The first round of the 2026 NBA Draft is done, and it largely went by the book. Of the 30 players I projected to go in the first round, 28 were picked, and I have no top-25 players remaining on my personal board.
With how the name, image and likeness marketplace has impacted the pool of potential players, teams have certainly been negotiating with players throughout the week to try to come up with advantageous deals that make sense for everyone involved before the draft. Don’t be surprised to see two-way contracted players get taken in the 30s, and don’t be surprised to see some shocking stashes later in the draft.
You might be wondering how possible it is to do well on a second-round projection given the craziness of trades and movement that is expected every year. Well, last year, I drilled seven of the first 11 picks on the money.
NBA Draft 2026: Winners and Losers from Round 1
Zach Harper and CJ Moore
Here’s a quick projection of Wednesday’s second round:
31. New York Knicks (via WAS)
Isaiah Evans | 6-6 wing | 20 years old | Duke
Evans is the lone player who was invited to the green room who ended up not hearing his name called in the first round. His projection is very easy. If you think he can get stronger, improve on defense and clean up his decision-making, he’s a good bet to turn into the kind of shooter every team wants in the NBA. He’s big and has a clean shot with great footwork and a high release point. Plus, he’s comfortable already within NBA-style actions at knocking down shots off movement. However, he’s just not a good defender or playmaker with the ball in his hands. He’s a bit limited. But for the Knicks at the top here, he could be a nice replacement for Landry Shamet or Jordan Clarkson.
32. Memphis Grizzlies (via IND)
Jack Kayil | 6-4 guard | 20 years old | Alba Berlin
Kayil took a big leap this year, but the German league is not a particularly athletic league, and you could see him struggle to separate at times. Still, he does a lot of things well. He has the potential to shoot and handle the ball at a reasonable level, plus he can guard his man at 6-4. He’s kind of a jack-of-all-trades, master-of-none right now, but in an NBA where weak links get exploited, he doesn’t have many unfixable flaws.
I would think this Memphis pick has a real chance to be auctioned off, as the team has a full roster.
33. Minnesota Timberwolves (via BKN)
Meleek Thomas | 6-3 wing | 19 years old | Arkansas
Thomas was an early entrant as a freshman out of Arkansas who probably should have gone back to school. He’s fearless and could become one of the 30 or so best shooters in the world once he hits his prime. That has a ton of value. But there is too much to clean up for my liking, and I’m skeptical that he can fix all of it by the time his rookie deal runs out. First and foremost, Thomas is a poor team defender who ball-watches so much that I don’t think coaches can have him on the floor in the NBA early on. Second, his shot selection and lack of vision are completely out of whack.
34. Cleveland Cavaliers (via SAC)
Henri Veesaar | 6-11 center | 22 years old | North Carolina
Veesaar probably should have cashed in on his extra year of collegiate eligibility. He needs to add about 15 to 20 pounds over time without diminishing his movement skills on offense or becoming more injury-prone, while playing more consistently with bend. His offensive skill set as a floor-spacing big man who can attack closeouts, pass and finish at the rim with touch is difficult to find. But he was quite poor in ball-screen defense this year and needs a bit of work.
35. Denver Nuggets (via UTA)
Ryan Conwell | 6-2 guard | 22 years old | Louisville
Conwell is a bit stuck between positions, but he’s a great shooter with a quick release who is already to fire. He’s been connected with the Nuggets throughout the pre-draft process. He gives effort on the defense end but can sometimes give up size, which means he’s going to be mostly effective defending guards. Still, the idea here is that he’s a smart team defender who can help you while drilling a ton of open shots created for him by others.
36. LA Clippers (via MEM)
Bruce Thornton | 6-0 guard | 22 years old | Ohio State
Thornton might be the most polished scorer among the second-rounders. He can hit shots from all three levels and averaged 20 points per game at Ohio State while shooting 55 percent from the field, 40 percent from 3 and 83 percent from the line. He’s undersized but has a powerful 215-pound frame and has no issues dealing with contact. I think he sticks as a backup point guard.
37. Oklahoma City Thunder (via DAL)
Emanuel Sharp | 6-3 guard | 22 years old | Houston
An All-Defense player in the Big 12, Sharp is a killer on that end who really crawls into your space and gets underneath ballhandlers to make their life miserable. He’s also really sharp rotationally. He’s also a big-time shooter who drilled 38 percent of his 3s over the last three years. He’s undersized for the role because he’s not a lead guard, but Sharp is worthy of a guaranteed deal.
38. Chicago Bulls (via NOP)
Baba Miller | 6-11 wing | 22 years old | Cincinnati
It’s hard to find forwards or wings with a 9-3 standing reach, but Miller is coming off a killer season at Cincinnati in which he averaged a double-double and finally came through on the skills that scouts have always appreciated. There is still so much for him to work on, though. He needs a lot of time on his defensive fundamentals, even if he has upside on that end. He also can’t shoot, even though he can pass.
39. Houston Rockets (via CHI)
Braden Smith | 5-10 guard | 22 years old | Purdue
Smith is small and came in under 170 pounds. But he might be the best ball-screen passer in the class. He dished out nearly nine assists per game in each of the last two seasons and can shoot from both the perimeter and midrange at the elbows. He gives effort on defense, too, but he’s going to need to get stronger.
