Sports

2026 NBA Mock Draft: Isaac Trotter Projects All 30 First-Round Picks Amidst Late Changes

Isaac Trotter’s latest mock draft for the 2026 NBA season predicts all 30 first-round selections, incorporating recent developments just days before the draft.

CBS Sports·Jun 19, 2026·via CBS Sports

2026 NBA Mock Draft: Isaac Trotter Projects All 30 First-Round Picks Amidst Late Changes

The buzz surrounding the NBA Draft is reaching a fevered pitch with the closing bell right around the corner. The draft kicks off Tuesday with real stakes at the top of the pecking order, consternation about who could try to trade up and the looming threat of a Giannis Antetokounmpo trade that could shake up the hierarchy in the East or the West.

Right now, it's all about deciphering what's real and fake in the pre-draft process. Prospects are flying up, down and around the United States for a plethora of workouts. For some franchises, pre-draft workouts hold a ton of weight. Others are more willing to let last year's tape set the benchmark for the evaluation.

There's been a ton of noise about specific landing spots. What are we buying or selling, entering the final hour?

Let's dive in.

Mock Draft Round 1

Round 1 - Pick 1

AJ Dybantsa

BYU

• Fr • 6'9" / 217 lbs

Projected Team

Washington

PROSPECT RNK

1st

POSITION RNK

1st

PPG

25.5

RPG

6.8

APG

3.7

3P%

33.1%

Washington will continue to do its due diligence with Cameron Boozer and Darryn Peterson, but the AJ Dybantsa groundswell isn't disappearing anytime soon. Dybantsa has a chance to be one of the NBA's most terrifying transition scorers from the jump while doubling as an elite isolation scorer. That's special stuff. Leading the NBA in scoring is within the range of potential outcomes. Dybantsa's growth from an iffy playmaker to a good decision-maker is a strong indicator of what could be in store for a prospect who was self-aware enough to diagnose his flaws and do something about them. The 6-foot-9 wing put up ludicrous numbers at BYU, but the best is yet to come. Dybantsa is a worthy choice to become the face of the Wizards' franchise.

Round 1 - Pick 2

Darryn Peterson

Kansas

• Fr • 6'5" / 200 lbs

Projected Team

Utah

PROSPECT RNK

2nd

POSITION RNK

1st

PPG

20.2

RPG

4.2

APG

1.6

3P%

38.2%

The Cameron Boozer buzz to Utah is not a smokescreen, but Darryn Peterson remains the choice at No. 2. Utah doesn't want to toil in mediocrity much longer. Peterson becoming a true difference-maker is the quickest way for Utah to become competitive, unless Danny Ainge and the Utah brain trust strongly believe that Boozer is on another tier than Peterson and they have a Lauri Markkanen or Walker Kessler trade up its sleeve that brings in a perimeter difference-maker. Those are big what-ifs. A core of Keyonte George, Darryn Peterson, Ace Bailey, Jaren Jackson Jr., Kessler and Markkanen can be a factor in the West next season. Peterson could become Utah's version of Devin Booker -- a rangy 6-foot-5 shot-maker who can toggle on or off the ball at a moment's notice. Peterson's jumper is so silky. He shot 38% from downtown and 43% on midrange jumpers despite having one of the toughest shot diets due to Kansas having little spacing and Peterson's inability to create a ton of separation. If Peterson can put his leg injuries in the past and rediscover the zoom-zoom burst we saw in high school at Prolific Prep, he can be the best player from this draft.

Round 1 - Pick 3

Cameron Boozer

Duke

• Fr • 6'8" / 250 lbs

Projected Team

Memphis

PROSPECT RNK

3rd

POSITION RNK

1st

PPG

22.5

RPG

10.2

APG

4.1

3P%

39.1%

I've maintained that the 2026 NBA Draft is a Big Three, not a Big Four, which makes this pick awfully simple. Cameron Boozer should be the choice, and it'll go swimmingly. A Boozer-Zach Edey frontcourt just absolutely vaporizes opponents on the glass. That raises the floor for Memphis in a tangible way from Day One, and Boozer has a sterling combination of a high floor and a sky-high ceiling. The 6-foot-9 forward mixes power and finesse with the best of 'em. He can go through defenders or drain treys in eyesockets. But his secret sauce is his mind. Boozer is an outstanding processor who can create advantages as a playmaker in a jiffy. My biggest reservation with Boozer is his heavy feet. Defending in space is going to be a work in progress, but Memphis can cover up some of those flaws with the ginormous Edey waiting on the back line. Betting against Boozer is a fool's errand. He's too smart to fail.

Round 1 - Pick 4

Caleb Wilson

North Carolina

• Fr • 6'9" / 210 lbs

Projected Team

Chicago

PROSPECT RNK

4th

POSITION RNK

2nd

PPG

19.8

RPG

9.4

APG

2.7

3P%

25.9%

Caleb Wilson is a competitive psychopath, and I'm here for all of it. The 6-foot-10 forward has an insatiable desire to win every single night. It's why he took it personally in every matchup against the top-rated players in this class. Wilson does not have an off switch, and that willingness to run the floor repeatedly should help him be a menacing transition scorer from the jump while polishing the rest of his game. I buy Wilson's playmaking, especially in the open floor. The ball doesn't stick. If Chicago wants to continue to play with pace, adding Wilson is like pouring a gallon of gas onto the fire. There are still questions about whether Wilson can add enough skill to his toolbelt to become a jumbo wing, but the combination of power, defensive potential, athleticism and straight dawg is hard to pass up.

