Category: Basketball

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 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!

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 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."

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.

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.

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.

6:56 PM EST: Sites from the podium

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.

5:40 PM EST: On site

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

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.”

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.

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.

Austin Reaves is the ultimate homegrown success story in a city that loves Hollywood narratives. 

He went from being a country bumpkin who grew up in Newark, Ark., amid a population of fewer than 2,000 people to becoming a star in a global metropolis.

He went from being undrafted in 2021 to agreeing to a four-year, $185 million deal with the Lakers, the richest contract for a player who went undrafted in NBA history. 

It’s a great story. Things have worked out beautifully for Reaves, who’s a rising star and is genuinely as likeable as he appears on TV. But it’s fair to ask … can the Lakers win a championship with over $100 million a season going to him and Luka Doncic for the next several years? 

In other words, was it smart for the Lakers to spend that much money when they desperately need to build out their roster?

The answer?

Unequivocally yes. 

The Lakers couldn’t risk losing Reaves for a number of reasons. 

He’s on the verge of becoming an All-Star-caliber player. When he and Doncic share the court, their chemistry is undeniable. Doncic loves him. And other teams were willing to pay top dollar for him, including Detroit. 

Does this mean the Lakers need to spend the rest of the offseason acquiring defenders and shooters around them? Yes. Do they desperately need a rim protector? Yes. But was spending that type of money on Reaves the right call? Yes.  

The sticker value is shocking, especially considering Reaves will earn more next season ($41.3 million) than guys like Jalen Brunson ($37.7 million) and Tyrese Maxey ($40.7 million). 

But the Lakers made the right call. Not only is Reaves a great player, but he’s the Lakers’ glue. 

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Reaves is coming off a breakout season. He announced his meteoric rise with back-to-back 51- and 41-point performances in the first few games. 

He helped the Lakers jump to a 15-4 start while LeBron James missed the first 14 games because of sciatica. He was arguably the best No. 2 offensive option in the league. 

He was pivotal in the Lakers’ 16-2 run last spring. One of the biggest highlights of the season happened during that stretch when he purposely missed a free throw, caught his rebound and made a jumper to force overtime in the Lakers’ 127-125 win over the Nuggets on March 14. 

Reaves and Doncic looked so good during a three-game stretch over that period that the basketball world even began questioning whether the Lakers were better without James, who’s arguably the greatest player of all-time. 

Reaves was one of three players to average at least 20 points, five assists and 1 steal while having a true shooting percentage of at least 62% last season. The others? Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic. And Reaves did it while sharing the ball with Doncic and James.

This was a no-brainer for the Lakers. They had no choice. They couldn’t risk losing Reaves. 

Not when he skyrocketed into being so reliable on offense. Not when he grew into such a great complement for Doncic. And especially not after it became clear that he’s one of Doncic’s lifelines in Los Angeles. 

Aside from the tangibles of how well those two play together, there’s another reason retaining Reaves was of paramount importance. 

Reaves makes Doncic feel at home in Los Angeles. They tease each other. They joke with one another. They’ve become brothers who show their affection for one another through loving jabs. 

Reaves is a great player. He has what he describes as “delirious confidence.” He’s fearless. But he’s also a chemistry generator in human form. 

James loved him as soon as he entered the Lakers’ locker room. Doncic gravitated toward him. Heck, even Steve Kerr saw it when he coached Reaves during the World Cup. “You can tell that everybody loves playing with him,” Kerr said, adding that’s a rare quality. 

For the Lakers, retaining Reaves was a must. They needed to do whatever it took. And his monster contract won’t interfere with their cap space. They’ll be able to spend their about $50 million and then go over the cap to re-sign him. 

In other words, they can still load the roster with defensive-minded players. They can still get shooters. They can still try to plug their holes to compete with the Thunder and Spurs in the very crowded Western Conference. 

For the Lakers, retaining Reaves was their top priority this offseason. He’s a difference-maker on and off the court. He’s essential to what they’re trying to build. Is he the best two-way player in the league? No. But is he an offensive wizard whose impact extends beyond what box scores can measure? Undeniably.

It’s one of the most wild ascensions we’ve seen. 

He has gone from being a no-name guy to one of the most important players on the league’s second-winningest franchise with 17 NBA championships to its name. 

He has gone from clawing his way into the league to becoming the 30th-highest average paid NBA player. 

And he deserves every penny of it. 

