With the 2025 NBA Draft behind us, it’s time for a way-too-early mock draft for the highly anticipated 2026 NBA Draft. Next year’s draft projects as one of the strongest in recent history, featuring three number-one-pick-caliber prospects — Darryn Peterson, AJ Dybantsa and Cameron Boozer.
Different scouts will order these prospects differently, but all exist within the same tier of franchise-altering superstar prospects. All three could pull away as a consensus top pick depending on how their college seasons play out. There’s quite a bit of depth after the top-three, though the lottery range looks a smidge weaker than 2025 (though it’s far too early to project the depth of any class).
It’s impossible to project how the 2026 NBA Draft will fall in July 2025, so I’ll base each selection mostly on what I would do at each position, considering my evaluation of these prospects and team needs. If you’re unhappy with the draft order, take it up with the good folks at Tankathon!
I’m still working through film and statistical analysis of many of these prospects. These rankings and evaluations are far from final, but every cycle starts somewhere.
1. Utah Jazz – Darryn Peterson, G, Kansas
Though one could make a case for all of the top-three prospects as 2026’s best, Peterson’s special advantage creation, shotmaking, passing and defensive impact make him the best high school guard prospect I’ve ever watched. Multiple top-end strengths and very few major weaknesses give Peterson true MVP-level upside.
2. Washington Wizards – Cameron Boozer, F, Duke
The Wizards have stacked a variety of complementary pieces over the last few drafts and placing a centerpiece like Boozer would hopefully complete their rebuild. He projects as a dominant two-way star with unmatched productivity, scoring efficiency, passing feel and solid defensive impact with multiple pathways to All-NBA impact at the next level.
3. Brooklyn Nets – AJ Dybantsa, F, BYU
Brooklyn stacked up on ball-handling and passing in the 2025 draft, presumably intending to plop in a primary scoring option in 2026. Dybantsa’s all-time athleticism and shotmaking blend on the wing make him an easy bet to develop into a dominant NBA scorer with enough passing and defensive flashes to project him as an eventual franchise-changing star.
4. Charlotte Hornets – Nate Ament, F, Tennessee
After drafting Kon Knueppel in the top-four in 2025, the Hornets keep stacking tall, multiple forwards with shooting prowess. Ament must add more size and strength to hold up as a paint scorer, but 6’9 versatile shotmakers with his defensive range and coverage versatility usually leave the board within the first five picks, even in a loaded draft class.
5. Portland Trail Blazers – Karim Lopez, F, New ZealandÂ
Lopez produced efficient offense in a limited role last season in the NBL and will look to expand on that this year with more responsibility. He’s a dominant driving threat, blending rare strength and skill polish for a 6’8 teenage forward. Portland won’t complain about adding more scoring and offensive upside on the wing to their stout defensive foundation.
6. Chicago Bulls – Jayden Quaintance, C, Kentucky
Quaintance played his entire freshman season as a 17-year-old and will look to build on a promising year after returning from a season-ending ACL injury. He’s one of the better defensive prospects in the class with unbelievable athleticism, movement skills and shot-blocking instincts, though he’s a bit short by NBA center standards. Still, the Bulls would love to add an explosive athlete with promising driving and passing flashes to their young core.
7. Memphis Grizzlies – Caleb Wilson, F, North Carolina
Wilson has a case as the draft’s most dominant athlete with remarkable speed, power and explosiveness for a 6’9 forward with a massive wingspan. He’ll need to improve on offense to best unleash his enormous defensive upside, but Wilson has solid enough passing and play-finishing skills if he develops a reliable outside shot.
8. Sacramento Kings – Mikel Brown Jr., G, Louisville
A dominant FIBA U19 World Cup performance boosted Brown Jr.’s draft stock ahead of his freshman year at Louisville. The Kings would be thrilled to add Brown Jr. as their next point guard centerpiece, pairing his phenomenal outside shooting and surgical passing with Domantas Sabonis as a secondary hub.