NBA Draft 2026: Best remaining players for Round 2
Zach Harper and CJ Moore
40. Boston Celtics (via MIL)
Richie Saunders | 6-5 wing | 24 years old | BYU
Saunders is coming off a torn right ACL that he suffered in February, but his game has a simple translation to the NBA. He’s a good shooter who is extremely reliable off the catch and can do just enough beyond to be a role player in an era when you can’t just be a specialist anymore. He’s a smart defender who knows where he’s supposed to be, and he can help you out on the glass. He makes quick decisions and can attack closeouts at a high level. I have a first-round grade on him.
41. Miami Heat (via GSW)
Felix Okpara | 6-10 big | 22 years old | Tennessee
Okpara’s fit in the NBA is simple: He’s an excellent defender with NBA size and athleticism at center. He plays with a great motor and is reliable and consistent on that front. You can play him in a variety of ball-screen coverages, and he’s relatively effective in all of them. There are skill deficiencies, and he isn’t quite the rebounder you’d want for a center. But it’s hard to find players with this size, athleticism, motor and defensive versatility.
42. San Antonio Spurs (via POR)
Maliq Brown | 6-8 big | 22 years old | Duke
Brown was the ACC Defensive Player of the Year this past season, flying around all over the place and disrupting actions. But his offense is limited, and he can get overaggressive at times. His outcome depends almost purely on finding the right coach, roster fit and scheme to take advantage of his skills. He needs a coach who will let him be ultraaggressive with his hands while sometimes getting out of position, knowing that the trade-off is worth it. If he finds that and improves his jumper a bit, he can be a rotation player.
43. Brooklyn Nets (via LAC)
Trevon Brazile | 6-10 big | 23 years old | Arkansas
If you put together a three-minute highlight reel of Brazile’s best plays from this season, you’d wonder why he isn’t going in the lottery. He’s an elite athlete who can shoot at 6-10 with long arms. But there has always been something missing from Brazile’s game. There isn’t a lot of glue holding it together because his motor doesn’t run hot enough. He also has a significant knee injury in his past, so while teams are interested, there is some trepidation, even if he probably has better tools than any player selected in the second round.
44. San Antonio Spurs (via MIA)
Izaiyah Nelson | 6-8 big | 22 years old | South Florida
Nelson was the American Athletic Conference Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year. He’s extremely versatile but needs to find the right coach who is willing to mix and match coverages regularly, as opposed to simply playing out of a base drop-coverage scheme. He averaged 16 points per game but has some offensive limitations and needs to improve as a shooter. Still, there’s a lot of potential here as a two-way.
45. Sacramento Kings (via CHA)
Nick Boyd | 6-1 guard | 25 years old | Wisconsin
I’ve heard Boyd has been terrific during pre-draft workouts. He was complete as a lead guard this season at Wisconsin while running a well-spaced offense. He got the team in and out of its actions and pressured the defense going toward the rim consistently, regularly beating his man off the bounce in isolation. He also fights hard on defense. The issue is that he’s already 25 years old and was playing against 18-to-22-year-olds, so you’d expect him to be good. Still, he averaged 21 points per game in the Big Ten.
46. Orlando Magic
Ugonna Onyenso | 6-11 big | 22 years old | Virginia
Onyenso plays a simple game. He’s a terrific rim runner who can finish above the rim, but more than that, he’s a big-time shot-blocker. He averaged nearly three blocks per game coming off the bench for Virginia and contested shots all over the place. His game is limited from a skill perspective, and he’s extremely skinny with a high center of gravity. He needs to get stronger, but there is a chance he could turn into a backup center.
47. New York Knicks (via PHX)
Nick Martinelli | 6-7 wing | 22 years old | Northwestern
Martinelli has been one of the most productive players in college basketball over the last two years, averaging more than 20 points each season. He is known as a great worker, is big and smart and moves exceedingly well without the ball. His floater game is elite on the interior, but he needs to prove he can knock down shots consistently as well as move his feet quickly.
48. Dallas Mavericks (via PHX)
Vsevolod Ishchenko | 6-7 wing | 21 years old | Lokomotiv Kuban
If the draft has a mystery man this year, it’s Ishchenko, a late pop-up riser out of Russia who has been quite good in the VTB League, averaging nine points while shooting an efficient 51 percent from the field, 45 percent from 3 and 78 percent from the line. The Russian league is not the strongest level of competition, but Ishchenko has a lot of tools as a skilled shooter with size who can pass. NBA teams are very interested.
49. Denver Nuggets (via ATL)
Tobias Jensen | 6-6 wing | 22 years old | Ratiopharm Ulm
Jensen had a breakout year for Ulm this year, averaging nearly 10 points, four rebounds and four assists. He’s also 6-6 and drilled 36 percent of his 3s. He’s a good shooter with ball skills and passing ability. He can dribble, pass, shoot and think the game, and he seems to care about defending. If he can improve these skills, there might be something there. Teams would love to stash someone like this in Europe in this class.
