WACO, TEXAS - FEBRUARY 10: Richie Saunders #15 of the BYU Cougars is introduced as a starter before a game against the Baylor Bears at Foster Pavilion on February 10, 2026 in Waco, Texas. (Photo by Scott Wachter/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After AJ Dybantsa went #1 overall the Washington Wizards Tuesday night in the NBA Draft, Richie Saunders was selected in the second round at pick #32 by the Memphis Grizzlies .
After serving a two-year LDS Church mission, Richie began his career for BYU in 2022-2023 where he spent four years and will go down as one of the best players in BYU program history. Richie went from role player in his first two seasons under Mark Pope to Big 12 Most Improved Player and First Team All-Big 12 as a junior in Kevin Young’s first season. Richie’s points, rebounds, and assists all increased as a senior alongside AJ Dybantsa before Richie tore his ACL versus Colorado on Valentine’s Day.
As a junior in 2024-25, Richie averaged 16.5 points and 4.5 rebounds with 52/43/84 shooting splits. He was BYU’s best player despite playing alongside star freshman Egor Demin, who was drafted #8 by the Brooklyn Nets. Richie average 18 points and 6 boards as a senior on 49/38/82 splits and tore his ACL 25 games into the season.
Richie’s shooting prowess is easy to spot on film, but his hustle and tenacity are what will get him to stick around in the NBA. Richie averaged 2 offensive rebounds per game as a senior, and has what Kevin Young calls an “uncommon” motor. Richie was BYU’s glue guy his first two season, and kept that mentality his final two seasons despite being one of BYU’s star players.
He is one of BYU’s most beloved players ever, and I have no doubt Grizzlies fans will embrace him as well.
GREENVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA - MARCH 19: Bruce Thornton #2 of the Ohio State Buckeyes reacts after a three-point basket against the Texas Christian University Horned Frogs during the first half in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on March 19, 2026 in Greenville, South Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Houston Rockets are starting the second round of the NBA Draft with a bang.
Going into the night, the Rockets held the No. 39 and 53 picks, but they made a trade with the New York Knicks for the first pick in the second round. In the deal, the Rockets acquired Nos. 31 and 55 for Nos. 39 and 53. Houston also sent a 2029 second-round pick to New York in the deal. ESPN insider Shams Charania was the first to report the news.
Sources: The New York Knicks are trading Nos. 31 and 55 to the Houston Rockets for Nos. 39 and 53 and a 2029 Kings second-rounder. The moves begin for night two of the NBA Draft.
With the No. 31 overall pick, the Rockets selected Ohio State guard Bruce Thornton, who is the all-time leading scorer in Buckeyes history.
“What we’ve been able to do as we constructed this roster is put multiple playmakers out on the floor so we can move him into different areas and different spots, and he doesn’t always have to playmake with the ball in his hands and the guys can create some stuff for him,” Ohio State head coach Jake Diebler said in March.
“He got a couple of catch and shoot threes today that those other guys created for him and that versatility for us, I think makes us really hard to guard.”
Standing six feet tall, Thornton is undersized, but his ability to create should help the Rockets depth at the point guard position, which was sorely needed this season.
TDS community, what do you make of the Rockets’ decision to select Thornton in a trade with the Knicks? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
TEMPE, AZ - MARCH 3: Kansas Jayhawks guard Darryn Peterson (22) reacts to a call during the college basketball game between the Kansas Jayhawks and the Arizona State Sun Devils on March 3, 2026 at Desert Financial Arena in Tempe, Arizona. (Photo by Kevin Abele/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The hype for this group has been slowly building for years, and it reached a crescendo when a loaded freshman class immediately left a huge imprint on college basketball. NBA teams were so eager to land a top pick this year that it triggered a full-on tanking crisis, which caused the league to change the lottery rules going forward.
Finally, draft day is here. A good draft class can take teams from worst-to-first, and the recent success of the Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonio Spurs, and Detroit Pistons proves it.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 23: NBA commissioner Adam Silver shakes hands with Darryn Peterson after he is drafted second overall by the Utah Jazz during Round One of the 2026 NBA Draft at Barclays Center on June 23, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Arturo Holmes/Getty Images) | Getty Images
All in all, it’s just another brick in the wall All in all, you’re just another brick in the wall — Pink Floyd, Another Brick in the Wall, Pt. 2
Darryn Peterson is the defining piece of Utah’s rebuild
It would be inappropriate to open this article with anything besides a warm welcome to the newest member of the Utah Jazz, Darryn Peterson. A standout at Kansas, Peterson distinguished himself as the best guard prospect the NBA Draft has seen since Kyrie Irving, behind a symphonic combination of scoring, ball-handling, vicious perimeter defending, and a sugar-sweet jumper that has worked at every level.
Even as BYU’s AJ Dybantsa distanced himself in the race for the number-one pick, supporters of Peterson’s candidacy remain resolute that he is a number-one quality prospect. Utah feels the same way.
