Happy Tuesday from the basement. Temperatures are set to hit 99 F later today at the place I’m typing this thing from, so I guessed it’d be better to do it now before the keyboard melted. Such is life in sunny Spain, where summers are not as cool and fun as they look.

• It’s Draft Day! Not that we care (that much) with the Knicks coming off winning the title, but SNY’s Ian Begley put together a comprehensive report of who’s worked out in New York, potential targets, and everything else for those watching on Tuesday and Wednesday nights.
• Most interestingly, and in the lone insider-like note included in his write-up, Begley named St. John’s forward Zuby Ejiofor as someone with “fans” within the Knicks organization. Color me excited, we’re finally getting Ron Artest!

“If Robinson and Shamet are back, the Knicks probably look at size on the wing or a player who can handle the ball. Ejiofor has some fans in the organization. If they think they are losing Robinson or Hukporti, maybe the Knicks draft a center? Tarris Reed Jr. from UConn would be a strong pick in New York’s range.”

• The Knicks are set to sign the realest Frenchman hooper to a four-year, $10.5 million deal. Hooray!
• Loud Monday night across the Association, with two All-Stars moving places in Giannis Antetokounmpo (destination Miami) and Julius Randle (back to New York, but the bad one).
• As ClydeWingo pointed out on Monday night’s post-trade comments, and something I wasn’t aware of or simply had forgotten, Randle was seemingly key in the hiring of Tom Thibodeau as the man to lead the Knicks out of wherever the hell they were a few years ago, after Leon Rose asked him about it given his A1 role back then. Gotta love good ol’ Jules.
• The Celtics balked at adding players to the Giannis deal, ended up submitting a one-for-one package built around Jaylen Brown and two first-round picks, failed to convince the Bucks, kept trying to ostracize one of their two superstars, and seem poised to move new-generation Carlos Boozer anyway, says ESPN’s Brian Windhorst. Windhorst argued that Boston has simply realized the Celtics don’t have enough to beat the Knicks as currently constructed, and the only way out of purgatory is by dealing Brown away and quickly. Music to my ears.

“The Celtics took a hard look in the mirror and decided, we weren’t going to beat the Knicks”

• Windhorst surely was on a hot run yesterday, also saying that Brown “is accepting (the Celtics want to trade him) and realizes this is a chance to turn the page in his career and he may be getting his own team.” For the next chapter, tune in on whatever platform he streams his life so you get his take on it from the rawest possible source.
• On Tuesday morning, ESPN’s Shams Charania brought the Knicks name back into the Giannis trade conversation. Remember when NYK was close to pulling it off a few months ago? Here’s some tiny additional details.

“Antetokounmpo pushed for a trade, with his reps making it clear that the New York Knicks were his preferred destination. The Bucks and the Knicks briefly engaged in discussions last summer, but New York never believed Milwaukee seriously considered trading its superstar. The Bucks, on the other hand, believed the Knicks’ offers were never serious enough.”

• John Wall thinks it’s time.
• Speaking of Carlos Boozer, he was a bit salty about his son Cameron undoubtedly not getting drafted with the No. 1 overall pick, but the No. 2 either. Have a great time in Memphis, Bozo.
• The Knicks are going to need some depth next season, and if they really don’t cross the second apron, well, they will need to work the vet-min market with pinpoint accuracy and savviness. Helping New York, however, is OAKAAK Frank Ntilikina, who just left Olympiacos by mutual agreement. How we feeling?
• Vegas has its first backer for an NBA franchise once expansion comes to fruition, and it’s the NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights owner, Bill Foley, who is set to pony up as much dough as needed to bring hoops to Sin City. Years away, yes, but just for fun, if the expansion draft happened tonight, which eight players would you leave unprotected from the Knicks’ title-winning roster?

Knowing Leon Rose and how the Knicks have operated under his guidance, I was always (and still am) convinced they’d move their first-round pick, leaving us all waiting for something to enjoy on Tuesday night on the cold, and with no prospect to call one of ourselves. Anyway, I still think they will end up drafting someone at some point in the second round, and then the UDFA market will open for undrafted prospects.

That’s all for today, fellas. Exciting times ahead!

It finally happened.

After an endless amount of speculation, rumors and reports, the Milwaukee Bucks decided it was time to trade the franchise's star, dealing superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo to the Miami Heat in a blockbuster – a move that shifts the landscape of the league on the eve of the 2026 NBA Draft.

Whether the trade transforms the Heat into championship contenders is up for debate, but it ends a long search for a franchise player in the post-Dwyane Wade years for Pat Riley. Now it's up to Miami's front office to build around the two-time MVP, who has battled injuries in recent years.

Following rampant trade speculation throughout the 2025-26 NBA season, perhaps an introduction "Heat Culture" is the type of fresh start that Antetokounmpo needed after 13 seasons in Milwaukee.

As for the Bucks, they can now hit the reset button on a team that had stalled since capturing the franchise's second NBA championship in 2021.

So who won the trade? Are the Heat contenders? Reaction has been pouring in across the league and media in the wake of the trade. Here's what the people are saying:

The Milwaukee Bucks traded Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis to the Miami Heat late Monday night for Tyler Herro, Kel’el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kasparas Jakucionis, three first-round picks, a pick swap and a second-round pick. Boston had pursued Antetokounmpo with an offer built around Jaylen Brown, but Milwaukee ultimately preferred Miami’s younger players and draft capital.

It’s finally over.

After weeks of reports, counterreports, fake trades, real negotiations and enough collective bargaining agreement analysis to qualify half of Celtics Twitter for an entry-level front office job, Giannis Antetokounmpo is taking his talents to South Beach.

The Celtics were involved deeply enough for Shams Charania to report that Jaylen Brown had been placed at the center of their offer, and close enough for Boston fans to spend several days weighing the arrival of one of the greatest players ever against the end of the partnership that has defined this era of Celtics basketball.

This would have hurt.

For a moment, Brown stopped feeling like the player we would watch next season and became the player we were preparing to remember. We pictured him in a Bucks uniform and imagined Jayson Tatum returning without the teammate who had grown up beside him. We began sorting through the past ten seasons of playoff runs, criticism, improvement and the championship they eventually won together.

