Category: NBA

The 2026 NBA Draft continues tonight with the opening round beginning at 8:00 p.m. ET (5:00 p.m. PT), while the second round will take place tomorrow evening. Use this open thread to follow every pick, react to trades, and discuss everything happening as the league’s newest class finds its NBA homes.

You can watch the draft live on ESPN.

Second-Round Order

31. Houston Rockets (via New York): Bruce Thornton, G, OSU
32. Memphis Grizzlies: Richie Saunders, G, BYU
33. Minnesota Timberwolves (via Brooklyn Nets): Isaiah Evans, G, DUKE
34. Sacramento Kings: Meleek Thomas, G, ARK
35. Denver Nuggets (via San Antonio Spurs): Trevon Brazile, F, ARK
36. Los Angeles Clippers: Baba Miller, F, CIN
37. Miami Heat (via Oklahoma City Thunder): Ryan Conwell, G, LOU
38. Indiana Pacers (via Chicago Bulls): Braden Smith, G, PUR
39. New York Knicks (via Houston Rockets): Jack Kayil, G, Germany
40. Boston Celtics: Dillon Mitchell, F, SJU
41. Miami Heat (via Oklahoma City Thunder, via . . . Miami Heat): Otega Oweh, G, UK
42. San Antonio Spurs: Ja’Kobi Gillespie, G, TENN
43. Brooklyn Nets: Tyler Bilodeau, F, UCLA
44. San Antonio Spurs: Maliq Brown, F, DUKE
45. Sacramento Kings: Emanuel Sharp, G, HOU
46. Orlando Magic: Felix Okpara, F, TENN
47. New York Knicks (via Phoenix Suns): Tyler Nickel, F, VAN
48. Dallas Mavericks: Tobi Lawal, F, VT
49. Denver Nuggets: Bryce Hopkins, F, SJU
50. Toronto Raptors: Jaden Bradley, G, ARIZ
51. Orlando Magic (via Washington Wizards): Izaiyah Nelson, F, USF
52. Atlanta Hawks (via Los Angeles Clippers): Henri Veesaar, C, UNC
53. Detroit Pistons (via New York Knicks, via Houston Rockets): Ugonna Onyenso, C, UVA
54. Golden State Warriors: Lajae Jones, G, FSU
55. Los Angeles Clippers (via Houston Rockets, via New York Knicks): Nick Martinelli, F, NU
56. Dallas Mavericks (via Los Angeles Lakers, via Chicago Bulls): Vsevolod Ishchenko, G, Russia
57. Los Angeles Clippers (via Atlanta Hawks): Narcisse Ngoy, F, France
58. New Orleans Pelicans (via DET via NYK, BKN, PHX, ORL and LAC): Jaron Pierre Jr., G, SMU
59. Minnesota Timberwolves: Trey Kaufman-Renn, F, PUR
60. Milwaukee Bucks (via Orlando Magic, via Washington Wizards):

