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Aday Mara #15 of the Michigan Wolverines is a 2026 NBA Mock Draft shocker.
Well, there’s an old axiom among talent evaluators that suggests you can’t really start sussing out who is going to go where in a draft until the final month. Everything before that, really, is guesswork. But now here we are, one month out, and the NBA Mock Draft 2026 is going to undergo some significant changes as real intel begins to leak out about which way teams are leaning and who likes whom.
The big watch will be on for potential changes at the top. As things stand the first four remain the same–AJ Dybantsa and Darryn Peterson are likely to go in the Top 2, with Cameron Boozer a candidate to usurp one of those spots, and Caleb Wilson penciled in at No. 5.
The Clippers winning their coin-toss bet (figuratively speaking) with the Pacers to get the No. 5 pick did give the lottery a surprisingly different shape, and we think that could mean a shocker at that spot (if they don’t trade down). At the very least, don’t expect the Clippers to do the expected, and don’t be surprised if the Nets follow suit at No. 6.
Let’s get into it.
The Big 3 Stay Put
- Washington Wizards. AJ Dybantsa, SF, BYU. Would the Wizards trade the pick, so that the Jazz could move up and select Dybantsa, a BYU guy? That’s probably the big question here. Peterson would easily have been the pick over Dybantsa before the season–he got the better of him as prep players–but obviously that changed with the kinds of years each had. If the Wiz can A) convince Utah that Dybantsa is their guy and B) extract another pick or a player for the Jazz, there might be some fire to this smoke. Scout: “He checks every box and is going to come into the league with an All-Star’s game. He needs to get more consistent with his shooting and he needs to be better at understanding how to keep an offense moving because he can be a ball-stopper sometimes. But those are easy fixes. Everything else is an A.”
- Utah Jazz. Darryn Peterson, SG, Kansas. It’s possibly Boozer will be the pick here, and maybe the Jazz grab him and either seek to move off of Walker Kessler (sign-and-trade) or trade Lauri Markkanen. Certainly, if the Wizards pick here, Boozer is in the running alongside Peterson. But most scouts have Peterson either No. 1 or 2 in this class, so we’re leaving him here. Many in the NBA were put off by Peterson’s strange trip at Kansas this year because of his cramping issues, and some are dubious about his creatine explanation. Still, his talent is too much to pass on.
- Memphis Grizzlies. Cameron Boozer, PF, Duke. The Grizzlies pretty much need help at every position so can sit tight and let the first two picks fall where they may, and clean up on Door No. 3. Here’s what one scout said on Boozer: “He has so much skill around the basket, he knows how to win, and he makes everyone around him better. He will score 25 points and still throw elbows, set screens, dive on the floor. He is a guy you want on your team.”
NBA Mock Draft 2026: Shocker for the Clippers (and Nets)
- Chicago Bulls. Caleb Wilson, PF, North Carolina. The we’re settling into a consensus that Wilson will, in fact, round out the Top 4 in this draft. The Bulls need a star, and Wilson has that capability. He is a lot less polished than the guys going ahead of him, which is why he is slotted consistently at No. 4. Scout: “He reminds me of Chris Bosh, and Bosh was a Hall of Famer. But you’ve got to remember, Bosh put in a ton of work–he was way too skinny and could not shoot when he came in, but you could see the tools. Wilson, you can see the tools but he is skinny and he needs to learn to shoot better. So the question is, how much work is he going to put in?”
- LA Clippers (from Indiana Pacers). Aday Mara, C, Michigan. Absolutely a stretch for the Clippers to take Mara here. But there is such a strong run of point guards/combo guards expected to come after this, and the Clippers are badly in need of a frontcourt rebuild. Mara is raw but he showed tremendous improvement over the course of last year so there is hope that continues to accelerate as he goes into the NBA. Yes, the Clippers can trade down from here, but Mara is expected to go at No. 8 to the Hawks at the latest. If they want the most promising big guy in the draft, this is the one.
