2026 NBA Draft team grades: Live updates for all 30 teams as Round 1 unfolds

The 2026 NBA Draft has finally arrived. After months of rumors, speculation and talk about how strong this year's draft class is, the two-day event from Brooklyn officially began on Tuesday night. All eyes were on the Washington Wizards as they made the No. 1 overall pick for the first time since 2010, choosing BYU's AJ Dybantsa over Kansas' Darryn Peterson, who went No. 2 to the Utah Jazz.

The Memphis Grizzlies and Chicago Bulls then had their eyes set on Duke's Cameron Boozer and North Carolina's Caleb Wilson with picks Nos. 3 and 4, respectively.

2026 NBA Draft grades: Live pick-by-pick analysis, updates for Round 1 with AJ Dybantsa picked No. 1

Adam Finkelstein

From there, the run on guards began. At No. 5, the Los Angeles Clippers went with Illinois freshman Keaton Wagler over several of the draft's other top ball handlers like Louisville's Mikel Brown Jr., Arkansas' Darius Acuff Jr. and Houston's Kingston Flemings. All four were expected to go in the top 10, and they went off the board in succession with Brown at No. 6 to the Nets, Acuff at No. 7 to the Kings and Flemings at No. 8 to the Hawks.

From pick No. 1 all the way to the final pick on Wednesday night, CBS Sports will be handing out team grades in real time with individual selections graded by Director of Basketball Scouting Adam Finkelstein. Follow along as we break down all of the drama as it unfolds.

2026 NBA Draft essentials

Atlanta Hawks: B+8. Kingston Flemings, PG, Houston | Grade: B+

After trading away Trae Young last season, the Hawks retooled their roster. By landing Flemings at No. 8, Atlanta is adding one of the quickest guards in the draft who also profiles as a two-way player.

Flemings will likely start his NBA career as a reserve. He is more than capable of running the second unit and has experience playing with more veteran players, as he did with Houston this past season. The Hawks also hold the No. 23 pick in the draft and can use that selection to address the center position.

Next picks: 23 (from Cleveland) and 57 (from Boston)

Boston Celtics

Own picks Nos. 27 and 40 (from Milwaukee).

Brooklyn Nets: B6. Mikel Brown Jr., PG, Louisville | Grade: B

The Nets had a busy draft night last summer when they made five picks in the first round. Despite drafting three guards then, Brooklyn picked another at No. 6 this year in Mikel Brown Jr. Brown does fit with Egor Dёmin – the No. 8 pick in 2025 – in the backcourt. Brown is considered one of the best shooters in the class, while Dёmin went from almost a non-shooter at BYU to generating a healthy chunk of his scoring from beyond the arc.

Brooklyn needs talent. There was a strong case to be made for Acuff here at No. 6, as he would've been more complementary to what the Nets have on the roster, but Brown is still a solid pick who should be given the offensive freedom right away to develop his game.

Next picks: 28 (from Minnesota) and 43 (from LA Clippers)

Charlotte Hornets

Own picks Nos. 14 and 18 (from Orlando via Phoenix).

Chicago Bulls: A4. Caleb Wilson, PF, North Carolina | Grade: A

The Bulls made a surprising trade on the eve of the draft by plucking Nic Claxton away from Brooklyn. Claxton should presumably be a Day 1 starter at center for new coach Tiago Splitter. His likely frontcourt running mate next season will be Wilson after Chicago selected him at No. 4. Wilson is a jump-out-of-the-gym forward who can be a two-way game wrecker for a Bulls franchise in need of a star. Former lottery pick Matas Buzelis has shown promise as a building block, while Josh Giddey is coming off a breakout season.

Chicago had the easiest pick of draft night by taking Wilson, who has the upside to be a legitimate superstar if he improves his jumper. Wilson will add rebounding, defense and hustle to the Bulls next season.

Next picks: 15 (from Portland), 38 (from New Orleans) and 56 (from Denver)

Cleveland Cavaliers

Own pick No. 29 (from San Antonio via Atlanta).

Dallas Mavericks: C+9. Morez Johnson Jr., PF, Michigan | Grade: C+

The single most important goal for Dallas this offseason was to give reigning NBA Rookie of the Year Cooper Flagg a long-term running mate. By selecting Johnson, the Mavs are adding toughness, familiarity and size to the forward position.

And new Mavs coach Dusty May has history with Johnson after coaching him last season at Michigan. There was debate about who would be the first Michigan player off the board, and it ended up being Johnson -- who was one of the biggest risers of the draft cycle. Flagg and Johnson will be a terrifying defensive duo to face.

Next picks: 30 (from Oklahoma City via Washington and Philadelphia) and 48 (from Phoenix via Washington)

Denver Nuggets

Own picks Nos. 26 and 49 (from Atlanta via Brooklyn and Golden State).

Detroit Pistons

Own pick No. 21 (from Minnesota).

Golden State Warriors

Own picks Nos. 11 and 54 (from Los Angeles Lakers via Toronto, Miami and Cleveland).

Houston Rockets

Own picks Nos. 39 (from Chicago via Washington) and 53.

Indiana Pacers

Own no picks.

