NBA Draft grades 2026: Full results and analysis for every pick in Round 1, from AJ Dybantsa to Bennett Stirtz
NBA Draft grades 2026: Full results and analysis for every pick in Round 1, from AJ Dybantsa to Bennett Stirtz originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.The 2026 NBA draft is set up to be one of the best of the decade. We know that four names will probably headline the class in AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer, and Caleb Wilson. The order of those four, along with what happens afterwards, is up in the air. I've been studying this draft class closely, putting out mocks for months along with outlining why I think Boozer is the No. 1 prospect in this class. Now, it's time for the test.I'm evaluating every single pick and trade as it happens. Bookmark this page for real-time results, instant reactions, and letter grades for all 30 picks in the first round.2026 NBA DRAFT HQ: Live picks tracker | SN's 2-round mock | Best players still availableNBA Draft grades 2026: Live results and analysis for every pickRound 11. Washington Wizards: Anicet “AJ” Dybantsa, BYUGrade: ADybantsa was widely speculated to go No. 1 in this stacked class, and for good reason. The leading scorer in Division-I basketball is a future All-Star in the making, possessing a 6-foot-9 frame and shot creation that is truly special. He’s a master in the midrange, can get to the rim, and is a capable 3-point shooter.He should look even better in the NBA, where he will have much better talent surrounding him than he had at BYU. Trae Young, fresh off signing a $212 million contract, will make life easier for him. Anthony Davis should clean up the mistakes that he can make from somewhat lackadaisical off-ball defense.The Wizards are going to be a lot better than the 17 wins they managed last season. Dybantsa has the potential to be a top-five player in the league down the line, and he will be an immediate contributor as a rookie.MORE: Projecting Wizards lineup with AJ Dybantsa2. Utah Jazz: Darryn Peterson, KansasGrade: APeterson is probably the most talented player in this class. He outperformed Dybantsa in their head-to-head matchups in high school and college. He dropped to No. 2 in this draft due to a weird freshman year in Kansas where he struggled to stay on the court, had a poor roster fit, and played out of position as a shooting guard.That’s to the benefit of the Jazz, who now have a talented combo guard to put next to last year’s breakout guard Keyonte George. Peterson is a great shooter, a good defender, and can capably be an engine to an elite offense. This is a stacked draft, and he’s a surefire future All-Star along with Dybantsa.MORE: How Darryn Peterson fits in Jazz lineup3. Memphis Grizzlies: Cameron Boozer, DukeGrade: A+I had Boozer No. 1 on my personal big board. Getting him at No. 3 in this draft is terrific value for Memphis.Boozer is the youngest player in this draft class, and he was also the most productive. He had a better season than last year’s No. 1 selection, Cooper Flagg. He’s not an amazing athlete, which placed him below Dybantsa and Peterson in some scouts’ opinions. But he’s an incredibly smart player who can impact winning in so many different ways, whether as a passer, rebounder, post player, pick-and-roll ballhandler, or shooter. He is the best fit of any of these prospects in Tuomas Iisalo's offensive system that prioritizes quick decision-making.The Grizzlies have been a good drafting team, relying on a combination of statistical analysis and scouts with a keen eye for the game. They hit another home run with this selection.4. Chicago Bulls: Caleb Wilson, North CarolinaGrade: AIf you’re seeing a lot of A’s so far, it’s because of how great this draft is through the first four picks. It’s virtually impossible for these teams to screw it up.Wilson is the last no-brainer pick on the board. He was a dunking machine and unstoppable in transition, leading to excellent production at a young age. While he doesn’t have the best defensive technique, he has the tools to be an All-Defensive player in a few years under a good player development staff. He has the two-way upside to be a potential No. 1 pick in a normal draft.Chicago has needed a prospect with All-NBA upside on its roster for a while now. Wilson will fall into a good offensive system, with a young roster and a point guard in Josh Giddey that loves to push the pace. He will reinvigorate a fan base that should fall in love with his ability to generate highlights every night.5. Los Angeles Clippers (from Pacers): Keaton Wagler, IllinoisGrade: B+This is the point of the draft where things get interesting. Keaton Wagler was the most popular mock selection for the Clippers. That made too much sense not to happen.Wagler wasn’t an elite high school recruit, but his excellent shooting and playmaking for Illinois was too good to ignore. He blew up on the national stage after scoring 46 points against Purdue.Wagler is a nice fit for the Clippers. He’s capable of playing alongside Darius Garland due to his plus size and off-ball ability. He has some issues with strength and athleticism, but his high feel should translate well, and Los Angeles has some good shooters to spread the floor for him.6. Brooklyn Nets: Mikel Brown, Jr., LouisvilleGrade: BBrown is a risky pick, but it’s also one that comes with a ton of upside.Brown didn’t have an amazing freshman year at Louisville due to a back injury. He shot the ball inconsistently, hitting only 