can be more than that, but the Lakers need cost-controlled quality players around their stars, so Thomas makes a lot of sense.
26 — Denver Nuggets: Iowa G Bennett Stirtz
Stirtz slipped a bit in this scenario, but the Nuggets will happily pounce on the chance to draft him. Even though he’s an older prospect, he has great positional size, is an elite passer, plus shooter, and can play both on- and off-ball roles.
27 — Boston Celtics: Arizona F Koa Peat
A young, productive bruiser, Peat would add a strong element of physicality to Boston’s roster. His shot is a work in progress, which limits his upside. But everything else about is game is so strong (pun intended): he attacks the rim with impunity, is stout and switchable on defense, and can playmake from the forward position.
28 — Brooklyn Nets (via DET, MIN): Connecticut F Alex Karaban
The Nets have a lot of ball-dominant players. They need to add guys who are comfortable in an off-ball role, filling in the gaps where needed. That’s Karaban to a T — he’s a great shooter, a good defender, can playmake and create a little off the dribble. It’s a great fit.
29 — Cleveland Cavaliers (via SAS): Valencia G Sergio de Larrea
A Spanish prospect gaining a lot of steam lately, de Larrea has been connected to multiple teams in this range. With the Cavaliers retooling their roster, taking a shot on the high upside of de Larrea makes a lot of sense.
30 — Dallas Mavericks (via OKC): Duke G Isaiah Evans
It’s a reunion for Evans, with him rejoining former Blue Devils teammate Flagg in Dallas. The Mavericks need shooting around Flagg, and Evans is one of the best shooters in the class who can play multiple roles (and is a plus defender).
NBA Mock Draft: Final Updates & League Intel Following Giannis Trade