50. Toronto Raptors
Ja’Kobi Gillespie | 6-0 guard | 22 years old | Tennessee
Gillespie is small, but he helps his team win the possession battle as a low-turnover, high-steals player who is also a fearless shot-maker. He averaged 18 points and five assists, while drilling 37 percent of his 3s over his last three years on high volume and high shot difficulty. In the second round, you can certainly do worse than someone who knocks down shots, makes good decisions and works hard on defense.
51. Washington Wizards (via MIN)
Jaden Bradley | 6-3 guard | 22 years old | Arizona
Bradley is fearless and won the Big 12 Player of the Year award. He was one of the best players in the country in big moments last year, leading Arizona to the Final Four. He makes excellent decisions and is a true leader and gamer, but he needs to improve some skills. He has to get better at fighting through screens on defense. He needs to improve his vision as a playmaker, particularly when looking outward. And he needs to get more comfortable shooting 3s. But Bradley is worth investing in on a two-way.
52. LA Clippers (via CLE)
Tyler Bilodeau | 6-7 forward | 22 years old | UCLA
Bilodeau has as pure a jumper as I’ve seen in a long while. He needs to speed up the release, and I’d love to see him make more 3s off movement, but finding players with this level of touch from distance is rare, especially at this size. He also averaged 17.6 points and is very capable as a mid-post option, but the key here is that he drilled 46.4 percent from 3 this season and just needs to show that he can slide his feet and guard. He’s very worthy of a two-way contract.
53. Houston Rockets
Noam Yaacov | 6-1 guard | 21 years old | Oostende
There are few players whose tape I’ve enjoyed watching this year more than Yaacov’s. He’s small but quick and twitchy and possesses an inherent creativity to his game. He needs to rein in some of his wilder qualities as a ballhandler and find a way to create easier shots for himself. A midrange floater would be a massive counter for him. But he’s an auto-eligible player who is committed to the University of Utah this season and would be a sharp stash pick.
54. Golden State Warriors (via LAL)
Tyler Nickel | 6-6 wing | 22 years old | Vanderbilt
NBA teams are always looking for guys who can play off the ball and threaten defenses. Nickel can do that as a lights-out catch-and-shoot movement shooter. Over the last two years at Vanderbilt, he’s drilled over 40 percent from 3 on nearly seven attempts per game. He also has at least a chance on defense because he’s 6-6 and 217 pounds. But he needs to improve his footwork and max out whatever he can athletically.
55. New York Knicks
Milos Uzan | 6-3 guard | 23 years old | Houston
Uzan was a starting guard on killer Houston teams who was identified as a skilled player early in his career at Oklahoma but never quite took that leap into star status. He averaged 11 points per game and was relatively inefficient this year, but he passes well, makes good decisions and can shoot from distance, having hit 36 percent from 3 over his four-year career.
56. Chicago Bulls (via DEN)
Otega Oweh | 6-4 guard | 23 years old | Kentucky
Oweh is another Oklahoma transfer who left for greener pastures. He led Kentucky this season as a powerful downhill guard who averaged nearly 19 points per game in the SEC, but doesn’t shoot it as well as you’d like and isn’t as good defensively as you’d want, either. He has the tools to be an NBA player, but he needs to get more skilled and figure out his game on the defensive end.
57. Atlanta Hawks (via BOS)
Jaden Henley | 6-6 wing | 22 years old | Grand Canyon
Henley had a great season in the Mountain West at Grand Canyon, transforming his career. He has ball skills for his size and can attack downhill, getting to the rim with ease. He also passes well and is a solid defender, so there is a chance. But the key for Henley will be the jumper. Nothing looks broken here, but he only made 27 percent of his 3s this past season and is a career 31 percent 3-point shooter.
58. New Orleans Pelicans (via DET)
Trey Kaufman-Renn | 6-8 forward | 23 years old | Purdue
A three-year starter at Purdue, Kaufman-Renn averaged 20 points per game as a junior before returning for his senior season and playing more of a well-rounded role on a talented team next to Oscar Cluff at center. He got better on defense, is a good rebounder and passes well for his size at the four. But he needs a skill to truly hang his hat on.
59. Minnesota Timberwolves (via SAS)
Dillon Mitchell | 6-7 wing | 22 years old | St. John’s
Mitchell was one of the best defenders in the Big East last year, a switchable 6-foot-7 wing who is very active and aggressive. His motor doesn’t quit. He rebounds well for his position and tries to sprint out in transition to create early offense. I’m skeptical that Mitchell will consistently make even wide-open catch-and-shoot jumpers, so he won’t be for everyone. Still, the defense is very valuable, he moves the ball incredibly well, and he’s worth taking a chance on.
60. Washington Wizards (via OKC)
Mohammad Amini | 6-7 wing | 21 years old | Nancy
Amini is a wing with size who would be a pure stash pick. He’s averaging 7.5 points while shooting 46 percent from the field. I don’t think he’s all that fluid as an athlete, and he can sometimes get beaten on defense more than you’d expect. But when he’s knocking down shots and playing as a physical driver, you can see the outlines of an interesting stash player.
