NBA general managers and scouts are heading home from the 2026 men's NCAA Tournament with plenty to think about after three weeks of incredible action on the court. Now they have to figure out which March Madness performances are indicators of future greatness and which are more of a mirage.
The 2026 NBA draft is expected to take place in late June. In USA TODAY's latest mock draft , Kentucky's Jayden Quaintance is expected to go in the first round after declaring on Tuesday. Here's how USA TODAY currently projects the Forward's draft night will play out.
Our draft order is based on ESPN's projected records and factors in trades, including swaps and protections.
Jayden Quaintance 2026 NBA Draft prediction: Pick No. 17 overall, Charlotte Hornets (via Suns)
Kalbrosky's Analysis:
Jayden Quaintance recorded just one start during his sophomore campaign as he recovered from a torn ACL, meniscus and fractured knee. The big man is still one of the youngest players in this class, but he has shown flashes during his time at Arizona State and Kentucky. When healthy, he is arguably the most talented defender in this draft class and could help a team that desperately needs frontcourt help, like the Hornets. But health may cause some concern for evaluators.
The good news for the Los Angeles Kings is that they clinched a playoff spot following their win against the Seattle Kraken on Monday. That secured their ticket to the post-season for the fifth straight year, despite a far-below-average start to the campaign.
The bad news is that they are in line to play against the Colorado Avalanche in the first round of the playoffs if L.A.'s position in the standings doesn't change.
So, with how impressive and dominant the Avs have been all season long, how do the Kings match up against the league leaders?
This also doesn't help their case, but the Kings lost all three meetings against the Avalanche during the season. The last game on March 2 ended 4-2 in favor of Colorado.
Alex Laferriere (Kirby Lee-Imagn Images)
In terms of the playoffs, the last time the Kings played against the Avalanche was in the 2001 post-season. The two teams met in the Western Conference semifinals, and Colorado got the best of Los Angeles, taking the series 4-3.
The Avalanche went on to win the Stanley Cup for the second time in franchise history.
Looking at the Avs of this year, they could very well go on to win another Cup. The power and skill of Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, Martin Necas, Devon Toews, Brock Nelson, Nazem Kadri, and others is more than the Kings can handle on paper.
Los Angeles isn't going to beat Colorado player-for-player in terms of talent, and interim head coach D.J. Smith knows that.
However, in the playoffs, there's more to each contest than beating your opponent in a skills competition. And that's where the light can shine on the Kings.
Since coach Jim Hiller was replaced by Smith, the Kings have been one of the most physical teams in the league. From March 1, Los Angeles has the fifth-most hits at 525 in 22 games.
Hitting isn't everything, but when a team is physically imposing on the opposition and heavy on the forecheck, like the Kings have been since Smith stepped in, that can wear on the Avalanche's stars.
Another aspect in which the Kings can hang around with the Avalanche is their ability to shut down their opposition.
In addition to the Kings being fourth in the NHL in fewest goals against, they have the fifth-most shutouts this season with six on the year. Though the Avalanche are slightly above them in those categories, too, it's key that the Kings print out the details on how to stop Colorado's stars.
Even Necas is tied for seventh in scoring and is just one point away from notching his first career 100-point campaign.
And for Makar, not much needs to be said about how dynamic and how much of a revelation he's been among defensemen in the NHL.
Of course, the Avalanche are heavy favorites in this series if there is no change in the NHL's seeding from now to the end of the week.
But as they say about the Stanley Cup playoffs, you just need to get in. After all, the Kings did win the Stanley Cup in 2012 as the eighth seed in the Western Conference, a comparison to this year's team.
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NBA general managers and scouts are heading home from the 2026 men's NCAA Tournament with plenty to think about after three weeks of incredible action on the court. Now they have to figure out which March Madness performances are indicators of future greatness and which are more of a mirage.
The 2026 NBA draft is expected to take place in late June. In USA TODAY's latest mock draft, Baylor's Cameron Carr is expected to go in the first round after declaring on Tuesday. Here's how USA TODAY currently projects the Guard's draft night will play out.
Our draft order is based on Tankathon.com and factors in trades, including swaps and protections.
Cameron Carr 2026 NBA Draft prediction: Pick No. 27 overall, Boston Celtics
Kalbrosky's Analysis:
One of the players who improved his draft stock the most this season was Baylor junior Cameron Carr. The All-Big 12 wing brings athleticism and shooting and, per Bart Torvik, he was the only player to make at least 40 field goals that were dunks and more than 60 field goals that were 3-pointers this season. Baylor outscored opponents by an additional 28.5 points per 100 possessions when he was on the floor relative to when he was not, via CBB Analytics, which ranked as the fourth-most of any high-major player in the NCAA.
WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 08: Michael McGreevy #36 of the St. Louis Cardinals pitches against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on April 08, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The St. Louis Cardinals will try again Tuesday as they will take their 8-8 .500 record up against the Cleveland Guardians at Busch Stadium. According to MLB.com, Michael McGreevy will take his 1-1, 2.16 ERA to the mound for the Cardinals while the Guardians will have Joey Cantillo make the start. He’s 1-0 with a 2.45 ERA so far this season.
NBA general managers and scouts are heading home from the 2026 men's NCAA Tournament with plenty to think about after three weeks of incredible action on the court. Now they have to figure out which March Madness performances are indicators of future greatness and which are more of a mirage.
Our draft order is based on Tankathon.com and factors in trades, including swaps and protections.
Hannes Steinbach 2026 NBA Draft prediction: Pick No. 19 overall, San Antonio Spurs (via Hawks)
Kalbrosky's Analysis:
German big man Hannes Steinbach is a name worth watching in the 2026 NBA Draft. While his team missed the tournament, the All-Big Ten post is an instinctive rebounder with great hands, including an absurd 24 rebounds against USC on March 4. Additionally, the center is one of the more prolific pick-and-roll finishers in college basketball. He shined during the FIBA U19 World Cup, too, and scouts love that he is a smart basketball player who can make great reads. Steinbach could make an excellent backup to Victor Wembanyama.
But the NBA Playoffs are no strangers to surprises. Just last year, we saw the Indiana Pacers reach the finals as a 5-seed, nearly taking down the heavily favored Thunder for the title. No one expected that. We've seen mutliple play-in teams reach their conference championships as well. Even the 2023 Miami Heat reached the finals despite entering the postseason as the Eastern Conference's No. 8 seed.
That is to say that the NBA playoffs aren't as predictable as they may seem. That's why several experts have different opinions on what will happen. Here's a quick breakdown of numerous predictions from around the internet:
Kram writes, "Oklahoma City and San Antonio could spark a decade-long rivalry this spring, after the Spurs beat the reigning champs in four out of five meetings this season. Oklahoma City has crucial playoff experience and the best clutch scorer in the NBA on its side. But San Antonio presents real matchup problems for the champs because of its athleticism, guard play and game-changing force at center."
He continues, "It's possible that Wembanyama can't handle many more minutes because of his aggressive style of play. He looked noticeably fatigued when he reached 40 minutes in San Antonio's thrilling overtime loss in Denver this month. But Wembanyama doesn't need to play 40 minutes at altitude every game in the playoffs, and he successfully exceeded 35 minutes 10 times this season. In those games, he averaged 30.7 points, 14.1 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 4.0 blocks while making 44% of his 7.3 3-point attempts and 86% of his 9.6 free throw attempts. That's not evidence of a consistent problem playing big minutes; if anything, it's the opposite, and Wembanyama's stats have been even better when he has increased his workload."
He predicts the Spurs to win in six games, then take care of the Boston Celtics in six as well.
CBS Sports: 4 of 6 experts predict Celtics to emerge from the East
While the Western Conference is littered with different picks from CBS Sports' panel of experts, the East doesn't have as much variety, with two-thirds of their panel picking Boston to represent the conference in the Finals.
Funny enough though, only one of them has the Celtics winning it all. Jack Maloney is the the only person to predict a victory for the Eastern Conference, picking Boston to defeat the Thunder.
Maloney writes, "The Thunder would surely be favored in a Finals matchup against the Celtics, and could very well win. But Boston has defied the odds at every turn over the past seven months, and will cap a storybook season with an upset over the reigning champs."
Former NBA head coach Avery Johnson says that the Thunder remind him "of what [they] built in San Antonio."
He also believes that whoever comes out of the Western Conference between the Spurs and Thunder should win the championship. He specifically predicts the Thunder to win in six games over Boston.
Astros closer Josh Hader took an important step toward a return to action by throwing a live batting practice session before Tuesday’s game against the Colorado Rockies.
Facing hitters for the first time since August, the six-time All-Star threw 20 pitches to Taylor Trammell and Brice Matthews. Hader hasn’t pitched this season due to left biceps inflammation after a left shoulder strain kept him out of action for the final seven weeks of 2025.