Doncic wants him. The Lakers need him. And they still have enough money to build out their roster.

Reaves, you’ve been in Los Angeles for a while. 

But you’ve officially become the ultimate Hollywood tale.

The Dallas Mavericks turned heads Tuesday night when they were part of a four-team trade that gave them the rights to Sergio de Larrea, the 25th overall pick.

De Larrea currently plays for ACB Valencia in Spain and his team just won the Liga ACBC title on Wednesday with a 108-84 victory in the deciding Game 4 against Barcelona for just the second league title in team history.

It’s unclear if De Larrea will play in Summer League early next month after having contributed to a championship so recently, and there’s been speculation over whether Dallas will bring him over to the States this year or use a strategy often used on foreign prospects: draft and stash.

In these scenarios, teams draft players and retain their playing rights but allow them to continue to play in their home countries. This can happen because the team has no roster spots or simply because they see potential in a player but they don’t think they’re ready to compete at the NBA level just yet.

Marc Stein reported Wednesday that all options are “being worked through” regarding De Larrea’s future.

*Insert Future voice* whatever that f*cking means.

I don’t think it’s always wrong to draft and stash a player, and I think there are even situations — like Oklahoma City — where draft and stashing makes sense. You don’t want to mess with what you have now but you know you’ll need young players to add to your talent as your core gets older.

But in Dallas’ situation, I see no upside to keeping him overseas and only a downside by not bringing him on board immediately.

We have one of the league’s best young players in recent history in Cooper Flagg, and we need to start building the team that’s going to be around him for the next decade. Do I think de Larrea is going to be an All-Star on day 1? Probably not, but I have no idea, but if you’re going to draft a guy with a first-round pick, I argue you should get him on the court with the future of your franchise as soon as possible.

It’s like Jalen Brunson with Luka Dončić after the 2018 draft. Did we know Brunson was going to be a star one day after we drafted him in the second round? Of course not, but we brought him to the team immediately and he and Dončić built chemistry together that led them to the conference finals just four years later.

(Small side note: ouch, that sucked writing that paragraph knowing what we know now.)

The point is this: de Larrea may not be Jalen Brunson, de Larrea could end up being an MVP. Regardless, we need to see who he is (or who he isn’t) immediately. His lighting up the Euroleague next season does nothing for the Mavericks, and if he comes to the NBA and sucks, he’s another late first-round pick that didn’t pan out — AKA most of them.

Bring the kid over, and let’s see what he can do with the team. He may just be the start of something special in Dallas.

Celtics select Dillon Mitchell with 40th pick in NBA Draft originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

With the 40th pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, the Boston Celtics selected forward Dillon Mitchell out of St. John’s.

Mitchell averaged 8.3 points and 7.0 rebounds while shooting 55.9 percent from the floor in 37 games for the Red Storm. The 6-foot-8, 205-pounder is a strong finisher and lob threat who can also make a significant impact on the defensive end. His jump shot is very much a work in progress.

A five-star recruit out of Montverde Academy in Florida, Mitchell spent his first two collegiate seasons at Texas before transferring to Cincinnati in 2024. The 22-year-old played just one season for the Bearcats and transferred again to St. John’s, where he was named to the All-Big East Third Team, All-Defensive Team, and All-Tournament Team.

The Celtics used their first-round pick (No. 27) on Houston big man Chris Cenac Jr. Like Cenac, Mitchell is a great rebounder, especially for his size. He’s an impressive athlete with huge upside if Boston can help him develop his shot.

Watch Chris Forsberg and Tom Giles’ instant reaction to the Celtics’ pick of Mitchell below:

After leading the Knicks for five seasons, including back-to-back 50-win seasons and their first trip to the Eastern Conference Finals in 25 years, Tom Thibodeau was surprisingly fired by team president Leon Rose at the end of the 2025 season.

The move raised many questions about New York's direction as it felt like Thibodeau was a driving factor in the team's growth and success. 

Firing Thibodeau was critiqued even more after Rose decided on hiring longtime coach Mike Brown, who's best season came back in 2007 when a young LeBron James led the Cleveland Cavaliers to the NBA Finals (which they lost 4-0 to the San Antonio Spurs).

Fast forward 12 months, Rose's hire of Brown proved to be a major difference maker as he was able to guide the Knicks over the hump to their first NBA title since 1973. 