First-Round Order

1. Washington Wizards: AJ Dybantsa, F, BYU
2. Utah Jazz: Darryn Peterson, G, KU
3. Memphis Grizzlies: Cameron Boozer, F, DUKE
4. Chicago Bulls: Caleb Wilson, F, UNC
5. Los Angeles Clippers (via Indiana): Keaton Wagler, G, ILL
6. Brooklyn Nets: Mikel Brown Jr., G, LOU
7. Sacramento Kings: Darius Acuff Jr., G, ARK
8. Atlanta Hawks (via New Orleans): Kingston Flemings, G, HOU
9. Dallas Mavericks: Morez Johnson Jr., F, MICH
10. Milwaukee Bucks: Brayden Burries, G, ARIZ
11. Golden State Warriors: Yaxel Lendeborg, F, MICH
12. Oklahoma City Thunder (via LA Clippers): Aday Mara, C, MICH
13. Milwaukee Bucks (via Miami Heat): Nate Ament, F, TENN
14. Charlotte Hornets: Hannes Steinbach, F, WASH
15. Chicago Bulls (via Portland): Dailyn Swain, G, TEX
16. Oklahoma City Thunder (via Memphis Grizzlies, via Phoenix through Orlando): Bennett Stirtz, G, IOWA
17. Detroit Pistons (via Memphis, via Oklahoma City Thunder, via Philadelphia): Ebuka Okorie, G, STAN
18. Charlotte Hornets (via Orlando and Phoenix): Christian Anderson Jr., G, TTU
19. Toronto Raptors: Allen Graves, F, SCU
20. San Antonio Spurs (via Atlanta): Jayden Quaintance, F, UK
21. Memphis Grizzlies (via Detroit Pistons, via Minnesota): Karim Lopez, F, Mexico
22. Philadelphia 76ers (via Houston and Oklahoma City): Labaron Philon Jr., G, ALA
23. Atlanta Hawks (via Cleveland): Zuby Ejiofor, F, SJU
24. Los Angeles Lakers (via New York): Cameron Carr, G, BAY
25. Dallas Mavericks (via Knicks via L.A. Lakers): Sergio De Larrea, F, Spain
26. San Antonio Spurs (via Denver Nuggets): Tarris Reed Jr., C, CONN
27. Boston Celtics: Chris Cenac Jr., F, HOU
28. Brooklyn Nets (via Minnesota Timberwolves via Detroit): Joshua Jefferson, F, ISU
29. Sacramento Kings (via Cleveland Cavaliers via San Antonio and Atlanta): Alex Karaban, F, CONN
30. Phoenix (via New York, via Dallas Mavericks, via Oklahoma City, Washington, and Philadelphia): Koa Peat, F, ARIZ

Settle in, enjoy the chaos, and share your thoughts as the 2026 NBA Draft unfolds.

The Lakers will be involved in the second round of the draft on Wednesday after all.

According to Shams Charania of ESPN, the Lakers have traded for the No. 56 pick in the draft, sending the Bulls cash considerations in exchange.

Sources: The Los Angeles Lakers are acquiring No. 56 from the Chicago Bulls in the second round of the NBA draft tonight at 8 pm ET on ESPN. Lakers sent cash to the Bulls to get a pick tonight.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 24, 2026

Buying second round picks has become a fairly regular occurrence for the Lakers in recent years. In 2022, they bought the No. 35 pick to eventually draft Max Christie. Last season, they traded the No. 55 pick with cash, then traded up a second time to secure the No. 36 pick and select Adou Thiero.

That latter trade could come up again this season. Getting a foot in the door with a second round pick is the first step and now the front office and ownership can start moving up the draft if a player they value is still on the board.

According to NBA beat writer Jake Fischer, it looks like the Lakers will try to repeat that sequence again this year.

We're expecting a ton of trade activity throughout tonight's second round.

Among that movement: I'm being told the Lakers are working to trade up even higher in the second round, after already acquiring the No. 56 pick tonight.

— Jake Fischer (@JakeLFischer) June 25, 2026

The Lakers are flexing their financial muscle this year, trading cash to the Knicks to move up one spot from the No. 25 pick to the No. 24 pick. There is a finite amount of money a team can trade in each league year, but the figures involved in LA’s trade with the Knicks on Tuesday, or in this trade, are not known, so it’s unclear how much money they have left to offer.

Still, this is the benefit of having an owner in Mark Walter who is willing to spend. If the team has money to spend, there’s no upside to not spending it. The Lakers are a team in need of athleticism and young talent and they’re using money to move up in the draft and acquire players.

The amount cash allowed to send or receive in a trade resets on July 1.

Teams are at their own discretion to use cash received in a trade as they please.

The maximum allotment this season was $7.96M.

A team is hard capped at the second apron if cash is sent.

— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) June 24, 2026

The cash being sent is from Lakers is from their cash limit from the current 2025-26 salary cap year.

They have $4.7 million remaining to distribute to the Knicks in yesterday's trade and in this one.

Cash limit to be sent/received will reset to $8.5 million on July 1. https://t.co/6b42cywuAm

— Yossi Gozlan (@YossiGozlan) June 24, 2026

The Lakers still have an obvious need at center. Teams also can never have too many wings and the Lakers still need some athleticism even after selecting Cameron Carr in the first round.

It’s always hard to project how things will play in the second round of the draft, so it’ll be hard to know who might be available with the No. 56 pick. But don’t be surprised if this is the first of a couple of deals for the Lakers on the night.

