Worldwide Sports News

The Grizzlies are bolstering their frontcourt.

The Pistons traded Isaiah Stewart to Memphis for three future second-round picks during the second night of the 2026 NBA Draft, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Wednesday.

With the move, the Pistons shed Stewart’s salary and added future assets, while the Grizzlies brought in a young frontcourt piece.

Stewart, 25, is under contract until 2028, having signed a four-year, $60 million extension two years ago. He has a team option for 2027-28.

In 58 games last season, Stewart averaged 10.0 points and 5.0 rebounds in 22.7 minutes. He came in seventh place in Sixth Man of the Year voting on a Detroit team that passed 60 wins for the first time in two decades.

Rumors were flying around Stewart’s future in Detroit since the beginning of June, mostly to shed the high salary in pursuit of bringing back several other pieces from last season’s team that was the No. 1 seed in the East.

The Pistons could now attempt to find an upgrade to help ease the burden on Cade Cunningham.

On the first night of the draft, Memphis acquired three second-rounders from Detroit. The Grizzlies sent them right back the following night for the 6-foot-8, 250-pound Stewart, often called “Beef Stew.”

In Memphis, Stewart likely will see most of the backup center minutes as he slots in behind Zach Edey, providing solid depth on the worst rebounding team in the second half of last season.

With a healthy Edey and Stewart coming in, the frontcourt will be far improved next year. Add in third overall pick Cameron Boozer and 21st overall pick Karim Lopez, and the Grizzlies’ frontcourt could go from lackluster to highly threatening very quickly.

Round 2, Pick 36 – Baba Miller – Florida Atlantic – Los Angeles Clippers

Coming into FAU for his junior season, anyone who had seen him play on a court knew that Baba Miller was an NBA talent, but after a single season under John Jakus, he had proven himself. The 6-foot-11 athletic big brings skill and agility to the interior. He was a highly-touted prospect coming into the draft but exceeded what many expected, getting picked just six picks into the night.

Headed to the Clippers, Miller will have to compete with players like Derrick Jones Jr. and Kobe Sanders, but as a true power forward, the former Cincinnati Bearcat will have a solid chance at cracking the lineup.

Round 2, Pick 37 – Ryan Conwell – Indiana State and South Florida – Oklahoma City Thunder (Traded to Miami Heat)

Conwell was made into a power-level talent during his time under Josh Schertz at Indiana State. While spending just one year with the Sycamores during his sophomore season after a sub-par freshman season at South Florida, the 6-foot-4 guard brough his talents to a Xavier team that immediately felt his impact. A season later, Conwell led a rejuvenated Louisville program to the AP top 25 while averaging just under 20 points per outing.

Conwell is now on his way to Miami, which is notorious for developing second-round talent to play for the recently vacated shooting guard position following Tyler Herro’s trade to the Milwaukee Bucks. All-star Norman Powell looks to serve as a valuable mentor to the four-year collegiate player.

Round 2, Pick 42 – Ja’Kobi Gillespie – Belmont – San Antonio Spurs

Gillespie looks to be the second Belmont transfer in the past three years to get NBA minutes following Will Richard’s rise with the Warriors this past season. While it has been two years since the guard has suited up for the Bruins, the 6-foot guard can credit most of his collegiate success to his development under Casey Alexander.

Joining the NBA runner-up San Antonio Spurs, it remains to be seen whether Gillespie will garner minutes with the team early on, but with a reputation of incredible development within the Spurs organization, it may be sooner rather than later that we see the Tennessee standout backing up Dylan Harper at the one.

Round 2, Pick 48 – Tobi Lawal – VCU – Dallas Mavericks

Lawal’s incredible leaping ability and athleticism had to have made NBA scouts salivate when watching him light it up at Virginia Tech, but that vertical was also on display during his time at VCU under Ryan Odom. While only starting one single game in two years with the Rams, the 6-foot-8 forward displayed enough to garner a transfer to the ACC’s Hokies and now into the NBA Draft.