But he means much more than that for the Utah Jazz. In the context of his new home, Darryn Peterson is the final brick in Utah’s prolonged reconstruction efforts. In selecting Peterson second overall, the Jazz have sent out a telegram to the basketball universe, and it contains just two poignant words: we’re ready.
While Pink Floyd may have illustrated a lack of individuality and a mandate for conformity, I refer to the line “another brick in the wall” from a different perspective. Darryn Peterson is a member of the team now, and the defining addition of a team that has been years in the making.
Piece by piece and brick by brick, the Utah Jazz have spent the past three seasons constructing a contender. Keyonte George, Brice Sensabaugh, and Walker Kessler were the first crucial additions in the fallout of the Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell expulsions.
Last year’s acquisition of Ace Bailey was a massive step in the right direction. Despite slipping to the fifth pick in the draft order, Utah secured a player who could bloom into a high-level star in the NBA — even if he has a few imperfections to shave from his skill tree.
Now with Peterson, the Jazz have a player who is expected to develop into a superstar; he’s no project.
Are Darryn Peterson-Kobe Bryant comparisons blasphemous?
This fellow here has been compared to countless established NBA players, as is the customary rite from evaluators and engagement farmers.
Devin Booker, Jamal Murray, Bradley Beal, Brandon Roy, and even Kobe Bryant are the electron cloud orbiting Darryn Peterson’s nucleus. That’s a high-grade spread of all-time great shooting guards, and a tall bar to clear for a player who has yet to play a second of NBA basketball. But every player has their own distinct platter of tendencies. So what can be gleaned from what Darryn Peterson has displayed to this point?
Well, if Peterson’s perspective is significant, he models his game after Booker, one of basketball’s best jump-shooting guards in recent memory.
“Who’s one player you’ve modeled your game after?”
For all of Keyonte George’s strides from last season, Peterson will need to fill in for his backcourt mate on the defensive end this year. He’s the ideal complement for a player like George, who’s become adept at drawing fouls and creating his own shot — so much that his improvements as a playmaker have gone largely overlooked by the general public. Keyonte and Collier, Inc. is a proficient distribution center in Salt Lake City, and Peterson will gladly play the recipient for catch-and-shoot looks.
He’ll need to continue to grow off-ball and as a passer, because he did not share the rock especially well as a Freshman in Lawrence. Pushing just 1.6 assists per night in 20 minutes does not inspire hope that he could become a one-stop shop for all of Utah’s offensive needs — even if the team believes he, like George, holds untapped playmaking upside.
Fortunately, DP creates his own shot with all the grace of a first-chair cellist. He is beauty, grace, and Miss United States with the basketball in his hands, and he has no shortage of moves, athleticism, or shooting touch when elevating for a jumper. He’s got a killer’s mentality, and basketball flows from his fingertips like sweet, sweet music.
He soars to the basket upon eagles’ wings and is truly a revelation when he gets a glimpse of the rim.
This is his biggest selling point: his ability to put that darn ball through the darn basket. Utilizing a cling-wrap handle in conjunction with his liquid jump shot makes Darryn’s offensive game unstoppable — much like liquid held in a pocket of cling-wrap. Metaphorical abnormalities aside, Peterson’s jump shot is one smooth motion — practically as close to one motion as a player could realistically get — while maintaining control and precision. He hit 38% of his three-pointers as a freshman under Bill Self, and this despite appearances that he was a bit restricted by design while running with the Jayhawks.
He rounds out the backcourt in Utah and may be half of one of the NBA’s best scoring guard lines within the next few seasons.
Peterson’s addition gives the Jazz a remarkably complete starting lineup, with Markkanen, Jackson Jr, and Kessler (presumably) adding experience and complementary skills and one of the most air-tight frontcourts in the league, on paper at least.
If you don’t eat your meat, you can’t have any pudding!
Remember, Darryn, if you don’t eat your meat, you can’t have any pudding (that’s right, I’m not done with the Pink Floyd reference). The Jazz are fully constructed and ready to pursue their ultimate goal: a chance at bringing the Larry O’Brien Trophy to Utah. But that goal will never be actualized without a commitment — a whole-hearted buy-in — from the player who was selected to become the organization’s foundational star.
Source on the Jazz picking Darryn Peterson: He's super excited to be a part of the program and the Jazz are thrilled to have him. Darryn can lift the group in the short and long term
Early reports about Darryn’s aversion to Utah appear to have been completely off-base — just like Ace Bailey last year, what are the odds? — and I have no reservations about his commitment to his teammates, to his team, and to the fanbase celebrating his selection back in the Beehive State.
I have no doubts that Peterson is sincere about his plans with the Jazz. He’ll put in the work, he’ll be a good teammate, and he’ll be the type of player that makes local fans clamor to snatch his jersey off the racks.
BOSTON, MA - MAY 2: Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics dribbles the ball during the game against the Philadelphia 76ers during Round One Game Seven of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on May 2, 2026 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. 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 2026 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Jaylen Brown’s name has been coming up a lot in trade rumors beyond just Giannis Antetokounmpo’s name.
