2026 NBA Mock Draft: Adam Finkelstein projects all 60 picks in first two-round forecast

The fact that Dybantsa still hasn’t been told he will be the No. 1 pick, just reaffirms what we said back at the combine – that while he may be the favorite, this isn’t the foregone conclusion some are suggesting. Ultimately though, I do expect him to get the call. He’s a big wing with positional size, length, athleticism, and an elastic build who can score from all three levels and create his own offense almost on demand. He legitimately has the potential to lead the NBA in scoring one day, but also has to prove that he can consistently impact, and ultimately, drive winning.

I continue to maintain that if Peterson is on the board, he will be the pick at No. 2. It actually may be a relatively easy pick because Boozer just doesn’t fit with Jaren Jackson and Lauri Markkanen on the roster. Conversely, Peterson is a very clean fit alongside Keyonte George in what should be Utah’s backcourt of the future. The hope is that the durability issues from last season are now behind him and he can merge the shot-making we saw at Kansas with the creation we saw in high school.

Boozer has the highest floor in this draft, and probably an underrated ceiling. Not only can no other player in the field match his history of winning or production, but Boozer also has an unmatched overlap of size, physicality, skill, and feel for the game. Plug him in next to Zach Edey and Cedric Coward and Memphis’ rebuilding project already has its frontcourt of the future figured out.

Wilson is a prospect with legit star type outcome and potential. He’s a high-level athlete with a big-time motor with unusual elasticity (or bend) for a player his size. Wilson exceeded expectations offensively last year, and yet still has immense room for progress, not just with his perimeter skill-set, but even his defensive polish. Those tools should check a lot of boxes for new Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Bryson Graham.

The Clippers are reportedly contemplating all four point guards and various trade scenarios. Mikel Brown is getting some increased traction here, but if they keep the pick, I still believe Wagler may be the only one who can fit with Darius Garland. The positional size and shooting give him on/off ball versatility that would be critical in this context, but it’s his feel for the game and natural instincts that may be his true superpower.

The Nets are another team that could turn the draft in a variety of different ways. The point guards are all in play, as too is Ament, and the potential for deals. While Acuff would provide some positional redundancies to last year’s picks, he gives them the type of alpha creator they don’t otherwise have yet. He’d also provide a more immediate impact than Ament, especially on the offensive end of the floor.

The Kings are always a wildcard. They’ve been linked to Acuff and the assumption is if he’s on the board, he’ll be the pick. In this scenario it’s a choice between Brown and Flemings, and of those two the Louisville product is the one who seems to be generating more buzz in the pre-draft process. Brown is incredibly skilled, has complete control of the ball, is a pinpoint passer, a much better shooter than his numbers showed at Louisville, and impressing teams when he gets face-to-face with them.

There’s skepticism that four freshman point guards will go consecutively, but Flemings would fit with a defensive oriented young perimeter core in Atlanta, and give them plenty of upside if his shooting proves to be sustainable. What is undeniable is that he’s an elite athlete who can get a piece of the paint on demand and rise up explosively at the rim. He’s also capable of getting to his pull-up at virtually anytime and arguably the most dedicated defender of this freshmen quartet.

There’s a growing belief that this could be a scenario that both Burries and Dallas would be excited about, and even some speculation that’s why Burries is not working out for more teams. He is a strong and aggressive two-way guard who can get downhill with force, provide a formidable three-point shooter, and defend his position, all with an NBA ready frame, all of which would make him a nice complement to Cooper Flagg for the foreseeable future.

Ament is a polarizing prospect with a wide range of outcomes on draft night. A late-blooming 6-foot-10 combo-forward who is fluid, has touch, and skill, he’s also inconsistent and needs to get stronger. While his freshman year was up and down, Ament’s overall arc has been linear, and there’s still glaring potential. That upside makes him a logical choice for a Milwaukee team that has a very uncertain future ahead of them.

Mara has real momentum in the draft process and could be off the board before this. At 7-foot-3 (without shoes), he’s a giant, even by NBA standards, and a tremendous rim protector. He’s also got sneaky mobility, good hands, real passing ability, and provides vertical spacing. With Steve Kerr returning next season, the Warriors’ style of play will be staying largely the same, and Mara’s facilitating ability fits that.

The questions about Lendeborg are tied to his upside since he will turn 24 before playing in his first NBA game. The team in the lottery least concerned about upside is OKC, since they are trying to win now, and relying on finding impactful players in relatively low-salary slots to do it. Lendeborg is one of the more versatile two-way players, and specifically defenders, in the draft. At 6-foot-9 with a 7-foot-3+ wingspan, he often guarded opposing point guards this year, is an excellent passer, and improved shooter who made 37% of his threes.

Philon has been linked to both Miami and Milwaukee, so this works on multiple levels. If Miami keep the pick, he helps them address their uncertainty in the backcourt. If it gets moved to Milwaukee in a potential Giannis deal, the Bucks seem plenty interested as well. A gifted shot creator, Philon stuffed the stat sheet as the focal point of one of college basketball’s fastest offenses, and did it with 50/40/80 shooting splits. If he can tap back into some of the defensive tools he showed as a freshman, there could be real value here.