- Brooklyn Nets. Yaxel Lendeborg, PF, Michigan. Again, another Michigan guy benefits from a guard-heavy stretch here. The Nets could also trade down from here, and are more likely to do so than the Clippers because they need help all over the roster. But they’re invested in point guards already. The Nets want to begin transitioning from rebuilding to winning, so Lendeborg’s maturity is not a problem. He tested well at the combine, so a Top 10 spot is in play for him. Scout: “He’s going to be 24 in September, and that’s the big thing with him—he is ready to play in the NBA but you’d expect him to be more of a versatile, dirty-work kind of role player. That’s not a bad thing, but he fits best with a contender. Some teams might be looking for a bigger swing.”
- Sacramento Kings. Mikel Brown, Jr., PG, Louisville. Brown is the wildcard among the point guard grouping in that he might have the most talent of any of the PGs but he also was very inconsistent. He does have star power and he tested well in Chicago and his stock is on the rise–and the Kings, let’s face it, need to take a big swing here. The Kings are in for some major changes in the coming weeks, if they can get some nibbles on their array of trade bait.
Point Guard Run Continues
- Atlanta Hawks (from New Orleans Pelicans). Kingston Flemings, PG, Houston. There will be questions about whether Flemings’ 6-foot-3 measurement on his wingspan–small compared to other guards in the draft–will do serious damage to his draft position. Surely, it won’t help. But he is a proven two-way guard, even with a small wingspan, and that will matter to the Hawks. He is not a prototypical NBA point guard, but he is a good shooter who can develop his 3-ball. He shot 38.7% on 3s at Houston, though he took only 2.9 per game. Scout: “Teams will fall in love with him as they talk with him and see how he thinks the game. There are more raw talented players, but he is a worker and a thinker, and he is going to get everything out of his talent.”
- Dallas Mavericks. Labaron Philon, PG, Alabama. Philon can be a bit of a wildcard, but he is showing he can be an effective point/combo guard. That’s ideal for a Mavericks team that runs so much through Cooper Flagg, and will be replacing Kyrie Irving sooner or later. Scout: “He is all over the board. I think where he lands will depend on whether he gets a team who sees him as a starting point guard—and the way he played to close the season and into the tournament, I think his stock is up.”
- Milwaukee Bucks. Keaton Wagler, G, Illinois. Wagler is big a combo guard who averaged 17.9 points with 5.1 rebounds and 4.2 assists this season, shooting 39.7% from the 3-point line. Scout: “His upside is not as high as some other guys, but he is a very smart, very purely talented scorer and ballhandler. I love how he sees a game and picks it apart. That’s a skill that translates to the next level.”
NBA Mock Draft 2026: Miami Heat Get a Draft Slider
- Golden State Warriors. Cameron Carr, SF, Baylor. Carr is a high-volume scorer entering a league that has turned up its nose at high-volume scorers. But scouts believe his off-ball ability will translate to the NBA. He is 6-foot-5 with a 7-foot-1 wingspan and good shooting ability–he has the raw tools teams are looking for, and has noticeably improved over time. “I think he is moving up the more NBA people get a closer look at him,” one personnel man said. “He’s not your No. 1 option but he can be a really good No. 3 as a rookie, and a No. 2 in time.” The Warriors would like a big man here, so it is likely a matter of gambling on a Michigan guy (Morez Johnson, or Aday Mara if he is here) or not.
- Oklahoma City Thunder (from LA Clippers). Morez Johnson, PF, Michigan. The Thunder could trade this pick, but Johnson sure appears to be their kind of guy–excellent in his role as a defensive star who can chip in offensively. His measurements (9-foot standing reach, 7-foot-3 wingspan) in Chicago likely sealed Johnson’s decision to stay in the NBA draft. Johnson has shown himself to be more versatile and efficient than his reputation held coming into the season after spending last year with Illinois. He’s a rim-runner first and foremost, but he can defend, score out of dribble handoffs and has excelled in the double-big lineups the Thunder have made work for them.
- Miami Heat. Darius Acuff Jr., PG, Arkansas. It’s simple math that if more and more bigger players move up the board, one of the talented point guards–maybe more–will take a tumble. The bet here is that it will be Acuff, who some see as the No. 4 or 5 player in this draft because of his relentless scoring ability. But defense matters. As one scout said, “He is not just a bad defender, he is an awful defender. You will need to work on him to get him up to average.” Acuff left a good impression heading into the workout stretch and he could be a Top 10 guy. If the Heat keep this pick (it could be used as Giannis bait), Acuff could give them a needed perimeter scorer.