It sounds like he is available and the Celtics are listening “with intention” according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
When asked if Jaylen Brown would be on the team next year, Brad Stevens said last night, “Jaylen Brown is a big part of us. I’m never gonna predict the future, but everything I think about has been building around (Brown and Jayson Tatum). Obviously, you never know, but the one thing I want to make clear is how valued he’s always been.”
Not exactly a resounding “yes, Brown will be in Boston next season,” so let the rumors continue.
Thus, here are five teams that could trade for Brown and what they could give up.
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – JANUARY 12: Zion Williamson #1 and Trey Murphy III #25 of the New Orleans Pelicans defend Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics during the fourth quarter at the TD Garden on January 12, 2025 in Boston, Massachusetts. 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 Brian Fluharty/Getty Images) | Getty Images
New Orleans Pelicans
If any trade is going to happen with New Orleans, Trey Murphy is going to be involved in any deal.
A 6-foot-6 swing man, Murphy has averaged 21.2 and 21.5 points per game that last two seasons while playing solid defense. He is a really good player who has three years at $87 million on his current contract.
Zion Williamson is, of course, going to be mentioned, too. Health has always been a concern for Zion, but he played in 62 games last season, including missing only one game from December 12th to April 5th, when he was shut down for the final three games of the season.
The former #1 pick of the 2019 NBA Draft is a good player, scoring 21.0 points per game on 60% from the field last year and 60% from inside the arc. Stevens has said Boston wants more dunks and Zion would certainly provide that. However, his fitness and health probably keep him out of a deal.
Herb Jones is another valuable piece that the Pelicans could include in a deal. An elite defensive player, Jones would become Boston’s best wing defender, but his shot leaves something to be desired. A new 3-year, $68 million extension does kick in next season for Jones, but he is a good player who Boston should want in a deal.
A potential deal: Boston gets Trey Murphy, Herb Jones, Jordan Poole and the better of Bucks or Pelicans 2027 first round pick, unprotected. New Orleans gets Jaylen Brown and Sam Hauser.
That Bucks or Pelicans pick is likely going to be top-10 and a pick I am rather interested in, even if next year’s draft is considered bad by many. Murphy, as I stated, is a must and Jones is a guy Boston would likely want to grab, too.
I debated between Dejounte Murray and Jordan Poole as the big salary matcher of this trade. Murray is a better player, but he has a $30.8 million player option for the 2027-28 season that I have limited interest in acquiring.
Adding Hauser to the deal hurts, but he helps the salaries and allows the Celtics to get more from the deal because New Orleans really values Murphy and Jones.
BOSTON, MA – NOVEMBER 1: Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics and Kevin Durant #7 of the Houston Rockets looks on during the game on November 1, 2025 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. 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 2025 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Houston Rockets
This is about Kevin Durant vs. Alpren Sengun. I’d rather get Durant — he is a better player and I just don’t think Sengun can survive well enough on defense to win a title. Yes, there is baggage involved with Durant. He could make a burner and say everyone on the team stinks, and his age is an issue, but I would rather him over Sengun.
I don’t like Sengun’s game, but I can understand why someone would want him over Durant. His passing and rebounding are both good traits; his defense is just too bad for me to want to grab him.
Meanwhile, Durant remains an excellent player. He played in 78 games last season, averaging 26.0 points, 5,5 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game. He slides into the Celtics starting lineup very well and can give Boston 2 or 3 more years of high level play.
I also have no interest in Jabari Smith Jr. He is a fine player, but paying him $122 million over the next 5 years is not something I would love to do.
Reed Sheppard and Amen Thompson are players the Celtics have to ask for and the Rockets will say no. They should also ask for the 2027 Brooklyn pick, another thing that Houston likely says no to, although they’re more likely to say yes to that than the players.
A potential deal: Boston gets Kevin Durant, Clint Capela, the Suns 2027 first round pick, unprotected and the best of Suns, Rockets, Mavericks 2029 first round pick, unprotected. Houston gets Jaylen Brown.
I do think there is a debate on if Brown or Durant is a better player right now. I’d lean Brown, but it’s really close. Age is what gets Boston more assets in this deal. Capela is a salary matcher, but he is a solid backup center, who doesn’t fill the Celtics need at center.
The picks are where the value is. The Suns proved to be better than expected this year, but that is still a mid-tier pick and with less tanking, could lead Phoenix into the lottery. The hope is that one of the three teams is in the lottery with the 2029 pick and you get two lottery picks from this deal.
BOSTON, MA – JANUARY 26: Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics handles the ball as Jerami Grant #9 of the Portland Trail Blazers plays defense during the game on January 26, 2026 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. 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 2026 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Portland Trail Blazers
This is the move that would net the Celtics the least amount of player value and the most amount of draft value. Portland owns the Bucks swap rights in 2028 and 2030 while also owning the Celtics 2029 pick. Those are the prizes of this deal.
However, there are some good young players on the Blazers roster. Shaedon Sharpe and Scoot Henderson are the guys Boston would want to acquire in a deal. Brad Stevens said in his press conference on Tuesday night that the Celtics want to add speed on the perimeter this offseason. Those guys help that goal.