Then Milwaukee chose Miami.

Brown remains a Celtic for now. Whatever happens next, the possibility of losing him brought his entire Boston career into sharper focus. It reminded us how much of the last decade he has occupied, how much he has given this franchise and how strange it would feel to see No. 7 play anywhere else.

Ten years ago, Boston greeted him with boos.

Brown was 19 years old when the Celtics selected him third overall in the 2016 NBA Draft, a pick that immediately disappointed a loud section of the fanbase. People wanted a trade. They wanted a bigger name like Kris Dunn, Dragan Bender or Buddy Hield. They wanted someone they had already decided was safer, readier or easier to understand.

Brown stepped into that noise and made a promise anyway.

“I’m going to go to war for the city,” he said shortly after being drafted. “I wear my heart on my sleeve and I’m gonna leave it on the floor every night. I love to play ball and I know you guys love to watch. So let’s build this bond, and I promise I won’t disappoint.”

Ten years later, Boston already has its answer. Brown has kept every part of that promise.

Jaylen has grown up in front of us

Brown’s path to NBA stardom has been anything but smooth.

He fought for minutes as a rookie on a veteran team trying to contend. He worked his way into the rotation, then into the starting lineup, then into the heart of a team that kept reaching the edge of something bigger without quite getting there.

Every step forward in his game seemed to uncover a new flaw for everyone else to discuss.

His handle was too loose. His decision-making was too slow. His shooting came and went. He couldn’t go left. He and Jayson Tatum supposedly could not play together. One of them would eventually have to leave. Brown’s contract was too large, his game too limited, his fit beside JT too uncertain.

Then he would come back the next season with another answer.

The handle tightened. The jumper improved. His body got stronger. His reads became quicker. He took on harder defensive assignments and gradually became someone Boston could trust with an entire possession when a game began to wobble.

His growth has rarely been graceful, and maybe that’s part of what makes his journey so satisfying.

Brown has become a five-time All-Star and a two-time All-NBA selection during his first decade in Boston. He has climbed to 10th on the Celtics’ all-time scoring list, surrounded by names that already hang above the floor at TD Garden. He’s helped Boston reach six conference finals and two NBA Finals while spending his entire career under the pressure that comes with playing for a franchise that measures success in banners.

Through all of it, he has simply kept getting better.

The run that changed everything

Brown’s place as a Celtics great was secure before 2024. That year’s postseason run made him a Celtics legend.

He entered the year carrying the label of the league’s most overpaid player after signing his (at the time) record-breaking supermax extension. He had just been left off the All-NBA teams despite helping Boston post the league’s best record, and the Celtics’ shiny new toys in the form of Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porziņģis led some people to wonder whether he would become the odd man out.

Instead, Brown played the best basketball of his life when Boston needed it most.

He averaged 23.9 points during the 2024 playoffs while shooting 51.6 percent from the field, often drawing the most difficult defensive assignment on the other end. When the Celtics were seconds away from losing Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals, Brown deflected an inbound pass, then buried the game-tying three. Two nights later, he scored 40 as Boston took control of a series it would eventually sweep.

If we thought that was the mountaintop, the Finals showed us Jaylen still had another level to reach.

Brown hounded Luka Doncic, attacked Dallas whenever Boston’s offense started drifting and delivered one of the defining performances of his career in Game 3. Boston nearly lost a 21-point fourth-quarter lead that night, but Brown steadied the game with the jumper that effectively ended Dallas’ comeback.

When the series ended in Boston, the Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP trophy belonged to him.

Brown’s first instinct was to share it.

“It was a full team effort,” he said. “I share this with my brothers, and my partner-in-crime, Jayson Tatum. He was with me the whole way.”

That remains the Jays’ story at its best. They were drafted one year apart, compared constantly and blamed regularly whenever Boston fell short. Together, they grew through it. And when they finally reached the top, Brown used the greatest individual moment of his career to pull Tatum right beside him.

There is no banner 18 without both of them.

Boston has gotten more than a basketball player

Brown has never treated Boston like a temporary workplace. His ambitions have always extended beyond basketball.

Through the 7uice Foundation, he has worked to close opportunity gaps for young people in communities that are often overlooked. The Bridge Program brought students from Dorchester, Roxbury and other Boston neighborhoods to MIT, where they studied fields including artificial intelligence, robotics and climate science. He wants kids to see themselves in places that may once have felt closed to them.

Brown also launched Boston XChange with the goal of creating generational wealth in communities of color. Its creator incubator has supported local entrepreneurs working across arts, fashion, food and media. He partnered with Jrue Holiday to invest in people who had ideas and talent but had not always been given access to the rooms where money and opportunity move.

Brown has also become a trusted voice among his peers. In 2019, at only 22 years old, he was elected as a vice president of the National Basketball Players Association. His fellow players re-elected him to a third term in 2025, another reflection of the leader he has become and the respect he commands well beyond Boston.

All of it speaks volumes about the man Jaylen has become over the years. Brown could have kept his relationship with the city confined to basketball. Plenty of players do. They arrive, perform, maybe donate to a few visible causes and eventually leave.

Brown has studied the city, challenged it and invested in it.

Like Bill Russell before him, Brown cares about Boston without pretending the city is perfect. He has spoken openly about racism, education and economic inequality. He has marched against injustice and used the attention that comes with basketball to force conversations far beyond it.

Sometimes, that has made him complicated. He’s willing to say things that invite disagreement and think out loud in ways professional athletes are often trained to avoid. Brown is curious, ambitious and occasionally difficult to place into the neat little boxes fans prefer.

This year, Brown continued offering people a closer look at how he saw the game and the team around him. After the season, his livestreams became their own source of controversy when he called it his favorite year of basketball. Some fans heard that as a dismissal of the championship season, but his full explanation was far more personal. He had watched young teammates earn real roles, seen Tatum fight his way back from injury and helped a team with modest expectations become one of the East’s best.

