Round one of the 2026 NBA Draft is in the books. The top of the draft went as expected, with AJ Dybantsa going No. 1 overall to the Washington Wizards, Darryn Peterson going No. 2 to the Utah Jazz, Cameron Boozer going No. 3 to the Memphis Grizzlies, and the Chicago Bulls snagging Caleb Wilson at No. 4.
The freshman lead guards went off the board like this: Keaton Wagler No. 5 to the Los Angeles Clippers, Mikel Brown Jr. No. 6 to the Brooklyn Nets, Darius Acuff Jr. No. 7 to the Sacramento Kings, and Kingston Flemings No. 8 to the Atlanta Hawks.
Brayden Burries went No. 10 to the Milwaukee Bucks. No big surprises there.
The biggest early surprise was Morez Johnson Jr., who the Dallas Mavericks and new coach Dusty May got at No. 10. Johnson went before Michigan teammates Yaxel Lendeborg and Aday Mara. All three Wolverines went in the lottery.
2026 NBA Draft Grades: Analysis for AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer, rest of first-round picks
Adam Finkelstein
If there were any other surprises, it would be Iowa’s Bennett Stirtz, who went No. 16 to the Oklahoma City Thunder, and then Stanford’s Ebuka Okorie, who jumped up to No. 17 to the Detroit Pistons.
The major fallers? Koa Peat dropped all the way to No. 30 and the Phoenix Suns.
Now all eyes turn to the second round of the draft that begins on Wednesday night. First-round projections like Arkansas’s Meleek Thomas, Duke’s Isaiah Evans, and UNC’s Henri Veesaar are all still available and give teams at the top of the second round some real value.
The goal for teams at the back end of the draft is to try and bolster their roster with rotation players and maybe hit the jackpot by landing someone who can start long-term in the league. This is where scouting not only the talent but also mentality, work ethic, and potential really can pay off.
Let’s dive into all 30 predictions for the second round.
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From
Washington Wizards
Round 2 – PIck 31
Henri Veesaar
North Carolina
• Jr • 6’11” / 227 lbs
The skilled 7-footer slid out of the first round after leaving millions of dollars in NIL money on the table in college. With the Knicks, he should have a chance to stick because they need depth up front, and he has a unique overlap of size and skill.
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From
Indiana Pacers
Round 2 – PIck 32
Meleek Thomas
Arkansas
• Fr • 6’3″ / 190 lbs
Thomas is a microwave scoring guard and tough shot-maker who needs to prove he can be efficient and solid enough defensively to hold his own, but his upside is significant. He also left a significant amount of money on the table to stay in the draft.
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From
Brooklyn Nets
Round 2 – PIck 33
Isaiah Evans
Duke
• Soph • 6’6″ / 186 lbs
Evans is one of the best shooters in the draft, and he’s proven he can make NBA-caliber threes off movement. In Minnesota, he’ll help create some much needed space around Anthony Edwards
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From
Sacramento Kings
Round 2 – PIck 34
Baba Miller
Cincinnati
• Sr • 6’11” / 208 lbs
Miller is a high upside proposition because of his combination of size, mobility, two-way playmaking, and rebounding. The Kings have few, if any, long-term pieces, so they can take some swings like this.
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From
San Antonio Spurs
Round 2 – PIck 35
Richie Saunders
BYU
• Sr • 6’5″ / 205 lbs
Saunders is rehabbing from his ACL injury, but once he gets back to 100%, there is real belief he’s a true NBA player. Saunders has a throwback jump shot with positional size, competitive intangibles, and an understanding of how to space the floor.
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From
Memphis Grizzlies
Round 2 – PIck 36
Ugonna Onyenso
Virginia
• Sr • 6’11” / 237 lbs
Onyenso is a rim protector who wasn’t fully utilized as a lob threat last year and just started to stretch the floor with his shooting. It would not be a surprise to see the Clippers find a useful way to utilize those tools.
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From
Dallas Mavericks
Round 2 – PIck 37
Ryan Conwell
Louisville
• Sr • 6’2″ / 215 lbs
Conwell is a high-level shooter with a strong body and enough handle to play on or off the ball. OKC doesn’t have excess roster space, but if they were to make a consolidation move, he could fight for time at the end of the bench.
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From
New Orleans Pelicans
Round 2 – PIck 38
Otega Oweh
Kentucky
• Sr • 6’4″ / 216 lbs
Oweh’s power, physicality, and projected two-way grit should fit the new philosophies in Chicago. When you factor in his improved spot-up shooting, he could have a chance to stick in the NBA.
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From
Chicago Bulls
Round 2 – PIck 39
Braden Smith
Purdue
• Sr • 5’11” / 167 lbs
Smith is a pure point guard and one of the all-time great passers in college basketball history. With Fred VanVleet having a player option, Smith gives the Rockets insurance at the point guard position.
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From
Milwaukee Bucks
Round 2 – PIck 40
Nate Bittle
Oregon
• Sr • 7’0″ / 250 lbs
Bittle is one of the more skilled and headier bigs expected to be available in the late second round. He’s even a little more versatile defensively than he gets credit for.
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From
Golden State Warriors
Round 2 – PIck 41
Emanuel Sharp
Houston
• Sr • 6’3″ / 205 lbs
Sharp is a shot-maker who spent four-and-a-half years under Kelvin Sampson and should thus fit right in with the Miami culture.
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From
Portland Trail Blazers
Round 2 – PIck 42
Trevon Brazile
Arkansas
• Sr • 6’10” / 230 lbs
Brazile can space the floor as a lob threat or spot-up shooter and could have the versatility to play alongside Wemby or back him up in smaller lineups.