34 percent of his 3’s. And he had turnover issues due to overzealous passes.There is a lot of context that should assuage some of those concerns. Brown was a great shooter in high school, and difficult attempts at Louisville dragged that college shooting percentage down. He has a pure stroke, and he should be a good shooter in the NBA. He did make some crazy passes, but he also threw some brilliant ones that were more creative than anyone in this class. And he has decent size that some of the other top guards in this class lack, giving him more defensive upside.The Nets drafted several guards last season. That should not have precluded them from taking the best player on the board. They deserve praise for doing exactly that by making this pick.7. Sacramento Kings: Darius Acuff, Jr., ArkansasGrade: BAcuff was widely mocked to the Kings due to how much this pick makes sense for the franchise. They badly need playmaking and a young point guard after trading away De’Aaron Fox and Tyrese Haliburton. Acuff is an exciting offensive player who is an absolute sharpshooter and a tremendous floor general. He has excellent feel for lob passes, creating a ton of highlights for Arkansas. He will get Kings fans out of their seats.Acuff does have weaknesses. He may very well be the worst defender in the NBA next season. He must improve his technique and effort. He does have a 6-6.5 wingspan, which gives some hope that he can at least not be a disaster on that end. He also wasn’t an amazing finisher at the rim.Despite those flaws, Acuff has the potential to be a top 10 offensive player in the league. If he hits that high-end outcome, then this could look like one of the best picks in this draft 10 years from now.8. Atlanta Hawks (from Pelicans): Kingston Flemings, HoustonGrade: AFlemings was my favorite guard in this class outside of Peterson. He has elite feel, is an automatic paint touch, and has a deadly midrange jumper. He chose to play in a tough Houston system and was the rare freshman point guard that earned Kelvin Sampson’s trust. He’s small, but he fights hard on defense and has a knack for getting steals.The Hawks don’t have a true point guard in their starting lineup after trading away Trae Young. Jalen Johnson has thrived as a point forward, but Atlanta saw the limitations of depending too heavily on that approach in the playoffs. Flemings gives them a more traditional floor general who can also play off the ball. There are concerns about his shot and an unorthodox form that leads to him thumbing the ball, but the results have been there. He shot 38.7 percent from 3 on low volume, and his combine shooting numbers were also strong.MORE: Kingston Flemings nearly died as a toddler; now he's a first-rounder9. Dallas Mavericks: Morez Johnson, Jr., MichiganGrade: BThis is the first curveball of the draft. Newly hired Mavericks coach Dusty May knew how valuable Johnson was, winning the national championship with him last year at Michigan. The two will reunite now and be rookies together in the NBA.Johnson was a huge riser in the past few months due to Michigan’s team success and a great combine performance where he showed more shooting touch and better measurements than originally thought. He is a great defender who can guard multiple positions, and he fits into Dallas’ ethos of building a strong defensive team alongside another elite defender in Cooper Flagg.Johnson is also a solid offensive player who has soft touch near the basket and good passing skills. He’s a glue guy that won’t necessarily stand out in any one area but will make winning plays all over the floor. This pick was a bit of a reach, but it’s an understandable one.10. Milwaukee Bucks: Brayden Burries, ArizonaGrade: B-This is a safe pick for the Bucks, who probably needed to take a bigger swing after trading away Giannis Antetokounmpo.Burries is a good guard who does a little bit of everything. He has a strong defensive motor, he can playmake, he shot the ball well from 3 in college, and he’s a capable rebounder for his position. He doesn’t really do anything at an extremely high level though, and it’s hard to see an outcome where he develops into an All-Star.In fairness to the Bucks, the median outcome for the No. 10 pick isn't an All-Star. Burries does fit well next to Tyler Herro, who is the new clear No. 1 in Milwaukee. Still, there were several players with much higher upside on the board that I would have liked better for them.11. Golden State Warriors: Yaxel Lendeborg, MichiganGrade: AThe Warriors are still trying to squeeze out as much as they can out of the Stephen Curry era. He deserves to go out with a chance to win. They needed to thread a thin needle with this pick, selecting someone who could contribute immediately but also had upside to get better.Lendeborg is maybe the only guy left on the board that checks those boxes. The 23-year-old still has room to grow based on how much of a late bloomer he was. He’s starting from a great baseline given that he was one of the best players in college basketball last season. He’s a smart player who fits into Steve Kerr’s motion-based offense and versatile defense. And Kerr is the best coach to bond with his unique personality.DECOURCY: Why Yaxel Lengeborg's age is a feature, not a bug, for team that takes him12. Oklahoma City Thunder (from Clippers): Aday Mara, MichiganGrade: AThe Thunder should be focused on how to beat the Spurs and Victor Wembanyama. Mara gives them a unique weapon, standing at 7-3 with a 9-9 