2026 NBA Mock Draft: Gary Parrish’s final projections following Giannis Antetokounmpo blockbuster trade

Dybantsa has moved to -550 in the betting markets to be the first pick, which is even bigger odds than he had before some reports started connecting Washington to Peterson. There’s probably a lesson in there somewhere. Either way, what the Wizards are getting is a jumbo-wing and natural scorer who led the EYBL in points per game after his freshman season of high school and the entire nation in points per game during his freshman season at BYU. Based on that trajectory, and Dybantsa’s awesome physical tools, it will not be surprising if he also someday leads the NBA in scoring. His presence should make the Wizards interesting for the first time in a while. Alongside Trae Young and Anthony Davis, Dybantsa could help Washington reach the postseason next year for the first time since 2021.

As noted, I believe Peterson’s theoretical ceiling is the highest of any player’s in this draft. The talent is undeniable. But there are questions about whether he’ll maximize his gifts because of the way his one season at Kansas unfolded. He was special in spots and at times looked like the best player in college basketball. But Peterson was also in and out of the lineup a lot — sometimes by his own choice — and that fact has raised concerns in some corners. Regardless, he won’t have to wait long to hear his name called. Assuming it’s by Utah, Peterson also shouldn’t have to wait long to be in the playoffs, as the Jazz are positioned to compete in the West with a core of Peterson and former (but still young) All-Stars Lauri Markkanen and Jaren Jackson Jr..

The Grizzlies have traded Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr. in the past year; Ja Morant is expected to go next. So the hope in Memphis is that the third pick in this draft delivers a new face of the franchise — and, assuming he’s available, it’ll likely be Boozer. Given how the so-called Morant Era went off the rails with multiple suspensions before the franchise decided to pivot, selecting Boozer is the most sensible move here. All he’s ever done is be awesome — both on and off the court — and win, win, win. If the Grizz grab him, their starting frontcourt on Opening Night should feature the 2023 and 2024 CBS Sports National Player of the Year (Zach Edey) and the 2026 CBS Sports National Player of the Year (Boozer).

Wilson to the Bulls is, in some people’s eyes, the safest prediction in the top five, as he is widely viewed as the fourth-best prospect in a clear-cut top four. Great athlete. Terrific competitor. But Wilson is also a non-shooter headed to a league that values it, which is not ideal for a top-five pick. But the other stuff is too great to pass on. So, barring a twist, Wilson will play home games at the United Center.

The Clippers are an obvious candidate to trade down. And there are franchises reportedly trying to get into the top five. So don’t be surprised if this pick gets moved. If it doesn’t, though, Wagler makes a lot of sense as a jumbo lead guard who can play on or off the ball. Most importantly, the Clippers need a bigger guard beside Darius Garland, who is only 6-1 and under contract with Los Angeles for two more years, and Wagler is the tallest option among the guards expected to go in this range.

The Nets took four guards in last year’s draft, but none of them really did anything too encouraging as rookies for a 20-win team, which obviously isn’t a great sign. Either way, that’s my way of suggesting Brooklyn shouldn’t hesitate to take a big swing on another guard here — and the biggest swing they can take might be Brown, the one-and-done star from Louisville who was great when he played but limited to just 21 appearances because of a back issue. His best performance came in early February, when Brown made 10 3-pointers and finished with 45 points in a win over NC State. On that day, he looked like a top 10 pick. Tonight, he should be one.

Acuff and the Kings have been connected publicly for weeks with most indications suggesting this is the floor for the reigning SEC Player of the Year who just became the first man to lead that conference in points and assists since Pete Maravich did it at LSU in 1970. Special talent. Fun player. Would it be better if he were taller? Yes. Would it be better if he weren’t a negative-defender? Also yes. But the offensive skill-set is special, and the potential for stardom seems present.

The Hawks are in need of backcourt help after moving on from Trae Young last season. Flemings could provide it. The point guard prospect wasn’t the highest-rated recruit in Houston’s freshman class but emerged as the program’s best player while helping the Cougars win 30 games and advance to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. He’s the rare 19 year-old who is both a top-tier athlete and strong shooter. It’s not hard to imagine him helping a playoff team in Atlanta, even as a rookie.

The Mavericks created a big headline on the eve of the draft by luring Dusty May from Michigan to be their next coach. I’d be surprised if it’s not a successful partnership, and a part of that will be tied to how things go with this pick. For a while now, I’ve had Burries slotted here — and I’ll stick with that even if May’s hire has caused some to speculate that Dallas could grab one of the players who just helped him guide the Wolverines to the national championship, as Morez Johnson and Aday Mara would both be reasonable options for the Mavericks given where they’re picking and the plan in place to build around reigning NBA Rookie of the Year Cooper Flagg. Trading down is also an option believed to be under consideration.