Lawal comes as the second big man drafted for the Mavericks in the draft, following up Morez Johnson Jr. at pick No. 9, and he will look to stake out a claim in the now-competitive frontcourt battle headed into the 2026-27 season.

Round 2, Pick 51 – Izaiyah Nelson – South Florida and Arkansas State – Washington Wizards (Traded to Orlando Magic)

Nelson became the second player drafted straight out of a mid-major following a successful season at South Florida last year where he earned AAC Player of the Year in his first season with the Bulls. Developing under Bryan Hodgson at Arkansas State, the Marietta, Ga., native blossomed into an elite rebounder and dominant interior finisher, following his coach to USF in his final season.

The 6-foot-10 forward joins an Orlando Magic squad featuring all-star Paolo Banchero at power forward and Wendell Carter Jr. at the center position, and he will be granted the opportunity to battle for a spot in the interior under new head coach Sean Sweeney.

Round 2, Pick 57 – Jaron Pierre Jr. – Jacksonville State, Wichita State, and Southern Miss – New Orleans Pelicans

Pierre had some decently productive seasons at both Southern Miss and Wichita State, but no one in Conference USA was prepared for the 6-foot-5 guard to lead the Jacksonville State Gamecocks to the second-best record in the conference despite being picked toward the bottom in the preseason. An electric scorer that can get points at all three levels, Pierre finished off his college career at SMU this past season in the NCAA Tournament.

Pierre joins a logjam at the guard position in New Orleans but looks to fight for a position among young stars in Jeremiah Fears and Dejounte Murray.

This was the moment Austin Reaves had been waiting for. It was time for him to have his big payday and secure himself a long-term deal.

However, instead of feeling joy about thinking of all the teams that potentially wanted him, Reaves was anxious, eager to find out where he would be.

In the end, everything worked out fine. Reaves reportedly agreed to a four-year, $185 million deal with the Lakers, securing that he’ll remain with the franchise that took him back in 2021 as an undrafted player.

In a piece by Dan Woike of The Athletic, Reaves discussed how stressful these negotiations were for him.

“I mean, it was a breath of fresh air because I hadn’t stopped thinking about where I was going to be. And it’s just like a sigh of relief,” he said in a phone interview Wednesday. “I mean, regardless of whatever played out, I’m obviously grateful and in a good position to take care of the people I love. My heart’s been in L.A. Every morning I wake up, I’m just like, ‘I hope we can get this done today.’

Reaves has always let his emotions be known.

It’s what’s made him a player Lakers fans love. During his first playoff stint, when he was torching the Grizzlies, he yelled “I’m him” on the floor, and this past season, when he tied a game against the Nuggets, he was caught saying “I love you” to the basketball on camera.

So, naturally, with his career up in the air, even for good reason, it was going to cause him to be a bit worried. Seeing a photo of him lying on the floor, relieved that he was staying with the Lakers, doesn’t feel like a cheesy social media stunt. It just seems like Reaves being himself, unbothered by what the world thinks of him.

While the Lakers ended up offering him a max deal, it was reported that teams like the Pistons were interested in signing him. It’s naturally good to be wanted, but this also put Reaves’ future up in the air, and he wasn’t sure he was going to remain in LA.

“A couple of times actually,” Reaves said. “I didn’t know how negotiations would go. I don’t think Aaron and Reggie really knew how negotiations would go, so we learned a lot throughout the process. But like I said, we wanted to be in L.A., my heart was in L.A., and we got it done.”

During this process, Reaves made it clear he wanted to remain a Laker, and the franchise has obliged.

Now, this great tale of the Lakers hitting the jackpot by discovering Reaves can continue for years to come. They have secured Luka Dončić’s backcourt partner, and everyone seems thrilled about the situation.

Reaves can get off the golf course now and celebrate with his family and friends. This new deal means LA can now be his forever home, and the Lakers, potentially the only team he ever plays for.

You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.

Braden Smith was not the only Purdue player that heard his name get called tonight at the NBA Draft. Trey Kaufman-Renn was one of the final picks, going 59th out of 60 picks to the Timberwolves. ESPN had this to say about the late pick:

Kaufman-Renn is likely a G League dart throw for the Timberwolves. I enjoyed watching him shoot floaters live for the last four years.