Sharpe averaged 20.8 points and 4.3 rebounds per game last season while Henderson averaged 14.2 points and 3.7 assists. Henderson only played in 30 games due to a torn left hamstring.
You’d need to eat the last two years and $70.6 million left on Jerami Grant’s contract but that gets you more value in any deal. Grant isn’t a bad player, but he is overpaid and hurt a lot.
A potential deal: Boston gets Shaedon Sharpe, Scoot Henderson, Jerami Grant, the best of Bucks, Blazers or Magic 2028 first round pick, unprotected, the best of the Bucks, Blazers or Celtics 2029 first round pick, unprotected and the better of the Bucks or Blazers 2030 first round pick, unprotected. Portland gets Jaylen Brown.
Milwaukee doesn’t project to be very good over the next few seasons, so betting against them would be the big chips in the deal for the Celtics. You could make those picks or you could trade those picks for an upgrade in your talent pool as they build around Jayson Tatum.
Sharper and Henderson are both at the end of their rookie contracts. Sharpe has a 4-year $90 million extension kicking in this season and Scoot is extension eligible as he gets set to be a restricted free agent next season. While those guys have value, I am unsure of how much.
Add that to Grant being a negative asset and that is how I landed on Boston getting three picks.
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – JANUARY 27: Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics attempts a shot past Kawhi Leonard #2 of the LA Clippers during the first quarter at the TD Garden on January 27, 2024 in Boston, Massachusetts. 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 Brian Fluharty/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Los Angeles Clippers
The Clippers have been long rumored as a Jaylen Brown team. However, a deal isn’t possible to make without Los Angeles including one of Darius Garland or Kawhi Leonard.
Leonard is the better player right now. He was All-NBA last season averaging 27.9 points, 6.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game and a duo of him and Tatum would rank among the top of the NBA.
However, his health and contract is a concern. He missed a large chunk of the 2024-25 season, but has been healthy ever since that point. He is also set to be a free agent and the last time he was a free agent, he did everything in his power to get to Los Angeles. Are we sure he’d extend in Boston?
Garland, meanwhile, is a worse player by a pretty significant margin, who also has health concerns. However, unlike Leonard, you know he’d be a Celtic long term, he is younger than Leonard and the Celtics could get more assets with Garland.
A potential deal: Boston gets Kawhi Leonard and the Pacers 2029 first round pick, unprotected. Los Angeles gets Jaylen Brown.
The gap between Leonard and Garland is too big for Boston to not ask for Leonard. Would the Clippers do it? I’m not sure but it would be funny after all these years for the Celtics to trade Jaylen Brown for Kawhi Leonard.
I also don’t think that the Clippers have the assets to bridge the gap to get a Brown for Garland deal done without putting newly drafted Keaton Wagler in the trade.
Leonard and Brown are so close as players, I think Leonard is probably better and that this deal would keep the Celtics in the hunt and get them another asset. However, no deal would be possible without an extension commitment from Leonard.
Cleveland Cavaliers
There was a Jaylen Brown for Evan Mobley trade framework floating around social media on Wednesday and I do think it has some merit. The Celtics need a big and while Mobley is a flawed player who hasn’t broken out in the ways many thought he would, he is a really good player.
Last season he averaged 18.2 points, 9.0 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game and was really great in the playoffs, though his numbers were down averaging 17.0 points, 8.1 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game, he was very impactful on both ends of the floor, lifting Cleveland’s defense in a number of ways.
While he isn’t the best player I have proposed today, I think his long term impact is the most valuable to the Celtics and think getting him would be a good idea while Cleveland shakes up their team in a major way.
It would be interesting to see what a Jayson Tatum-Evan Mobley pick-and-roll connection would look like because it hasn’t felt like Mobley has clicked with James Harden in that regard.
A potential deal: Boston gets Evan Mobley, Dennis Schroder, 2031 Cavaliers unprotected first round pick. Cleveland gets Jaylen Brown.
I think the gap between Mobley and Brown, combined the Celtics taking on Schroder in this trade, is enough for there to be an unprotected pick involved.
While Mobley is a great player, he is by no means a perfect player as there are still concerns on if he can play center in the NBA for an entire season.
Bringing Schroder back to Boston is something that I would not be the biggest fan of but if it means the Celtics get a pick out of this deal, I’d be willing to do it.
NEW YORK - JUNE 26: Steve Nash poses with NBA Commissioner David Stern after being selected by the Phoenix Suns in the first round of the 1996 NBA Draft on June 26, 1996 at Madison Square Garden in New York, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges 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 1996 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
BROOKLYN, NY - JUNE 23: NBA Commissioner Adam Silver poses with the 2026 NBA Draft prospects for a portrait before the 2026 NBA Draft - Round One on June 23, 2026 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 2026 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
It’s time for the second round of the 2026 NBA Draft! The Golden State Warriors, who used their first-round pick on Michigan forward Yaxel Lendeborg on Tuesday, have the No. 54 pick on Wednesday. However, the Dubs have made a habit of making draft-day trades during the second round in recent years, so don’t be surprised if there’s some action from them today.