Johnson was one of the biggest winners of the combine, measuring bigger than expected with massive length, well-rounded athleticism, and simultaneously reaffirming the shooting gains we saw this year. He also fits a need for Charlotte, both positionally as well as with his rugged physicality. That, in tandem with his lateral mobility, makes him even more versatile defensively than he is offensively.

Bryson Graham is known to covet size, length, athleticism, and physicality (or SLAP for short), and no player left on the board checks those boxes better than Quaintance. After playing only four games this year at Kentucky, he helped himself at the combine by looking explosive in his pro day. He’s long, powerful, violently athletic at the rim, and a real game-changer on the defensive end of the floor. Of course though, this all hinges on the medical.

Steinbach is a skilled and smart big man who has elite hands and is a high-volume rebounder. He’s a bit between a four and a five, but with the NBA trending back towards more size in the frontcourt, he should be capable of playing both positions on most nights. It’s possible he doesn’t last this long, but if Memphis is able to pair him with Boozer and Edey, they’d have a frontcourt with depth and optionality for the foreseeable future.

Lopez is a Mexican native who played with the New Zealand Breakers in the NBL Next Stars program this year and made really nice strides. He’s a hard-playing, physical presence who pressures the rim and competes on both ends. He’ll get consideration as high as the late-lottery, but checks many of the boxes that OKC has historically prioritized. He could also have appeal to a variety of other franchise’s if OKC moves this pick.

If Charlotte goes with a big early, I expect they’ll look to bolster their perimeter here. Swain would check a lot of boxes as a defensive oriented big wing who can play off the bounce, pressure the rim, and provide some secondary creation. Those traits are in high demand on a roster that is built around LaMelo Ball, Kon Knueppel, and Brandon Miller, while that trio could absorb Swain’s inconsistencies as a shooter.

Anderson is one of the most skilled players, and maybe the best shooter, in this draft. He also has a complimenting feel for the game and advanced understanding of how to play off ball-screens. There are questions about how he’ll adapt physically and defensively, but his offense is worth betting on, especially for a Toronto team that currently lacks those traits at the point guard position.

Carr followed up on his breakout season at Baylor with a terrific showing at the combine. He’s one of the few perimeter prospects in this draft who can combine length, athleticism, and shot-making. He still has some maturing to do, but San Antonio is well-suited to support his continued growth, and may not have many chances to land another prospect for the foreseeable future given where they are likely to draft.

Stirtz is a highly skilled true point guard with an elite feel for the game. He’s not an overwhelming athlete or defender, but he’s a big-time shooter, ultra-reliable, and always in the right spots. In Detroit, he checks two boxes. He’s a floor-spacer around Cade Cunningham and another ball-handler who can run the offense when Cunningham is off the floor.

Peat is higher than this on the CBS Big Board, but his glaring lack of shooting is going to require a specific fit. The Sixers lack a long-term solution at the four, can get their floor-spacing from Embiid’s face-up skill set, and could benefit from Peat’s strength, physicality, intangibles, winning pedigree, and ability to get downhill.

Cenac has size, length, athleticism, mobility to slide laterally, and some developing face-up skill and shooting potential. He answered a lot of questions about his motor this year and asserted himself as a rebounder, but still has times where the potential exceeds the production. Given the amount of free agents Atlanta has up front this off-season, this could solidify their frontcourt depth.

With Mitchell Robinson going into free agency this year, it makes sense for the Knicks to go big here. Reed was as good as any big man in the NCAA Tournament and followed that up with a strong combine performance, which makes him the best available five-man at this point. He’s long, powerful, has interior skill, underrated face-up ability, and sneaky defensive switchability.

The Lakers are another team that is likely to look for a big man here, and while they may prefer a more defensive-oriented one, Veesaar’s combination of size and skill could be too much to pass up on. A stretch-five who shoots it with ease out to the three-point line, Veesaar can play out of dribble hand-offs, pass, and still space the floor vertically, but has to be more consistent defensively and on the glass.

Detroit is a real possibility for Okorie at No. 22, particularly if Anderson and Stritz are already off the board. Okorie lacks overwhelming size, but he has terrific speed, can get a piece of the paint on demand, and his shooting continued to tick-up as the season went on last year. Denver has a positional need at the point with Tyus Jones’ looming free agency so this tracks.

Graves is an analytic darling who has elite BPM metrics and a rare overlap of defensive playmaking, passing, ball-security, and offensive rebounding. In addition to his combination of physicality and feel, Graves also has great hands and touch to stretch the floor. If another analytically driven front-office doesn’t scoop him up first, Boston could pounce.

Evans looks like the type of shooter you can run plays for in the NBA after proving he could make quick-released movement threes his year at Duke. He’s made gradual strides diversifying his game, but physicality, defense, and rim pressure are all swing variables. The bottom line though is what he does best could be fully utilized to create space around Anthony Edwards.

Meleek Thomas is the type of instant offense bucket-getter who could provide a microwave scorer off the bench. That’s something the Cavs could certainly utilize if they end up without either James Harden, who holds a player option, or Dennis Schroder, who is reportedly on the market.

This would be a big swing, and a prospect that won’t be ready to contribute right away, but Mike Schmitz has taken skilled bigs in each of the last two cycles in Portland and Suigo is a potential 7-foot-3 stretch-five man. If he hits, there won’t be many better ways to open the lane for a Cooper Flagg centric attack.