Speaking with 2026 NBA Finals MVP Jalen Brunson and teammate Josh Hart on an episode of their Roommates Show podcast, Rose opened up about the "tough" decision to fire Thibodeau after the team lost to the Indiana Pacers in the ECF and the choice to hire Brown.

"It was tough. Thibs is a great coach. Did so much for the organization," Rose said. "We were right on the doorstep. Just felt that, just needed a change in voice, a change in philosophy. It was a tough move.

"Mike is a guy that really fit what we were looking for. He’s somebody that I’ve known for a long time. I represented LeBron when he coached him in Cleveland. Knew him and kind of followed him through his career. Didn’t know him that well but he always was a guy that was a good guy, that you could talk to, that you really felt good about. That was just your gut."

Rose went on to explain what made Brown an attractive hire over other candidates, mainly pointing to his open-minded approach.

"First of all, just his openness and his willingness to share ideas," Rose said. "And share ideas with the front office, his staff and the inclusion of everyone. I think you guys probably saw that. He really was open to things, open to people’s suggestions, open to ideas.

"I believe that’s what led to some of the changes that were made throughout the season. We started out a certain way, he may have had an idea about how something was gonna work and how he wanted it to work, but he kind of evolved throughout the season, as did our team. I think that all went into the fact that we went into another gear in the playoffs."

It's clear the players and rest of the organization adapted and worked well with Brown in his first season with the team. By winning the Finals, he became just the sixth head coach since the NBA/ABA merger (1976) to win a title in their first year with a team (the Toronto Raptors' Nick Nurse in 2019, Cavaliers' Tyronn Lue in 2016, Golden State Warriors' Steve Kerr in 2015, Los Angeles Lakers' Pat Riley in 1982, and Lakers' Paul Westhead in 1980).

While it may have been hard for Rose to move on from Thibodeau after helping get the Knicks back on the winning track, it worked, and will go down as one of the best in his tenure as team president. 

The floaters, the left-hand bias, the unorthodox release, the unique basketball IQ and the genuine will to win were all cornerstones of Nick Martinelli’s game in his career as a Wildcat. Another program legend will deservedly enter the biggest stage no matter what, whether that be through a selection or as an UDFA. For more details on his draft profile, our very-own Drew Christmann does a great job breaking it all down here. What follows is about fit: which organizations genuinely make sense for a player like Martinelli, and why, based on what each team is currently and what they need going into 2026-27 beyond.

The brief version of the case for Martinelli: he is a 6-foot-7, 223-pound forward who spent four years at Welsh-Ryan Arena turning an unconventional skill set into something specific and real. He led the Big Ten in scoring for the second straight year as a senior, averaging 23 points on 51/41.7/80.9 splits, and set a new Northwestern single-season record with 759 points. His improved three-point numbers are the ones that matter most for his draft case. He shot 32.2% from deep across his first three seasons, then jumped to 41.7% on 108 attempts, including 39.7% on guarded catch-and-shoot looks. Whether those numbers survive against athletes who close faster and contest higher is the central question every evaluator has about him. His release is not textbook, and it is not quick. The shot falls because of elite touch and a high release point, which tend to translate better than mechanics that rely on creating separation. The honest answer is that nobody knows for certain how it holds up, which is part of why he is in the second round at all.

The case against him is equally specific. Martinelli is not going to beat anybody off the dribble at the next level, and he will be targeted on switches. His combine athleticism measurements backed that up, posting a 26.5-inch no-step vertical. He is not a four and not quite a three, and whatever organization selects him Wednesday is betting that his scoring craft and IQ cover that gap. Given what his former Northwestern teammate Brooks Barnhizer did last year, going to the then-reigning-champion Thunder at pick 44 and earning legitimate two-way trust in a system built around second-round culture, the precedent for that kind of outcome exists at this exact stage of the draft. On Wednesday, somewhere between picks 31 and 60, the hope is that someone is going to make the same bet on Martinelli.

Here are the landing spots that make the most sense:

Minnesota Timberwolves, Picks No. 33 and No. 59

At the combine, Martinelli publicly named the Timberwolves as a team he had already spoken with, the first organization he confirmed by name and that was widely reported across outlets. In draft terms, that kind of acknowledgment usually means something was genuinely said between both parties, not just a formality.

