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2026 NBA Mock Draft: Clippers take a huge swing at No. 5, Darius Acuff falls to Kings at pick No. 7
Testing and measurements are starting to roll in from the NBA Draft Combine. For this mock draft, the fun likely starts at pick No. 5 when the Clippers are on the clock
Cameron Salerno
May 12, 2026
at
9:48 am ET
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1 min read
After one of the most high-profile tank races in league history, we now know the order of the 2026 NBA Draft. All eyes will be on the Washington Wizards next month when the franchise is on the clock with the No. 1 overall pick. Washington will be making its first No. 1 pick since 2010, when the franchise selected John Wall.
For the most part, there should be little drama on draft night on who the first four picks will be, but the order of those picks is certainly not set in stone, which makes the 2026 version of the NBA Draft extremely intriguing As of Tuesday, it appears the Wizards will likely target BYU star AJ Dybantsa at No. 1, followed by the Utah Jazz selecting Kansas star Darryn Peterson with the second pick.
At picks No. 3 and 4, held by the Memphis Grizzlies and the Chicago Bulls, respectively, all indications point to Duke forward Cameron Boozer and UNC forward Caleb Wilson going off the board next. The Los Angeles Clippers at pick No. 5 is where the drama could start, and testing numbers coming out of the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago ignited a change and bold move here. The Clippers will have a top-five pick after trading for it at last season’s trade deadline, which sent Ivica Zubac to the Indiana Pacers.
With the lottery set, let’s dive into my first post-lottery mock, starting with Washington at No. 1.
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Round 1 – Pick 1
AJ Dybantsa
BYU
• Fr • 6’9″ / 215 lbs
Dybantsa has been tracking to be the No. 1 pick for several weeks now. With Washington winning the lottery, the BYU star will likely be the pick here. Could the Wizards explore a potential trade down, say with Utah, to pick up more assets and draft another player in the top four? Maybe. The safe and smart play here would take Dybantsa, who was college basketball’s leading scorer. He is the franchise-changing player Washington has been searching for.
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Round 1 – Pick 2
Darryn Peterson
Kansas
• Fr • 6’6″ / 205 lbs
Jazz fans might be (slightly) upset after not landing No. 1. It would’ve been a cool story if Dybantsa was able to stay in state and play for Utah, where he played his senior year of high school and his lone college season at BYU. Still, the fit with Peterson makes a ton of sense. Peterson is still the No. 1 player on my personal board, so this would be a massive win for the Jazz. Peterson’s scoring potential is second-to-none in this class.
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Round 1 – Pick 3
Cameron Boozer
Duke
• Fr • 6’9″ / 250 lbs
This pick is where the real debate starts. For me, Boozer is a perfect fit for Memphis. Boozer next to Zach Edey in the frontcourt would be one of the best rebounding duos in the NBA from Day 1. Boozer is the ultimate winner. That’s hard to pass up here.
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Round 1 – Pick 4
Caleb Wilson
North Carolina
• Fr • 6’10” / 215 lbs
The Bulls have the easiest pick of draft night. Take whoever falls from the top four prospects in the class. In this exercise, it’s Wilson. There’s a chance Memphis falls in love with Wilson and leaves Boozer for Chicago, but if the board aligns with consensus, Wilson will be a Bull. Chicago was one of the biggest winners of the draft lottery after starting the day with the ninth-best odds to pick No. 1.
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From
Indiana Pacers
Round 1 – Pick 5
Aday Mara
Michigan
• Jr • 7’3″ / 255 lbs
This is the bold move. The Clippers seize the opportunity and take lengthy Michigan big man Aday Mara at No. 5. Mara had great measurements at the NBA Draft Combine in Monday: He came in at 7-foot-3 (barefoot) and 259.8 pounds with a 7-foot-6 wingspan and a standing reach of 9-foot-9, which was tied with Mark Williams for the second-longest standing reach in combine history, behind only Tacko Fall. A shot-blocking specialist, Mara led the Big Ten with 2.6 blocks as the starting center for the National Champion Wolverines. Mara is athletic, versatile, can pass the ball and is a tremendous finisher around the rim. The Clippers are going to be the rare playoff team that picks inside the top-five after the ping pong balls went their way. This pick is part of the Zubac trade, which was made at the deadline. It was a calculated risk by Indiana that backfired. The Clippers could go in numerous different directions with this pick, but they can replace Zubac directly with Mara.
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Round 1 – Pick 6
Keaton Wagler
Illinois
• Fr • 6’6″ / 185 lbs
The Nets could go in several different directions if the Clippers go with Mara at pick No. 5. If the Nets do pick a point guard, two fits that make sense are Keaton Wagler and Kingston Flemings. Wagler is a jumbo guard who has had an incredible rise from an unsung recruit to an All-American.
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Round 1 – Pick 7
Darius Acuff Jr.