You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.

If anyone thinks the Washington Wizards 2026 draft is now reduced to offloading picks 51 and 60, I have four words: I sure hope not.

The Wizards got the draft started by making the high-scoring, hyper-athletic AJ Dybantsa the No. 1 overall pick. That’s fine work. And there’s no reason to stop.

As Greg Finberg wrote this morning, potentially good players are still available. According to YODA (my stat-based draft analysis tool) top remaining prospects not selected in the first round include:

• Trevon Brazile | F | Arkansas
• Meleek Thomas | G | Arkansas
• Richie Saunders | G | BYU
• Isaiah Evans | W | Duke
• Izaiyah Nelson | C | South Florida
• Ugonna Onyenso | C | Virginia
• Tamin Lipsey | G | Iowa State

At this stage of the rebuild, the Wizards would be wise to be aggressive in acquiring additional talent. I understand concerns about players potentially blocking each other from playing time and of the possibility of creating headaches for the coach. I’m not persuaded, though.

To me, one lesson of nearly 50 years of watching and analyzing NBA basketball is that there’s no such thing as “too much” talent. As former Wizards executive Tommy Sheppard once said about finding good players, “We’re all robbing the same train.”

The current Wizards roster has theoretical depth. If young guys develop as hoped, they could end up with a logjam.

But when it comes to theoretical depth and player development, there’s an important thought to keep in mind: You never know.

As in, you never know when someone you’re counting on to play major minutes is going to land awkwardly and take an odd step and end up missing 30 games.

While you may believe in the ability of young players to improve, history says some of them won’t — or won’t improve as much as you’d like. Some might even get worse. It happens. We talk about career arcs and improvement trajectories, but those are averages across hundreds or even thousands of players. The thing about averages is there are outliers on all sides. Maybe you get lucky and an afterthought becomes a star. Or maybe you get unlucky and someone you thought would be a star becomes average or worse.

Back to the Wizards roster for a moment, they have two guys who could truly be considered proven — Anthony Davis and Trae Young. When healthy, Davis was among the best big men in the game, especially on defense. Young has more warts, but at worst has been pretty good the past few years. Both have some durability concerns, but assuming reasonable luck with health, it’s reasonable to think they’ll be good.

I’d consider Alex Sarr proven. He was terrific last season for a second-year player. Even if he doesn’t improve a bit, he could still be a good starter on a team trying to win.

After that, I get the arguments in favor of Kyshawn George, but he’s at a point where his career could go in a lot of different directions. He has plenty of strengths. He also makes a ton of mistakes — some of which (turnovers and excessive fouling) make him unreliable in high-pressure situations.

Bilal Coulibaly might be a starter or valued reserve. He might also remain so limited on the offensive end that he’s relegated to a defensive specialist role.

Tre Johnson showed promise as a shooter, but he also needs to improve his skills, conditioning, strength, defense, and all-around awareness.

Bub Carrington shot well, but struggled to handle the ball against pressure, played smaller than his measured height, and struggled to get by any but the weakest defenders.

Will Riley flashed potential, but deeper analysis of his last-season surge indicated there was less there than met the eye.

The point is not to trash these guys — none of them are bad players. Any of them could possibly become All-Stars or better if they put in the work and get lucky. But any of them could also get hurt, regress, focus offseason work time on the wrong things, or get derailed by personal issues.

Since none of the youngsters — except perhaps Dybantsa and Sarr — could be considered “sure things,” (and Dybantsa hasn’t stepped on an NBA floor yet), the Wizards front office should continue bringing in talented youngsters who can create some competition for minutes and roles.

Worst case, some talented players might get out-competed for a role and be relegated to the bench. At least until someone ahead of him gets hurt or doesn’t perform as hoped. Over a long NBA season, teams need guys who are chomping at the bit for minutes and are working for playing time. They need guys who stay ready for when their chance comes.

And, if there’s a problem at some point that the team has “too many” good players (a challenge the Wizards have never faced and probably never will), someone can be traded.

In other words, Will Dawkins should see if there’s a way to trade up to add someone like Brazile or Thomas or another youngster who just might have a chance to be a good NBA player. They’re going to need guys like that. Probably sooner than they think.