That’s a fair assessment, to be honest. TKR did not have much of a three-point shot, but it was there as he was 18 of 64 for his career from long range, but 13 of those 18 makes came in his first two seasons on the floor. He still had a solid midrange game and he is a strong rebounder and post player. How his athleticism matches up in the league is going to be interesting.

Ultimately, he may end up like Vince Edwards, who was also a late pick and he made it into just two games for the Rockets, hitting a single three-pointer.

That’s the tough break of being a late second rounder, however. He should get plenty of run in the G Leaguewith the Iowa Wolves in Des Moines. The wolves are a rising team, too with Anthony Edwards, so if he can find a spot it will be on a solid team.

The Milwaukee Bucks did not have a selection when the second round of the 2026 NBA Draft began, but that changed when they acquired the No. 60 overall pick from the Orlando Magic for cash considerations.

The Washington Wizards held this pick going into the night, but sent it to the Magic for the draft rights to Tennessee big man Felix Okpara. With the final pick in the draft, the Bucks selected small forward Malique Lewis, who has played in the NBL with the South East Melbourne Phoenix for the past two seasons.

Lewis, 21, is originally from Trinidad and Tobago, but moved to Spain at the age of 16 to grow and develop. Lewis spent two years in Spain with Gwen Labrada before moving to the G League to play for the Mexico City Capitanes in the 2023-24 campaign. That season, he played in 50 games and averaged 8.3 points and 5.8 rebounds per game.

Lewis’ experience in the G League should be intriguing for the Bucks, and it’s possible that he could be a contributor for the Wisconsin Herd going into the upcoming season.

At 6-8, Lewis has the frame for an NBA player and his defense is his calling card. His 3-and-D profile is something worth investing in for the Bucks as they move towards the future.

Brew Hoop community, how do you feel about the Bucks going back into the second round to take Lewis? Start the conversation and let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.

It’s time for night two of the 2026 NBA Draft.

After 30 first-rounders were selected on Tuesday night, another 30 players will hear their names called in Wednesday’s second round.

As of the time of publishing, the Philadelphia 76ers do not have a pick in the second round. The franchise made their lone pick last night, selecting Labaron Philon Jr. at No. 22 overall. The guard was the first pick made by new Sixers President of Basketball Operations Mike Gansey. Gansey, speaking to reporters after the first round concluded last night, spoke on the possibility of the Sixers trading into Wednesday’s second round.

Whether something actually comes of that or not, we’ll just have to wait and see. There were already a number of second round picks traded around the league last night, so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see more movement tonight.

The second round begins at 8 p.m. ET! Just as we did throughout the first round, we will keep you posted on all of the picks live as they happen, right here on this page. Follow along and discuss in the comments below!

Round 2

No. 31 – Bruce Thornton (Ohio State, G) to the Houston Rockets* (via NYK).

No. 32 – Richie Saunders (Brigham Young, G) selected by the Memphis Grizzlies.

No. 33 – Isaiah Evans (Duke, G) to the Minnesota Timberwolves* (via BKN, pick acquired in the Julius Randle trade).

No. 34 – Meleek Thomas (Arkansas, G) to the Cleveland Cavaliers* (via SAC).

No. 35 – Trevon Brazile (Arkansas, C/F) to the Denver Nuggets* (via SAS).

No. 36 – Baba Miller (Cincinnati, F) selected by the Los Angeles Clippers.

No. 37 – Ryan Conwell (Louisville, G) to the Miami Heat* (via OKC).

No. 38 – Braden Smith (Purdue, G) to the Indiana Pacers* (via CHI).

No. 39 – Jack Kayil (Germany, G) to the New York Knicks* (via HOU).

No. 40 – Dillon Mitchell (St. John’s, F) selected by the Boston Celtics.

No. 41 – Otega Oweh (Kentucky, G) to the Oklahoma City Thunder* (via MIA).

