2026 NBA Draft Grades

The 2026 NBA Draft has had some twists and turns. Each team will be given a grade for their picks in the draft. Here are the 2026 NBA Draft Grades.

Eastern Conference

Atlanta Hawks: A 

Draft Picks: G Kingston Flemings, F Zuby Ejiofor, C Henri Veesar, 

Flemings doesn’t get the credit he deserves as a prospect. He plays great perimeter defense and runs the show on offense while playing at his own pace, making him a good fit for a Hawks team looking for a new point guard. Ejiofor may be undersized for the interior, but he can pass, defend and rebound. Veesar can stretch the floor well and also can battle for rebounds down low. 

Boston Celtics: B+

Draft Picks: C Chris Cenac, F Dillon Mitchell

Cenac can prioritize shooting from outside rather than in the paint, but is a good athlete with nice size. Mitchell is a good athlete and defender, who should be able to carve out a role on an NBA team. 

Brooklyn Nets: C

Draft Picks: G Mikel Brown, F Joshua Jefferson, F Tyler Bilodeau,

Brown was taken over other guards who were better. He can be a microwave on offense, but also goes through rough shooting stretches. If he can stay healthy and improve his consistency and shot selection, he can end up living up to this pick. Jefferson is recovering from injury, but he was great as a point forward this past college basketball season. Bilodeau can shoot, but may have issues on the defensive end of the floor. 

Charlotte Hornets: B

Draft Picks: F Hannes Steinbach, G Christian Anderson, 

The Hornets get a good offensive threat in Steinbach and he rebounds well too. Anderson is able to play on and off the ball, with the ability to create and shoot, making him a good pick at no. 18. 

Chicago Bulls: A

Draft Picks: F Caleb Wilson, F Dailyn Swain,

Wilson was injured down the stretch for UNC, but showed great potential before that. He has good length and athleticism to defend on the wing and also is solid scoring at the first two levels. Swain has improved his three-point shot, but will need to continue to do so. He is a versatile defender and a good creator, in a unique way for his size. 

Cleveland Cavaliers: A

Draft Picks: G Meleek Thomas, 

Thomas had a good freshman season at Arkansas, showing the ability to shoot and play on or off the ball. 

Detroit Pistons: B

Draft Picks: G Ebuka Okorie, 

The Pistons traded up for Okorie, who was a high-usage player at Stanford, but showed he was able to handle scoring duties. 

Indiana Pacers: B

Draft Picks: G Braden Smith,

Smith won’t do much on defense, but he can run an offense as a backup point guard. 

Miami Heat: A

Draft Picks: G Ryan Conwell,

Conwell is a great shooter who doesn’t need a lot of space to get his shot off. 

Milwaukee Bucks: A

Draft Picks: G Brayden Burries, F Nate Ament, F Malique Lewis

The Bucks are turning over to a new chapter and now get Burries, who is a great shooter. He can develop into a go-to guy down the line, making him worth the selection. Ament took a while to get going as a freshman, but has unique height, length and scoring for the wing. 

New York Knicks: B

Draft Picks: G Jack Kayil, F Tyler Nickel, C Ugonna Onyenso

The Knicks get a lot of credit for trading down several times to save money and then taking a player in Kayil that they can stash if need be to keep their roster as flexible as possible. Nickel will provide shooting and can defend a little bit, too. Onyenso is a great rim protector who can improve his offensive game to help himself make an NBA roster. 

Orlando Magic: C

Draft Picks: C Felix Okpara, F Izaiayah Nelson, 

Okpara can provide some rim protection and rebounding early in his career. Nelson can protect the rim, rebound and throw down some athletic dunks as well. 

Philadelphia 76ers: A

Draft Picks: G Labaron Philon, 

The 76ers took the best player available in Philon, who can create for teammates and also really improved his 3-point shot this past season. 

Toronto Raptors: C+

Draft Picks: F Allen Graves, G Jaden Bradley,

Graves can stretch the floor well for a player of his size, but also showed good defense with the ability to jump passing lanes. Bradley is a great defender and can also run the offense for a team, with an ability to prioritize ball security. 

Washington Wizards: A

Draft Picks: F AJ Dybantsa, 

Dybantsa provides an athletic wing to pair with the recent additions of Trae Young and Anthony Davis. He is a good fit and also has plenty of talent making him worthy of the first pick. 

