2026 NBA Draft: Live Pick-by-Pick Analysis and Updates for Round 1

The 2026 NBA Draft is one that scouts and executives have targeted for several years now. Loaded at the very top with a Big 3 whose potential stardom has been well-documented since high school - AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, and Cameron Boozer could all change the course of an NBA franchise. In the hours leading up to the draft though, there was still uncertainty about exactly where they would all end up.

Thanks to the emergence of other freshmen like Caleb Wilson and Keaton Wagler, who could round out the top five, there's even more potential star power than we might have anticipated. Wagler is also just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to one-and-done point guards who could be prioritized in the lottery as Darius Acuff, Mikel Brown, and Kingston Flemings are all highly coveted coming into this draft.

While Brayden Burries and Nate Ament add even more from a loaded freshmen class, there are some college veterans to be had as well, particularly off the defending national champions. Just a day after Dusty May left Michigan to take the Dallas Mavericks job, Aday Mara, Yaxel Lendeborg, and Morez Johnson all have a chance to be a lottery pick. If it comes to fruition for all three then this would be the first time since 2007 that three-non-freshmen from the same team were picked in the lottery.

CBS Sports will be with you throughout the 2025 NBA Draft with pick-by-pick grades and analysis from our  NBA Draft  experts. Live, continuous coverage of the draft will also be available live on CBS Sports HQ at the top of this page or  on any device  of your choosing.

More : NBA Draft hub | LIVE updates | Team grades

CBS Sports mock drafts: Finkelstein | Parrish | Salerno | Norlander | Trotter

2026 NBA Draft Grades

Round 1

1. Washington Wizards : AJ Dybantsa | BYU | SF

Dybantsa is a prototypical big wing with positional size, length, athleticism, and an elastic build who can score from all three levels and create his own offense almost on demand. He pressures the rim, understands how to get fouled, and is as polished of a scorer as we've seen in several draft cycles. He will be a Day 1 scorer in the NBA and yet still has plenty of room to keep taking his game to new levels with the progression of his three-point shooting, handle, and defense. Dybantsa legitimately has the potential to lead the NBA in scoring one day, but also has to prove that he can consistently impact, and ultimately, drive winning.  Grade: A

2. Utah Jazz : Darryn Peterson | Kansas | PG

Peterson is the best fit here and has the higher long-term upside. At Kansas this season we saw a level of shot-making that we did not know existed. Peterson can get to the rim, score at all levels, and is a dynamic shotmaker. He has a chance to be the very best player to come out of this draft. With the frontcourt rebuilt this year, you can slot Peterson very cleanly next to Keyonte George to create Utah's backcourt of the future. With this move, the Jazz have essentially rebuilt its roster. The hope is that the durability issues from last season are now behind him and he can merge the shot-making we saw at Kansas with the creation we saw in high school.  Grade: A

3. Memphis Grizzlies : Cameron Boozer | Duke | PF

Boozer has the highest floor in the draft and an underrated ceiling. Not only can no other player in the field match Boozer's history of winning or production, but Boozer also has an unmatched overlap of size, skill, physicality, and feel for the game. He's also very much in line with the type of player that Memphis has prioritized in the draft process in recent years.Memphis can plug Boozer in next to Zach Edey and Cedric Coward and Memphis' rebuilding project already has their frontcourt of the future figured out. Grade: A+

4. Chicago Bulls 5. Los Angeles Clippers 6. Brooklyn Nets 7. Sacramento Kings 8. Atlanta Hawks 9. Dallas Mavericks 10. Milwaukee Bucks 11. Golden State Warriors 12. Oklahoma City Thunder 13.  Milwaukee Bucks   (via reported trade with Miami) 14. Charlotte Hornets 15.  Chicago Bulls 16.  Memphis Grizzlies 17.  Oklahoma City Thunder 18.  Charlotte Hornets 19. Toronto Raptors 20. San Antonio Spurs 21. Detroit Pistons 22. Philadelphia 76ers 23.  Atlanta Hawks 24. New York Knicks 25. Los Angeles Lakers 26. Denver Nuggets 27. Boston Celtics 28.  Brooklyn Nets   (via reported trade with Minnesota) 29. Cleveland Cavaliers 30.  Dallas Mavericks

Round 2

31.  New York Knicks 32.  Memphis Grizzlies 33.  Brooklyn Nets 34.  Sacramento Kings 35.  San Antonio Spurs 36.  Los Angeles Clippers 37.  Oklahoma City Thunder 38.  Chicago Bulls 39. Houston Rockets 40.  Boston Celtics 41. Miami Heat 42.  San Antonio Spurs 43.  Brooklyn Nets 44.  San Antonio Spurs 45.  Sacramento Kings 46. Orlando Magic 47. Phoenix Suns 48.  Dallas Mavericks 49.  Denver Nuggets 50.  Toronto Raptors 51.  Washington Wizards 52.  Los Angeles Clippers 53.  Houston Rockets 54.  Golden State Warriors 55.  New York Knicks 56.  Chicago Bulls 57.  Atlanta Hawks 58. New Orleans Pelicans 59. Minnesota Timberwolves 60.  Washington Wizards

Add CBS Sports on Google Join the Conversation comments

_Originally reported by [CBS Sports](https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/2026-nba-draft-grades-live-pick-by-pick-analysis-updates-round-1/)._