The Nets got their man. After losing in the Lottery, the Nets fixed on doing the best they could at No. 6 which despite the disappointment last month was the highest pick by the franchise since before they moved from New Jersey to Brooklyn. That was 2010!

So how’d they do? Early reads is that draftniks generally liked what the Nets did up top with Mikel Brown Jr. of Cincinnati but had some disagreements on the 28th pick, Joshua Jefferson of Iowa State.

We chose five sites that graded the whole 30 picks in the first round. NBC Sports graded the Draft by team, giving a combined grade. ESPN

Bleacher Report:

Mikel Brown Jr. – B+

As one of the bigger risk-reward prospects in this class, Brown has both fascinating peaks and worrisome valleys. If everything breaks right, he might be a perfect conductor for a modern attack. Deep pull-up threes and full-speed, live-dribble passes are key parts of his arsenal, meaning he can create space and then promptly make the most of it.

But he was often injured in college and pretty inefficient when he stepped inside the lines. Professional gamblers would probably label his decision-making as bold, both with his shot selection and his tiny-window pass attempts. He also has to get stronger, or he could get skewered defensively.

Joshua Jefferson – D+

Jefferson is tricky. There’s a size-skill blend pointing toward do-everything potential, especially if he keeps improving as a shooter. He rebounds, he creates for others, he scores in a variety of ways and he defends across multiple positions.

But what if he’s your prototypical jack of all trades, master of none? That can be a glue guy, but it can also be someone who never finds their NBA niche. And he’ll already be racing against the clock with his 23rd birthday arriving in November.

The Athletic

Mikel Brown – C+

On-ball players this skinny who have entered the NBA recently have struggled. The NBA is a man’s league. There’s no other way to put it. Brown is going to have to keep filling out now that he has grown to 6 feet 4. On one hand, I tend to be hard on smaller guards — and despite Brown’s height, he plays like a smaller guard. On the other hand, I tend to value skill, high IQ and shooting ability as much as anything. Brown possesses those skills in an immense quantity for such a young player. – Sam Vecenie

This feels like a bit of a reach, and the Nets’ recent draft history doesn’t inspire confidence that they know more than the wisdom of crowds on this one. Brown’s back issues at Louisville are also a concern, but the Nets have never shied away from a medical case and have frequently profited from this under Sean Marks. – John Hollinger

Joshua Jefferson – B

Jefferson was one of my favorite players in college basketball this past season. He’s probably the closest thing I’ve seen to an Oso Ighodaro- and Kyle Anderson-type hybrid as a connective-tissue passer since Anderson entered the draft in 2014. – Sam Vecenie

I didn’t have a first-round grade on Jefferson, but the Nets may have inadvertently made a solid draft pick. He can read the game and pass, and if he can work on his body and improve the shooting a bit, he has a chance to be a plus rotation player. The Nets are also basically devoid of his player archetype – John Hollinger.

Yahoo! Sports

Mikel Brown – A+

The Nets took four guard-ish players in last year’s draft, but Egor Dёmin looks like the only true keeper and that hit shouldn’t necessarily stop them from taking an even better guard prospect here. When Brown is in the zone, he has an unstoppable pull-up jumper, an ambidextrous finishing ability, and the quick reads to rifle passes before the defense has time to react.

Joshua Jefferson – C

At almost 23 years old already, it felt like he’d be a better fit on a contender, rather than a Brooklyn team that’s trying to build something up. Jefferson does a lot of the little things very well, but he needs to improve his jumper and his off-the-dribble game. His lack of shooting ability is worrisome for a guy who figures to be a complementary player.

CBS Sports

Mikel Brown Jr. – B

Brown gives Brooklyn a naturally skilled, high-upside, late-blooming lead guard, whose athleticism is catching up. He’s incredibly skilled, naturally ambidextrous, has complete control of the ball, is a pinpoint passer, and a much better shooter than his numbers showed at Louisville. Brown Makes deep shots in bunches when he gets hot. Excellent left hand too. Very good floor-vision, passing, and ability to make reads coming off of ball-screens. Ranked in the 89th percentile as a pick-and-roll ball-handler. Grown into having positional size at 6-3.5 without shoes, long arms, and newfound athleticism. The concerns are Brown’s lack of strength and physicality. He can hunt high-level plays instead of making the easy one, and he has a history of injuries

Joshua Jefferson – B

Brooklyn showed a clear affinity for high-feel passers in last year’s draft cycle, and Jefferson checks those boxes. Jefferson is a strong-bodied four-man who was one of the best frontcourt passers in college basketball this year. He has terrific vision, dexterity, and uncommon feel for the game from the forward position. He has an NBA-ready frame and good defensive playmaking metrics. Jefferson should be, at minimum, a valuable connector at the next level.

