2026 NBA Mock Draft: After hiring Michigan's Dusty May, Mavericks take former Wolverines star Aday Mara

This pick should come down to Peterson or Dybantsa. The Wizards can't go wrong with either prospect. Like I've said for the last calendar year, I strongly believe that Peterson is the best player in the class. It might be a shocker to some if Peterson goes here, but I personally think he is a better fit in Washington than Utah.

The Jazz would have their vision fulfilled when Dybantsa arrived to the state of Utah as a high school senior at Utah Prep if he is available here. If Peterson is off the board, Dybantsa would be the most logical pick at 2. It's hard to see Utah passing on him.

Boozer had one of the best one-and-done seasons in college basketball history at Duke and would add playmaking, rebounding and scoring to Memphis. Boozer has almost become underrated this draft cycle. He would be the clear-cut No. 1 pick in most draft classes.

The Bulls have the easiest decision to make on draft night. Whatever prospect of the "Big Four" is available, that's the pick. Wilson to Chicago seems like one of the most likely pairings on draft night. Wilson has untapped potential on the offensive end of the floor and would add athleticism and defense to a franchise looking for a 1A-type player.

For me, this is where the draft starts. The Clippers can swing the draft by taking any of the point guards projected in this range. In this mock, the Clippers take Wagler, who led Illinois to the Final Four as a freshman. This is also the spot where the first big trade of the night could happen if the Clippers are confident someone like Brayden Burries would be there in the later portion of the lottery.

Brown missed time at Louisville last season due to a back injury. If he's healthy and the medicals are clean, he has a chance to be the best point guard in this draft. Brooklyn needs talent after having a lackluster draft despite making five first round picks last summer. Brown checks those boxes.

The worst kept secret in the NBA Draft is the Kings admiration for Acuff. Kings general manager Scott Perry coached his father in the 1990s when he was the coach at Eastern Kentucky. Acuff, in my opinion, is the best true point guard in the draft. He can be an offensive engine in the NBA. That's exactly what Sacramento needs. There has been a lot of talk about Sacramento potentially trading up to secure Acuff. I'll believe it when I see it.

The Hawks, in this scenario, will likely be deciding between Mara or Flemings. In this mock, the Hawks take Flemings, who can be an immediate two-way impact as a rookie.

Any of the players from Michigan's frontcourt would be a natural fit with Dallas. The one that intrigues me the most is Mara going to the Mavericks. Yes, Dallas has a log-jam already at the center position with Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively III, but Mara's fit with Dallas makes a ton of sense. Mara was one of the best shot blockers in college basketball and was the defensive anchor of Michigan's national title team. He is a unique prospect because of his skill set as a 7-foot-3 big man without shoes. If he can develop as a shooter – or at least a threat as a pick-and-pop option, it would do wonders for his game.

In this mock draft, we projected Giannis to be traded to the Heat. The Bucks own this pick already and use it to draft Ament, who is one of the biggest boom-or-bust prospects in the class. Ament showed signs of improvement throughout his freshman season at Tennessee but there are question marks about his efficiency after shooting less than 40% from the field last season.

In my last mock draft, I had the Warriors taking Morez Johnson Jr. In this one, I have Golden State taking his frontcourt mate, Yaxel Lendeborg. Lendeborg, in my opinion, is a clear-cut top 10 player in the class. Yes, there are concerns about his draft age but he is exactly the kind of player Golden State should be targeting in the draft.

The Thunder have an abundance of riches in their rotation. If the Thunder stick at No. 12, one option that makes sense is Burries. He is a versatile guard who can shoot, rebound and defend. That's exactly the kind of player OKC tends to target.

Another trade! The Bucks use their second first-round pick (after trading Giannis away in this mock trade) to draft a center of the future. Steinbach has some of the best hands in college basketball and was a double-double machine during his time at Washington.

The Hornets appear to be in the center market this offseason. Although Johnson isn't a center, he would add size and versatility to Charlotte's frontcourt. Johnson exploits mismatches on offense and can guard multiple positions on the defensive end of the floor.