Arkansas
• Fr • 6’3″ / 190 lbs
The connections between Acuff and the Kings organization are well-documented. Acuff’s father played at Eastern Kentucky in the 1990s, who was coached by Kings general manager Scott Perry. Acuff was the best guard in college basketball. He is one of the biggest winners of the NBA Combine so far after measuring in at 6-foot-2 with a 6-foot-7 wingspan. Acuff is one of the most polished offensive guard prospects of the 2020s. The Kings need talent. Acuff will be the pick if he’s available at 7.
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From
New Orleans Pelicans
Round 1 – Pick 8
Kingston Flemings
Houston
• Fr • 6’4″ / 190 lbs
Flemings’ measurements at the combine weren’t amazing. Despite measuring in at 6-foot-2.5 without shoes, Flemings’ wingspan was just 6-foot-3.5. Those measurements could cause him to drop a little, but Atlanta still seems like a good fit for the Houston star. Flemings is quick and can also defend.
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Round 1 – Pick 9
Mikel Brown Jr.
Louisville
• Fr • 6’5″ / 190 lbs
The No. 1 goal for the Mavericks this summer is to give Cooper Flagg a long-term running mate. If Brown is on the board, he should be the pick. If Brown’s medicals come back clean (dealt with back issues during his freshman season at Louisville), you can make the case he could go as high as No. 5.
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Round 1 – Pick 10
Yaxel Lendeborg
Michigan
• Sr • 6’9″ / 235 lbs
The future of Giannis Antetokounmpo in Milwaukee will be one of the biggest storylines of the entire NBA offseason. If the Bucks do trade their franchise superstar, they could pick a handful of different players here. One name that makes sense is Lendeborg, who was one of the most dominant players in the sport. He is an older prospect, but still should go in the lottery on draft night.
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Round 1 – Pick 11
Brayden Burries
Arizona
• Fr • 6’4″ / 205 lbs
The good news for the Warriors is that Steve Kerr is back. With that out of the way, Golden State can start looking ahead to meaningful offseason additions. The track record with young players under Kerr has been a mixed bag. That’s why Burries could make sense here. He will turn 21 before the start of the NBA season. He emerged as Arizona’s best player and shooter en route to the program’s first Final Four appearance in over two decades.
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From
Los Angeles Clippers
Round 1 – Pick 12
Labaron Philon
Alabama
• Fr • 6’3″ / 175 lbs
The Thunder have an abundance of riches in their rotation. The chances of the player they select (at 12 or 17) contributing valuable minutes from Day 1 are unlikely because OKC has the deepest roster in the league. One name who could be a fun fit is Philon, who had a breakout sophomore season with Alabama.
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Round 1 – Pick 13
Jayden Quaintance
Kentucky
• Soph • 6’10” / 255 lbs
Quaintance is one of the most unique prospects in this year’s class. His defensive tape from his freshman season at Arizona State was unbelievable. However, he played in just four games in 2025-26 at Kentucky due to knee swelling from a torn ACL suffered last season. He needs to go to a team where there’s no pressure to play significant minutes right away. Miami would be a great developmental spot.
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Round 1 – Pick 14
Nate Ament
Tennessee
• Fr • 6’10” / 207 lbs
Ament appears to be all-in on the draft process, which makes sense considering he’s a projected top 20 pick. Although his shooting efficiency (39.9% from the floor) wasn’t great at Tennessee, he did shoot 79% on 7.1 attempts per game from the free-throw line. That’s a positive sign for his long-term development as a shooter. If he stays in the draft, I have a hard time seeing him drop out of the lottery.
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From
Portland Trail Blazers
Round 1 – Pick 15
Cameron Carr
Baylor
• Soph • 6’5″ / 190 lbs
After playing just 41 minutes total last season at Tennessee, Carr transferred to Baylor, where he blossomed into the Bears’ leading scorer. He averaged 18.9 points on 49.4/37.4/80.1 shooting splits. His offensive upside is worth the swing here. It also wouldn’t be surprising if he went in the mid/late teens.
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From
Phoenix Suns
Round 1 – Pick 16
Mexico
• 6’8″ / 224 lbs
In my first two mock drafts, Lopez was the only international player selected in the first round. That’s the case once again. This year’s international class just isn’t as deep as it was in 2024, when it had four lottery picks. Lopez has a chance to crack the top 20, or maybe even the top 15.
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From
Philadelphia 76ers
Round 1 – Pick 17
Chris Cenac Jr.
Houston
• Fr • 6’11” / 240 lbs
OKC has two first-round picks in one of the deepest drafts in recent memory. Cenac needs to go to an organization where he can continue to develop. He is one of the more raw prospects in this class, but his two-way potential down the line is worth the swing in the teens. The Thunder would be a perfect fit for those reasons.