NBC Sports

Mikel Brown Jr. – A

I’ll admit my bias here, I am higher on Brown than most, I think his combination of pace, shooting and vision is built for the more open game in the NBA. He’s got to get stronger and make better decisions at points, but Brooklyn is a great fit. Having Brown running pick-and-rolls with just-acquired Julius Randle, that is going to be a tough play to stop. Jefferson is also a nice late-round pick. There is a lot to like about Jefferson’s feel for the game and the way he can do a little bit of everything — he can defend, he can pass, he can do whatever is called for.

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Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown criticized Stephen A. Smith and ESPN for their coverage of his recent comments, calling the network "unethical" as part of an appearance at the Sports Beach Cannes event in France on Wednesday, June 24.

Brown was a featured speaker on a panel called, "The Spiritual Game" during the annual conference, which bills itself as "a global platform connecting brands, athletes and marketers through lived experiences." Footage of his comments, which come in the midst of speculation about his future with the Celtics after being included in Giannis Antetokounmpo trade talks, began to circulate on social media via an incomplete clip.

The initial question, beginning of Brown's answer and the end of his answer are not included. But based on what Brown can be heard saying, his response is related to the "favorite year" comments that raised eyebrows around the league at the end of Boston's 2025-26 campaign in which Brown starred mostly without an injured Jayson Tatum.

AUSTIN REAVES: Stays with Lakers on record-setting $185M contract

"The leader behind that was ESPN. ESPN is unethical, and Stephen A. Smith is the head face of that," Brown said in the viral soundbite of his answer. "But, you know, the organization, the players, they were all in agreeance, they all knew what I meant by that. Our team was basically salary dumped. We lost a lot of players and for us to emerge and still be in the same position, we got to start to understand success doesn't always mean ..."

That's where the clip of Brown's remarks cuts off.

Brown's "favorite year" comments occurred on his Twitch stream after the Celtics were eliminated from the 2026 NBA playoffs by the Philadelphia 76ers. Though Smith has been vocal in his criticism of Brown at times, he did not appear to have a problem with what Brown said during a segment on ESPN's First Take. He called the reference "no big deal" and noted Brown is being "candid with how he feels."

Jaylen Brown in Cannes at Sport Beach today speaking on the situation ❗️ pic.twitter.com/VroszzyV7c

— vic (@CountOnVic) June 24, 2026

"I'm so proud of this group and the way we played," Brown said on the Twitch stream last month. "I wish we trusted that style of play a little bit more, and playoffs kind of shifted our rotations and what we wanted to do. But I'm so proud, and it was my favorite year of my basketball career."

Brown was a 2026 NBA MVP finalist after the best season of his career, but he's now been dangled by the Celtics in prominent trade discussions twice in four years. He was also mentioned as a trade possibility in 2022 when Boston pursued Kevin Durant.

Celtics General Manager Brad Stevens praised Brown when he met with reporters late Tuesday following the end of the 2026 NBA Draft first round, but he declined to discuss the Antetokounmpo negotiations.

Though Stevens noted he met with Brown multiple times this offseason, including before the Celtics star went on his current overseas trip, he hedged when addressing if Brown would be on the team's next season.

"Jaylen Brown's a big part of us," Stevens said. "I'm never going to predict the future, but every indication, everything that I think about over the past few years has been building around those guys, right, and so obviously you never know. But at the same time, the one thing I want to make very clear is how valued he's always been. He's been amazing, he's been an amazing teammate, a great person to be around.

"And whether that run ends 10 years from now when he retires or before," Stevens continued, "there's a lot to celebrate and we have a great relationship and an open relationship, where we talk about everything. But I don't want to predict the future. But I look at it as this is our team."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Celtics' Jaylen Brown blasts Stephen A. Smith, ESPN as 'unethical'

Who will the Hawks add alongside Kingston Flemings and Zuby Ejiofor tonight at 57th overall (barring a trade)?