Join us in the comment section for all the action! It kicks off at 5:00 p.m. PT on ESPN.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 23: AJ Dybantsa is drafted first overall by the Washington Wizards during Round One of the 2026 NBA Draft at Barclays Center on June 23, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Caleb Bowlin/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The 2026 NBA Draft continues tonight with the opening round beginning at 8:00 p.m. ET (5:00 p.m. PT), while the second round will take place tomorrow evening. Use this open thread to follow every pick, react to trades, and discuss everything happening as the league’s newest class finds its NBA homes.
You can watch the draft live on ESPN.
Second-Round Order
Houston Rockets (via New York): Bruce Thornton, G, OSU
Memphis Grizzlies: Richie Saunders, G, BYU
Minnesota Timberwolves (via Brooklyn Nets): Isaiah Evans, G, DUKE
Sacramento Kings: Meleek Thomas, G, ARK
Denver Nuggets (via San Antonio Spurs): Trevon Brazile, F, ARK
Los Angeles Clippers: Baba Miller, F, CIN
Miami Heat (via Oklahoma City Thunder): Ryan Conwell, G, LOU
Indiana Pacers (via Chicago Bulls): Braden Smith, G, PUR
New York Knicks (via Houston Rockets): Jack Kayil, G, Germany
Boston Celtics: Dillon Mitchell, F, SJU
Miami Heat (via Oklahoma City Thunder, via . . . Miami Heat): Otega Oweh, G, UK
San Antonio Spurs: Ja’Kobi Gillespie, G, TENN
Brooklyn Nets: Tyler Bilodeau, F, UCLA
San Antonio Spurs: Maliq Brown, F, DUKE
Sacramento Kings: Emanuel Sharp, G, HOU
Orlando Magic: Felix Okpara, F, TENN
New York Knicks (via Phoenix Suns): Tyler Nickel, F, VAN
Dallas Mavericks: Tobi Lawal, F, VT
Denver Nuggets: Bryce Hopkins, F, SJU
Toronto Raptors: Jaden Bradley, G, ARIZ
Orlando Magic (via Washington Wizards): Izaiyah Nelson, F, USF
Atlanta Hawks (via Los Angeles Clippers): Henri Veesaar, C, UNC
Detroit Pistons (via New York Knicks, via Houston Rockets): Ugonna Onyenso, C, UVA
Golden State Warriors: Lajae Jones, G, FSU
Los Angeles Clippers (via Houston Rockets, via New York Knicks): Nick Martinelli, F, NU
Dallas Mavericks (via Los Angeles Lakers, via Chicago Bulls): Vsevolod Ishchenko, G, Russia
Los Angeles Clippers (via Atlanta Hawks): Narcisse Ngoy, F, France
New Orleans Pelicans (via DET via NYK, BKN, PHX, ORL and LAC): Jaron Pierre Jr., G, SMU
Minnesota Timberwolves: Trey Kaufman-Renn, F, PUR
Milwaukee Bucks (via Orlando Magic, via Washington Wizards):
First-Round Order
Washington Wizards: AJ Dybantsa, F, BYU
Utah Jazz: Darryn Peterson, G, KU
Memphis Grizzlies: Cameron Boozer, F, DUKE
Chicago Bulls: Caleb Wilson, F, UNC
Los Angeles Clippers (via Indiana): Keaton Wagler, G, ILL
Brooklyn Nets: Mikel Brown Jr., G, LOU
Sacramento Kings: Darius Acuff Jr., G, ARK
Atlanta Hawks (via New Orleans): Kingston Flemings, G, HOU
Dallas Mavericks: Morez Johnson Jr., F, MICH
Milwaukee Bucks: Brayden Burries, G, ARIZ
Golden State Warriors: Yaxel Lendeborg, F, MICH
Oklahoma City Thunder (via LA Clippers): Aday Mara, C, MICH
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 23: A view of the stage after the conclusion of Round One of the 2026 NBA Draft at Barclays Center on June 23, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Arturo Holmes/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Lakers will be involved in the second round of the draft on Wednesday after all.
According to Shams Charania of ESPN, the Lakers have traded for the No. 56 pick in the draft, sending the Bulls cash considerations in exchange.
Sources: The Los Angeles Lakers are acquiring No. 56 from the Chicago Bulls in the second round of the NBA draft tonight at 8 pm ET on ESPN. Lakers sent cash to the Bulls to get a pick tonight.
That latter trade could come up again this season. Getting a foot in the door with a second round pick is the first step and now the front office and ownership can start moving up the draft if a player they value is still on the board.
According to NBA beat writer Jake Fischer, it looks like the Lakers will try to repeat that sequence again this year.
We're expecting a ton of trade activity throughout tonight's second round.
Among that movement: I'm being told the Lakers are working to trade up even higher in the second round, after already acquiring the No. 56 pick tonight.
