Editor’s note: Keep up with all the picks in the 2026 NBA Draft with our live blog, here.
We’re just hours away from the 2026 NBA Draft.
All 30 teams are going over their draft boards and re-examining player profiles ahead of the first round Tuesday, June 23 at the Barclays Center in New York.
Our NBA experts at USA TODAY are doing the same. Bryan Kalbrosky has released his final mock draft, and our reporters are combing through all the latest news, rumors and speculation before the Washington Wizards go on the clock with the No. 1 overall pick.
There’s no better way to get prepared for all the action, so scroll below to see our latest draft projections and follow along throughout the day for the latest updates:
NOTE: While news of two big trades broke late night on Monday, June 22 – one involving Giannis Antetokounmpo and the other involving Julius Randle – neither can be executed until July 6 at 12:01 p.m. ET, which is the start of the new league year. So, those 2026 picks remain with their current teams in our mock draft, although those teams will be selecting players on behalf of their trade partners.
a-The Heat’s No. 13 pick is being traded to the Bucks; b-The Timberwolves No. 28 pick is being traded to the Nets.
▶ Click here for Bryan Kalbrosky’s final mock draft with full profiles and analysis of each player.
2025
2024
2023
2022
2021
2020
Here’s who experts are saying the Los Angeles Clippers will select with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft:
USA TODAY Sports: Keaton Wagler, Illinois, guard
CBS Sports: Keaton Wagler, Illinois, guard
ESPN: Keaton Wagler, Illinois, guard
Bleacher Report: Darius Acuff Jr., Arkansas, guard
NBAdraft.net: Darius Acuff Jr., Arkansas, guard
The Clippers don’t necessarily have to hit the reset button after a mediocre 2025-26 season, but they will need to make the right decisions to replenish their roster for the future.
While all signs point to the selection of a guard with the fifth overall pick, a big man may be the biggest need for the franchise.
The Clippers acquired the pick after trading away Ivica Zubac to the Indiana Pacers before the trade deadline during the season.
The Croatian big man was seen as a fan favorite, having spent at least part of eight seasons with the Clippers. He averaged 11.4 points and 9.3 rebounds per game in 513 games played for the franchise. He started 470 of the games and averaged 25.8 minutes per game.
The team could also benefit from finding backcourt depth and a shot creator.
Like Zubac, James Harden was traded during the season and sent to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Harden had 21.1 points, 8.5 assists and 5.3 rebounds in 195 games started for the Clippers.
The Celtics are not closing the door on a Jaylen Brown rumor, in fact they are still listening to offers even after missing out on Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Shams Charania reported that Boston has been engaged in trade conversation and offers involving Brown as recently as Tuesday afternoon. Teams Charania spoke to sensed a level of intent to move Brown behind the Celtics approach, though he cautioned that does not mean a deal will get done.
2025
2024
2023
2022
2021
2020
■ NOTES
Wilson’s size, length, athleticism and physicality were on full display until a broken right thumb short-circuited his freshman season with the Tar Heels.
According to Bart Torvik, before the injury, the All-ACC big man led the nation with 67 dunks recorded and was one of the best vertical athletes who tested at the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago. He was also the only player under 20 years old to reach specific thresholds for both block, steal and defensive rebound percentage.
Projected as a likley top-two pick, the ACC Player of the Year isn’t a human highlight reel, though he performed better than expected during athletic testing at the combine in Chicago. Boozer, who also won the Karl Malone Power Forward Award from the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, offers consistency and a diverse, impactful skill set. He can bring a culture of winning after multiple championships in high school and playing on an elite Duke team that made it to the Sweet 16.
His father, former NBA player Carlos Boozer, currently works in the front office for the Jazz, and the pair could be set for a reunion in Utah.
Boozer is confident as he heads into the draft.
While he is certainly no longer perceived as the near-certain No. 1 overall pick that he once was due to relative inconsistency and injury issues, many scouts and evaluators still feel that Darryn Peterson is the most talented player in this class. It is incredibly rare to find a prospect who is able to score as efficiently as Peterson did while holding a usage rate as high as his was this past season.
“I mean in the league there are great scorers, so I think I probably fit in well with those guys. Not saying I can score like them, but it’s a scorer’s league, I think,” Peterson told NBA.com.