standing reach. He has the size to punish Wembanyama and tire him out, which has been the most effective strategy against the big man.Mara isn’t just some lumbering brute. He’s also a fantastic passer who should make life easier for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and company. He’s not an elite shot creator, but he’s developed good touch inside and can finish plays well. Defensively, he has scheme limitations, but the Thunder have the perfect complement of tough-nosed perimeter defenders to allow him to play drop defense, where his massive size makes him an elite rim protector.13. Milwaukee Bucks (from Heat): Nate Ament, TennesseeGrade: BI criticized the Bucks for taking Burries at 10 due to his low upside. That pick makes a lot more sense now that they picked Ament at 13.Ament is a polarizing prospect. He was not efficient at Tennessee, and he looked raw on both ends of the floor. He has the highest upside of anyone left on the board though. He’s got great tools at 6-10 with guard-like fluidity, and he did average 16.7 points and 6.3 rebounds as a freshman. He has a lot of areas that he needs to develop, but if he hits, he has a chance to hit big.14. Charlotte Hornets: Hannes Steinbach, WashingtonGrade: BSteinbach is easily the best rebounder in the draft. He’s got soft hands, which also show up on offense where he has nice touch and high skill. This seems like a best-player-available selection for Charlotte.Steinbach is certainly talented, but he has defensive question marks and isn’t a great rim protector. That makes him a bit of an awkward fit for a Hornets team that already has a lot of defensively-deficient players on its roster.15. Chicago Bulls (from Trail Blazers): Dailyn Swain, TexasGrade: ASwain is an interesting two-way wing prospect. He was a good defender at Xavier, but he fell off on that end of the floor with a much larger offensive role at Texas last season. He should be solid on that end in the NBA.Swain was a rim pressure machine at Texas, showing special skill and handle as a driver. He’s not a proven shooter, hitting 34 percent of his 3’s last season, and the Bulls do have some spacing issues in their lineup. But this was the best pick that Chicago could make, picking up a player with a high floor and decent upside.16. Oklahoma City Thunder (from Grizzlies): Bennett Stirtz, IowaGrade: A-The Thunder could have used some more shooting in the playoffs. They got their guy in Stirtz, who was electric on his catch-and-shoot 3's at Iowa. More often, he was on the ball where he showed excellent feel, playmaking, and upside as a starting-level point guard. He doesn’t project to be a good defender, but the Thunder have an all-time defense to mask those deficiencies.Oklahoma City swapped their No. 17 pick and two second-rounders in order to make sure Stirtz was available. That’s a fine price to pay for a player that fits so well in their system.17. Detroit Pistons (from Grizzlies): Ebuka Okorie, StanfordGrade: A-The Grizzlies traded back again, giving their pick to the Pistons in exchange for No. 21 and three second-round picks. Detroit wanted Ebuka Okorie, and for good reason.Okorie is a small guard who may have trouble defending. He does try hard though, and the Pistons have good infrastructure to help him on that end. Those deficiencies are worth it because he has the fastest first step in this class and can get into the paint whenever he wants. He should be valuable when Detroit gets into its scoring ruts. He’s also a capable shooter that can complement Cade Cunnigham well.18. Charlotte Hornets (from Magic): Christian Anderson Jr., Texas TechGrade: BThe Hornets continue to go all-in on offense. Anderson tries on defense, but he’s 6-2 and is going to be a negative on that end on the floor. What he can do is shoot better than anyone in this class. He hit 41.5 percent of his 3’s this past season. He’s also a great decision-maker with the ball, giving Charlotte another playmaker to go alongside LaMelo Ball. Like Steinbach at 14, this is a bit of a weird fit. It will be interesting to see what Charlotte does with free agent Coby White, who provides similar skills.19. Toronto Raptors: Allen Graves, Santa ClaraGrade: BGraves is a classic Raptors pick. He’s a good defender with 6-9 size. He has a knack for getting deflections, and he plays with great feel that masks some of his athletic limitations. He’s the analytical darling of this class, standing out due to his production in multiple areas of the box score.There are some concerns about how Graves will translate against better competition. He wasn’t nearly as good when playing stronger opponents at Santa Clara. And his fit on this roster is weird given that the Raptors already have several players who have a similar skill set.20. San Antonio Spurs (from Hawks): Jayden Quaintance, KentuckyGrade: B+Quaintance has serious injury question marks. He had ACL surgery as a freshman and managed to play in only four games for Kentucky last season. When he was healthy though, he was considered a lottery talent and a potential All-Defensive big man due to his rim protection and freakish mobility.It makes sense then for the Spurs to take him as a potential backup to Victor Wembanyama or a long-term replacement for Luke Kornet, who has played alongside Wemby at times. Quaintance’s offense lags far behind his defense but he lands with a franchise with stellar player development that can help him on that end. There’s some bust potential here, but the Spurs