The Lakers are flexing their financial muscle this year, trading cash to the Knicks to move up one spot from the No. 25 pick to the No. 24 pick. There is a finite amount of money a team can trade in each league year, but the figures involved in LA’s trade with the Knicks on Tuesday, or in this trade, are not known, so it’s unclear how much money they have left to offer.
Still, this is the benefit of having an owner in Mark Walter who is willing to spend. If the team has money to spend, there’s no upside to not spending it. The Lakers are a team in need of athleticism and young talent and they’re using money to move up in the draft and acquire players.
The amount cash allowed to send or receive in a trade resets on July 1.
Teams are at their own discretion to use cash received in a trade as they please.
The maximum allotment this season was $7.96M.
A team is hard capped at the second apron if cash is sent.
The Lakers still have an obvious need at center. Teams also can never have too many wings and the Lakers still need some athleticism even after selecting Cameron Carr in the first round.
It’s always hard to project how things will play in the second round of the draft, so it’ll be hard to know who might be available with the No. 56 pick. But don’t be surprised if this is the first of a couple of deals for the Lakers on the night.
NASHVILLE, TN - MARCH 15: Arkansas Razorbacks forward Trevon Brazile (7) goes up for a dunk around Vanderbilt Commodores forward Ak Okereke (10) during the SEC Tournament championship game between the Vanderbilt Commodores and Arkansas Razorbacks, March 15, 2026 at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Matthew Maxey/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
If anyone thinks the Washington Wizards 2026 draft is now reduced to offloading picks 51 and 60, I have four words: I sure hope not.
The Wizards got the draft started by making the high-scoring, hyper-athletic AJ Dybantsa the No. 1 overall pick. That’s fine work. And there’s no reason to stop.
The Wizards should trade up in the second round to land someone like Arkansas forward Trevon Brazile. | Getty Images
As Greg Finberg wrote this morning, potentially good players are still available. According to YODA (my stat-based draft analysis tool) top remaining prospects not selected in the first round include:
Trevon Brazile | F | Arkansas
Meleek Thomas | G | Arkansas
Richie Saunders | G | BYU
Isaiah Evans | W | Duke
Izaiyah Nelson | C | South Florida
Ugonna Onyenso | C | Virginia
Tamin Lipsey | G | Iowa State
At this stage of the rebuild, the Wizards would be wise to be aggressive in acquiring additional talent. I understand concerns about players potentially blocking each other from playing time and of the possibility of creating headaches for the coach. I’m not persuaded, though.
To me, one lesson of nearly 50 years of watching and analyzing NBA basketball is that there’s no such thing as “too much” talent. As former Wizards executive Tommy Sheppard once said about finding good players, “We’re all robbing the same train.”
The current Wizards roster has theoretical depth. If young guys develop as hoped, they could end up with a logjam.
But when it comes to theoretical depth and player development, there’s an important thought to keep in mind: You never know.
As in, you never know when someone you’re counting on to play major minutes is going to land awkwardly and take an odd step and end up missing 30 games.
While you may believe in the ability of young players to improve, history says some of them won’t — or won’t improve as much as you’d like. Some might even get worse. It happens. We talk about career arcs and improvement trajectories, but those are averages across hundreds or even thousands of players. The thing about averages is there are outliers on all sides. Maybe you get lucky and an afterthought becomes a star. Or maybe you get unlucky and someone you thought would be a star becomes average or worse.
Back to the Wizards roster for a moment, they have two guys who could truly be considered proven — Anthony Davis and Trae Young. When healthy, Davis was among the best big men in the game, especially on defense. Young has more warts, but at worst has been pretty good the past few years. Both have some durability concerns, but assuming reasonable luck with health, it’s reasonable to think they’ll be good.
I’d consider Alex Sarr proven. He was terrific last season for a second-year player. Even if he doesn’t improve a bit, he could still be a good starter on a team trying to win.
After that, I get the arguments in favor of Kyshawn George, but he’s at a point where his career could go in a lot of different directions. He has plenty of strengths. He also makes a ton of mistakes — some of which (turnovers and excessive fouling) make him unreliable in high-pressure situations.
Bilal Coulibaly might be a starter or valued reserve. He might also remain so limited on the offensive end that he’s relegated to a defensive specialist role.
Tre Johnson showed promise as a shooter, but he also needs to improve his skills, conditioning, strength, defense, and all-around awareness.
Bub Carrington shot well, but struggled to handle the ball against pressure, played smaller than his measured height, and struggled to get by any but the weakest defenders.
Will Riley flashed potential, but deeper analysis of his last-season surge indicated there was less there than met the eye.
The point is not to trash these guys — none of them are bad players. Any of them could possibly become All-Stars or better if they put in the work and get lucky. But any of them could also get hurt, regress, focus offseason work time on the wrong things, or get derailed by personal issues.
Since none of the youngsters — except perhaps Dybantsa and Sarr — could be considered “sure things,” (and Dybantsa hasn’t stepped on an NBA floor yet), the Wizards front office should continue bringing in talented youngsters who can create some competition for minutes and roles.