Please join in the comments below as you follow along.

Where, When, and How to Watch and Listen

Location: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York, NY

Start Time: 8:00 PM EDT

TV: ABC, ESPN

Radio: Sports Radio 92.9 the Game (WZGC-FM)

Streaming: ESPN+, Fubo

The second round of the 2026 NBA Draft is tonight at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN. The Washington Wizards hold the No. 51 and No. 60 picks, or at least held them at around 6:40 a.m. ET when I wrote this first thing in the morning.

The Washington Mystics also play the Minnesota Lynx at 7:30 p.m. ET tonight on Monumental Sports Network. I think there will be some Wizards rookie sitting courtside. I just think there will be.

Enjoy chatting about the second round of the draft below!

The second round of the NBA Draft is on tap. A night after the Nets took Mikel Brown Jr. of Louisville at No. 6 and Joshua Jefferson at No. 28, they have the No. 43 pick Wednesday night

KEY INFO

WHO: The NBA

WHEN: 8:00 p.m. ET

WATCH: ESPN/ABC

Other than that Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum will do the honors at the podium, things are fluid. It’s uncertain what Brooklyn will do with the pick or if they will even use it or move up. Latest reports, as of 6:00 p.m. ET, is that as many as three of the top five picks in the second could be available as teams close to the cap, the first or second apron try to conserve cap space. If the Nets do wait til No. 43, the player they take may very well wind up as a two-way with the Long Island Nets.

Something else to look for tonight as the second round comes to an end: Teams start calling undrafted players and offer them non-guaranteed Summer League and/or training camp deals. Teams don’t usually announce those offers on Draft Night, but agents do!

James Dolan is ready to take the NBA champion New York Knicks to the White House. Finals MVP Jalen Brunson isn't ready to say whether he'll be on that trip.

The Knicks owner, and longtime friend of President Donald Trump, said that the team has accepted an invitation to the White House. Brunson told New York Magazine the players had not even gotten to the conversation about it.

"We haven't discussed it," Brunson said. "But as a team, we'll discuss it and we'll cross that bridge when we get to it."

Dolan was pretty definitive on WFAN, the day before the championship parade.

"We just did receive an invitation from the White House, which we accepted," Dolan said. "We still have to figure out the details, et cetera, but yes, of course. Look, I invited the president to come down for the game. He is a friend. I've known him for 30 years and I'm very proud to bring the team to the White House."

Trump became the first sitting president to attend an NBA Finals game when he joined Dolan for Game 3. He sat in Dolan's suite and was booed the only time he was shown on the Jumbotron before the game. The Knicks lost that night, falling 115-111 to the San Antonio Spurs, snapping a 13-game winning streak. They went on to finish off the Spurs in five games and end a 53-year title drought.

Afterward, Trump congratulated the team on Truth Social, singled out Brunson and called the title maybe the greatest in basketball history.

Several champions skipped the traditional White House visit during Trump's first term, including the Golden State Warriors in 2017 and 2018 and the Toronto Raptors in 2019. Last year, the Oklahoma City Thunder passed as well, citing timing. In 2017, Trump withdrew the Warriors' invitation after Stephen Curry said he was reluctant to go and several players across those teams cited disagreements with Trump's politics.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jalen Brunson noncommittal on Knicks' White House visit with Trump

It’s time for the second round of the NBA Draft. Follow along this thread and on @BrightSideSun on X/Twitter for the latest updates and insights on all things Phoenix Suns and the NBA Draft with staff writer Holden Sherman at the Barclays Center covering the event.

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9:49 PM EST: Lot of trades, nothing Suns

Draft picks are flying left and right from city to city, but the Phoenix Suns are not involved in any of the deals. The Toronto Raptors are the only team who has their original second rounder.

9:06 PM EST: First big trade of the night

After acquiring five second rounders last night, the Grizzlies acquire Detroit’s backup big. Stewart infamously got into an altercation with former Sun Drue Eubanks during the 2023-2024 season.