Trey Murphy III could be on the move from the New Orleans Pelicans, according to multiple reports hours before the start of the 2026 NBA Draft.
“The Pelicans are trying to trade Trey Murphy,” ESPN and Andscape NBA reporter Mac Spears said during an interview on 95.7 The Game in the Bay Area.
The Golden State Warriors were subsequently mentioned as a possible trade destination for Murphy, with the Pelicans receiving the No. 11 pick in Tuesday’s first round of the NBA Draft as part of the compensation in return, in a report by Hoops Hype. New Orleans doesn’t currently have a first-round pick in this year’s draft after trading it away to move up to select Derik Queen in 2025.
Murphy seemingly has signaled that he is willing to play elsewhere, according to The Athletic’s Sam Amick.
The final mock draft for the 2026 NBA Draft have mostly been rolled out with only a few hours left before the Washington Wizards make the No. 1 overall pick and there remains plenty of uncertainty about how the selections will go, according to the draft experts.
USA TODAY Sports has been tracking 12 national NBA mock drafts during the lead up to draft night, including our latest projections for each pick. Here are the prospects whose stock appears to be rising and falling based on the most recent reports and previous mock drafts.
The likely top overall pick according to most experts, Dybantsa was the NCAA scoring champion this past season and won the Julius Erving Award from the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as the nation’s top small forward. The Big 12 Rookie of the Year also led the nation in unassisted points scored by a wide margin.
“I’m super confident in myself being the No. 1 pick. But you never know. There’s been crazy stuff that happens on draft night,” Dybantsa told USA TODAY Sports.
The Milwaukee Bucks are finally rebuilding their roster after trading Giannis Antetokounmpo to the Miami Heat, and a player the team signed to try to appease Antetokounmpo during last year’s free agency could become available now that the franchise is officially moving on from its star.
Bucks center Myles Turner is a “strong trade candidate,” according to Hoops Hype, and the Celtics, Hornets, Lakers and Pelicans were each mentioned as potential landing spots. Turner signed a 4-year, $107-million contract with Milwaukee in 2025, but the 30-year-old might not be part of the team’s plans if it’s in rebuilding mode for awhile.
The Minnesota Timberwolves and Sacramento Kings are among the teams previously linked to trade discussions involving Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant that may no longer have interest, according to reports hours before the start of the 2026 NBA Draft.
The Kings are expected to select a point guard with the No. 7 pick in the draft on June 23, according to Hoops Hype, and that decision has ended their potential pursuit of Morant. The Timberwolves are also not in the mix for Morant, according to The Athletic, and plan to look elsewhere for backcourt help after trading Julius Randle. NBA reporter Marc Stein has also previously reported the New Orleans Pelicans are not currently interested in pursuing a trade for Morant.
The Grizzlies began fielding offers for Morant at last season’s trade deadline and he’s not expected to be on the Memphis roster in 2026-27. Morant has two years and more than $87 million left on his contract with the Grizzlies.
DeMar DeRozan will soon be an NBA free agent, according to a new report
The Sacramento Kings are expected to waive and stretch the final year of DeRozan’s contract, Hoops Hype reported on Tuesday, June 23, before the start of the 2016 NBA Draft. Though DeRozan is owed a $25.74 million salary for the 2026-27 season, only $10 million is guaranteed. The Kings, using this salary cap mechanism, could stretch that $10 million salary cap hit over three seasons.
The Los Angeles Clippers were mentioned as a potential landing spot for DeRozan in free agency. The 36-year-old averaged 18.4 points, 4.1 assists and 2.9 rebounds, while shooting 49.7% from the floor over 77 games with the Kings during the 2025-26 season.
The Miami Heat don’t believe they can re-sign Norman Powell after adding Giannis Antetokounmpo via trade ahead of the 2026 NBA Draft. Both ESPN’s Brian Windhorst and Shams Charania reported the Heat don’t expect to be able to re-sign Powell after he earned his first NBA All-Star game nod this past season.
The team anticipates he would need to take a deal significantly below market value to fit him under its new salary cap restraints with Antetokounmpo in the fold. The Heat could explore sign-and-trade possibilities for Powell, who earned nearly $20.5 million for the 2025-26 season.
The Portland Trail Blazers don’t currently have a pick during Tuesday’s first round of the NBA draft, but that didn’t prevent them from making news on draft day.
