Worldwide Sports News

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.

Gansey said he's "going to be aggressive." Said the team has several needs and they could look to target someone in the second round. https://t.co/3nLPv6h7eT

— Paul Hudrick (@PaulHudrick) June 24, 2026

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.

The Mavericks sent cash to the Lakers for Vsevolod Ishchenko at 56, sources said. https://t.co/638X6OhLVi

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 25, 2026

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.

The Lakers buy back into the draft to select Kuban's Vsevolod Ishchenko with the 56th pick of the 2026 NBA Draft.

The 6'8" Russian with a 7'0" wingspan brings two-way versatility, flashy playmaking, and athletic upside to the table.

Late talent swing on the draft's mystery man. pic.twitter.com/LhRvYmhmrQ

— Jon Chepkevich (@JonChep) June 25, 2026

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.

Jack Kayil says he does not plan to return to Germany for another year after being drafted by the Knicks pic.twitter.com/micv9vL2Ee

— SNY Knicks (@sny_knicks) June 25, 2026

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.

The Mavericks sent cash to the Lakers for Vsevolod Ishchenko at 56, sources said. https://t.co/638X6OhLVi

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 25, 2026

Vsevolod Ishchenko to the Dallas Mavericks via a late trade with the Lakers… he was linked to Dallas before the draft, and that plays out. Sneaky athletic wing from Russia who can really shoot it. Imagine this is a stash, but an interesting one nonetheless.

— Nathan Grubel (@DraftDeeper) June 25, 2026

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.

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.

— Jake Fischer (@JakeLFischer) June 25, 2026

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.

Had been a lot of noise with the Lakers and Veesaar, but the Hawks jump them and get him in a trade with the Clippers.

— Dan Woike (@DanWoikeSports) June 25, 2026

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.

After a breakout season with the Virginia Cavaliers, Ugonna Onyenso is headed to the NBA. The shot-swatting center had his name called with the 53rd overall pick in the second round of the 2026 NBA Draft on Wednesday evening. Though Onyenso briefly donned a Houston Rockets cap after being selected, his final landing spot is with the Detroit Pistons due to a pair of trades that funneled the 53rd pick from the Rockets to the New York Knicks and, ultimately, to Detroit.

Ugonna Onyenso is in pure shock as he gets picked 53rd 🥹 pic.twitter.com/JPQ7I3uPgE

— NBA Draft (@NBADraft) June 25, 2026

A 6-foot-11 former top-30 high school prospect, Onyenso is the first ’Hoo to hear his name called in the NBA Draft since Ryan Dunn went off the board in the first round to the Phoenix Suns in 2024. Onyenso’s collegiate career, however, took longer than expected to get off the starting blocks. During a pair of seasons at Kentucky and another at Kansas State, Onyenso averaged no more than 3.6 points per game while making just 16 total starts.

The Owerri, Nigeria, native, however, finally found his second home in Charlottesville just in time for his senior season. Making up one-half of Virginia’s dynamic center rotation alongside Johann Grunloh, Onyenso averaged career-highs in points (6.5), rebounds (4.9), blocks (2.9), and steals (0.6) per game on his way to earning ACC All-Defensive Team honors.

An elite shot-blocker with outstanding timing, jump discipline, and natural length, Onyenso continued to improve throughout his senior season, culminating in an otherworldly string of games during Virginia’s ACC Tournament run that earned him a First-Team All-Tournament selection. In a trio of contests against NC State, Miami, and Duke, Onyenso blocked an ACC Tournament record 21 shots, including nine against the Blue Devils in the tournament final. His herculean effort against Duke helped limit Cameron Boozer (the third-overall selection in the draft) to 3-of-17 shooting from the floor.

The Detroit Pistons (via HOU, NYK) have selected Virginia's Ugonna Onyenso with the 53rd pick of the 2026 NBA Draft.

The 7'0" Nigerian center with a 9'5 standing reach is one of the best rim-protectors in the draft class. pic.twitter.com/x4ap2F73R4

— Jon Chepkevich (@JonChep) June 25, 2026

While Onyenso’s offensive game is still a work in progress (though he debuted a much-improved outside jump shot while at UVA), his defensive prowess could earn him NBA minutes sooner than later. With a 7’4.75” wingspan and a sturdy frame, Onyenso possesses an NBA-ready body and the skillset to step in as a lob threat and rim protector from day one.

In Detroit, Onyenso will have some room to climb the depth chart after the Pistons dealt Isaiah Stewart, another known defensive stopper, to the Memphis Grizzlies earlier on Wednesday night. The former ’Hoo will get his first taste of professional action and his first shot at earning a roster spot in the NBA Summer League, which gets underway in early July.

The 2026 NBA Draft has officially concluded, which means the start of undrafted free agency has begun for players who didn't hear their names called.

The chaos of the second round, as always, yielded fascinating results and some prospects still have a chance to carve out their own path.

Every year, there are undrafted free agents who still find their way into earning significant minutes. Last year, it was Ryan Nembhard (Dallas Mavericks) and Caleb Love (Portland Trail Blazers). The year before that, it was Justin Edwards on the Philadelphia 76ers. The year before that, it was Ricky Council IV. We also saw players like Keon Ellis and Scotty Pippen Jr. in 2022.

Some of the other notable undrafted free agents we have seen succeed in the league include Fred VanVleet, Austin Reaves, and Jose Alvarado. It is clearly important for front offices to find value on the edges even after the draft has concluded.

We will continue to update this post with where each of the most significant undrafted free agents will begin their NBA careers.

BEST UNDRAFTED FREE AGENTS

This section will be updated as signings are made.

This list is based on consensus rankings tracked by USA TODAY Sports.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NBA undrafted free agent tracker: Where players signed after Round 2 of draft

The Sacramento Kings selections continue to win the 2026 NBA Draft.

On Night 2, the Kings selected Emanuel Sharp with the No. 45 pick of the second round.

The 6-foot-3 guard out of Houston should not be slept on. He's a defensive guy, who can spread the floor with his shooting capability.

Sharp helped the Cougars advance to the Elite Eight. In the 2025-26 season, he averaged 15.5 points on 37.2% from 3-point range. He set the school record for most career 3-pointers with 309, passing current Detroit Pistons guard Marcus Sasser.

He was a 2025-26 All-Big 12 First Team and All-Defensive Team selection as a senior. He can come in and claim minutes in Sacramento by being a guy who plays alongside Darius Acuff Jr., coexisting through the intangibles of knocking down shots and guarding perimeter players.

Here's our grade for the Sacramento Kings' second round selection:

More: Best players available in 2026 NBA Draft: Who is worth taking in Round 2?

NBA Draft grades: Grading Kings' second-round pick: Emanuel Sharp

Here's how USA TODAY Sports grades the Sacramento Kings' second-round draft selection:

• The grade: A
• Why?: If you've read our recent Kings draft coverage, then you'd know that Sharp was one of the players suggested that Sacramento should target. For good reason, too. Again, Sharp is offensively sharp. He gets to the rim, he slashes. He plays defense. This is a fitting piece to the pillars that the Kings continue to discuss.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY Sports: Kings grab NBA Draft gold with Emanuel Sharp pick