It remains unclear which direction the Bucks are headed, but most indications are that Giannis Antetokounmpo is on the way out. If so, it’ll be rebuild-time in Milwaukee, at which point taking a huge swing on Ament would be defensible. The wing with size had an up-and-down freshman season for the Vols — but the upside isn’t hard to spot. Less than a year ago, the 2025 McDonald’s All-American was considered a possible top-five pick. So getting Ament here would be nice for a Bucks franchise that will likely finish outside of the top 10 in the East next season in the absence of their former MVP.

Mara kind of splits the difference between a player ready to contribute and a prospect with plenty of room to grow, which makes the 21 year-old an obvious option for Golden State. In the Western Conference, the Warriors are now looking up at giants like Victor Wembanyama, Chet Holmgren and Rudy Gobert. So using this pick on a 7-3 center who can more or less look them eye-to-eye would be logical. Mara sees the floor well from way up there, passes effectively and finishes with both hands. But his real strength is on defense, where he blocked and altered shots all NCAA Tournament while helping the Wolverines win the national championship.

Johnson shot above 60% from the field as one of the Big Ten’s best players while helping the Wolverines win the national championship. Like his teammate slotted one spot higher, though, his real value is on the other end of the court, where the 20 year-old anchored college basketball’s best defense in his one year at Michigan after transferring from Illinois. Some sources have suggested this is probably the floor for Johnson — especially if Mara is already off the board and thus not an option for an OKC team that might need to replace Isaiah Hartenstein.

The Bucks acquired this pick in the past 24 hours when they traded superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo to Miami for a package that also included Tyler Herro and Kel’el Ware. I have Milwaukee using the selection on Steinbach, the 20-year-old German who proved to be an elite rebounder on both ends in his one season at Washington. Let the rebuild begin.

Lendeborg transferred from UAB to Michigan and was the best player on a team that won the NCAA Tournament one year after he didn’t even win Player of the Year honors in the sport’s 11th-best conference (American). Just an awesome story. That he’s already 23 years old will turn some franchises off, and his big personality is something that’s come up. But, if Lendeborg is available at No 14, none of that should bother a Charlotte franchise that won 44 games this season, especially when two of the team’s best players are 23 (Brandon Miller) and 24 (LaMelo Ball).

Carr emerged as a real top-20 option after transferring from Tennessee to Baylor and having one of the biggest breakout years in the sport while averaging 14.1 more points per game with the Bears than he averaged previously with the Vols. The 21-year-old has long arms and a solid-enough jumper. In this mock, he lands beside Wilson in Chicago as s major part of the Bulls’ rebuild.

There are reports that Memphis is trying to package this pick with other assets to acquire a second top-10 selection. That’s my way of saying there’s a decent chance the Grizz won’t even make this pick. If they do, though, Anderson should be an option after going from an intriguing freshman at Texas Tech to one of the Big 12’s stars and best prospects. The sophomore from Atlanta kept the Red Raiders relevant even after JT Toppin, the 2025 Big 12 Player of the Year, went down with a torn ACL in February. Anderson has been described as the best shooter in this class after making 41.5% of the 7.9 3-pointers he attempted this season. In theory, he could offset some of the shooting Memphis sent to Orlando when it traded Desmond Bane last summer.

This is another spot where the team slotted to select here could change given the Thunder still have more picks than they probably want or need even after trading Aaron Wiggins to Atlanta this weekend. If the Thunder execute the pick, keep an eye on Lopez, as this is his perceived range. The 19 year-old is a physical wing from Mexico with lots of positives. If the 3-point shot comes around, and as long as he doesn’t prove to be a liability on defense, Lopez would be a terrific snag here for an Oklahoma City franchise trying to figure out what’s next after losing in the Western Conference Finals to the Spurs.

Not every prospect who returns to college actually enhances his draft stock — but Philon definitely did. The sophomore guard played more on-the-ball for Alabama than he did in the previous season, and the result was better assist numbers and a 3-point percentage that jumped to 39.9. The unusual amount of top-shelf lead guards available this year will push Philon down further than he’d go in most drafts, but that just makes him a value-pick at this point for the Hornets.

It’s rare for somebody to end up as a first-round pick after starting a college career at the Division II level, but Stirtz has a real chance to do it. Concerns about how he’ll defend in the NBA are valid. But Stirtz is a lead guard with a good assist-to-turnover ratio and reliable jumper. High basketball IQ. All that stuff. If I were running a franchise, I wouldn’t overthink this one. He can play and will be in the NBA for a long time.