Just in: The Detroit Pistons are trading C/F Isaiah Stewart to the Memphis Grizzlies for three future second-round picks, sources tell ESPN. Pistons clear Stewart's salary and pick up assets while Grizzlies acquire a 25-year-old as a rugged frontcourt piece. pic.twitter.com/V8zbaI5OXr

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 25, 2026

8:28 PM EST: Second round has started

Houston, Memphis and Brooklyn make their selections with the the first three picks.

7:57 PM EST: Suns did not host Koa Peat for a workout

John Gambadoro has the scoop. Peat was establishing relationships with Phoenix even though they didn’t work him out.

The Suns did not host Koa Peat for a workout due to their draft slot, but they hosted the prospect for a visit on Sunday as they looked to move up, @Gambo987 reports.

Phoenix traded up to draft Peat out of Arizona in the first round on Tuesday. pic.twitter.com/2zCruxHM89

— Arizona Sports (@AZSports) June 24, 2026

6:56 PM EST: Sites from the podium

Getting ready for the second round pic.twitter.com/WwD9VHPyO4

— Bright Side of the Sun (@BrightSideSun) June 24, 2026

5:47 PM EST: Don’t expect any Suns picks tonight

After giving up the 47th pick as part of a deal to draft Koa Peat with the 30th pick last night, Arizona Sports insider John Gambadoro does not expect the Suns to make a trade into the second round. Phoenix selected Rasheer Fleming and Koby Brea last year with the 31st and 41st picks respectively. This is set to be the first time since 2022 the Suns don’t make a selection in the second round.

More than likely the Suns are done with the NBA draft -they got the player they highly coveted in Koa Peat. They do have some cash left like a little over a million so could poke around but I do NOT see them using any assets to get a second-round pick today.

— John Gambadoro (@Gambo987) June 24, 2026

5:40 PM EST: On site

Almost two hours until the second round starts. Catch the action on ESPN.

Bright Side back for day two pic.twitter.com/JVAPWUxfSC

— Bright Side of the Sun (@BrightSideSun) June 24, 2026

Draymond Green and Yaxel Lendeborg are different in so many ways. The former is 36 years old, has completed 14 seasons in the NBA, and is putting the finishing touches on a Hall of Fame career; the latter is 23, and just beginning an NBA journey that began on Tuesday, when the Golden State Warriors used the 11th overall pick in the 2026 Draft on him. Green is a basketball lifer who was an All-American in high school and heavily recruited by countless big-name colleges; Lendeborg took to the sport as a teenager, played in junior college, and spent four years at small-name institutions before breaking into the ranks of a big-time D1 school. One chose the Lansing segment of a Michigan rivalry; the other chose the Ann Arbor option.

But for those stock differences, Green and Lendeborg are alike in many ways beyond being employed by the Warriors. They’re both versatile forwards who can do a little bit of everything on the court. Each can pass far better than a player of their size usually does. Both bring a bulldog mentality to the defensive end of the court, where they’re comfortable guarding any player of any size at any position.

And they both can talk a little trash.

Lendeborg, who spent his super senior season at Michigan (where he won the 2026 NCAA championship), has worn No. 23 throughout his career. Green, who spent four seasons at Michigan State, also wears No. 23 (the number has since been retired at his college, and one day will be by the Warriors).

After getting drafted, Lendeborg wasted no time taking a shot at his new teammate and mentor. At his introductory presser, Lendeborg (who will wear No. 1 with the Dubs) was asked if he would be willing to wear his collegiate rival’s gear all year if it meant getting to keep his jersey number.

“Nah. Nah.” the consensus first-team All-American said with a laugh. “I’m not doing that, man. I hate those guys. I only been there for one year, but I definitely hate those guys.”

Lendeborg not only showed his disdain for Michigan State, but got in some smack talk as well, saying, “They can’t really say much, because I went 2-0 against them this year. They’re gonna be little brother to me forever, and I’m not gonna represent the losers ever.”

Yaxel Lendeborg on Michigan State:

“I hate those guys. I went 2-0 against them this year. They’re going to be little brother to me forever” 🤣 pic.twitter.com/YrpVUSuEkL

— uofmcoverage (@uofmcoverage) June 24, 2026

While those are fighting words, it was clear from Lendeborg’s demeanor that it was some light-hearted trash talk. He kept the playful pokes coming when he liked an Instagram post of someone throwing a punch with the caption, “Draymond Green when he realizes Yaxel went to the same college as Jordan Poole.”