are in a position to make that gamble.21. Memphis Grizzlies (from Pistons): Karim López, MexicoGrade: B-The Grizzlies decided to trade out of selecting two better players in Stirtz at 16 and Okorie at 17 in order to select Lopez at 21. The benefit was that they got five second-round picks.There’s a chance that Lopez develops into a better player than either Stirtz or Okorie. He has good size and projects as a theoretical 3-and-D starter at the wing. He hasn’t been elite at either of those skills yet, and he also doesn’t have much upside as anything other than a decent starter. To me, that’s not worth the additional second-round picks.22. Philadelphia 76ers (from Rockets): Labaron Philon, Jr., AlabamaGrade: B+Philon is a lottery talent. The Sixers already have strong guards on their team with Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe, but seeing him at No. 22 was too good to pass up.Philon is a crafty guard who figures out ways to get into the paint and get his shot off. He greatly improved his shooting as a sophomore, hitting 40 percent from deep last season. He’s a good-not-great passer who can add some secondary playmaking. His defense wasn’t great last season, but he did show better skill two years ago with a smaller offensive role as a point-of-attack menace.23. Atlanta Hawks (from Cavaliers): Zuby Ejiofor, St. John'sGrade: B-Ejiofor can defend at a high level. He’s got a great motor and will get the most out of his skill set. His scoring is a much bigger question mark. He was dependent on post play that won’t be there for him in the NBA. He should still be able to contribute as a passer and has shown some flashes as a shooter, but he may be too limited to become a rotation player.This is also not the best fit for the Hawks, who needed more size out of their big men. Instead, they add another undersized option.24. Los Angeles Lakers (from Knicks): Cameron Carr, BaylorGrade: A-The Lakers traded up one pick in order to select Carr, who slid from his projected range in the mid-to-late teens. This is a nice fit for him. He’s not great at creating his own shot, but he won’t need to while playing next to Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. What he can do is jump out of the gym and shoot 3’s. He’s the perfect play finisher to put next to those two. And he has one of the best gunners in NBA history in JJ Redick to draw up plays for him.25. New York Knicks (from Lakers): Sergio De Larrea, SpainGrade: B+The Knicks moved back one spot and earned some cash from the Lakers in doing so. They missed out on Carr but got a better fit in De Larrea, who is more NBA-ready. He’s not a great athlete, but he has good size at 6-foot-5, playmaking, and shooting from the guard position. He was a productive player overseas and should help the Knicks in their title defense.26. San Antonio Spurs (from Nuggets): Tarris Reed, Jr., UConnGrade: C+The Spurs moved up from No. 35, trading two second-rounders to the Nuggets in order to get Reed. He’s an older prospect who is ready to contribute as a backup role player.Reed doesn’t have a ton of upside. He was more post dependent in college, which won’t be there in the NBA. But he’s a good passer, has NBA strength, can rebound it well, and can score at the rim. That has some utility for a contending team.27. Boston Celtics: Chris Cenac Jr., HoustonGrade: BI’m not a huge Cenac fan, but the pickings were slim at 27. He does have some upside if he can develop a very raw skill set. He’s an explosive athlete with good size, although he doesn’t use it particularly well. He has some shooting touch, but it needs to be refined. Joe Mazzulla will put him through the ringer, developing more toughness and giving him a clear role.28. Brooklyn Nets (from Timberwolves): Joshua Jefferson, Iowa StateGrade: B+Jefferson is an imperfect prospect. He doesn’t have a great jump shot, and he is older than most of the guys in the draft. But this was a good pickup this late in the first round.Jefferson knows how to play winning basketball at a high level. The point forward is a swiss army knife, defending at a capable level, driving the ball, and making good decisions. He’s a good role player who should help change the culture in Brooklyn.29. Sacramento Kings (from Cavs): Alex Karaban, UConnGrade: CThe Kings traded into this pick in exchange for the No. 34 pick and a future second-rounder. They got an NBA-ready shooter in Karaban.Karaban does have that NBA skill, but he doesn’t do much else. He can’t create his own shot at all, he’s not a great athlete, and he’s not going to be a good NBA defender. He had a second round grade for me and wouldn’t be a prospect that I would trade up to grab.30. Phoenix Suns (from Mavs): Koa Peat, ArizonaGrade: BPeat was the big faller in the draft. He was expected to go in the lottery at various points of the draft cycle. Instead, he snuck into the last pick of the first round, going to his hometown Suns after they traded for this selection.The reason for Peat falling was due to a shaky jumper that looked even worse at the combine. If he can develop that shot, then he has a chance to be a steal. He won four high school championships in Arizona, and he’s willing to do whatever is needed to win. Most of the time, that means using his football player frame in order to bully his way to his spots. He’s a good defender who should add to a nice young core.NOH: Koa Peat carving a pro basketball path in a pro football family
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