NBA Mock Draft: First-Round Projections Following the Draft Lottery

The 2026 NBA Draft Lottery is officially behind us, having brought transformational change for as many as four or more NBA organizations.

The madness of the 2025 lottery didn't follow, but there was still plenty of shake-ups. The Wizards, Jazz, Grizzlies and Bulls were the biggest winners, having jumped into the top-four. They'll now be looking at the class's lauded quartet of players, with a domino effect starting at No. 5 just after.

Below is NBA Draft on SI’s newest mock draft, featuring write-ups for the top-10, which was shaken up via the lottery:

1. Washington Wizards: AJ Dybantsa, BYU

For the first time under the current lottery format — and potentially the last time given upcoming changes — the worst team in the league has officially landed the top pick. The Washington Wizards cashed in on their 14% at No. 1, while co-holders in the Pacers and Nets fell.

Washington hasn’t earned a top pick in its rebuilding era, having chosen at No. 7, No. 2 and No. 6 in the previous three seasons. Now, they have their pick of the litter in a loaded four-man group, one that’s being heralded as the best in some time.

Any of AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson and Cameron Boozer make sense for vastly different reasons for the Wizards, but the former feels like the most likely option presently given league-wide intel and his combination of skills.

At 6-foot-9 with premier fluiditiy and scoring insticts, Dybantsa offers a few things that Washington has already sought and hasn’t yet found: a perimeter-based wing with positional size, as well as a No. 1 scoring option.

Dybantsa is seemingly the most talented offensive option of the three, having averaged 25.5 points per game with BYU. And with Hawks’ standout CJ McCollum having led the team in scoring last season, he seems an easy pick to be the go-to option for the foreseeable future in Washington.

2. Utah Jazz: Darryn Peterson, Kansas

The Jazz’ positioning this season, which garnered a hefty fine, worked out in the end, as the team jumpted to No. 2. They’ll have their choice between three of the top-four prospects, here taking Kansas’ guard Darryn Peterson.

Peterson saw a unique season with Kansas that was hampered by a hamstring injury and full-body cramps, but even he’s said that there’s more than meets the eye, and his over 20 points per game were still eye-popping in terms of shooting and shot-making.

The Jazz have All-Star talents in Lauri Markkanen and Jaren Jackson Jr., and younger up-and-coming talents in Keyonte George, Ace Bailey and more. Given that, they could certainly stand to bolster the backcourt, espeically with some defense, which Peterson provides at 6-foot-5.

Both George and Peterson would be able to toggle between handling the ball and playing off of it, creating a fearsome duo alongside the team’s wings and bigs.

3. Memphis Grizzlies: Cameron Boozer, Duke

The Grizzlies saw their worst season in years, winning less than 26 games for the first time since 2017-18. They’ll be rewarded for it with the No. 3 pick, likely hoping they can get Duke’s Cameron Boozer as a residual pick.

Boozer was a dominating force in his lone season with Duke, smashing both counting and advanced stats in averaging 22.5 points, 10.2 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.4 steals. He doesn’t grade out perfectly athletically, but he was unstoppable all the same.

The Grizzlies are an analytically slanted group, and Boozer having posted one of the best box-plus-minus’s ever seen, in addition to smashing every other category, is likely to help his favor in Memphis.

Even more, Boozer and current Grizzly big Zach Edey are a seemingly solid pairing, with the Blue Devil offering one of the top big shooters of all time at 39% from three on 3.6 attempts.

4. Chicago Bulls: Caleb Wilson, North Carolina

Chicago was potentially the biggest winner of lottery day, previously having been projected aroud the nine to 10 range before a five-spot jump to No. 4. Having recently undergone a front-office change, they’ll now have the picks No. 4 and 15 to work with.

At his introductory presser, new decision-maker Bryson Graham referenced the organization will be looking for SLAP: size, length, athleticism and physicality. There’s no other prospect who exemplifies that more than North Carolina’s Caleb Wilson, who is listed as the No. 4 propsect for most.

Wilson’s 3-point shooting could keep him out of the top-three, otherwise his size at 6-foot-10 with a 7-foot wingspan and bouncy athleticism makes him the toolsiest prospect in the class. Perfect for what the Bulls will be building.

There’s a chance one of the top-three teams could swing on Wilson, but that will push someone into Chicago’s arms at No. 4.

5. LA Clippers (via Pacers): Keaton Wagler, Illinois

Another big winner was the LA Clippers, who were able to win the near-50-50 gamble and grab the No. 4 pick. The Pacers lost out, losing 63 games effectively just for center Ivica Zubac. Here LA can look to Keaton Wagler, who saw a meteoric rise with Illinois.

At 6-foot-6, Wagler came into the class as an essential uknown, but will leave it as one of the top talents. He averaged 17.9 points, 5.1 rebounds and 4.2 assists in leading the Illini to the Final Four, and showed plenty of NBA-level skills like shooting, passing, handling and more with positional size.