No. 42 – Ja’Kobi Gillespie (Tennessee, G) selected by the San Antonio Spurs.

No. 43 – Tyler Bilodeau (UCLA, F) selected by the Brooklyn Nets.

No. 44 – Maliq Brown (Duke, C/F) selected by the San Antonio Spurs.

No. 45 – Emanuel Sharp (Houston, G) selected by the Sacramento Kings.

No. 46 – Felix Okpara (Tennessee, F) to the Washington Wizards* (via ORL).

No. 47 – Tyler Nickel (Vanderbilt, F) selected by the New York Knicks.

No. 48 – Tobi Lawal (Virginia Tech, F) selected by the Dallas Mavericks.

No. 49 – Bryce Hopkins (St. John’s, F) selected by the Denver Nuggets.

No. 50 – Jaden Bradley (Arizona, G) selected by the Toronto Raptors.

No. 51 – Izaiyah Nelson (South Florida, F) to the Orlando Magic* (via WSH).

No. 52 – Henri Veesaar (North Carolina, C) to the Atlanta Hawks* (via LAC).

No. 53 – Ugonna Onyenso (Virginia, C) to the Detroit Pistons* (via NYK).

No. 54 – Lajae Jones (Florida State, G) selected by the Golden State Warriors.

No. 55 – Nick Martinelli (Northwestern, F) to the Los Angeles Clippers* (via HOU).

No. 56 – Vsevolod Ishchenko (Russia, G) to the Dallas Mavericks* (via LAL).

No. 57 – Narcisse Ngoy (Auburn, C) to the Los Angeles Clippers* (via ATL).

No. 58 – Jaron Pierre Jr. (SMU, G) selected by the New Orleans Pelicans.

No. 59 – Trey Kaufman-Renn (Purdue, F) selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves.

No. 60 – Malique Lewis (Trinidad & Tobago, F) to the Milwaukee Bucks* (via WSH).

*Trades technically unofficial until July 6.

The Dallas Mavericks traded back into the late second round and selected Russian guard Vsevolod Ishchenko with the 56th pick of the 2026 NBA Draft.

Dallas bought the pick from the Los Angeles Lakers, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.

Needless to say, Ishchenko is a very raw prospect. A 6’8 guard with a 7’0 wingspan born in Russia and brought up through their youth basketball development system, Ishchenko averaged 8.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, two assists, and 1.3 steals per game across 43 games during the 2025-2026 season for Lokomotiv Kuban, a pro team from the Russan VTB United League.

Some scouts love the potential Ishchenko has as a future two-way player, but he will obviously need a lot of seasoning and need to face better competition. This feels like either a draft-and-stash move, or a G-League addition, which Ishchenko will need to get used to NBA basketball. As a dart throw, it seems fun! The chances of Ishchenko ever stepping on an NBA court in a Mavericks jersey are very low, but you can never find a hidden gem if you never give yourself a chance, something the previous two Mavericks front office regimes never seemed to understand.

This marks the fourth Maverick drafted in the 2026 NBA Draft, after Dallas used their ninth overall pick for Morez Johnson Jr., traded up from 30 to 25 to grab Sergio de Larrea, then earlier in the second round drafted Tobi Lawal. While we have no idea how any of these guys will pan out, it’s clear this new Mavericks front office values the draft and wanting as many bites from the apple as possible.

Moments after trading backup center Isaiah Stewart to the Memphis Grizzlies, the Pistons traded into the second round and selected college basketball’s premier shot blocker in Ugonna Onyenso of Virginia. It’s hard to get too excited by a player who lasts until the 53rd pick in the draft, but Onyenso has some eye-popping stats.

Draft analyst Rich Stayman says, “Onyenso ended up 29th on my board, because I think his shot blocking is extremely special (the only high major player to have 15+ BLK% and under 3 fouls per 40 minutes, which he did TWICE in college). He can play in the NBA, especially since his shot has been growing.”

Let’s dig a bit deeper.