9. Atlanta Hawks – Labaron Philon, G, Alabama
After a promising freshman year for a successful Alabama team, Philon will look to boost his stock with more on-ball usage. If he improves as an interior scorer, Philon’s twitchy athleticism, high feel and defensive chops project significant upside as a lineup-versatile guard, which elite passers like Trae Young only serve to amplify.
10. Toronto Raptors – Alijah Arenas, G, USC
Arenas is the draft’s main wild-card with immense potential and notable downside. He hasn’t played nearly as much high-competition basketball as his peers and his defensive intensity and playmaking are uncertain, but few 6’6 teenagers create advantages and score like Arenas can. A successful freshman season could see him landing higher than this, but the Raptors will be happy to swing on an on-ball scoring star.
11. Miami Heat – Dash Daniels, G, Melbourne
Though Daniels struggled on offense in the FIBA U19 World Cup, he’d present a worthwhile developmental project for the Heat here. He’s the youngest player in the draft who projects as a phenomenal defensive player with his great lateral movement and playmaking. He’ll need to improve his handle and develop more reliable scoring options, but Daniels’s baseline feel and touch are solid enough to hope for growth.
12. Memphis Grizzlies – Thomas Haugh, F, Florida
Haugh proved himself an invaluable role player on a title-winning Gators team in 2025. He mainly impacted winning through disruptive defense and connective play, but Haugh should see increased offensive responsibility this season. Memphis can deploy Haugh in multiple spots on defense and his 3-point shooting pairs well with Caleb Wilson’s paint-reliant offense.
13. Indiana Pacers – Bennett Stirtz, G, Iowa
Stirtz and the Indiana Pacers are a heaven-made marriage, as Stirtz’s preternatural basketball feel fits with Indiana’s passing and movement-centric offense. He dominated at Drake last season, commanding the ball for a complicated offense while playing nearly all of his team’s minutes. Replicating his production at Iowa this season could help Stirtz land even higher than this in 2026.
14. San Antonio Spurs – Braylon Mullins, G, UConn
Mullins adds another dynamic, versatile shotmaker to the Spurs’ chest of young pieces. The 6’5 sharpshooter flies around screens to make shots from well beyond the college line and has enough passing and secondary driving juice to capitalize on his shooting prowess.
15. Milwaukee Bucks – Isiah Harwell, G, Houston
Milwaukee desperately needs strong, sturdy two-way guards like Harwell to pair with Giannis Antetokounmpo. He isn’t a dynamic creator, but Harwell’s off-ball shooting prowess, solid passing and stout on-ball defense will intrigue NBA teams. Harwell is the first of three Houston freshmen to come off the board in this mock and it will be fascinating to watch how their playing time shakes out this season.
16. Atlanta Hawks – Koa Peat, F, Arizona
The Hawks continue to collect long, athletic forwards to insulate and maximize Trae Young’s offense. Peat is a dominant wing athlete with the power, speed and agility to find his spots to score in the mid-range and at the hoop. Even without a reliable 3-point threat, Peat’s interior scoring chops and defensive range are promising NBA traits.
17. Detroit Pistons – Cayden Boozer, G, Duke
Detroit has been searching for a reliable, long-term point guard backup and partner for Cade Cunningham. Boozer’s high feel, pick-and-roll playmaking and excellent defense all suggest he could thrive as a complementary guard. His scoring aggression must increase to best exploit his passing, but he should thrive as a floor general for the Blue Devils this season.
18. Boston Celtics – Hannes Steinbach, F, Washington
Steinbach will hope to carry his momentum from a stellar FIBA U19 World Cup showing to his freshman season at Washington. He’s a dominant interior scorer, with incredible strength, touch and skill for a big. Without reliable outside shooting or standout shot blocking, Steinbach must answer questions about his role, but his scoring, passing and strength could help him land even higher in the draft.
19. Oklahoma City Thunder – Tounde Yessoufou, F, Baylor
The Thunder will appreciate the variety of athletic, physically gifted defenders in this class and wouldn’t mind adding a player with Yessoufou’s rare athleticism and mobility on defense. He’ll have plenty of time to iron out his offense and improve as a shooter and dribbler, but the Thunder have no need to rush his development.