Western Conference

Dallas Mavericks: F

Draft Picks: F Morez Johnson, F Sergio De Larrea, F Tobi Lawal, G Vsevolod Ishchenko, 

While he did play for Dusty May last season, selecting Johnson in the top 10 was a bit of a reach. He can play good defense, but really needs to work on his offensive game to be worth the pick. De Larrea is a wing that can shoot, but still has some work to do before he is ready to see serious NBA minutes. Lawal is a good athlete and can help with rebounding and protecting the rim. 

Denver Nuggets: B

Draft Picks: F Trevon Brazile, F Bryce Hopkins,

Brazile can do a bit of everything and is a good athlete, but has issues with his consistency. Hopkins battled injuries during his career, but rebounded well as a forward who has a lot of skill. 

Golden State Warriors: A

Draft Picks: F Yaxel Lendeborg, G LaJae Jones,  

Lendeborg did a little bit of everything during his college career, with the ability to score, rebound and create. He can be a good fit with the Warriors’ aging roster. Jones played at three different schools in four different years, but still needs some time in the G-League before he’s ready for NBA minutes.  

Houston Rockets: B

Draft Picks: G Bruce Thornton,

Thornton protects the ball and knows how to score, as Ohio State’s all-time leader. 

Los Angeles Clippers: B

Draft Picks: G Keaton Wagler, F Baba Miller, F Nick Martinelli, F Narcisse Ngoy,

Wagler has the ability to play on and off the ball, which could make him a fit to play next to Darius Garland. While he was under-recruited, Wagler showed potential to create his own shot at Illinois and make smart decisions with the basketball. Miller is a very skilled player for a player of his height and had some big games for Cincinnati this past season. Martinelli can stretch the floor and is an experienced scorer. 

Los Angeles Lakers: A

Draft Picks: G Cameron Carr, 

Carr can shoot the ball and is pretty athletic, making him a player who can beat defenses in a few different ways. 

Memphis Grizzlies: A-

Draft Picks: F Cam Boozer, F Karim Lopez, G Richie Saunders, 

Boozer is a skilled point-forward who can stretch the floor a bit with his shooting. While he is not the most athletic, he is able to handle a high usage rate at the next level. Lopez has shown some solid progress in the NBL, but will have to work on his shot. Saunders is a great shooter that is recovering from injury, but should be able to fight for a roster spot. 

Minnesota Timberwolves: A

Draft Picks: G Isaiah Evans, F Trey Kaufman-Renn, 

Evans has some issues, but he is too good of a shooter and scorer to fall to the second round, but the Timberwolves benefited. Kaufman-Renn is great at scoring in the paint, but needs to diversify his game. 

New Orleans Pelicans: B

Draft Picks: G Jaron Pierre,  

Pierre was able to score well at SMU and become a more effiicient player in his last season. 

Oklahoma City Thunder: B

Draft Picks: C Aday Mara, G Bennett Stirtz, G Otega Oweh

The Thunder get a good rim protector in Mara, who also can score in the paint. Stirtz is a good shooter who can execute the half-court offense, but was probably taken a bit too early. Oweh doesn’t have the smoothest jump shot, but can provide great defense for an NBA team when he is locked in. 

Phoenix Sun: A

Draft Picks: F Koa Peat

Peat is an athletic player who is more of a traditional power forward and needs to work on his outside shot. 

Portland Trail Blazers:

Sacramento Kings: A-

Draft Picks: G Darius Acuff, F Alex Karaban, G Emanuel Sharp, 

Acuff was the best player on the board as a good athlete and three-level scorer. He can also set up his teammates well, but his defense will need some major work for the next level. Karaban is a good stretch four who has experience making cluth plays at UConn. Sharp is a good defender, but is a better shooter who shows up in clutch situations. 

San Antonio Spurs: A

Draft Picks: F Jayden Quaintance, C Tarris Reed, G Ja’Kobi Gillespie, F Maliq Brown,

Quaintance is an injury risk after only playing four games for Kentucky, but he has the ability to change games with his shot blocking. Reed had a great NCAA Tournament run, bolstering his stock. He can score inside, rebound and block shots, but he won’t stretch the floor. Gillespie handled a heavy scoring load at Maryland and Tennessee the last two seasons as the point guard. Brown is a great defender who won’t offer much on the offensive end of the floor. 

Utah Jazz: A

Draft Picks: G Darryn Peterson,

The Jazz could use a guard to fit their roster and Peterson could be the best scorer in this class. He wasn’t durable in college, which is a concern, but when he is on the court, he can score at all three levels. 

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