Minnesota’s offseason is defined entirely by the recently-executed Julius Randle move. On the eve of the draft, the Wolves sent Randle and pick No. 28 to Brooklyn in exchange for pick No. 33, then immediately locked up Ayo Dosunmu on a long term deal. They arrive Wednesday night owning the third pick of the second round and the penultimate selection of the entire draft at No. 59. Timberwolves president Tim Connelly walked away from Tuesday’s first round visibly frustrated, saying the night was “not the action or activity we were hoping for.” The framework for 2026-27 is now built around Anthony Edwards with Jaden McDaniels, Naz Reid and Dosunmu redistributing the offensive load Randle carried. Connelly said both McDaniels and Reid “have been clamoring for more opportunities and more responsibility and I think they’re going to get it.”

Martinelli does not solve Minnesota’s most pressing need, which is a legitimate point guard. Donte DiVincenzo’s injury status is uncertain, Mike Conley is a free agent at 38, and finding a ball-handler who can take pressure off Edwards is the organization’s most clearly identified roster hole heading into Wednesday. That said, at pick 33, you are not neccesarily drafting for immediate need so much as long-term value. Martinelli’s maturity and sponge-like learning ability makes him one of the higher-floor prospects available in general for a team that has repeatedly found useful players in unexpected places. Jaden McDaniels himself came at No. 28. Terrence Shannon Jr. was an undrafted add. The Wolves have shown they can identify players who make sense structurally even when the profile looks weird on paper. A forward who is physically ready, shoots at a real rate and plays without demanding touches is a sensible supporting piece for a team built around Edwards.

At pick 59, nearly the last selection in the draft, expectations are essentially nothing. This is the more likely slot between the two of them. But Martinelli is a more credible lottery ticket at 59 than most players available there. The combination of confirmed organizational contact and a specific skill set that fits next to Edwards’ star-centered offense gives both Minnesota picks some logic. The former might be a reach, but the latter would be considered a home-run considering the high-IQ and work ethic that coaches rave about with Martinelli. If he’s considered at 33, he could realistically still be there 26 spots later.

Miami Heat, Pick No. 41

This is the most contextually fascinating landing spot on the list, and it arrives slightly earlier in the second round than most boards project Martinelli.

The Heat just acquired Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis from Milwaukee in exchange for Tyler Herro, Kel’el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kasparas Jakucionis, three first-round picks and pick swaps. Miami is now hard-capped at the first apron, with roughly $18 million in space and up to five roster spots to fill heading into free agency. Pick 41 via Golden State is the only draft capital they have, and it comes at one of the more interesting points of the board, right before Martinelli’s consensus range begins.

Here is where organizational history matters. The Heat traditionally do not draft at this range because they are usually trading picks to chase stars. Pat Riley has made only 14 first-round picks in 26 drafts as team president, with three of those traded on draft night, and has made significantly less second-round picks compared to the average franchise as well. The way the Heat have stayed functional through those years of sacrificed draft capital is by developing players nobody else wanted. Udonis Haslem went undrafted and played in France before making the roster. Duncan Robinson started his career at Division III Williams College, went undrafted, and eventually signed a five-year, $90 million contract as one of the sharpest perimeter shooters in the league. Gabe Vincent, Caleb Martin, Max Strus and Haywood Highsmith were all undrafted contributors who became rotation staples during Miami’s Finals runs. Back in 2022, Spoelstra described the organization’s search criteria plainly. All they want are “people that are committed to the work and [the] process,” and draft position is irrelevant to that simple standard.

The Heat’s talent identification pipeline does not run through lottery picks. It runs through the combine, the G League, summer league, and exactly the kinds of pre-draft workouts that teams conduct for second-round candidates like Martinelli. When Miami has a pick in this range, which is rare, they use it the same way they use undrafted signings: find a ready-now contributor with a specific skill, plug them into Spoelstra’s system, and let the development infrastructure do the rest.

The roster Miami is building around Giannis and Bam Adebayo also has a very specific problem. Analysis after the trade immediately flagged the projected starting lineup as relatively light on shooting, noting Adebayo shot only 32% from three last season. Antetokounmpo himself, despite everything else he does, has never been a reliable perimeter shooter. The Heat are going to win games through defense, transition and physicality, which is exactly the identity Spoelstra has built. But they need players on the floor who can catch, decide quickly and make the open look when Giannis draws help. Norman Powell, assumed to re-sign, projects as the roster’s primary perimeter scoring option, and beyond him the shooting depth is thin. Martinelli is specifically the missing piece: he does not need creation, does not demand touches, catches in the corners and midrange, makes the right read, and shot 41.7% from three in his final college season on real volume.