Worst case, some talented players might get out-competed for a role and be relegated to the bench. At least until someone ahead of him gets hurt or doesn’t perform as hoped. Over a long NBA season, teams need guys who are chomping at the bit for minutes and are working for playing time. They need guys who stay ready for when their chance comes.
And, if there’s a problem at some point that the team has “too many” good players (a challenge the Wizards have never faced and probably never will), someone can be traded.
In other words, Will Dawkins should see if there’s a way to trade up to add someone like Brazile or Thomas or another youngster who just might have a chance to be a good NBA player. They’re going to need guys like that. Probably sooner than they think.
Jun 23, 2026; New York, NY, USA; NBA commissioner Adam Silver under the board showing the 2026 NBA draft first round results at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images
The Nets got their man. After losing in the Lottery, the Nets fixed on doing the best they could at No. 6 which despite the disappointment last month was the highest pick by the franchise since before they moved from New Jersey to Brooklyn. That was 2010!
So how’d they do? Early reads is that draftniks generally liked what the Nets did up top with Mikel Brown Jr. of Cincinnati but had some disagreements on the 28th pick, Joshua Jefferson of Iowa State.
We chose five sites that graded the whole 30 picks in the first round. NBC Sports graded the Draft by team, giving a combined grade. ESPN
As one of the bigger risk-reward prospects in this class, Brown has both fascinating peaks and worrisome valleys. If everything breaks right, he might be a perfect conductor for a modern attack. Deep pull-up threes and full-speed, live-dribble passes are key parts of his arsenal, meaning he can create space and then promptly make the most of it.
But he was often injured in college and pretty inefficient when he stepped inside the lines. Professional gamblers would probably label his decision-making as bold, both with his shot selection and his tiny-window pass attempts. He also has to get stronger, or he could get skewered defensively.
Joshua Jefferson – D+
Jefferson is tricky. There’s a size-skill blend pointing toward do-everything potential, especially if he keeps improving as a shooter. He rebounds, he creates for others, he scores in a variety of ways and he defends across multiple positions.
But what if he’s your prototypical jack of all trades, master of none? That can be a glue guy, but it can also be someone who never finds their NBA niche. And he’ll already be racing against the clock with his 23rd birthday arriving in November.
On-ball players this skinny who have entered the NBA recently have struggled. The NBA is a man’s league. There’s no other way to put it. Brown is going to have to keep filling out now that he has grown to 6 feet 4. On one hand, I tend to be hard on smaller guards — and despite Brown’s height, he plays like a smaller guard. On the other hand, I tend to value skill, high IQ and shooting ability as much as anything. Brown possesses those skills in an immense quantity for such a young player. – Sam Vecenie
This feels like a bit of a reach, and the Nets’ recent draft history doesn’t inspire confidence that they know more than the wisdom of crowds on this one. Brown’s back issues at Louisville are also a concern, but the Nets have never shied away from a medical case and have frequently profited from this under Sean Marks. – John Hollinger
Joshua Jefferson – B
Jefferson was one of my favorite players in college basketball this past season. He’s probably the closest thing I’ve seen to an Oso Ighodaro- and Kyle Anderson-type hybrid as a connective-tissue passer since Anderson entered the draft in 2014. – Sam Vecenie
I didn’t have a first-round grade on Jefferson, but the Nets may have inadvertently made a solid draft pick. He can read the game and pass, and if he can work on his body and improve the shooting a bit, he has a chance to be a plus rotation player. The Nets are also basically devoid of his player archetype – John Hollinger.
The Nets took four guard-ish players in last year’s draft, but Egor Dёmin looks like the only true keeper and that hit shouldn’t necessarily stop them from taking an even better guard prospect here. When Brown is in the zone, he has an unstoppable pull-up jumper, an ambidextrous finishing ability, and the quick reads to rifle passes before the defense has time to react.
Joshua Jefferson – C
At almost 23 years old already, it felt like he’d be a better fit on a contender, rather than a Brooklyn team that’s trying to build something up. Jefferson does a lot of the little things very well, but he needs to improve his jumper and his off-the-dribble game. His lack of shooting ability is worrisome for a guy who figures to be a complementary player.
Brown gives Brooklyn a naturally skilled, high-upside, late-blooming lead guard, whose athleticism is catching up. He’s incredibly skilled, naturally ambidextrous, has complete control of the ball, is a pinpoint passer, and a much better shooter than his numbers showed at Louisville. Brown Makes deep shots in bunches when he gets hot. Excellent left hand too. Very good floor-vision, passing, and ability to make reads coming off of ball-screens. Ranked in the 89th percentile as a pick-and-roll ball-handler. Grown into having positional size at 6-3.5 without shoes, long arms, and newfound athleticism. The concerns are Brown’s lack of strength and physicality. He can hunt high-level plays instead of making the easy one, and he has a history of injuries
Joshua Jefferson – B
Brooklyn showed a clear affinity for high-feel passers in last year’s draft cycle, and Jefferson checks those boxes. Jefferson is a strong-bodied four-man who was one of the best frontcourt passers in college basketball this year. He has terrific vision, dexterity, and uncommon feel for the game from the forward position. He has an NBA-ready frame and good defensive playmaking metrics. Jefferson should be, at minimum, a valuable connector at the next level.