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From
Los Angeles Clippers
Round 2 – PIck 43
Tyler Nickel
Vanderbilt
• Sr • 6’6″ / 217 lbs
Nickel is one of the best pure shooters in this draft. Given the amount of young playmakers Brooklyn could have on their roster, they could utilize some extra floor-spacing.
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From
Miami Heat
Round 2 – PIck 44
Bruce Thornton
Ohio State
• Sr • 6’0″ / 223 lbs
Thornton had an unmatched combination of volume and efficiency last year at Ohio State and may prove to be sustainable in a vastly scaled-down role in the NBA.
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From
Charlotte Hornets
Round 2 – PIck 45
Dillon Mitchell
St. John’s
• Sr • 6’7″ / 202 lbs
Mitchell is an extreme mid-air athlete who showed off defensive versatility and offensive playmaking this year with St. John’s. He’s not a shooter, but his unique overlap of tools could be interesting for the Kings.
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Round 2 – PIck 46
Tyler Bilodeau
UCLA
• Sr • 6’7″ / 228 lbs
Frontcourt spacing is a priority for the Magic, and Bilodeau is one of the best shooting forwards in this draft. The question will be whether he can hold his own on the defensive end of the floor.
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From
Phoenix Suns
Round 2 – PIck 47
Felix Okpara
Tennessee
• Sr • 6’10” / 237 lbs
Okpara is a rim protector, offensive rebounder, and lob threat who needs to get stronger but could fight for minutes in a Phoenix frontcourt that is lacking depth.
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From
Phoenix Suns
Round 2 – PIck 48
Jaden Bradley
Arizona
• Sr • 6’3″ / 205 lbs
The Big 12 Player of the Year is a downhill force, quality defender, and improved shooter. This could also reunite him with his former Arizona backcourt mate Brayden Burries.
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From
Atlanta Hawks
Round 2 – PIck 49
Milos Uzan
Houston
• Jr • 6’3″ / 186 lbs
Uzan projects as an ideal blend player who may be able to carve out a niche by being reliable with the ball, knocking down open shots, content to play off other dynamic creators, and solid defensively.
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Round 2 – PIck 50
Izaiyah Nelson
South Florida
• Sr • 6’8″ / 218 lbs
After three years at Arkansas State, Nelson played his way onto the NBA map this year at USF and then made a bigger impression in the pre-draft process. Analytic models are also going to value someone who pulls down 4 offensive rebounds and 3 stocks per game.
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From
Minnesota Timberwolves
Round 2 – PIck 51
 
Israel
• 6’2″ / 185 lbs
The Wizards roster looks crowded, and so Yaacov could give them a draft-and-stash type asset that they could monitor abroad while simultaneously developing the young talent on their own roster.
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From
Cleveland Cavaliers
Round 2 – PIck 52
Rafael Castro
George Washington
• Sr • 6’9″ / 224 lbs
Castro’s defensive playmaking numbers have been through the roof the last two years at GW and he has very unusual bend and elasticity for someone his size. Whether that’s enough to make it in the league remains to be seen, but he’s worth the risk at this point.
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Round 2 – PIck 53
Maliq Brown
Duke
• Sr • 6’8″ / 217 lbs
His offense is limited, but his defense and willingness to do the dirty work would fit the culture in Houston. If it turns out he can establish a niche on the other end, he could prove to be better than expected.
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From
Los Angeles Lakers
Round 2 – PIck 54
Tucker DeVries
Indiana
• Sr • 6’7″ / 225 lbs
I got to see DeVries work out this spring and thought he looked healthier than he has in several years. There’s no question he’s a truly elite shooter, so this might be worth a look for the Warriors.
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Round 2 – PIck 55
Tobi Lawal
Virginia Tech
• Sr • 6’7″ / 215 lbs
Lawal is a truly elite athlete who will be able to simplify his game at the NBA level in hopes of finding a sustainable niche. The Knicks have minimal frontcourt depth locked in for next year, so he could have an opportunity.
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From
Denver Nuggets
Round 2 – PIck 56
Kylan Boswell
Illinois
• Sr • 6’1″ / 226 lbs
Boswell is powerful and very pliable on both ends of the floor. He would be a philosophical fit in Chicago, and if he can find his jumper again, he could prove to be an NBA player.
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From
Boston Celtics
Round 2 – PIck 57
 
Germany
• 6’5″ / 185 lbs
Kayil was believed to be on his way to Gonzaga but now appears intent to stay in the draft. He’s a versatile guard with on/off ball versatility and well-rounded skill set.
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From
Detroit Pistons
Round 2 – PIck 58
Nick Boyd
Wisconsin
• Sr • 6’1″ / 177 lbs
The Pelicans have 10 guaranteed deals already on the books for next season and hold four team options. The one spot they could use more depth is at the point, and Boyd provides an ultra-solid, battle-tested option.
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From
San Antonio Spurs
Round 2 – PIck 59
Bryce Hopkins
St. John’s
• Sr • 6’6″ / 219 lbs
Hopkins’ strength and physicality, coupled with the gains he made with his skill and shooting this year, give him a pretty rare overlap of attributes as a combo forward. Minnesota doesn’t necessarily have anyone like that on their roster and numerous expiring contracts to replace.
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From
Oklahoma City Thunder
Round 2 – PIck 60
Keyshawn Hall
Auburn
• Sr • 6’6″ / 227 lbs
Hall has been a stat-stuffer at every stop and now the lefty scorer has got himself into the best shape of his life. Washington may be too crowed in the middle of the line-up, but the Auburn wing would be an interesting developmental flyer.
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