The skeptic’s argument is that the slot is too early relative to his board position, and that Miami with Giannis on the roster has no patience for a developmental second-round forward. Both points are fair. But the organizational track record says the Heat have always found ways to integrate ready-now contributors regardless of draft profile, and Martinelli at 22 with an NBA-ready body, a proven shooting leap and four years of growth at the peak of Northwestern basketball history is almost precisely the profile Spoelstra’s program has turned into rotation players for decades. The Heat do not reach for upside. They find specific, useful, hardworking players and deploy them correctly. Martinelli fits that description better than almost anyone available at pick 41.

San Antonio Spurs, Picks No. 42 and No. 44

Of any organization in the draft, the Spurs have the clearest structural argument for taking Martinelli, and two chances to do it.

Built almost entirely through the draft, with Wembanyama, Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper all taken as consecutive top-four picks, the Spurs went 62-20 in the 2026 regular season. They then took down the reigning champion Thunder to make the NBA Finals before falling to the Knicks in five games. It was an extraordinary rebuild for a historic brand. But the franchise’s history of identifying value at the back of the draft predates this current core by decades. Manu Ginobili was drafted 57th overall in the second round of the 1999 draft and went on to win four championships, a Sixth Man of the Year award, two All-Star selections and eventually a Hall of Fame induction. Tony Parker went 28th in 2001 and became a Hall of Famer and Finals MVP. The 2011 draft, when the Spurs traded George Hill to Indiana for the 15th and 42nd picks, yielded Kawhi Leonard at 15. The point is that San Antonio’s draft identity is not just about hitting on lottery picks. It is a franchise that has consistently found useful contributors in the lower portions of the board and trusted them with real minutes.

That said though, in that final series versus the Knicks they shot a very poor 33.9% from three: Wembanyama 27.3%, Castle 30%, Harper 28%, Fox 25%. Only Vassell and Champagnie shot above 40%. That is a historically poor shooting performance from a team with that many talent advantages, and it exposes a very specific depth problem. When those two reliable shooters were off the floor, San Antonio had no reliable third option who could keep the spacing functional. Martinelli just shot 41.7% from three in his final college season, gets to the line at a high rate, and does not need touches to be useful. The profile is almost tailor-made for what the Spurs were missing in June.

Harrison Barnes, Kelly Olynyk and Mason Plumlee are all entering free agency, meaning forward depth has to come from somewhere. With picks 42 and 44, San Antonio can allocate one slot to a ready-now contributor and one to a raw developmental player. The Thunder built their dynasty in significant part on second-rounders: Aaron Wiggins, Isaiah Joe, Ajay Mitchell and Jaylin Williams all became genuine rotation contributors from that tier. San Antonio has watched that model closely and tried to replicate it. A franchise that turned Ginobili at 57 and Parker at 28 into Hall of Famers is not going to be shy about betting on a player whose profile looks unconventional. The cool part is that those two slots average out to the exact range they are drafting in 2026. Of course, correlation is not causation, and nobody is expecting Martinelli to be a hybrid of the two. Equally, nobody would complain if the Spurs take a player who is already 22, physically complete, and basketball-smart. It is the lower-risk version of the second-round bet, not a concession. There is not much to develop here. There is just a role to deploy him into correctly.

Orlando Magic, Pick No. 46

The Magic put their build-through-the-draft blueprint on hold when they traded multiple future first-round picks for Desmond Bane last summer, a logical decision after assembling one of the league’s best young cores. The reward has not yet arrived.

They blew a 3-1 lead to Detroit, for the second time this century, flailing out of the first round for a second straight year which directly led to the firing of head coach Jamahl Mosley.

Orlando are also without their own first-round pick in 2028 and 2030, both unprotected to Memphis, and their 2029 pick is top-two protected with a swap favoring the Grizzlies. For the first time since 2011, they entered a draft without a first-round selection. Magic President Jeff Weltman’s track record of identifying players who fit the system is real: Tristan da Silva at No. 18 in 2024 drew skepticism on draft night and has carved out a rotation role with his shooting and feel. Jase Richardson at No. 25 in 2025 was a value selection whose stock had slid after the combine but fit Orlando’s backcourt need precisely. Both picks reflected an organization that evaluates systematically rather than chasing athleticism.