Onyenso is a legit 7-footer with a 7-foot, 4.75-inch wingspan. He blocked 17.4% of shots at Virginia and 15.1% of shots overall during his four-year college career at Kentucky, Kansas State, and Virginia.

He projects to add legitimate rim pressure as a vertical big man, and he is not shy about trying to add a 3-point shot to his game as he looks to stick in the NBA. He is far from a high-usage player, but more than 20% of his field goal attempts were threes during his senior season. He connected at a 27.8% clip. He also shot 76% and 72% from the free-throw line the past two season, so there is reason to believe an actual shot could develop if given time.

The NBA.com draft profile is a nice summation of why its OK to be excited by Onyenso.

Onyenso protects the rim at an elite level with a lengthy seven-foot frame. He led his draft class in block rate by a wide margin and capped his college career with nine blocks against Duke in the ACC Tournament. He doesn’t bite on pump fakes, stays vertical and keeps himself out of foul trouble. His footwork holds up well enough to switch onto guards in short bursts. On offense, he’s a vertical spacer who dunks lobs and cleans the offensive glass. As a senior, Onyenso started flashing the willingness to extend his shooting range.

Projection

Onyenso projects as a defensive-anchoring center who can step into an NBA rotation right away and protect the paint. The shooting touch he started to flash at Virginia hints at another layer of offensive growth still coming. He’s drawn NBA comparisons to Daniel Gafford and Moussa Diabate. NBA front offices have always found rotation minutes for Onyenso’s playstyle. He could carve out a long career as the paint-protecting big that contenders covet on the back end of their rotation.

The Cleveland Cavaliers selected Meleek Thomas 34th overall in the 2026 NBA Draft. The 6’4″ combo guard has 3-and-D potential for Cleveland, even if he doesn’t fit their most pressing needs.

Thomas averaged 15.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.5 assists as a Freshman for Arkansas. He served as the secondary option behind Darius Acuff, thriving without the ball as a 40% three-point shooter. Thomas also ranked in the 69th percentile in scoring off of screens, giving him one of the most transferable skill sets for today’s NBA.

The Cavs will have to develop the rest of his game from there. Thomas isn’t seen as a great decision maker with the ball, as shot selection was one of the primary concerns for him in college. This is a player who loves the mid-range jumper… and only the most elite shooters can get away with those at the NBA level.

Thomas also isn’t a plus athlete. He’s not as explosive as his peers, struggles to get to the rim, and has a slightly undersized frame despite decent height at his position. These are traits the Cavs have mostly undervalued in recent years (size and athleticism), and Thomas does not break from that trend.

Thomas improved as a defender in his freshman season. Though his off-ball awareness is a concern. If Thomas can tighten up his defense and package it with elite shooting, then he’ll always have a home in the NBA.

Best outcome? The Cavs are betting on him to round out his defensive game and complement anyone he shares the backcourt with. Any upticks in his ability to create with the ball, whether it be playmaking or driving to the rim, would be cherries on top.

There’s a difficult needle to thread when grading this selection. Thomas, or anyone else the Cavs could have selected tonight, would almost certainly play zero role next season. Cleveland is looking to compete for a title, and the 34th pick doesn’t factor heavily into those plans. This was always going to be a long-term project. So, we don’t want to focus too heavily on how this affects the current team.

Nonetheless, Cleveland really doesn’t need another guard right now. Even a top prospect would have trouble cracking this rotation with the logjam currently happening in their backcourt. To no fault of his own, Thomas is joining a team that has overindexed on his position.

Worse, the Cavs are taking another flyer on someone who lacks athleticism and clocked in at 6’3″ barefoot. His collegiate profile is comparable to that of players like Cam Thomas, Jordan Poole, Collin Sexton, and Coby White. Those aren’t winning archetypes and could indicate a systemic failure in which skills the Cavs have prioritized over the years.

Thomas might have a higher floor given his ability to play without the ball and knock down three-pointers. He’ll certainly have a long NBA career if he can do that while being a plus defender. Maybe the Cavs will even need him in a few years when James Harden and/or Donovan Mitchell are either both aging or off the roster entirely. That scenario would align better with Thomas’s timeline and give him a real path toward playing in Cleveland.