The Clippers have interesting pieces rostered in Kawhi Leonard, Darius Garland and more, but its clear that they’ll be entering a full-on rebuild, or at least half-rebuild, in the next few years.

Along that line of thinking, the Clippers should simply take the best available, and that could very well be Wagler.

6. Brooklyn Nets: Kingston Flemings, Houston

The Brooklyn Nets dissapointinlgy fell three spots to No. 6 after desperately needing a jump into the upper ranks, but still find themselves in an interesting spot to land talent. Here they’ll grab Houston’s Kingston Flemings, chancing another lead handler.

The Nets took a record five first round picks at least year’s draft, looking for positional size, handling, perimeter prowess and more. Flemings add plenty of that wrapped up in a 6-foot-4, blue-chip package that could shore up the point guard position in Brooklyn for the long haul.

Flemings will need to shore up his scoring process as a whole, but he’s a blur with the ball in-hand and has great processing skills. Best of all, Flemings is the most talented defender of the guard group, and would fit swimmingly with Nets’ head coach Jordi Fernandez.

7. Sacramento Kings: Darius Acuff Jr., Arkansas

The Kings predictably fell two spots to No. 7, missing out on the top quartet. While things didn’t work out in terms of landing the top pick, things did potentially fall their way in grabbing Arkansas’ guard Darius Acuff Jr., who they reportedly like.

Acuff was a revelation for the Razorbacks this season, thriving despite his being smaller with 23.5 points and 6.4 assists on 48% shooting. The league is seemingly moving away from small-ish guards, but Acuff might just have the poise and pace to blow away expectations anyways.

The top-four prospects seem set regardless of order, and there’s no guarantee either of the Clippers with Garland or the Nets in search of positional size will want Acuff. And that could clear a pathway for Sacramento to grab an elite lead handler to add some promise and hope for the future.

8. Atlanta Hawks (via Pelicans): Mikel Brown Jr., Louisville

The Hawks were unable to jump via the Pelicans pick, but are still playing with house money after making one of the trades of the last offseason. Here they’ll get Mikel Brown Jr., swinging on one of the highest-upside players available.

Brown didn’t see a sparkling season with Louisville due to a back injury, but was still able to showcase his unique profile centered around a high volume of threes taken, rim pressure, play-making and more.

The Hawks are fresh off the Trae Young era, and could stand to add a player of a similar mold, though Brown’s a much better 6-foot-5.

9. Dallas Mavericks: Brayden Burries, Arizona

After a record leap at the 2025 draft lottery, the Mavericks slipped one spot via Chicago’s jump this year. They’ll still have a chance at taking one of the top guards in the class, but they might get the last of the options.

Arizona’s Brayden Burries offers a unique one, not quite a lead guard at 6-foot-4, but offering a blend of tons of different high-floor skills: handling, shooting, defense, plus-passing and plenty more.

With Kyrie Irving set to return next season, Burries would be able to play an off-guard role and learn to create in the next few years, handling the ball and shooting next to Cooper Flagg for the forseeable future.

10. Milwaukee Bucks: Hannes Steinbach, Washington

The Bucks didn’t see a jump at the lottery, but will still be looking to nab a premier talent as they seemingly enter a new, potentially Giannis-less era in Milwaukee. Washington’s Hannes Steinbach makes sense on plenty of fronts.

The Bucks have need of immediate talent, which Steinbach adds in his NCAA-best rebounding and interior finishing. But as a 6-foot-11 big with quicker feet and open-floor speed, he also has plenty of upside.

The Bucks should pick the best player available regardless of position, and that could mean virtually anything, even accounting for current Bucks.

11. Golden State Warriors: Yaxel Lendeborg, Michigan

12. OKC Thunder (via Clippers): Dailyn Swain, Texas

13. Miami Heat: Labaron Philon, Alabama

14. Charlotte Hornets: Aday Mara, Michigan

15. Chicago Bulls (via Trail Blazers): Jayden Quaintance, Kentucky

16. Memphis Grizzlies (via Suns): Cameron Carr, Baylor

17. Oklahoma City Thunder (via 76ers): Allen Graves, Santa Clara

18. Charlotte Hornets (via Magic): Morez Johnson Jr., Michigan

19. Toronto Raptors: Bennett Stirtz, Iowa

20. San Antonio Spurs (via Hawks): Chris Cenac Jr., Houston

21. Detroit Pistons (via Timberwolves): Christian Anderson, Texas Tech

22. Philadelphia 76ers (via Rockets): Karim Lopez, NZ Breakers

23. Atlanta Hawks (via Cavaliers): Nate Ament, Tennessee

24. New York Knicks: Ebuka Okorie, Stanford

25. LA Lakers: Henri Veesaar, North Carolina

26. Denver Nuggets: Koa Peat, Arizona

27. Boston Celtics: Zuby Ejiofor, St. John’s

28. Minnesota Timberwolves (via Pistons): Meleek Thomas, Arkansas

29. Cleveland Cavaliers (via Spurs): Joshua Jefferson, Iowa State

30. Dallas Mavericks (via Thunder): Isaiah Evans, Duke

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