The reaction was revealing. Celtics fans say they want athletes to be more open and candid, then occasionally bristle when those athletes give answers that do not match the ones they expected. Brown’s Twitch streams offer something rare: an unfiltered look at one of the best players in franchise history thinking through his season in real time. Even when people disagree with him, there is something special about being invited that close.

I, for one, am thrilled Boston gets the whole person.

History will remember the Jays together

When you talk about one Jay, it’s hard not to talk about the other. Brown and Tatum are not simply two stars who happen to share the court. As a duo, they have been Boston’s timeline. Celtics fans have watched them evolve from young prospects to playoff regulars, then through painful losses that felt like referendums on everything they were building.

They lost to LeBron James as kids. They battled with the Brooklyn experiment, Heat culture and Golden State’s dynasty. They heard that they did not pass enough, did not fit well enough and would never finish the job together.

But they did finish it together, and no trade can ever separate them in the Celtics history. The trade that never was would’ve ended the partnership. Instead, the Giannis pursuit reminded everyone how much the partnership has already accomplished.

What happens next between Brown and the Celtics is harder to know. Shams Charania reported that Boston made an offer built around Brown, but we have no idea what Brad Stevens told him behind closed doors, how seriously the Celtics believed Milwaukee was considering their package or whether Boston’s involvement helped force Miami to offer more. Once Milwaukee began prioritizing younger players and draft capital beyond Brown, the deal may have stopped making sense for the Celtics anyway.

Still, seeing your name publicly attached to a trade for your replacement can leave a bruise, even in a league where everyone understands the business. Stevens now has to make sure Brown knows where he stands and whether the trust that carried this partnership through years of rumors remains intact.

Brown has spent a decade giving Boston answers. After the past week, the Celtics may owe him one.

The promise became the legacy

There is a symmetry to Brown’s story in Boston that already feels almost too perfect to be real.

He arrived with people booing the pick before he had even put on the jersey. Instead of shrinking from that reception, he told the city exactly what he planned to give it.

He would go to war for Boston.

Over the next decade, he has lived up to every word.

He has played through criticism and trade rumors, transforming parts of his game that people treated as permanent limitations. He has defended the best players in the world, carried the Celtics through crucial playoff moments and kept the franchise among the league’s top-tier contenders.

Away from the floor, he’s treated Boston like a place worth investing in. He’s given young people access to education and helped local creators imagine businesses of their own. He understands that wearing Celtics green gives him influence and has tried to make that influence useful and positive.

The boos did not define his relationship with Boston. They only made what followed more meaningful.

One day, Jaylen Brown will walk onto the TD Garden floor with his family beside him and watch No. 7 rise above his head. Tatum’s No. 0 will find its way up there eventually, too, because even history should understand that those two are inseparable.

Brown’s journey in Boston began beneath those rafters with people wondering why he was here. Someday, it will end in the same building with thunderous applause, as the city he went to war for gets the chance to thank him for everything he has given it.

But that day is not here yet.

No. 7 still belongs on the floor. Jaylen Brown is still a Celtic. And after spending the past week imagining how we would say goodbye, Boston has another chance to appreciate him before his place among the legends becomes something we can only look up at.

The 2026 NBA Draft happens begins Tuesday night. The Sixers are likely going to make their only pick in this year’s draft at 22^nd overall. It’s an important pick for the franchise as it was the primary return in the highly-scrutinized Jared McCain trade from this past February. With Mike Gansey taking over as the team’s new president of basketball operations, we felt now was a good time to look back on Gansey’s draft record in Cleveland, a front office he worked in for nearly a decade.

Before we go any further, it’s important to point out that Gansey was always working under Koby Altman in Cleveland. That’s likely to change now that Gansey is in Philadelphia. If you take the Sixers at their word that Bob Myers will only be involved from afar, Gansey’s going to be making practically all the final decisions when it comes to personnel and day-to-day basketball operations.

We’ll see what Gansey has up his sleeve in his first offseason running the Sixers, but the most widely-held belief as to what the Sixers are going to do with the 22^nd overall pick next week is to use it on a player that can quickly assimilate into their rotation and give them some much-needed bench help. Gansey’s tenure in Cleveland’s front office spanned a long enough time to see the Cavs drafting in a variety of places across the first round which makes this an interesting exercise. Without further ado, we’ll look at the hits, misses and TBDs of the Cleveland first-round picks under Gansey.

Hits

Collin Sexton (8^th overall – 2018): Sexton was the first draft pick the Cavaliers made after Gansey was promoted from the G League to assistant general manager. Perhaps this one might be more in the gray area. Sexton has played for four teams already since being drafted and has never made an All-Star game, but I do think if you’re simply deciding between hit and miss, Sexton is a hit. For his career, he’s averaged over 18 points per game and shot just below 40% from the three-point line. His assist totals could likely be a bit higher, but he’s always been more of a combo guard than a true point guard anyway. Plus, he had to be good enough for Utah to want as a piece in the Donovan Mitchell trade four years ago, right?

Darius Garland (5^th overall – 2019): Much like Sexton, Garland is no longer with Cleveland, although he stuck around with the Cavs much longer than Sexton did. Additionally, there should be no mixed feelings on Garland’s time in the NBA. The two-time All-Star slowly got better in his first three seasons as a pro and perhaps what’s most notable about his statistical increases is that his assist average went from 3.9 per game to 8.6 per game from his rookie season to his third season in the association. If you’re still scratching your head as to why Cleveland traded Garland in a deal that brought back James Harden, you’re not alone, but the sole action of drafting Garland has to be a hit. 

Evan Mobley (3^rd overall – 2021): This one’s a no-brainer. Mitchell is probably Cleveland’s best player, but Mobley is definitely the second-best player on the Cavs’ roster in that case. The USC product is a walking double-double and is just one year removed from winning the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year award.

Additional hits: We do want to take some time for Cleveland’s ability to dig up Sam Merrill and Dean Wade while Gansey was working there. After one season in Milwaukee and another in Memphis, Merrill was fighting for survival in the NBA in 2022. He joined Cleveland’s G-League roster to start the 2022-23 season and by March was signed to a 10-day contract with the Cavaliers. Since then, he has blossomed into a rotation player that’s usually playing between 15 and 25 minutes per night.