20. Dallas Mavericks – Kingston Flemings, G, Houston
Flemings might have to battle Milos Uzan for some on-ball usage, but he’s talented enough to be considered a possible top-20 pick. He’s one of the best athletes in the class, blending absurd speed, vertical pop and passing vision to dominate high school defenses. Continuing to progress as a shooter will be key for his on and off-ball projection, but Flemings’s two-way ceiling is high.
21. Golden State Warriors – Dame Sarr, G, Duke
The Warriors would value Sarr’s immense physical potential here, bringing forward size and immense length. That height, wingspan and lateral quickness let Sarr defend multiple position and wreak havoc off of the ball. Continuing to improve his jumper and ball skills can help him iron out his role on a stacked Duke offense.
22. Oklahoma City Thunder – Anthony Robinson, G, Missouri
Robinson locked down opposing players on the ball as well as any SEC defender last season. He’s a breakout candidate with more on-ball responsibility this season, especially if he continues making threes. Robinson’s dynamic movement, handling and passing provide a few pathways to success and his aggressive defense fits Oklahoma City’s style.
23. Los Angeles Lakers – Patrick Ngongba II, C, Duke
The Lakers will likely still be searching for a long-term solution at the five at this point next season and Ngongba II would help solve that problem. He’s a skilled, two-way big with the strength, physicality, feel and touch to play several roles on both ends of the floor. A weaker center class could push Ngongba II even farther up the board.
24. Minnesota Timberwolves – Nik Khamenia, F, Duke
Khamenia fits snugly in a modern NBA ecosystem that rewards skilled, savvy forwards who amplify other great players. He’ll play a connecting role at Duke this season and should flash his elite passing, solid handle defensive awareness. Solidifying his outside shot will influence Khamenia’s NBA ceiling, but size and feel are worth investing in.
25. Charlotte Hornets –Â Chris Cenac Jr., C, Houston
Like Flemings and Harwell, it’s hard to know how much Cenac Jr. will play this season, as he’ll compete with Joseph Tugler and a couple of sophomores for frontcourt minutes. He’s an immensely talented player with center size and off-dribble shooting versatility, but his explosiveness and mobility shine brightest on defense. Cenac Jr.’s wide range of outcomes makes him a difficult player to project at this stage, but he has upside to land higher than this.
26. Denver Nuggets – Kam Williams, F, Kentucky
Williams should break out onto NBA Draft radars after transferring from Tulane, where he flashed promising NBA traits as a freshman. Teams covet tall movement shooters with his athleticism and feel for the game, which allowed Williams to score efficiently and produce. If he can scale his offense up with higher usage, he will garner first-round interest, especially for teams like Denver with great passers on the roster.
27. New York Knicks – Miles Byrd, F, San Diego State
Byrd may have landed in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft, but he’ll have a chance to boost his stock this season. If Byrd improves on offense and scores more effectively inside the arc, it’s easy to imagine him rising even higher. For now, his unbelievable defensive playmaking keeps him as a first-round value.
28. Oklahoma City Thunder – Shelton Henderson, F, Miami
Henderson could take on more offensive usage at Miami than he would at other spots, helping fuel a draft rise. He’s a monstrous vertical and horizontal athlete with the processing and slashing skills to add offensive value even with a developing outside shot. If Henderson can add a reliable jumper, he projects as a modern 3-and-D plus wing and the Thunder can wait on that development.
29. Cleveland Cavaliers – Adrian Wooley, G, Louisville
Wooley was a consummate scorer as a mid-major freshman and will hope to continue that offensive success at Louisville. His great handle, rim pressure and craft pair well with Mikel Brown Jr.’s phenomenal passing and shotmaking and should help unlock both players. Wooley’s off-ball scoring package, playmaking and defensive upside suggest big-time offensive upside.
30. Houston Rockets – Paul McNeil Jr., G, North Carolina State
McNeil Jr. effectively redshirted but will have a chance at his breakout under Will Wade as a sophomore. He’s a dynamic, versatile wing shooter with enough playmaking power to exploit his shooting gravity best. While he isn’t the strongest player, McNeil’s off-ball chops make him an intriguing wing prospect to track.