Seemingly every year now there’s an off-the-radar prospect who generates attention largely because of an interesting statistical profile. Graves is that player in this draft. The 6-9 forward was a zero-star prospect in the Class of 2025 but is now a 19 year-old near the top of analytics boards. His ability to make shots and rebound with a good body will secure him a guaranteed contract — but Graves remains among the biggest mysteries for casual fans who simply didn’t see him play much in college.

Okorie’s lack of size shouldn’t be an issue in Detroit, where jumbo-guard Cade Cunningham can comfortably pair with smaller players in the backcourt. That alone should make Okorie among the options if he’s still available here. The 19 year-old led the ACC in scoring and tallied at least 33 points five different times this season, including a career-high 40 in a win over Georgia Tech. If you like guards who can bounce it and get by people, Okorie is your guy.

If Mara helped himself more than any other prospect in the NCAA Tournament, Reed wasn’t far behind him on the list. The UConn center averaged 19.5 points and 13.2 rebounds in the Big Dance while helping the Huskies reach the championship game. He’s more of a traditional center than a modern center — but that’s OK in today’s game. Traditional centers still hold value. And it’s not like Joel Embiid is going to play forever in Philadelphia.

Cenac will not be selected in this draft in a way that correlates with where he was ranked coming out of high school — but he’s still a likely first-round pick after starting for a Houston team that finished 30-7. Some have argued he should’ve done another year at Houston, and I get that. But there’s little risk of Cenac slipping too far. If he develops quickly enough, the 19 year-old could crack the rotation in Atlanta, where they clearly need frontcourt depth if the goal is to finish in the top six in the East again.

Michael Malone’s first year at UNC would’ve been a lot simpler if he could’ve kept Veesaar in school, but the talented big decided to forgo his final year of eligibility in favor of a professional career. Did Veesaar leave money on the table with this move? Perhaps. But it’s a move that made the draft deeper after other first-round prospects like Braylon Mullins and Thomas Haugh decided to remain in college, and the Knicks could be the franchise that benefits from it, especially if they are counting on losing Mitchell Robinson via unrestricted free agency.

Evans is a high-volume 3-point shooter with good positional size who made 38% of his shots from beyond the arc in two seasons with one of the best brands and teams in college basketball. That’s a good place to start his evaluation. The 20-year-old wing could be a nice piece for a Lakers franchise still building around Luka Doncic.

Peat impacts winning in a variety of ways and was among the reasons Arizona won the Big 12’s regular-season championship before advancing to the Final Four. Good size. Good body. Intriguing prospect. The issue is that he’s a 6-7 wing who doesn’t really shoot, evidence being that Peat only took 20 3-pointers in 36 games with the Wildcats. That’s not ideal for the modern-NBA and why Peat’s draft-range seems vast. Peat impacts winning in a variety of ways and was among the reasons Arizona won the Big 12’s regular-season championship before advancing to the Final Four. Good size. Good body. Intriguing prospect. The issue is that he’s a 6-7 wing who doesn’t really shoot, evidence being that Peat only took 20 3-pointers in 36 games with the Wildcats. That’s not ideal for the modern-NBA and why Peat’s draft-range seems vast.

Jefferson spent four years in college and went from a role player at Saint Mary’s to a star at Iowa State, where he was an All-American this season while helping the Cyclones win 29 times. He’s a big forward who just gets things done. High floor. High basketball IQ. If the perimeter shot gets more reliable, Jefferson would be a steal this deep in the first round of this draft.

Brooklyn secured this pick Monday by being willing to take Julius Randle out of Minnesota in what amounts to a salary dump of the former All-Star. I have them using the aquired asset on Quaintance, who was once a projected top-10 pick before a knee injury sidelined him for much of the past 17 months. If not for that, there’s no way Quaintance would be available this deep in this draft. So Brooklyn might be wise to take a swing on the shot-altering big, especially considering he’s oozing with potential and still only 18 years old.

Ejiofor spent four years playing for two Hall of Fame coaches — first Bill Self at Kansas, then Rick Pitino at St. John’s — and went from spending just 5.2 minutes per game on the court as a freshman to winning Big East Player of the Year honors as a senior. Awesome story. Is he undersized for a center? Definitely yes. But Ejiofor does have a 7-2 wingspan and great motor, and those two things, combined with a great reputation as a competitor and winner, are going to give him a chance to stick.

Swain followed his coach, Sean Miller, from Xavier to Texas and emerged as the Longhorns’ leading scorer. The 20 year-old from Ohio is more of a driver than a shooter — and he probably needs to become a better shooter to justify a first-round slot longterm. But there’s definitely stuff here for Dallas to work with, starting with the fact that Swain is an explosive athlete who impacts things on both ends.