Wade joined the Cavs immediately after not being drafted in 2019. He would appear in 12 games at the NBA level in 2019-20 before playing 63 and becoming a fixture in the NBA for years to come. He’s grown to the point where he’s starting more than half the regular season games he’s appearing in for Cleveland. His stats don’t stand out, but he’s certainly been a positive return on investment given that he’s still with the organization seven years after not being drafted.

Misses

Isaac Okoro (5^th overall – 2020): After six seasons in the NBA, Okoro has at the very least carved out a role for himself as a professional, but when you’re merely a role player as a top-five pick regardless of how weak the draft might have been, that’s a disappointment. And yes, if you’re thinking “Wasn’t 2020 the COVID draft that took place in November?” you’d be correct, but we still had most of the college basketball season take place in 2019-20. The point is, Okoro has became a decent wing defender who doesn’t score a lot and while that’s kept him around in the NBA, it’s not enough to be a hit as a top-five selection. Cleveland moved on from Okoro last season too, trading him for Lonzo Ball last offseason which should tell you a lot. 

Ochai Agbaji (14^th overall – 2022): While Agbaji never played a game for the Cavaliers, he wasn’t one of those selections who saw his rights get traded to another team on draft night either. Therefore, we have to include him here because Cleveland at least drafted him with some intention of him playing in Northeast Ohio. Agbaji was selected at the end of the lottery four years ago, but was included with Sexton in the trade to Utah for Mitchell just before training camp opened for the 2022-23 season. He’s started less than half the games he’s appeared in during his four seasons in the NBA, his numbers have fluctuated but have never been anything that have stood out and it would come as no surprise if he’s hanging on for dear life just to survive in the NBA a couple years from now.

To Be Determined

Jaylon Tyson (20^th overall – 2024): This one’s probably the pick that could be the most insightful for Philly’s 22^ndoverall pick next week for a couple of reasons. First off, it’s a pick that was made just two years ago and is the closest of all of these selections in the first round to 22^nd overall. Tyson was also the only pick of these first-rounders that wasn’t a lottery pick. Additionally, through two seasons in the NBA, Tyson’s early career arc seems to be mirroring what you get out of good picks made in the first round outside of the lottery.

Much like Tyrese Maxey for the Sixers, Tyson did not come right into the NBA and start a lot of games. Now, his role was less in Cleveland during his rookie season that Maxey’s was in Philly, but Tyson took a big leap from his rookie season to his second season. He started just three games as a rookie and that number ballooned to 42 starts in 2025-26. All of his statistical numbers went up and Cleveland is probably most encouraged by a 10-point uptick in his three-point percentage from 34.5% in 2024-25 to 44.6% this past season.

It’s still just a TBD because these players often improve incrementally and we’ve only seen one season of incremental improvement from Tyson. He’ll have to continue to get better like Maxey did as he takes on a bigger role for the Cavaliers and plays even more minutes in the future. Having said this, it looks like this pick is trending towards a hit for the Cleveland front office. 

Verdict

While there are more hits than misses, I think most juries would still be deliberating if this was the only available evidence put in front of them. With the exception of maybe Sexton, all of these players are still young enough in their NBA careers for things to change in a positive or negative direction, even if you might have your mind made up on a lot of them.

For purposes of the exercise, I had three hits, two misses and one TBD which leaves the final grade very difficult to give anyway. It’s also worth noting that most of these picks, particularly the ones in the top 10, were likely Altman’s calls as it would only be logical to assume that Altman was making the more impactful roster decisions and Gansey was tasked with finding marginal improvements. That’s another reason why Cleveland selecting Tyson seems like the best reflection of Gansey in the present day. By the 2024 draft, Cleveland was coming off a season in which it made it to the second round of the playoffs. Its core, mostly built by Altman, was in place and marginal upgrades were more easily achievable.

We should note that the marginal upgrades like Merrill and Wade are also a good sign for Gansey’s future in Philadelphia, particularly in the short term. If you subscribe to the widely-held belief that Philadelphia is simply stuck with Paul George and Joel Embiid for the next few seasons, then how else are they going to improve? Even if they hit a home run at 22, that’s still just one player for a team that needs probably three or four serviceable bench players to feel good about its rotation next season. Adding cheap talent in the second round, undrafted free agency or simply players like Merrill who were late bloomers after one or two changes of scenery is how you improve marginally. Doing that enough in the next 6-24 months might just be enough for the Sixers to become a contender with Embiid and George still on their cap sheet. Plus, finding cheap rotation players that are young would give fans more reason for optimism about what the team could look like in the 2030s, presumably built around Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe.

At the end of the day, there’s more to like than to dislike when it comes to Cleveland’s evaluation of draft prospects with Mike Gansey in its front office. It’s a thumbs up for Gansey based on what we know, but you probably also shouldn’t be brimming with confidence either.

Just when you thought basketball season was over until the fall! The New York Knicks win their first NBA title since the Nixon administration and they get precisely 10 days to enjoy it, as the NBA calendar quickly moves on to the the NBA Draft and later free agency set to begin on June 30. And that doesn’t even include trade season – Giannis is already on the move to Miami!

Tonight’s draft will have an Iowa tinge to it, as Bennett Stirtz looks set to become Ben McCollum’s first NBA draft pick and Iowa’s third first rounder since 2022, after Keegan and Kris Murray joined the Association in 2022 and 2023, respectively. After a huge drought of first round picks between Ricky Davis and Keegan, Iowa now looks to get three in a four-year window.

The Scout

You all saw Stirtz play, both at Drake two seasons ago and then at Iowa this past season. The shot making. Don’t let anyone else tell you he’s a bad athlete – he’s not. At times, excellent defense. The near-iron man minutes. Stirtz lived up to all of the billing that accompanied him from Drake in his lone season at Iowa, a season that – remember this?? – ended with the Hawks making the Elite Eight for the first time since 1987. Stirtz averaged 19.8 points, 2.6 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and 1.4 steals per game in that lone campaign in Iowa City. Oh and he finished with 48/36/85 shooting splits. Not bad! He backed that up at the NBA combine in Chicago on May 11. Stirtz measured in at 6-2 1/2 without shoes with a 6 1/2-foot wingspan. He had a 37 1/2-inch vertical at the combine, with a 30 1/2-inch no step vertical. Stirtz also had a 3/4 court sprint time of 3.17 seconds, which was good for fourth in the combine.