It’s impossible to know how locker room dynamics will play out until we get to see them in action, but this certainly has the makings of a hilarious, good-natured rivalry between Lendeborg and the veteran that he’ll try to emulate on the court. Green, for all his controversies over the year, can (usually) get it as good as he gives it, as his frequent banters with Charles Barkley have proven. Something tells me this isn’t the last we hear from the intrastate rivalry … and something tells me these two are going to get along just fine.

Karim Lopez, a 6-foot-9 forward from Hermosillo, Mexico, was selected with the 21st pick in the 2026 NBA Draft on June 23. Lopez became the first Mexican-born player to be selected in the first round.

Mexico has sustained a big fan base for basketball for decades now but never had its own homegrown star to latch on to. That is, until Lopez, 19, caught attention while playing with the New Zealand Breakers in Australia’s NBL over the past two seasons, essentially guaranteeing that he would be taken in this year’s draft.

He and his family’s reaction to being selected by the Pistons (who then traded Lopez’s draft rights to the Grizzlies) was one of the best moments from Tuesday’s first round. One moment during his post-draft interview segment with ESPN went viral.

When asked what it meant to be the first Mexican-born player to be selected in the first round of an NBA draft, Lopez, who was sitting with his family, had to collect his emotions for a moment before saying, “Well, it’s just super special honestly to be here. I’m blessed. And, yeah. I have no words,” per an X post from “SportsCenter.” He was visibly emotional and wiping away tears while trying to get what little words he had out.

"It's just super special honestly to be here. I'm blessed. I have no words."

Karim Lopez speaks on how it feels to be the first Mexican-born player ever selected in the first round of the NBA draft pic.twitter.com/m7ZsjgFXXs

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) June 24, 2026

Lopez then showed the inside of his jacket, which included the Mexican flag and several other homages to Mexican culture.

He was then asked why he wanted to include the Mexican flag on his jacket and said, “I just wanted to represent my culture, represent where I’m from, represent my faith. And just represent myself, basically. Show the people who I am.”

Even though Lopez has his entire NBA career ahead of him, he’s already seen as a hero by his home country. And while that will create some pressure, it also means Lopez will have a huge support system as he embarks on this journey.

The Knicks are taking a swing on another French wing.

As part of a wide-ranging four-team deal involving the Mavericks, Suns and Lakers that sent New York’s No. 24 pick to Los Angeles, the Knicks acquired the rights to Melvin Ajinca from Dallas.

The 6-foot-8 forward was selected No. 51 overall by the Knicks in 2024 before being dealt to the Mavericks on draft night as part of the trade that brought Ariel Hukporti to the Big Apple.

Now, after two more years overseas, Ajinca, who turns 22 on Friday, is a part of the franchise again.

Ajinca, who was touted for his shooting and 3-and-D potential during the draft process, averaged 6.0 points in 17.6 minutes per game during EuroLeague play last season for LDLC Asvel.

He first jumped onto the NBA radar during the 2023 FIBA U19 World Cup, where he averaged 19.3 points and helped lead France to the gold medal game.

In the deal for Ajinca, the Knicks also acquired the No. 47 pick in this week’s draft and four additional future second-round picks.

The Lakers used the No. 24 pick on Baylor guard Cameron Carr.

The Ajinca acquisition adds to what has become a growing collection of young French players for the Knicks.

In 2024, the Knicks selected Pacôme Dadiet with the 25th overall pick out of France. Dadiet has appeared in 47 games over two seasons as a developmental wing.

During last year’s draft, the Knicks took Mohamed Diawara in the late second round, a move that quickly paid dividends with the Paris native logging 69 games while averaging 3.6 points and shooting 37 percent from beyond the arc.

Diawara’s play earned him a multiyear deal worth more than $10 million with the Knicks earlier this week.

The Knicks’ main goal during draft was to trade off their draft picks to avoid going over the second apron with additional salaries for rookies.

So, there is no guarantee Ajinca will ever join the team but he has now appeared on their draft radar twice in three years.