The specific problem it needs to address now is not subtle. The Magic ranked 27th in three-point accuracy at 34.3% as a team despite Bane’s 39.1% leading the roster. Banchero, Wagner, Suggs, Anthony Black and Carter Jr. all shot between 30.5 and 34.5% from three. That is a full starting lineup of players who do not shoot the ball well from deep, plus one imported shooter who did not change the team’s playoff fate.

Orlando is still developing Anthony Black, along with previously mentioned da Silva and Richardson, all of whom are roughly the same age as incoming rookies, which tells you the organization is comfortable adding young pieces and letting them develop in the background.

This team is built entirely on defense and physical dominance at the rim, and they have now failed twice in the first round because they cannot score in a half-court game when it gets late and tight. Adding Desmond Bane was supposed to change that. It did not change it enough. Pick 46 is everything they have to work with on Wednesday, and it lands squarely in Martinelli’s consensus range. He is not going to fix the spacing problem. He is one 22-year-old second-rounder who will likely start next year in the G League. But he represents the right kind of thinking at a position in the draft where there are not many options available, and the Magic are a team that should be thinking about every conceivable way to add shooters to a roster that, even after adding a legitimate 40% three-point shooter at considerable cost, still ranks near the bottom of the league from deep.

New York Knicks, Picks No. 31, 47 and No. 55

The defending champion Knicks walked out of Tuesday’s first round without taking a player, executing a series of trades through the Lakers, Mavericks and Suns to accumulate picks at 31, 47 and 55. With Landry Shamet and Mitchell Robinson both heading to free agency and James Dolan treating the second apron as an absolute ceiling, the three second-round slots represent essentially the only avenue New York has to replenish depth.

The Knicks’ championship is worth understanding because of what it was, not just what it accomplished. The Knicks did not draft a single starter on their championship roster. Their build started with a point guard drafted 33rd overall by Dallas, available in free agency only because the Mavericks declined to offer him an extension. Miles McBride, the one homegrown drafted player who contributed meaningfully in the run, was taken 36th overall in 2021, spent years bouncing between Westchester and 12-minute bench cameos, and eventually became their sixth man before injury. The organization’s track record with second-round picks is not glamorous, but McBride’s path tells you exactly what the Knicks believe is possible when they identify the right player, put him in Westchester, and let the situation develop. He didn’t force his way into the rotation. The moments came, and he was ready.

Jalen Brunson himself, the champion’s centerpiece and Finals MVP, was a Villanova two-time national champion who fell to the second round in 2018, went 33rd to Dallas, and spent two seasons coming off the bench before his breakout. The irony is not lost on Mavericks fans, but the lesson is: the Knicks know better than most franchises that second-round picks can become franchise cornerstones when the system is right.

It helps that the Northwestern connection in this building is real and documented. Boo Buie, the program’s all-time leading scorer who played with Martinelli for two seasons, signed a two-way contract with New York in November 2024. He was waived on December 24 after playing exclusively with Westchester, and was eventually traded to the G-League’s Capitanes the following August. Buie’s path did not work out, but his presence in the organization signals that the Knicks were at minimum comfortable enough with Northwestern’s program to put that trust into a roster spot. Martinelli is a considerably different player physically: heavier, stronger and more equipped to handle contact from NBA-level bodies. And the specific shooting profile the Knicks would be drafting, a pick-and-pop forward who catches and shoots, plays off others’ creation and does not need the ball in his hands, fits naturally behind the championship core’s existing structure. At pick 47 or 55, in the middle of his realistic range, a team like the Knicks could do considerably worse.

Dallas Mavericks, Pick No. 48

Martinelli confirmed both an interview with the Mavericks and a formal pre-draft workout with the organization, making Dallas one of a small number of teams with documented hands-on evaluation time. After taking Morez Johnson Jr. ninth overall on Tuesday and trading the No. 30 pick to the Knicks for stash prospect Sergio De Larrea, pick 48 is Dallas’s final live selection and lands one slot after Martinelli’s most commonly mocked projection.

The Mavericks are in a transitional state that is simultaneously exciting and uncertain. Cooper Flagg won Rookie of the Year and looks like a genuine franchise cornerstone. He shot just 29.5% from three as a 19-year-old last season, which means defenses are still not fully respecting his perimeter shot, and the Mavericks need off-ball players who can punish that, catch the corner kick-outs he generates with his drives and make defenses pay for collapsing. Kyrie Irving is 34 and coming off a torn ACL, and Dallas has essentially no solidified guard depth beyond Ryan Nembhard if Irving misses significant time. A forward who plays off others, does not demand creation, gets to the line and spaces the floor is a reasonable complementary add in that environment.