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From
Orlando Magic
Round 1 – Pick 18
Bennett Stirtz
Iowa
• Sr • 6’4″ / 190 lbs
Stritz is an efficient point guard who plays at his own pace. He has had an incredible rise from Division II basketball to being a likely first-round pick. After taking potential and development in Ament with their first pick, Charlotte goes with a more sure thing and a point guard at No. 18.
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Round 1 – Pick 19
Hannes Steinbach
Washington
• Fr • 6’11” / 229 lbs
Steinbach has some of the best hands in college basketball and was a double-double machine during his time at Washington. The Raptors biggest need is a center. Steinbach makes sense here.
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From
Atlanta Hawks
Round 1 – Pick 20
Koa Peat
Arizona
• Fr • 6’8″ / 235 lbs
Peat is simply a winner. His draft stock is a mixed bag. As I’ve stated time and time again, he would be the prospect who would benefit the most from another season of college basketball. If he does stay in the draft, the Spurs would be an excellent landing spot.
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From
Minnesota Timberwolves
Round 1 – Pick 21
Allen Graves
Santa Clara
• Fr • 6’9″ / 225 lbs
Graves is an analytic darling. He didn’t post eye-popping numbers at Santa Clara, but his advanced numbers told a different story. Graves is also in the transfer portal, so a return to school is on the table. There are people in the draft community who have Graves way higher than this. I can’t get there yet, but I see why the hype is real.
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From
Houston Rockets
Round 1 – Pick 22
Isaiah Evans
Duke
• Soph • 6’6″ / 180 lbs
Evans went from almost strictly a pure catch-and-shoot 3-point specialist at Duke during his freshman year to a legit No. 2 scoring option on the No. 1 overall seed in college basketball. Evans almost doubled the amount of 3-pointers he took from this year to last and still knocked them down at a 36.1% clip. He will be a Day 1 pick somewhere in the 20s.
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From
Cleveland Cavaliers
Round 1 – Pick 23
Morez Johnson Jr.
Michigan
• Soph • 6’9″ / 250 lbs
Johnson is a versatile forward who exploits mismatches against smaller defenders on offense. On defense, he’s capable of guarding out on the perimeter against smalls. He’s a great fit almost anywhere.
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Round 1 – Pick 24
Dailyn Swain
Texas
• Jr • 6’8″ / 225 lbs
Swain was really good during his lone season at Texas. Still, he’s going to be an even better NBA player, in my opinion. Every NBA decision maker covets his archetype as a 6-foot-8 wing.
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Round 1 – Pick 25
Henri Veesaar
North Carolina
• Jr • 7’0″ / 225 lbs
I was surprised that Veesaar entered the draft instead of returning to North Carolina or even entering the portal. However, with several centers (Motiejus Krivas, Patrick Ngongba II, Alex Condon, etc.) going back to school, it helps his case to be a first-rounder. The Lakers snagging Veesaar makes sense here, if he is still available at No. 25.
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Round 1 – Pick 26
Ebuka Okorie
Stanford
• Fr • 6’2″ / 185 lbs
Okorie has a very interesting decision to make in the coming weeks. He is better off staying in the draft than returning to Stanford. I’m higher on Okorie than the consensus, but his range of outcomes on draft night seems to be a mixed bag. I would take Okorie in the top 20, but I can see him potentially sliding and other point guards in the class going ahead of him.
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Round 1 – Pick 27
Amari Allen
Alabama
• Fr • 6’8″ / 205 lbs
Allen has a chance to be a serious riser this week at the NBA Draft Combine, which would put a potential return to Alabama on the back burner. Allen is one of maybe three players with a true 50/50 decision. The 6-foot-8 forward showed signs of growth throughout his freshman year with the Crimson Tide.
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From
Detroit Pistons
Round 1 – Pick 28
Christian Anderson
Texas Tech
• Soph • 6’3″ / 178 lbs
Anderson is a true point guard who doubles as a knock-down shooter. 65 of Anderson’s 108 3-point shots were non-catch-and-shoot makes, which showcases his ability to create his own shot. He measured at under 6-foot-1 at the combine this week.
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From
San Antonio Spurs
Round 1 – Pick 29
Tounde Yessoufou
Baylor
• Fr • 6’5″ / 215 lbs
Yessoufou was a late entry into the transfer portal, days after appearing to be all-in on the draft. Yessoufou was one of my favorite prospects entering the season, but I’m not 100% sure what his role would look like at the NBA level. He is essentially a 6-foot-5 power forward.
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From
Oklahoma City Thunder
Round 1 – Pick 30
Meleek Thomas
Arkansas
• Fr • 6’5″ / 185 lbs
Thomas is one of my favorite players in this year’s class, although a return to Arkansas should absolutely be on the table for Thomas. If he stays in the draft, he will likely be a late first-rounder.
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