2026 NBA Draft reaction notes.
- Out of all the first nine picks, Morez Johnson Jr. getting selected 9th by the Dallas Mavericks was somewhat of a surprise. Matt Babcock’s final mock draft had Aday Mara at 9. Johnson & Mara played for new Mavs head coach Dusty May at Michigan, but another interesting note that made this pick hard to figure out was all three sharing the same agency (CAA Sports).
- Mara would end up being selected 12th by the Oklahoma City Thunder, adding more size down low with Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein. Hopefully, 2025 No. 15 pick Thomas Sorber plays enough games this year to make a difference as well (missed 2025-26 season due to torn ACL).
- Golden State Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. mentioned the possibility of trading No. 11 for a veteran difference-maker before the draft. Instead of a trade, GSW gets an older rookie in Yaxel Lendeborg who helped Michigan win the 2026 national title at the college level (turns 24 in late September).
- You would think AJ Dybantsa (1st to Washington Wizards), Darryn Peterson (2nd to Utah Jazz), Cameron Boozer (3rd to Memphis Grizzlies), or Caleb Wilson (4th to Chicago Bulls) would have the most pressure coming into 2026-27. However, I see Los Angeles Clippers No. 5 pick Keaton Wagler in a tougher situation than all those rookies if he starts/Kawhi Leonard stays on the team. Not to mention Mikel Brown Jr. (6th to Brooklyn Nets), Darius Acuff Jr. (7th to Sacramento Kings), Kingston Flemings (8th to Atlanta Hawks), and Brayden Burries (10th to Milwaukee Bucks) will be challenging him in a loaded guard class.
- I thought Hannes Steinbach (14th to Charlotte Hornets), Dailyn Swain (15th to Chicago Bulls), Bennett Stirtz (16th to Oklahoma City Thunder/acquired in trade with the Memphis Grizzlies), Ebuka Okorie (17th to Detroit Pistons/acquired in trade with the Memphis Grizzlies/Oklahoma City Thunder had the pick first), Christian Anderson Jr. (18th to Charlotte Hornets), Allen Graves (19th to Toronto Raptors), Zuby Ejiofor (23rd to Atlanta Hawks), Joshua Jefferson (28th to Brooklyn Nets/acquired in trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves), and Alex Karaban (29th to Sacramento Kings/acquired in trade with the Cleveland Cavaliers) found themselves in great situations to begin their NBA careers.
- I didn’t expect the San Antonio Spurs to draft four players this week. However, they did use one of the picks to move up for Tarris Reed Jr., trading 35 for 26 in a deal with the Denver Nuggets (Denver selected Trevon Brazile/also received the Minnesota Timberwolves’ 2028 second-round pick and the Sacramento Kings’ 2031 second-round pick). The other three picks San Antonio made were Jayden Quaintance at 20, Ja’Kobi Gillespie at 42, and Maliq Brown at 44, proving that the front office has no problem keeping this a young roster for the most part.
- 2022 Mr. Indiana Basketball Braden Smith is probably very happy right now, as the Indiana Pacers traded for the No. 38 pick to acquire the former Purdue Boilermaker (Kam Jones, two future second-round pick swaps, and cash considerations head to the Chicago Bulls). Smith gets to learn from veteran TJ McConnell, which should help him tremendously as a small guard.
- 2026 Big 12 Player of the Year Jaden Bradley got taken 50th by the Toronto Raptors, and if he’s anything like 2024 Big 12 POY/new teammate Jamal Shead at the NBA level, he’ll certainly stick around as a guard for many years.
- Lastly, I thought Nate Ament at 13 (Milwaukee Bucks/acquired in trade with the Miami Heat), Karim Lopez at 21 (Memphis Grizzlies/acquired in trade with the Detroit Pistons), Labaron Philon Jr. at 22 (Philadelphia 76ers), Cameron Carr at 24 (Los Angeles Lakers/New York Knicks first had the pick before a four-team trade), Chris Cenac Jr. at 27 (Boston Celtics), Koa Peat at 30 (Phoenix Suns/originally selected by the Dallas Mavericks as part of the Carr deal), Bruce Thornton at 31 (Houston Rockets/ Knicks also had the pick before another four-team deal), Richie Saunders at 32 (Memphis Grizzlies), Isaiah Evans at 33 (Minnesota Timberwolves/acquired in trade with the Brooklyn Nets), Meleek Thomas at 34 (Cleveland Cavaliers/acquired in trade with the Sacramento Kings), Baba Miller at 36 (Los Angeles Clippers/acquired in trade with the Memphis Grizzlies), Ryan Conwell at 37 (Miami Heat/acquired in trade with OKC), and Henri Veesaar at 52 (Atlanta Hawks/acquired in trade with the Los Angeles Clippers) definitely all could have went higher. It’ll be interesting to see how their careers turn out over time.