The workout history with the organization is what elevates Dallas from theoretical to credible. Teams do not put prospects through formal workouts without moving them up the internal board, and the fact that Dallas as a team has plenty room to grow would allow for Martinelli to simultaneously grow at his own pace.

Toronto Raptors, Pick No. 50

Toronto is the most underrated team on this list, and pick 50 lands almost exactly in the middle of Martinelli’s consensus range.

The Raptors finished 46-36 in 2025-26, returned to the playoffs for the first time since 2022, and pushed the Cleveland Cavaliers to a deciding Game 7 in the first round. The foundation for what comes next is a genuine two-way frontcourt in Scottie Barnes and Collin Murray-Boyles, who helped Toronto finish fifth in defensive rating. The problem is everything else offensively. The Raptors finished 26th in made threes, 26th in three-point attempts and 21st in three-point percentage at 35.4%. Barnes himself is not a reliable shooter. He hit just 27.1% from deep in his final season before making the All-Star team, and that weakness has been a structural limitation on everything Toronto tries to do offensively.

The organizational track record on pick development is relevant. Immanuel Quickley himself was the 25th overall pick in 2020, developed under the Raptors’ infrastructure into a reliable starting guard, and became one of the more important pieces in their playoff push. General manager Bobby Webster has shown a consistent willingness to identify players who fit the system and trust the environment to develop them rather than expecting instant contribution from second-rounders. Ja’Kobe Walter, taken 19th in 2024, started the year averaging 7.5 points before growing into one of Toronto’s most reliable perimeter threats by season’s end, finishing at 40% from three on over three attempts per game, the only Raptor consistently meeting that volume and efficiency.

Walter is the most important reference point here. He was the only reliable shooter on a playoff team, and the Raptors’ entire offensive ceiling ran through whether he was making threes. Adding another player who can do that job, even in a bench role, even in the G League initially, directly addresses the single most glaring offensive deficiency on the roster. Martinelli at pick 50 on a cheap second-round deal is the specific answer to a specific problem for a team that has demonstrated it can develop players into that role when the fit is right.

Chicago Bulls, Picks No. 38 and No. 56

The Bulls are the wild card on this list, and Martinelli is the most locally resonant name they could possibly call with their second-round picks. As a Chicago-native myself, my fingers are crossed for this outcome, and the story has plenty of reason to root for it regardless.

Martinelli grew up in Glenview, Illinois, attended Glenbrook South High School, and spent four years at Northwestern just down the road in Evanston. As he described it himself, Evanston became an extension of Glenview over those years, his brother Jimmy having moved back to the area, his parents at every home game. Glenbrook South is roughly 20 miles from the United Center. Evanston is closer still. If the Bulls choose him at either of their two slots, his name would span across the digital boards at Barclays Center as a representation of the most Chicago-adjacent player in this entire draft class.

The basketball argument is real too, if complicated. Chicago selected Caleb Wilson fourth overall, then took Texas standout Dailyn Swain at 15, adding size and athleticism to a core already featuring Matas Buzelis, Josh Giddey and the recently-added Nic Claxton. Media covering the pick immediately flagged the looming shooting question: despite drafting multiple wings, the Bulls have assembled a roster full of players whose jumpers need work, and spacing is now a significant concern heading into 2026-27. Wing depth with shooting is explicitly identified as one of Chicago’s two main remaining roster needs heading into the second round. Martinelli is specifically that. He does not attack off the dribble. He does not need creation. He catches, he makes the right read, and he shoots at a legitimate rate that none of the players drafted above him in Chicago can match.

Pick 38 is early for where most boards have him, and the Bulls under new GM Bryson Graham have shown a strong preference for length and athleticism in their selections. Martinelli is the opposite of that profile on paper. But he worked out for Chicago, and the narrative of a Glenview kid walking into the United Center as a Bull rather than a visitor is the kind of thing that occasionally moves front offices in ways analytics do not fully capture. If Graham saw enough in his evaluation process to either reach or let him fall to them at 56, the story writes itself: the kid who grew up going to Bulls games, played his college ball 12 miles north, and never needed anyone else’s blueprint to become good enough could extend his Glenview bubble yet again. This time to the Madhouse on Madison.