- Charlotte Hornets. Jayden Quaintance, PF/C, Kentucky. Expect the Hornets to seek a big guy here. Quaintance is one of the big wildcards of this draft, athletic at 6-foot-10 but coming off ACL surgery this season. He went out again after a brief return this winter, an unfortunate bit of punctuation on a frustrating year. The knee is an obvious concern, but he held a workout in Chicago that quelled some worries. Scout: “You see some Jalen Duren in him because he plays with that same kind of intensity. The injury is there but it is an ACL, and guys his age usually bounce back from that without a lot of added worry as long as the rest of the medicals are clean. That’s the big test.”
Bulls Pick a Big Shooter
- Chicago Bulls (from Portland Trail Blazers). Nate Ament, SF, Tennessee. Ament is one of those players who has left enough of impression on talent evaluators that they will overlook what was a down year as a freshman (16.7 points, 39.9% shooting). He will come into the NBA as a big outside threat, but he shot just 33.3% from the 3-point line in college. Still, at 6-foot-9.5 and a 6-foot-11.5 wingspan, teams will see a useful starter in their future. Scout: “Up and down year for him. It was good he came back after getting hurt (ankle injury in late February), but there’s a lot of question marks there. He’s a shooter at 6-foot-10, though. … You just have to trust that you can develop him.”
- Memphis Grizzlies (from Phoenix Suns). Brayden Burries, G, Arizona. The concerns about Burries are obvious ones–he is older as an outgoing freshman (he will be 21 in September) and he is a 6-foot-4 combo guard. He is a potential Top 10 pick, but again, the more big guys who slide upward, the more point guards will slide downward. He is an excellent two-way guard, though, and while he can’t carry a team offensively, he can be a winning player–if the Grizzlies come out of this draft with Boozer and Burries, they will have a really solid foundation.
- Oklahoma City Thunder (from Philadelphia Sixers). Karim Lopez, F, New Zealand Breakers. Lopez’s measurements in Chicago were not overwhelming (6-foot-8.25 height, 6-foot-11.5 wingspan) and he didn’t quite put it together in his NBL season this year, averaging 11.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 49% shooting. He is a 12-to-18 prospect now, but could move up in a draft with a point guard logjam if he works out well. Scout: “You want to play him as a big wing and he has the build for that but he is more of a straight-ahead slasher now and you can’t be sure if he is going to develop the shooting, and the court vision you want to see there. But he is young and he is physical, he is not afraid to mix it up. That’s a good starting point.”
- Charlotte Hornets (from Orlando Magic). Hannes Steinbach, C/PF, Washington. Steinbach is a big rebounding machine who can play either frontcourt spot after leading the nation in college with 11.8 boards per game. We’ve got the Hornets grabbing Jayden Quaintance already, and doubling down with frontcourt picks here. This is a team that has had little luck finding solutions in the middle, and one that is not sold on keeping Miles Bridges long-term. A double-big draft makes some sense.
- Toronto Raptors. Ebuka Okorie, PG, Stanford. Playing for the Cardinal meant that Okorie has been largely overlooked, but he is a candidate to rise up some boards in the coming weeks. The 6-foot-8 wingspan he registered at the combine will help. He averaged 23.2 points in the ACC last year, though there are questions about how his game translates to the NBA. The Raptors need backcourt depth and if they keep this pick, expect them to look at point guards.
NBA Mock Draft 2026: Spurs Build Frontcourt Depth
- San Antonio Spurs (from Atlanta Hawks). Allen Graves, PF, Santa Clara. The Spurs are an obviously well-built bunch, but would like to add young frontcourt depth. Graves is a late climber who is a candidate to go back to college. But he is the kind of do-it-all contributor that the analytics folks will love, and a glue-type guy for an organization that knows how to use them. Scout: “If he comes out, he is probably going to move up, because he is so efficient, he makes winning plays, he is young and he got better as the year went on. Get him in workouts and interviews and he is the kind of kid someone is going to fall in love with.”
- Detroit Pistons (from Minnesota Timberwolves). Dailyn Swain, G/F, Texas. Swain is a risk-reward type, a potential-laden pick for the second half of the first round. He averaged 17.3 points and 7.5 rebounds after transferring from Xavier, and was a key to Texas’ Sweet 16 run. Scout: “He is 6-foot-8 and he has always been sort of a question mark. But the more this season has gone on, and now the NCAA tournament, you see him converting potential into performance. He is passing better, he is shooting better, he is making better decisions. And he’s just scratching the surface.” The easy path would be for the Pistons to land a point guard here, but they need depth all over the rotation.