Los Angeles Clippers: B+5. Keaton Wagler, PG, Illinois | Grade: B+

After trading for Darius Garland at last season's trade deadline and getting lucky at last month's draft lottery, the Clippers were in a position to take the best player available at No. 5. Although the Clippers could've opted for someone like Darius Acuff, picking Wagler signals a vote of confidence for Garland's immediate future with in Los Angeles.

Wagler is one of the best shooters in the class and can play off the ball. Garland should dominate a majority of the on-ball reps next season, but Wagler should get his fair share of them when Garland is off the floor. Garland and Wagler will be able to co-exist in the backcourt. That probably wouldn't be the case for someone like Acuff or Kingston Flemings.

Next picks: 36 (from Memphis) and 52 (from Cleveland)

Los Angeles Lakers

Own pick No. 25.

Memphis Grizzlies: A+3. Cameron Boozer, PF, Duke | Grade: A+

There are fewer questions about how Boozer's game will translate than some of his peers, but there are still skeptics. Boozer was one of the most productive players in college basketball and should immediately slot into Memphis' lineup as the starting power forward next to Zach Edey in the frontcourt. Boozer is capable of playing in a five-out offense because of his ability to stretch the floor and be a playmaker out of the low or high block.

Edey and Boozer will be one of the best rebounding tandems in the NBA from Day 1. With Ja Morant likely on his way out this offseason, Boozer will be a foundational building block who can impact winning.

Next picks: 16 (from Phoenix via Orlando) and 32 (from Indiana via Milwaukee)

Miami Heat

Own pick 41 (from Golden State via Charlotte, New York, Oklahoma City and Atlanta).

Milwaukee Bucks

Own picks No. 10 and No. 13 (from Miami).

Minnesota Timberwolves

Own picks Nos. 33 (from Brooklyn) and 59 (from San Antonio via Indiana)

New Orleans Pelicans

Own pick No. 58 (from Detroit via New York, Brooklyn, Phoenix, Orlando and LA Clippers).

New York Knicks

Own picks Nos. 24, 31 (from Washington via Oklahoma City and Houston) and 55.

Oklahoma City Thunder

Own picks Nos. 12 (from LA Clippers), 17 (from Philadelphia) and 37 (from Dallas).

Orlando Magic

Own pick No. 46.

Philadelphia 76ers

Own pick No. 22 (from Houston via Oklahoma City).

Phoenix Suns

Own pick No. 47 (from Philadelphia via Houston and Oklahoma City).

Portland Trail Blazers

Own no picks.

Sacramento Kings: A-7. Darius Acuff Jr., PG, Arkansas | Grade: A-

The biggest need for Sacramento heading into draft night was finding its point guard of the future. After the Clippers and Nets passed on Darius Acuff Jr., Sacramento didn't hesitate to make him the pick. Acuff had been linked to Sacramento throughout the draft process and he will slot in immediately as the Kings' starter at the point.

Acuff is an offensive engine who will add scoring and playmaking to a Kings roster in need of a serious facelift this offseason. Sacramento has one of the oldest and most expensive rosters in the league, which includes Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan, so adding a cost-controlled asset like Acuff is a massive win for the franchise.

Next picks: 34 and 45 (from Charlotte via San Antonio, Atlanta and New York)

San Antonio Spurs

Own picks Nos. 20 (from Atlanta), 35 (from Utah via Minnesota), 42 (from Portland via New Orleans) and 44 (from Miami via Indiana).

Toronto Raptors

Own picks Nos. 19 and 50.

Utah Jazz: A2. Darryn Peterson, PG, Kansas | Grade: A

While there was speculation Utah could select Cameron Boozer at No. 2, the fit with Peterson is much cleaner. Peterson should slot immediately into Utah's lineup as the starting shooting guard next to Keyonte George and offer versatility because of his ability to play on or off the ball.

Although the Jazz have star power in their starting lineup -- which includes George, Lauri Markkanen and Jaren Jackson Jr., -- Peterson is the kind of player who can elevate a franchise to new heights. Peterson primarily played off the ball at Kansas after an up-and-down freshman season that was dominated by headlines about missing 11 games due to cramping. Still, Peterson has the ceiling to be the best player and scorer in the class and should give Utah a potential 1A option down the line.

Washington Wizards: A1. AJ Dybantsa, SF, BYU | Grade: A

After winning the NBA Draft Lottery for the first time since 2010, Washington took the next step toward getting out of the rebuilding stage by drafting Dybantsa. The Wizards had an interesting choice to make between Dybantsa and Peterson at No. 1. In the end, Washington went with the BYU product, who had been mocked at the top spot for several weeks.

Dybantsa is set to join a core in Washington that includes Trae Young, Anthony Davis, Alex Sarr, Kyshawn George, Tre Johnson, Bilal Coulibaly, Bub Carrington and Will Riley. After Young signed a four-year, $212 million extension with Washington earlier this week, it made the pick more likely in Dybantsa's favor.

While Peterson might be a better fit on paper for Washington, Dybantsa offers a completely different skill set. Dybantsa has the upside to be a 1A in the NBA. He is an alpha scorer who will elevate the floor and ceiling of this Washington roster.

Next picks: 51 (from Minnesota via Detroit and New York) and 60 (from Oklahoma City via San Antonio and Miami)