After playing just 41 minutes total last season at Tennessee, Carr transferred to Baylor, where he blossomed into the Bears' leading scorer. He averaged 18.9 points on 49.4/37.4/80.1 shooting splits. His offensive upside is worth the swing here.

After taking a forward at pick No. 3, the Grizzlies take their point guard of the future. Anderson is one of the best shooters in the class. Sixty-five of Anderson's 108 3-point shots were non-catch-and-shoot makes, which showcases his ability to create his own shot. This is a spot where you would imagine teams call Memphis to gauge a trade down opportunity.

Lopez is the only International player I've had in all my mocks. The International class just isn't as deep as previous seasons. Lopez's draft range appears to be somewhere in the late lottery or the early 20s.

Another trade! It was reported earlier this week that Philon conducted a visit with Minnesota, which is interesting because the lone pick Minnesota holds is at No. 28 and the Alabama star is projected to be off the board before then. If Minnesota is confident in Philon, it would be logical to see them trade up for him. Two years ago, the Timberwolves were aggressive in the draft and traded two picks to move up to No. 8 to draft Rob Dillingham. That experiment didn't work out, but maybe this one will.

Okorie is one player who will go higher than expected. He was one of the best scorers in college basketball, and his ability to attack the rim as a guard is special. The Raptors could be in the market for a big man, but taking the BPA also makes sense.

The biggest need for the Spurs heading into the offseason is finding a true 4 to play next to Victor Wembanyama. Peat would make sense in that regard. Although his jumper is a work in progress, he would be a great culture fit with the Spurs. Peat has been a winner at almost every stop in his basketball journey, which is exactly what San Antonio should be targeting.

Graves is an analytic darling. He didn't post eye-popping numbers at Santa Clara, but his advanced numbers told a different story. He could've returned to college basketball and cashed in on a huge NIL payday. Instead, he will capitalize on the hype and stay in the draft. Graves should join Jalen Williams and Brandin Podziemski as the latest first-round pick to come out of Santa Clara in the last five drafts.

Peat is someone who has been connected to the 76ers throughout the draft cycle. If he's off the board, I see the 76ers going BPA. Evans went from almost strictly a pure catch-and-shoot 3-point specialist at Duke during his freshman year to a legit No. 2 scoring option on the No. 1 overall seed in college basketball. Evans almost doubled the amount of 3-pointers he took from this year to last and still knocked them down at a 36.1% clip.

After taking Flemings at No. 8, Atlanta adds a big man who has untapped potential because of his frame, athleticism and motor. Cenac is going to be a very impactful player in the league if he lands in the right situation.

The reigning NBA champions could target a big man with this pick. However, one player who makes sense is Thomas. I could see him being a very valuable and impactful scorer off the bench for the Knicks as the franchise chases a repeat.

The Lakers biggest need heading into the offseason should be finding a center. If Quaintance is still on the board, that should be the pick. He is one of the most unique prospects in this class. After playing in just four games at Kentucky last season, his stock has taken a hit. Still, when healthy, he is one of the best defenders in the class.

I could see Swain going much higher than 26 on draft night because of how thin the wing class is. Swain was productive in his lone season at Texas and has the upside to be a two-way player in the NBA.

This is the first time Jefferson has cracked the first round of my mocks this cycle. The Iowa State big man is a very skilled passer and will be an impactful role player at the next level. It wouldn't be surprising to see him land somewhere at the end of the first round or with the first few picks of the second.

Ejiofor has a strong case to go at the end of the first round. He was one of the best defenders in college basketball this past season. If Ejiofor doesn't hear his name called at the end of the first, he will be one of the first five picks of the second round.

One of the point guards is bound to slide a bit on draft night. I could see that being Stirtz. The Iowa star has had an incredible rise from playing at the Division II level to being a likely first-round pick. This would be a BPA pick from the Cavs.

Reed had one of the most dominant NCAA Tournament runs of any big man in the modern era. He is a throwback big man who thrives in the post and causes havoc on the defensive end. He averaged a career-high 2.0 blocks per game in his final season of college basketball.