“I got through it. That’s a positive thing to note,” Hader said.
Hader estimated he threw 15 pitches in the bullpen before taking the mound at Daikin Park. His fastball velocity ranged from 91-93 MPH, which is what he expected the first time out.
“Feeling good. Feeling strong,” Hader said. “Throwing relatively hard and commanding the baseball in the zone. Commanding the slider, getting good whiffs on it. Ideally, that’s what you want.”
Hader is approaching his buildup the way he would approach the ramp up to a season. He’ll throw a bullpen in the next few days and then another live BP. The goal is to shorten the gap between the two, but he did not put a timetable on when he could expect to go out on a rehab assignment.
“I take it day by day. Try and build my shoulder, bullet proof it, get it strong, and I feel like I’ve been able to do that.”
ST. PETERSBURG, FL - APRIL 12: Cedric Mullins #31 of the Tampa Bay Rays scores against the New York Yankees during the second inning of a baseball game at Tropicana Field on April 12, 2026 in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Lakers coach JJ Redick publicly acknowledged feeling like his team wasn’t physically ready for the start of last year’s first round playoff series against the Timberwolves, which ended in a five-game defeat for the Lakers. And the role his preparations from the week leading into Game 1 of the matchup played into that.
LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers dunks the ball during the game against the Houston Rockets. NBAE via Getty Images
Physical preparedness incorporates trackable elements, including workloads, accelerations and jumps.
“We mapped this out 10-12 days ago,” Redick said. “We wanted to reach certain thresholds, and we did. We were tracking it in real time. We met those thresholds, and thought the guys had a very business-like, focused approach to practice.”
But there are also intangible components — the types that’ll show up against a team like the Rockets.
How do you handle the defensive pressure as a ball handler?
Will you have the focus and desire to box out later in the game — or series — when fatigue becomes an even greater factor?
It’s why when asked about the keys for the matchup against the Rockets, which tips off with Game 1 on Saturday at Crypto.com Arena, Redick quickly responded, “take care of the ball and box out.”
That’s easier said than done against a Rockets team that easily led the league in offensive rebounding percentage at 38.8%, the highest mark for an NBA team during a regular season since the 1996-97 season, which is as far back as the league’s official website statistical database goes.
Los Angeles Lakers’ Jaxson Hayes is fouled by Houston Rockets’ Kevin Durant. AP
Stathead has this season’s Rockets as the best offensive rebounding team since the 2002-03 Warriors.
The Rockets also led the league in offensive rebounding percentage last year at 36.3%, which highlights how ingrained controlling the offensive boards is into their identity.
“That’s the series,” Redick said. “Scheme, personnel, obviously important, but if we don’t take care of the ball and we don’t box out, we’re not gonna win the series. They were No. 4 in scoring opportunities, we were No. 23. We don’t have the luxury with Luka [Doncic] and [Austin Reaves] out of getting drilled in scoring opportunities every single game. We gotta box out.”
Boxing out is such a big emphasis for the Lakers that Redick said it was the “only thing” they focused on regarding the Rockets.
“We’re going to place an emphasis on every drill in practice,” Redick added. “We started practice with boxing out. You gotta put it in their minds. That’s literally the only thing we said about Houston [on Tuesday]. [Tuesday] was about us. [Wednesday], we’ll introduce (Rockets) personnel. Thursday we’ll do our scout, as we would. Friday will be a reinforcement of that scout. Saturday we’ll be good to go.”
Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James is fouled by Houston Rockets’ Jabari Smith Jr. AP
Lakers players welcomed the focus on defensive rebounding.
“I feel like it’s always good to get those drills in,” Jake LaRavia said. “We don’t do them enough during the season and sometimes you kind of forget or can get lethargic about it during the games. So it’s good to kind of just come back to when you were in middle school and high school and stuff, doing those drills.”
Jaxson Hayes added: “Obviously, we weren’t trying to murder each other out on the boards. But definitely practicing that stuff. Houston is one of the best offensive rebounding teams in the past 20 years. So just making sure we’re ready for that.”
The Lakers won the regular season series against the Rockets, 2-1, albeit with significantly different personnel.
They remain without Luka Doncic (left hamstring) and Austin Reaves (left oblique), with Redick reaffirming the star guards are sidelined “indefinitely” leading into the playoffs after suffering their regular season-ending injuries less than two weeks ago.
Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James goes up for a dunk against the Houston Rockets. AP
In the one game the Rockets won on Christmas in Los Angeles, Houston had a 56.5% offensive rebounding percentage, which was their highest mark of the regular season. But that came with Steven Adams in the lineup for the Rockets. Adams had season-ending ankle surgery in January.
In the two games the Lakers won in Houston in March, Houston finished with offensive rebounding rates of 47.6% and 36.2%, respectively, which were still high but more manageable.
“They’re going to try to come in and punk us,” Marcus Smart said. “And if you allow that, you will be punked. And I don’t think we have any guys that are going to be punked on this team. So, we might not be the most athletic and strongest, but we got to have the most heart.”
Apr 11, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Martin Perez (33) throws against the Cleveland Guardians in the second inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images
Former Atlanta Braves starter pitcher Martín Pérez has cleared waivers after the team designated him for assignment on April 12, 2026. The team optioned him to Triple-A Gwinnett, but the veteran lefty elected free agency.
Pérez, who made two starts and three appearances with Atlanta after his contract was selected in the first week of the regular season, was signed as a minor league free agent this past off-season. The 35-year-old has pitched in 328 games – including 281 starts – since debuting with the Texas Rangers in 2012.
Atlanta is currently working with a four-man rotation but will not need a fifth starter until April 21. Should Pérez opt to return to the organization, it is possible he could be in-line to make a start the next time the Braves need a fifth starter. Injured starting pitcher Spencer Strider is on a rehab assignment and likely won’t be ready within the next week.
Pérez tossed 14.1 innings for Atlanta, striking out six with a 0.910 WHIP and 3.14 ERA and 3.86 xERA. His xFIP of 4.51 in 2026 is an almost exact match with his career 4.52 xFIP.
Lakers center Deandre Ayton (5) and Rockets center Clint Capela (30) battle for a rebound during a game last month in Houston. Ayton leads the Lakers in rebounding at 8.0 per game. (David J. Phillip / Associated Press)
Rebounding was not a strength of the Lakers over the course of the regular season. Rebounding was a strength of the Houston Rockets during the 2025-26 campaign.
So, on their first day of practice Tuesday for Game 1 of the first round Saturday at Crypto.com Arena, the Lakers worked diligently on rebounding drills, knowing full well that will be one of the keys against the Rockets.
The Lakers were the fourth-worst rebounding team in the NBA, averaging 41.0 per game. The Rockets were the top rebounding team in the league, getting 48.1 overall and 15.0 on the offensive end.
And one of the Lakers' better rebounders, Luka Doncic, won’t be available because he’s dealing with a Grade 2 left hamstring strain that he went to Spain for treatment. Doncic is second on the Lakers in rebounding at 7.7 per game. His starting backcourt mate, Austin Reaves, also is a good rebounder but he also won’t play because of a Grade 2 left oblique strain. Reaves is averaging 4.7 rebounds per game.
“They’re out indefinitely,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said about Doncic and Reaves.
Redick then gave a simple answer for how the Lakers have to deal with the Rockets in the best-of-seven series.
“Again, taking care of the basketball and boxing out. That’s the series,” Redick said. “Scheme, personnel, obviously important, but if we don’t take care of the ball and we don’t box out, we’re not gonna win the series.
“They were No. 4 in scoring opportunities. We were No. 23, so we don’t have the luxury with Luka and AR out of getting drilled in scoring opportunities every single game. We gotta box out. We’re going to place an emphasis on every drill in practice. We started practice with boxing out today. You gotta put it in their minds. That’s literally the only thing we said about Houston today. Today was about us having a practice, getting sharp with our stuff. Tomorrow, we’ll introduce [Rockets] personnel. Thursday we’ll do our scout, as we would. Friday will be a reinforcement of that scout. Saturday we’ll be good to go. Only thing we did today was box out.”
Lakers 7-foot backup center Jaxson Hayes will be counted to get rebounds. He’ll also spend time dealing with Rockets All-Star center Alperen Sengun, who averages 20.4 points and 8.9 rebounds (3.0 on offense) per game.
Hayes missed the last four games because of left foot soreness, but he was back at practice Tuesday.
“Feeling a lot better,” Hayes said. “It's nice getting a few days off. Especially with my job, I jump a lot and I run a lot, so it's hard for me to rest something like that. Getting those days off was very much needed. Very helpful.”