I’ll admit my bias here, I am higher on Brown than most, I think his combination of pace, shooting and vision is built for the more open game in the NBA. He’s got to get stronger and make better decisions at points, but Brooklyn is a great fit. Having Brown running pick-and-rolls with just-acquired Julius Randle, that is going to be a tough play to stop. Jefferson is also a nice late-round pick. There is a lot to like about Jefferson’s feel for the game and the way he can do a little bit of everything — he can defend, he can pass, he can do whatever is called for.
Brad Stevens is trying to slow down the rumor mill. Good luck with that.
In the wake of Jaylen Brown being put in a trade offer for Giannis Antetokounmpo, rumors have been flying around the league that Boston is listening to trade offers for Brown. Tuesday night, after the first round of the draft, Stevens, Boston's president of basketball operations, said that he has had multiple meetings with Brown this summer and that Brown is "a big part of us." Here are his quotes, via Ben Golliver of ESPN.
"Jaylen Brown is a big part of us," Stevens said. "I'm never going to predict the future. Every indication, everything I think about, over the last few years, has been building around those guys [Brown and Jayson Tatum]. You never know. But at the same time, the one thing I want to make very clear is how valued he's always been. He's been amazing. He's been an amazing teammate and a great person to be around...
"With all the rumor mill and all that stuff, and his name being splashed all over the place, that's not easy. We certainly wanted to be as proactive and up-front with that as possible. I thought we had really good, candid conversations... There's always gonna have to be get-togethers, there's always gonna have to be things that you talk about."
Stevens may be trying to throw cold water on things, but other teams are preparing for a bidding war for Brown, ESPN's Brian Windhorst said Tuesday.
There would be real demand for Brown, who is coming off the best season of his career, where he averaged 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game and was sixth in MVP voting. Houston and Atlanta are two teams often mentioned.
The challenge in trading Brown is matching his $57.1 million salary — he has three years and about $183 million left on his contract. Not every team can or will want to take that on.
This may ultimately come down to what Brown wants, how he feels after having his best — and in his words, "favorite" — season, then finding himself in trade talks. There are a lot of rumors that he wants a fresh start, but does he want that more than to chase another ring with Tatum?
We'll find out in the coming weeks whether this was just a speed bump in Brown's relationship with Boston or if things are about to take a sharp turn.
BOSTON, MA - APRIL 28: The sneakers worn by Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics during the game against the Philadelphia 76ers during Round One Game Five of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on April 28, 2026 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. 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 2026 NBAE (Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
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.
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.
"The leader behind that was ESPN. ESPN is unethical, and Stephen A. Smith is the head face of that," Brown said in the viral soundbite of his answer. "But, you know, the organization, the players, they were all in agreeance, they all knew what I meant by that. Our team was basically salary dumped. We lost a lot of players and for us to emerge and still be in the same position, we got to start to understand success doesn't always mean ..."
That's where the clip of Brown's remarks cuts off.
Brown's "favorite year" comments occurred on his Twitch stream after the Celtics were eliminated from the 2026 NBA playoffs by the Philadelphia 76ers. Though Smith has been vocal in his criticism of Brown at times, he did not appear to have a problem with what Brown said during a segment on ESPN's First Take. He called the reference "no big deal" and noted Brown is being "candid with how he feels."
"I'm so proud of this group and the way we played," Brown said on the Twitch stream last month. "I wish we trusted that style of play a little bit more, and playoffs kind of shifted our rotations and what we wanted to do. But I'm so proud, and it was my favorite year of my basketball career."
Brown was a 2026 NBA MVP finalist after the best season of his career, but he's now been dangled by the Celtics in prominent trade discussions twice in four years. He was also mentioned as a trade possibility in 2022 when Boston pursued Kevin Durant.
Celtics General Manager Brad Stevens praised Brown when he met with reporters late Tuesday following the end of the 2026 NBA Draft first round, but he declined to discuss the Antetokounmpo negotiations.
Though Stevens noted he met with Brown multiple times this offseason, including before the Celtics star went on his current overseas trip, he hedged when addressing if Brown would be on the team's next season.
"Jaylen Brown's a big part of us," Stevens said. "I'm never going to predict the future, but every indication, everything that I think about over the past few years has been building around those guys, right, and so obviously you never know. But at the same time, the one thing I want to make very clear is how valued he's always been. He's been amazing, he's been an amazing teammate, a great person to be around.
"And whether that run ends 10 years from now when he retires or before," Stevens continued, "there's a lot to celebrate and we have a great relationship and an open relationship, where we talk about everything. But I don't want to predict the future. But I look at it as this is our team."
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 23: NBA commissioner Adam Silver shakes hands with Kingston Flemings after he is drafted eighth overall by the Atlanta Hawks during Round One of the 2026 NBA Draft at Barclays Center on June 23, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Arturo Holmes/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Who will the Hawks add alongside Kingston Flemings and Zuby Ejiofor tonight at 57th overall (barring a trade)?
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