Finally, the last qualifier I want to add before handing out this grade is simple. We’re talking about the 34th pick. Warts are inevitable. I can’t pretend that anyone selected here would have warranted a very high grade.

Grade: C-

There may not have been any team that moved as much in the 2026 NBA Draft than the champion New York Knicks, who built for the future to try and dance around the salary cap for the upcoming season.

The Knicks traded out of the first round last night to try and avoid paying a player guaranteed money, but they leave the Barclays Center with a pair of picks in Jack Kayil and Tyler Nickel.

Kayil, the No. 39 overall pick, was acquired in a trade with the Houston Rockets for No. 31 and 53. Kayil played for Alba Berlin last season in the Bundesliga, marking the second time in three years where the team has selected a player that played in Germany. While some may suspect Kayil could be a draft-and-stash prospect, the German point guard made his intentions clear about coming over to the States.

There is a good chance Kayil ends up with the Westchester Knicks in the G League, where he could also be joined by Vanderbilt forward Tyler Nickel, the No. 47 overall pick.

Nickel began his collegiate career at North Carolina before transferring to Virginia Tech after his freshman year. He spent one season in Blacksburg before heading to Vanderbilt for his junior and senior seasons. This past season at Vanderbilt, Nickel averaged 13.5 points and 3.3 rebounds per game while making 40 percent of his shots from beyond the arc.

P&T community, how do you feel about the Knicks’ picks in the second round? Let us know in the comments section below.

The Warriors selected Florida State guard Lajae Jones with their second-round pick (No. 54 overall) of the 2026 NBA Draft on June 24.

Jones is a 6-foot-7, 220-pound guard who is coming off a senior season in which he averaged 12.7 points and 5.7 rebounds per game.

Golden State has placed an emphasis on drafting lengthy, versatile players with recent draft picks, and Jones absolutely fits that archetype. He will be able to defend multiple positions, and the fact that he is a capable shooter from 3-point range (32.5% last season) suggests why the Warriors had him circled.

The Warriors initially received the No. 54 pick in the draft from the Lakers by trading Trayce Jackson-Davis to the Raptors in February.

This draft pick has a strangely long history, as the Lakers initially acquired it way back in 2020 after a deal with the Cavaliers. When a trade includes a draft pick so far in the future, it’s easy to forget about it. But the Warriors were ultimately the ones who benefited from it, which ended up in them drafting Jones.

This selection comes a day after the Warriors selected Michigan forward Yaxel Lendeborg with the No. 11 pick. He will likely be expected to perform for the Warriors as a rookie. It will be interesting to see whether Jones can secure a spot on the Warriors’ roster next season. He’ll certainly be given a fair opportunity to do so.

The Lakers and Mavs have made another trade, but this time with slightly lower stakes.

After trading into the second round, LA ultimately did not make a selection, instead trading the No. 56 pick, Vsevolod Ischenko, to the Mavericks for cash.

LA originally moved up into the draft by sending cash to the Bulls for the No. 56 pick. Most expected them to follow up by making more deals to move up in the draft. However, that never happened.

Instead, the Lakers sat pat and watched Henri Veesaar fall with most expecting him to land with the Lakers. The big man from North Carolina was expected to go as high as the first round but plummeted down the board. However, the Hawks jumped LA and selected him, leaving the Lakers without any options.

It’s pretty clear the team bought the pick with the expectation of targeting someone or multiple players but, by the time they were on the clock, those targets weren’t available.

Ultimately, the team moved the pick. It’s unclear how much money was involved in either transaction, whether from the Lakers to the Bulls or from the Mavs to the Lakers. It probably wouldn’t be a great look if the Lakers lost money in this deal, but it was a gamble that only really cost them Mark Walter’s money and his has plenty to spare.

At the end of the day, it turned out to be much ado about nothing. The Lakers did not add another draft pick and will turn to undrafted free agency to find the next Austin Reaves.

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