Those are pretty good numbers overall and put to bed most worries about his athleticism, but where Stirtz really blew up was in the shooting categories. Stirtz was 20/25 on spot-up jumpers and 23/30 off the dribble. The spot up number was the best at the combine (out of 26), while he tied for third in off the dribble shooting (also out of 26.) In the 3-point star drill, he made 16 of 25 attempts, which tied him for 6th out of 25. He’s impressed enough that Jay Bilas finally found it in his heart to mention Iowa, where he has Stirtz listed as the sleeper of the draft.

The Draft Projections

Prior to his excellent combine, mock drafts such as The Athletic had Stirtz going at 26 overall to the Denver Nuggets. Not bad for a former D-II player, finding yourself in late first round territory. And also, yes, please on that draft – Denver needs another player that can shoot and take the ball handling burden off of Jamal Murray and to an extent, Nikola Jokic.

But that was pre-Combine. Post-Combine, every mock I’ve found has Stirtz moving into the top 20. The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie has Stirtz at 19 overall to Toronto. Vecenie notes hearing Stirtz in a tight range from 16 to 21, which would be landing spots in Memphis, Oklahoma City, Charlotte, the aforementioned stop north of the border in Toronto, San Antonio, or Detroit. ESPN’s latest mock has Stirtz at 17 to Oklahoma City. J. Kyle Mann’s last mock at The Ringer has Stirtz at 21 to Detroit. One could do worse than Toronto, Oklahoma City, or Detroit. All three were in the playoffs, and Oklahoma City was a game away from a shot at defending their 2025 title.

The 2026 NBA Draft begins at 7:00 p.m. central and will air on ESPN/ABC.

It’s been 40 days since the Minnesota Timberwolves season ended. The rest of the league wrapped things up just over a week ago, so it’s time we officially turn the page on the 2025-2026 NBA season.

Nothing signals the start of a new season like the NBA draft.

That was my initial thought before Monday night happened. The Wolves weren’t expected to make much of a splash as far as the draft is concerned, holding just picks 28 and 59. The focus was more about a lot of looming player movement dominoes. Well, most of those dominoes fell yesterday.

With Julius Randle jettisoned, Ayo Dosunmu terms agreed to, and the 28th pick turned into the 33rd pick, Wolves fans should expect to a rather drama-free evening. Let’s congregate in the ol’ Canis comments section to see what happens to the other 29 teams!

Draft Info

What: 2026 NBA Draft Round 1
When: Tuesday, June 23, 2026 @6:00 pm CT
Where: Barclays Center (Brooklyn, NY)
TV: ABC/ESPN

What to Expect on Draft Night

The Timberwolves books look a lot different than they did 24 hours ago. Prior to shedding Randle’s $33.3 million contract, adding a fringe-first round rookie (pick 28) at roughly $3 million a year would have been tough. However, dumping his contract came at the cost of sliding down from pick 28, to pick 33. Some pundits have had the discussion of whether a guaranteed contract of a first round pick is more valuable than the open flexibility of a second round pick, so it’s worth asking if this was really was a downgrade.

That said, Wolves President of Basketball Operations Tim Connelly came from out of the shadows to acquire the eighth overall pick during the 2024 draft. Even prior to Connelly giving up this year’s first round pick yesterday, there was speculation that he could be up to something similar again.

Was this just some last minute due diligence? Or was a precursor of something else Connelly has cooking in the oven like they did when they secretly brought in Joan Beringer for a workout? In theory, it does make sense for Minnesota to get back into the mix as they have more financial flexibility to acquire and sign a first round pick post-Randle trade.

As mentioned earlier, many fans around the league will be eagerly awaiting announcements of ensuing blockbuster trades to come. Randle was first, and then came Giannis Antetokounmpo. Who’s next? Jaylen Brown? Kyrie Irving? Derrick White?

What else will happen tonight?

Draft updates

LIVE updated board:

Round 1:

1. WAS
2. UTA
3. MEM
4. CHI
5. LAC
6. BKN
7. SAC
8. ATL
9. DAL
10. MIL
11. GSW
12. OKC
13. MIL
14. CHO
15. CHI
16. MEM
17. OKC
18. CHO
19. TOR
20. SAS
21. DET
22. PHI
23. ATL
24. NYK
25. LAL
26. DEN
27. BOS
28. BKN
29. CLE
30. DAL

CMB, all-rookie, all-awesome defender extraordinaire has won himself many fans in Toronto with his dominant interior presence and playoff rising. The former Gamecock was taken 9th overall in the 2025 NBA Draft by the Raptors, and quickly proved himself to be playing well above the standard for most rookies.

While additions like Trayce Jackson-Davis and a potential big man in today’s draft, it is clear that the Raptors have been making moves to try and make up for their unstable roster of centres. Much has been said about Jakob Poeltl’s injury woes and gargantuan contract, but less noise has been made about the pros of committing to a small ball roster with Boyles at centre.

In a recent survey by SB Nation, 69% of respondents believed that the sophomore should enter Toronto’s starting lineup, with an additional 16% agreeing, only in the case of Jakob Poeltl being moved.

A measly 15% believe that the rookie should continue coming off of the bench, and I could not agree with these individuals less. Boyles has proven himself to be not only an asset, but someone who the Raptors should try taking a gamble on by giving a starting job. And, speaking of gambling, this post is sponsored by FanDuel.

Last season proved that Toronto is not yet in a position to contend with the best teams in the east, so taking more time to try and develop young players while attempting to sort out a functional centre rotation could be well worth it. CMB’s combination of raw power and defensive tenacity is extremely valuable, whose worth in the starting lineup might only be outweighed by a real stretch big, capable of protecting the rim and scoring without clogging the paint. Until the Raptors have a guy like that at hand, betting on Boyles might be where the smart money goes.