The Blazers named Micah Nori their next head coach, replacing interim Tiago Splitter, who took the head coaching job with the Chicago Bulls. Nori has been an assistant coach in the NBA consistently since 2009. He was most recently with the Minnesota Timberwolves as their lead assistant since 2021.
The Boston Celtics were runner-ups to the Miami Heat in the Antetokounmpo sweepstakes, with a reported offer of Jaylen Brown and two first-round picks not enough to sway the Bucks from the haul they received from Miami. So what does Brown think about all this, coming off the best season of his career with Jayson Tatum mostly sidelined?
This isn’t the first time Brown’s name has surfaced in serious trade talks, and speculation is already swirling this could prompt him to ask out of Boston. Antetokounmpo’s trade has officially kickstarted the NBA offseason, and Brown suddenly might be the best player available for teams that can create the salary cap space for a supermax contract. Unless he and the Celtics can move past nearly parting ways (again) in recent days.
▶ Click here for the latest rumors regarding Brown’s future with the Celtics
Here are the latest odds, via BetMGM, for each of the top five picks in the 2026 NBA Draft as Tuesday, June 23:
No. 1 overall
No. 2 overall
No. 3 overall
No. 4 overall
No. 5 overall
The 2026 NBA Draft takes place over two days, with the first round on Tuesday, June 23 and the second round on Wednesday, June 24.
During the first round, each team will have five minutes to make their selections. For the second round, teams will only be granted four minutes to make their picks.
The first round of the 2026 NBA Draft on Tuesday, June 23 will be broadcast nationally on ABC and ESPN at 8 p.m. ET. The second round on Wednesday, June 24 will air only on ESPN.
Fans can also stream both nights of the draft on ESPN Unlimited, the ESPN app and on Fubo.
The 2026 NBA Draft takes place at the Barclays Center, home of the Brooklyn Nets, in New York. The Barclays Center has hosted the NBA draft every year since 2013 except for 2020 when COVID moved the draft to a closed-door event at ESPN Studios in Bristol, Connecticut.
The 2026 NBA Draft takes place over two days, with the first round on Tuesday, June 23 and the second round on Wednesday, June 24. Selections will start at 8 p.m. ET on both nights.
Our editors independently choose our recommendations. Some content is produced with paid support from a third party, however our editorial decisions remain independent. If you buy through our links, the USA TODAY Network may earn a commission. Prices and availability may change.
Gambling involves risk. Please only gamble with funds that you can comfortably afford to lose. While we do our utmost to offer good advice and information we cannot be held responsible for any loss that may be incurred as a result of gambling. We do our best to make sure all the information that we provide on this site is correct. However, from time to time mistakes will be made and we will not be held liable. Please check any stats or information if you are unsure how accurate they are. No guarantees are made with regards to results or financial gain. All forms of betting carry financial risk and it is up to the individual to make bets with or without the assistance of information provided on this site and we cannot be held responsible for any loss that may be incurred as a result of following the betting tips provided on this site. Past performances do not guarantee success in the future and betting odds fluctuate from one minute to the next. The material contained on this site is intended to inform, entertain and educate the reader and in no way represents an inducement to gamble legally or illegally or any sort of professional advice.
Gannett may earn revenue from sports betting operators for audience referrals to betting services. Sports betting operators have no influence over nor are any such revenues in any way dependent on or linked to the newsrooms or news coverage. Terms apply, see operator site for Terms and Conditions. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, help is available. Call the National Council on Problem Gambling 24/7 at 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ, OH), 1-800-522-4700 (CO), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN). Must be 21 or older to gamble. Sports betting and gambling are not legal in all locations. Be sure to comply with laws applicable where you reside. It is your sole responsibility to act in accordance with your local laws.
Prediction Markets: Certain prediction markets are event contracts regulated by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) or other applicable regulatory authorities and are legally distinct from traditional gambling and sports betting. Eligibility requirements to participate in prediction markets differ from those for sports betting and gambling — you may be required to be 18 or older (or such other age as the applicable platform requires) and to satisfy other eligibility criteria established by the relevant platform and governing law. Prediction market trading involves financial risk and may not be available in all jurisdictions. The legal and regulatory status of prediction markets varies by jurisdiction and by platform. It is your sole responsibility to confirm that participation is lawful where you reside and to comply with all applicable laws and platform terms.
Leave a Reply