When asked about the box-out drills the Lakers did at practice, Hayes recalled the last time he did such a thing.
“Definitely college, for sure,” Hayes said. “College days with those Texas bigs. Coaches start off the practice where you got to smack somebody. Obviously, we weren't trying to murder each other out on the boards, but definitely practicing that stuff. Houston is, I think, one of the best offensive rebounding teams in the past 20 years. So, just making sure we're ready for that.”
The Rockets are a physical team that also plays smothering defense.
Houston allowed 110.0 points per game during the regular season, the fourth-best defensive mark in the league, and held teams to 46.0% shooting, the sixth-best mark in the league.
For Lakers guard Marcus Smart, there is one way to compete with the Rockets on the backboards.
“Will. Willpower,” Smart said. “We’re competitors. We’ve been doing this for a while. We’re doing that at the highest level, right? And they’re going to try to come in and punk us. And if you will allow that, you will be punked. And I don’t think we have any guys that are going to be punked on this team. So, we might not be the most athletic and strongest, but we got to have the most heart.”
Unger Sorum, 20, has made quite the jump in his second year in North America, more than tripling his point production from his rookie year in the AHL.
The Swedish winger led the Chicago Wolves in scoring with 16 goals and 63 points in 69 games.
The 2023 second-round pick is a cerebral playmaker who excels with the puck on his stick. He has tremendous vision and is able to create time and space with ease.
While not the biggest player, he's unafraid of going into the corners either and has proven that he's capable of elevating his game in North America.
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ARLINGTON, TEXAS - APRIL 03: Josh Smith #8, Josh Jung #6, Evan Carter #32, Sam Haggerty #0, and Andrew McCutchen #4 of the Texas Rangers stand for the National Anthem before the home opener against the Cincinnati Reds at Globe Life Field on April 03, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Texas Rangers lineup for April 14, 2026 against the A’s: starting pitchers are MacKenzie Gore for the Rangers and Jeffrey Springs for the A’s.
MacKenzie Gore looks to continue his early success against the A’s this evening. With former Ranger great Jeffrey Springs, a southpaw, on the mound, we have an odd looking lineup, though one that does feature Wyatt Langford, who is back in the lineup after missing the past three games with a quad issue. Langford is at DH, though, and looking at the outfield, I hope Gore generates a lot of ground balls.
The lineup:
Nimmo — RF
Langford — DH
Seager — SS
Burger — 1B
Haggerty — CF
Jung — 3B
McCutchen — LF
Jansen — C
Duran — 2B
8:40 p.m. Central start time. Rangers are -135 favorites.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 12: Marcus Smart #36, Austin Reaves #15 and Luke Kennard #10 of the Los Angeles Lakers watch from the bench during the first half against the Utah Jazz at Crypto.com Arena on April 12, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. 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 Harry How/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Head coach JJ Redick fielded that question for the first of what will be many times on Tuesday and had a definitive, if not unclear, response.
“They’re out indefinitely,” Redick said. “I’m not going to have an update for you this week.”
Based on the latest reports, Luka is set to return to Los Angeles later this week. From there, he’ll be re-evaluated after receiving treatment in Spain. Austin, meanwhile, is not close to a return and has not really had any updates on his status.
Outside of those huge caveats, though, the Lakers are back to full health heading into the postseason. That included LeBron James, who has been on the injury report with left foot injury management, as well as Jaxson Hayes, who missed the final four games of the regular season.
Hayes’ absence was also due to a foot injury, which he discussed after practice on Tuesday.
“Feeling a lot better,” Hayes said. “It’s nice getting a few days off, especially with my job. I jump a lot and I run a lot so it was hard for me to rest something like that. So getting those days off was very much needed and very helpful.”
Despite how things went about this time last season, Hayes is set to have an important role this postseason. While it won’t be as a starter, he will be a key figure off the bench.
Fortunately, the Lakers are going to head into the playoffs with Hayes and a host of options…even if it won’t include their two top stars.
Bisons are seen on a farm in Mecklenburg-Lower Pomerania, Germany, on February 16, 2026. (Photo by Emmanuele Contini/NurPhoto via Getty Images) | NurPhoto via Getty Images
6pm CT on ESPN+.
Just got home from work… let me put this up now and then edit, so you have something to comment on.
On the Mound (I’m guessing…)
Tuesday @ 6:00pm ESPN+
Vanderbilt #45 Fr. RHP Connor “The Canadian” Hamilton (1-0; 4.07 ERA)