Here’s to draft night swings and freakish things: chase-down blocks and coast-to-coast dunks. Here’s to the no-look dimes. 

Here’s to Bradley Center, to hitching rides with strangers. To smoothie tweets, jaw-dropping feats. Here’s to the Nic Batum comps. 

Here’s to nicknames, to the fire, to Mike Dunleavy Jr. Here’s to the walk-off at the Garden, to MIP turned MVP—and DPOY. Here’s to All Star, to All-NBA.

Here’s to the posters. To Chris Bosh, Serge Ibaka. Kosta Koufos and Aron Baynes. Here’s to Nikola Vucevic, to Flagg and Gafford. Here’s to breaking orbit, to Tim Hardaway Jr. 

Here’s to the playoffs. To the climb. To conference finals heartbreak and Bubble embarrassment. Here’s to the opportunity for redemption. And seizing it.

Here’s to the Heat, to the Nets, to the Hawks, and to the Suns. Here’s to the glory of ‘21. Here’s to recovery, to being superhuman. 

Here’s to the Finals. To back-to-back 40s, to iconic moments: “shot blocked by Antetokounmpo!”, “stolen by Holiday… Antetokounmpo throws it down!” Here’s to Mike Breen. To fifty-pieces at the drive thru. 

Here’s to the other voices. To Marques and to Lisa. To Ted and to Dave. Here’s to the pop-up zone, to Jon McGlocklin. Here’s to Mr Jim.

Here’s to the mentors. To Velliniatis and Saratsis, Tough Juice and Pachulia. Here’s to J-Kidd and Prunty and Sweeney and Ham. Here’s to Coach Bud.

Here’s to the brotherhood. To Khash and Splash, to Jrue and Planet Pat. Here’s to the dawgs. To the vets. To names and faces we forget.

Here’s to franchise records, rewriting the books. To 64, to game balls, to no failure in sports. Here’s to the NBA Cup. 

Here’s to the features. Articles and trading cards, documentaries and biopics. Here’s to the lore, the mythology, the mythos. Here’s to transcendence.

Here’s to family. To fathers and to mothers. To brothers by your side, always by your side. Here’s to dad jokes and kids. To moments shared, to memories made.

Here’s to calves and ankles, soleus strains and hyperextensions. Trainers tables to trade rumours. Here’s to the blood, the tears; the hurt and the grind. Here’s to all of it. 

Here’s to you, Giannis. 

For everything. 

NEW YORK, NY – JUNE 27: Giannis Antetokounmpo of Greece qals towards the stage after he was drafted #15 overall in the first round by the Milwaukee Bucks during the 2013 NBA Draft at Barclays Center on June 27, 2013 in in the Brooklyn Bourough of New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images) | Getty Images

CLEVELAND, OH – DECEMBER 20: Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks goes up for the dunk against the Cleveland Cavaliers at The Quicken Loans Arena on December 20, 2013 in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2013 NBAE (Photo by David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

MILWAUKEE, WI – DECEMBER 11: Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks shoots against the San Antonio Spurs on December 11, 2013 at the BMO Harris Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2013 NBAE (Photo by Gary Dineen/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

MILWAUKEE, WI – OCTOBER 26: Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks fights Nicolas Batum #5 of the Charlotte Hornets for a loose ball during the third quarter at BMO Harris Bradley Center on October 26, 2016 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mike McGinnis/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Apr 30, 2015; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Chicago Bulls forward Mike Dunleavy (34) looks on after being knocked down by Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) (not pictured) during the second quarter in game six of the first round of the NBA Playoffs. at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

MILWAUKEE, WI – JANUARY 29: Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks slam dunks the basketball on Chris Bosh #1 of the Miami Heat during the game at BMO Harris Bradley Center on January 29, 2016 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mike McGinnis/Getty Images) | Getty Images

MILWAUKEE, WI – APRIL 20: Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks dunks over Aron Baynes #46 of the Boston Celtics during the second half of game three of round one of the Eastern Conference playoffs at the Bradley Center on April 20, 2018 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Nov 4, 2018; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) dunks against Sacramento Kings center Kosta Koufos (41) in the third quarter at the Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

TORONTO, ONTARIO – MAY 25: Norman Powell #24, Fred VanVleet #23, and Pascal Siakam #43 of the Toronto Raptors and Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks react to a shot during the second half in game six of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals at Scotiabank Arena on May 25, 2019 in Toronto, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images) | Getty Images

LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLORIDA – SEPTEMBER 06: Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks exits the game after an injury during the second quarter against the Miami Heat in Game Four of the Eastern Conference Second Round during the 2020 NBA Playoffs at AdventHealth Arena at the ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex on September 06, 2020 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images) | Getty Images

BROOKLYN, NY – JUNE 19: Kevin Durant #7 of the Brooklyn Nets and Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks high-five after Round 2, Game 7 on June 19, 2021 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2021 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN – JULY 14: Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks blocks a shot by Deandre Ayton #22 of the Phoenix Suns during the second half in Game Four of the NBA Finals at Fiserv Forum on July 14, 2021 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Basketball: NBA Finals: Milwaukee Bucks Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) in action, catching ball for dunk from alley-oop pass vs Phoenix Suns at Phoenix Suns Arena. Sequence. Game 5. Phoenix, AZ 7/17/2021 CREDIT: John W. McDonough (Photo by John W. McDonough/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images) (Set Number: X163695 TX1)

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN – JULY 20: Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks shoots a free throw to score his 50th point in Game 6 of the NBA Finals against the Phoenix Suns at Fiserv Forum on July 20, 2021 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The Bucks defeated the Suns 105-98. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) | Getty Images

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN – JULY 22: Giannis Antetokounmpo celebrates with the Larry O'Brien trophy and Finals MVP trophy during the Milwaukee Bucks 2021 NBA Championship Victory Parade and Rally in the Deer District of Fiserv Forum on July 22, 2021 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) | Getty Images

MILWAUKEE, WI – JULY 20: Milwaukee Bucks Analyst Marques Johnson hugs Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks after Game Six to win the 2021 NBA Finals on July 20, 2021 at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2021 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images). | NBAE via Getty Images