- Philadelphia Sixers (from Houston Rockets). Christian Anderson, G, Texas Tech. The fact that teams are more likely to be looking for size in this draft is probably the only thing that would hold Anderson’s stock into the 20s. He is a very good shooter (41.5% from the 3-point line this year) and playmaker who can play on and off the ball.
- Atlanta Hawks (from Cleveland Cavaliers). Chris Cenac Jr., PF/C, Houston. Cenac is a candidate to return to college, but he should be a first-rounder and has been helping his stock (his 7-foot-4 wingspan is key to that). Cenac is a candidate to be a riser because he could do well with good NBA development, too, having failed to live up to his pre-college billing. The Hawks would be a good fit. Scout: “He is a risk, all the big guys in this draft are a risk. You’d like to see more rim protection, you’d like to see more consistency. But he can develop into a stretch big guy, and that’s at a premium, so he probably winds up in the lottery. There’s a lot of untapped potential.”
- New York Knicks. Malachi Moreno, F/C, Kentucky. There is chatter that Moreno has been guaranteed a first-round spot in the draft, and though he is still weighing going back to college, there’s a good chance he stays. The Knicks have worked him out and their ties to UK are well known. He needs to get stronger and will need significant polish to his game, but he has the potential to be a cutter who can defend the paint–and guys with 7-foot-5.5 wingspans are hard to find.
- LA Lakers. Henri Veesaar, C, North Carolina. The Lakers need size and shooting, and Veesaar is a two-fer in that respect. He was a highlight on a North Carolina team that disappointed, averaging 17.1 points and 8.7 rebounds after transferring from Arizona. He can be the much-needed lob threat, and also flashed stretch-5 capability by making 42.6% of the 94 3-pointers he tried last season. Whether he can hold his own defensively is the big question.
NBA Mock Draft 2026: Celtics Land Zuby
- Denver Nuggets. Koa Peat, PF, Arizona. We might not see Peat on many mock drafts going forward, if he goes back to school as many think he should. He is a fringe first-rounder, a 6-foot-8 forward who plays with some power. How a team views him is probably based on whether it thinks he can develop a 3-pointer (6-for-19 in his college career). He might be better off doing that in the NCAA.
- Boston Celtics. Zuby Ejiofor, F/C, St. John’s. The Celtics might need to go big with this pick, with few options available on the free-agent market or on the current roster. This pick could be traded, of course, but as it stands, Boston will have some choices based on whom falls to them. Ejiofor came in with a 7-foot-2 wingspan at the combine, and an 8-foot-11 standing reach, offsetting his 6-foot-7.5 height measurement. He finished last year strong. Ejiofor is a fast-rising center who needs offensive work but plays with energy and physicality. He averaged 16.3 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.1 blocks last year.
- Minnesota Timberwolves (from Detroit Pistons). Isaiah Evans, SF, Duke. Evans measured in at 6-foot-5.5 with a 6-foot-8.75 wingspan and a 8-foot-8.5 standing reach, good measurements for a perimeter scorer teams will want to see be able to defend at an NBA level, too. He has the length, the agility and the shooting form: He made 38.0% in his career with the Blue Devils.
- Cleveland Cavaliers (from San Antonio Spurs). Bennett Stirtz, PG, Iowa. He probably would go higher, but Stirtz is a victim of being 23 years old in the fall, in a draft deep with point guards. The Cavs could use a steady ballhandler off the bench. Stirtz will need to add strength and physicality, but he is a polished playmaker who can shoot from deep.
- Dallas Mavericks (from Oklahoma City Thunder). Alex Karaban, PF, UConn. We’re sticking with Karaban as a fringe first-rounder, especially after he had the best 3-point shooting drill of anyone at the combine. The Mavericks want to start putting win-now young players on the roster. Karaban will be 24 in November, and that is not a negative for the Mavericks, who would welcome a polished, floor-stretching big man.
NBA Mock Draft 2026: Top 5 Shocker With 1 Month to Go