MILWAUKEE, WI – FEBRUARY 18: (L-R) Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 and Caron Butler #3 of the Milwaukee Bucks share a laugh on-court during the game against the Orlando Magic on February 18, 2014 at the BMO Harris Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2014 NBAE (Photo by Gary Dineen/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

MILWAUKEE, WI – NOVEMBER 23: Head Coach Jason Kidd of the Milwaukee Bucks and Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 stand on the sidelines during the second quarter against the Detroit Pistons at BMO Harris Bradley Center on November 23, 2015 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mike McGinnis/Getty Images) | Getty Images

PHOENIX, AZ – JULY 8: Khris Middleton #22 of the Milwaukee Bucks, Brook Lopez #11 of the Milwaukee Bucks and Jrue Holiday #21 of the Milwaukee Bucks help Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks during Game Two of the 2021 NBA Finals on July 8, 2021 at Phoenix Suns Arena in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2021 NBAE (Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – DECEMBER 17: (L-R) MarJon Beauchamp #3, Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 and Damian Lillard #0 of the Milwaukee Bucks celebrate with the championship trophy after the Bucks defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder 97-81 to win the championship game of the Emirates NBA Cup at T-Mobile Arena on December 17, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images

BURBANK, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 22: (L-R) Giannis Antetokounmpo, Mariah Riddlesprigger, and family attend the world premiere of Rise at Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California on June 22, 2022. (Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney) | Getty Images for Disney

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 21: (L-R) Thanasis Antetokounmpo, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kostas Antetokounmpo and Alex Antetokounmpo attend the Rise press junket at The Hollywood Roosevelt in Los Angeles, California on June 21, 2022. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney) | Getty Images for Disney

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN – JANUARY 23: Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks sustained an apparent injury on the bench during the fourth quarter against the Denver Nuggets at Fiserv Forum on January 23, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The New York Knicks are entering the NBA Draft as reigning champions for the first time in 53 years, back when the event saw 178 players getting drafted as New York City hosted it.

This time, the Knicks are holding picks No. 24, No. 31, and No. 55, but they might not have all of them by the time the draft starts on Tuesday night, with the second round taking place on Wednesday.

The front office keeps exploring options to maximize their financial room, and if they ultimately have to draft someone, those options would then include adding depth in the frontcourt or some sort of microwave-shooting combo-guard-wing who can come off the pine and bag a bunch of points quickly.

One of the prospects in the Knicks’ radar, also profiled here at P&T as part of our draft coverage, is St. John’s standout, Zuby Ejiofor. The senior was one of the more productive big men in college basketball this past season.

On Monday, SNY’s Ian Begley reported that Ejiofor “has some fans in the organization,” signaling at least internal consideration as New York shapes its draft board.

“If Robinson and Shamet are back, the Knicks probably look at size on the wing or a player who can handle the ball. Ejiofor has some fans in the organization. If they think they are losing Robinson or Hukporti, maybe the Knicks draft a center? Tarris Reed Jr. from UConn would be a strong pick in New York’s range.”

Ejiofor himself addressed the possibility of landing in New York during an appearance on the “Eye on the Storm” podcast, referencing his experience playing at Madison Square Garden while at St. John’s.

“I think it would definitely be crazy (to land in NYK). Obviously, the Johnnies’ fanbase and New York has showed me a lot of love. So if that does happen, I don’t even know how you guys would react, I mean, you guys would go absolutely nuts.

“Obviously, having been there at St. John’s and played at MSG, and then you tie in with the fact that New York just won the championship, so I think it would be a win on both sides if it does happen.

“It’s going to be definitely chaos, not just for me but my family as well—they’re going to go absolutely insane.”

Ejiofor, who averaged 16.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game this past season, has built his resume as a physical, high-energy forward with defensive versatility, earning multiple Big East honors.

His size remains a point of evaluation at the next level, as he’s a bit of a tweener caught in between the three and five without a very defined frame, but his production and motor have kept him in the late first-round to early second-round range.

According to the NBA Draft Network’s consensus big board, Ejiofor would be drafted at No. 28, with the highest projection putting him at No. 21 and the lowest at No. 37, but most of them falling within the 27-29 range.

With draft night just a few hours away, Ejiofor’s connection to New York and the organization’s reported interest place him firmly among the names to watch. Not to mention a certain whiff the Knicks might have the perfect opportunity to fix on what could be a historic June 23 in the franchise’s history.

What: Coverage of the NBA Draft

Who: Malika Andrews, Jay Bilas, Bobby Marks, Brian Windhorst, Shams Charania

When: Tuesday and Wednesday, June 23rd and 24th, at 5 p.m. Arizona Time. Tuesday is the first round, and Wednesday is the second.

Where: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York

TV: First Round: ESPN, ABC. Second Round: ESPN

As of right now, the Phoenix Suns have just the 47th pick in the draft, yet Bright Side is staying prepared with East Coast Correspondent at the Barclays Center, ready for the action.

The Washington Wizards will be picking first, where they’re widely expected to take either Kansas’ Darryn Peterson or BYU’s AJ Dybantsa. Picking second is Utah, which is likely to take whoever the Jazz don’t want of the two, or Duke’s Cameron Boozer.

After trading their first-rounder to the Charlotte Hornets during the 2025 trade deadline to get rid of Jusuf Nurkić, Phoenix looks to be without a first-rounder for the first time since 2023. In the first round last year, Phoenix selected Center Khaman Maluach 10th after reacquiring their first-rounder when they dealt Kevin Durant to the Houston Rockets. In 2024, they selected Ryan Dunn 28th after trading their 22nd overall pick to the Denver Nuggets for the rights to draft Dunn.

The tape has been watched, the numbers have been crunched, and the 2026 NBA Draft cycle is finally coming to a close. The draft begins on Tuesday night with the Washington Wizards on the clock with the No. 1 overall pick. By now, everyone has an opinion on this class.

Read why we believe Cameron Boozer is the top overall player in this class. Check out our final big board that ranks the 60 best prospects available. Read our in-depth profile of Caleb Wilson to hear about the past, present, and future of the draft’s most explosive athlete.

Now it’s time for our final mock draft. There’s some movement since our last mock over the weekend with the Giannis Antetokounmpo blockbuster delivering the No. 13 overall pick to the Milwaukee Bucks via the Miami Heat, and Brooklyn Nets reportedly leaning a new way with the No. 6 overall pick. We’ll have more analysis on what’s changed going into draft night after the table.

Here’s what changed since our last mock:

• The Nets now take Mikel Brown Jr. over Darius Acuff: The tea leaves are suggesting that Louisville guard Mikel Brown Jr. will be Brooklyn’s pick at No. 7. This would be wonderful news for the Sacramento Kings, because they reportedly covet Arkansas’ Darius Acuff at No. 7.
• It feels like the Hawks will choose between Kingston Flemings and Aday Mara: Atlanta has already re-signed C.J. McCollum, but it was only a one-year deal. Flemings is almost unanimously viewed as a better prospect than Mara. I don’t think this will be that difficult of a call for the Hawks. Flemings is the pick for this mock.
• I was tempted to put a Michigan man at No. 9, but stuck with Brayden Burries: Basically everyone’s mock draft has Dallas taking Burries. I thought about putting Yaxel Lendeborg or Morez Johnson here as the Dusty May hire, but ultimately decided to finish the drill.

• The Warriors go with Aday Mara, and the Thunder go for Yaxel Lendeborg: Mara just feels like such a great fit for Steve Kerr’s system given his fantastic passing ability, and the Warriors also need a big man. Yaxel to OKC is perfect. He was telling me about dreaming of playing with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander back in March.
• The Bucks have options at No. 15: Milwaukee brought in Labaron Philon for a workout during the pre-draft process, so I’m assuming they like him. The other guys they brought in for workouts are already gone in this projection (Acuff, Brown, and Lendeborg), and I doubt Cenac is a realistic option here. The Bucks already have two pretty good guards in Ryan Rollins and Kevin Porter Jr., and they also added another developmental guard in Kasparas Jakucionis in the Giannis trade. Morez Johnson and Karim Lopez could also make sense here.
• I have no idea what the Bulls do at No. 15: I think Chicago would run to select Morez Johnson or Aday Mara, but both are off the board in this projection. I have Hannes Steinbach tabbed here. He’s one of my favorite players in the class (No. 10 on my final board), but he’s not exactly the defensive anchor the Bulls need next to Caleb Wilson long-term. It’s worth noting the Bulls added another center on Monday by taking on Nic Claxton from the Nets in the three-team Julius Randle deal. I have no idea which way new top executive Bryson Graham would be leaning if the board breaks like this.
• Chris Cenac falls: I put Cenac top-20 a couple days ago, but that feels a bit too rich. He feels like a little bit of a project as a toolsy big man who needs to develop both physically and mentally right now. Cenac drops to the Knicks at No. 24 in this mock while San Antonio goes with a more ready-made contributor in Baylor wing Cam Carr.

How to watch the 2026 NBA Draft

Here’s how to watch the first round of the 2026 NBA Draft:

Date: Tuesday, June 23

TV and streaming: ESPN

Time: 8 p.m. ET

The second round will begin at the same time and on the same network on Wednesday, June 24.

Arizona has been having men’s basketball players drafted since before the NBA was a thing.

The first Wildcat selected to play pro ball was Linc Richmond, who in 1948 was taken in the 4^th round of the Basketball Association of America Draft, though he returned to the UA for one more season and never played professionally. The BAA and National Basketball League would merge a year later to form the National Basketball Association (NBA).

The first UA player to get drafted into the NBA and play was Leon Blevins, a 7th-round pick in 1950 who appeared in two games for the Indianapolis Olympians.

All told, Arizona has had 79 NBA/ABA draft picks, a number that will go up by at least two this week. And with Brayden Burries a lock to go in the 1^st round Tuesday, while Koa Peat could join him later on, the Wildcats also are set to climb the list of schools with the most first-rounders.

The UA currently ranks 8^th all-time, with 27. That’s one behind Indiana, which isn’t likely to add to its total, giving Arizona the chance to move up to 7^th if Burries and Peat both go in the first round.

Kentucky is No. 1, at 60, with Duke right behind it with 59 and then North Carolina (55).

Arizona last had consecutive drafts with a 1^st-round pick in 2017 (Lauri Markannen) and 2018 (Deandre Ayton). It’s had multiple first rounders on five occasions, most recently in 22^nd when Bennedict Mathurin went 6^th overall and Dalen Terry 18^th.

Assuming he doesn’t fall out of the top 14, Burries would be Arizona’s 18^th lottery pick.

Though they aren’t likely to hear their names called during the first round, Wednesday’s second round could see as many as three UA players (Tobe Awaka, Jaden Bradley and Anthony Dell’Orso) get picked. The only time Arizona has produced four draft picks in one year was in 2001 when Richard Jefferson went 13^th overall to the Houston Rockets while Gilbert Arenas, Michael Wright and Loren Woods were all 2^nd-round selections.

The NBA Draft will be held tonight and tomorrow at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, the new home of Julius Randle. For once, the Knicks are not scouting for a young buck who can elevate their roster–because they won the championship! You may still have a scrap of confetti lodged in the back of your throat. It’s the cost of fandom.

Free of desperation, Leon Rose & Co. can use tonight’s picks (24, 31, 55) in any number of ways, whether by selecting three talents to be developed at the Westchester farm; swapping for better positioning or an active player, or even punting on the draft altogether. 

Leon has never been afraid to hop around the board, and championship contenders often consolidate draft assets rather than adding multiple guaranteed contracts. With the 24th and 31st picks sitting just seven spots apart, New York has ammunition to explore a move up if a desired dude begins to slide. This class of prospects is loaded with big young men, so we expect at least one to leave wearing an orange and blue cap. The Knicks might also pick up a guard while they’re at it. Read our draft guide here.

Details

Round 1: Tuesday, June 23
Time: 8:00 p.m. ET
TV: ABC and ESPN
Where: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY
Streaming: ESPN App

Round 2: Wednesday, June 24
Time: 8:00 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN
Where: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY
Streaming: ESPN App

Go Knicks!