From Indiana Pacers Round 1 - Pick 5

Keaton Wagler

Illinois

• Fr • 6'5" / 188 lbs

Projected Team

L.A. Clippers

PROSPECT RNK

5th

POSITION RNK

2nd

PPG

17.9

RPG

5.1

APG

4.2

3P%

39.7%

The Clippers have been doing plenty of homework on Keaton Wagler for weeks, and I still expect that to be the selection. Wagler is the biggest guard on the board, and he is such a dead-eye shooter, which gives Los Angeles time to figure out if Darius Garland is the PG1 of the future, or if it needs to be the Wagler show. Ultimately, taking the 6-foot-6 guard who can shoot the cover off the ball, rarely makes freshman mistakes and has already packed more than 20 pounds onto his thin frame, makes too much sense. Don't overlook some of the ancillary aspects of Wagler's game, either. Wagler told CBS Sports that his dad, Logan, put it in his head early that he should try to create at least one offensive rebound every single game. He tallied 21 games with multiple offensive rebounds at Illinois last year. He also has the IQ and size to be a diligent defender. Wagler has All-Star potential with the mind of a dirty-work role player.

Round 1 - Pick 6

Darius Acuff Jr.

Arkansas

• Fr • 6'2" / 185 lbs

Projected Team

Brooklyn

PROSPECT RNK

6th

POSITION RNK

3rd

PPG

23.5

RPG

3.1

APG

6.4

3P%

44%

Brooklyn needs to take the best player available, and luckily, a franchise point guard will fall right into its lap. Darius Acuff Jr. walking onto the floor is a terrifying sight for any defense. He has answers to the test at every single level. I'm not concerned about his size -- he has a 6-foot-7 wingspan and chiseled shoulders -- but I do think it's fair to worry about his athleticism and attention to detail defensively. When those fears creep in, just flip on the tape, sit back and chuckle at the domination. His 49-point, five-assist, one-turnover game against Alabama was one of the best offensive games I've seen from a college guard. Acuff is so, so cold. The Nate Ament-Brooklyn buzz feels like a bluff to try and manufacture a team like Milwaukee to trade up from 10. Sticking at 6 and plucking Acuff makes the most sense.

Round 1 - Pick 7

Mikel Brown Jr.

Louisville

• Fr • 6'4" / 190 lbs

Projected Team

Sacramento

PROSPECT RNK

8th

POSITION RNK

5th

PPG

18.2

RPG

3.3

APG

4.7

3P%

34.4%

Sacramento needs a point guard and a star. Louisville's Mikel Brown Jr. has a tantalizing ceiling that you just can't pass on, especially for a franchise that wanted to be higher up in the pecking order after winning just 22 games in 2024-25. You can build an entire offense around Brown. He has real positional size, he can shoot rainbow jumpers off the bounce and the playmaking gene is obvious. When he turns the corner and gets to the rack, he can violently punch on defenders. I like the Damian Lillard comparisons for Brown quite a bit. If Brown is the best shooter from this draft class, I wouldn't be surprised one bit.

From New Orleans Pelicans Round 1 - Pick 8

Kingston Flemings

Houston

• Fr • 6'3" / 183 lbs

Projected Team

Atlanta

PROSPECT RNK

7th

POSITION RNK

4th

PPG

16.1

RPG

4.1

APG

5.2

3P%

38.7%

This decision is between Michigan center Aday Mara or a point guard. Atlanta's defense would be one of the best units in the league with Mara in the fold, but Atlanta has a second first-round pick at No. 23. Almost all the point guards are likely gone at that point, but there are some intriguing bigs on the market in the early-20s. That leaves an interesting two-by-two decision at stake. Do you like a Flemings-Henri Veesaar combination more than the best-case scenario that you can get Mara at No. 8 and then maybe Stanford's Ebuka Okorie at No. 23? It's a tough call. While I love Mara, so many teams are coveting these point guards, so Atlanta can't be left high and dry. Taking Flemings at No. 8 assures it leaves this draft with a point guard it can build around. Flemings is the fastest point guard in this class. Speed kills, and the paint touches he generates will be invaluable.

Round 1 - Pick 9

Brayden Burries

Arizona

• Fr • 6'4" / 215 lbs

Projected Team

Dallas

PROSPECT RNK

9th

POSITION RNK

1st

PPG

16.1

RPG

4.9

APG

2.4

3P%

39.1%

Burries is tough, smart and dependable. He might not have quite enough juice to be a top-two option on a great team, but Burries would be a phenomenal third fiddle. Burries would have every opportunity to be the best version of himself in Dallas, playing alongside Kyrie Irving and Cooper Flagg as a souped-up role player. Burries doesn't really have many flaws in his game. He can defend, play with pace, play on or off the ball, hit pull-ups or catch-and-shoot 3s and rebound well for his position. Klutch CEO Rich Paul is well aware of how fit everything is in the NBA. I don't think the Burries-to-Dallas smoke is fake at all. Flagg and Burries are both five-tool players.

Round 1 - Pick 10

Nate Ament

Tennessee

• Fr • 6'10" / 211 lbs

Projected Team

Milwaukee

PROSPECT RNK

10th

POSITION RNK

3rd

PPG

16.7

RPG

6.3

APG

2.3

3P%

33.3%

Ament is viewed as a high-risk, high-reward player, but I don't see it that way. There will always be a place in the NBA for a big wing with touch and defensive upside. Defense is the way for Ament to get on the floor early in his career. Milwaukee can give Ament a long runway to work out the kinks in his game, especially if it trades Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Round 1 - Pick 11

Aday Mara

Michigan

• Jr • 7'3" / 260 lbs

Projected Team

Golden St.

PROSPECT RNK

11th

POSITION RNK

1st

PPG

12.1

RPG

6.8

APG

2.4

3P%

30%

At 7-foot-3 with a 9-9 standing reach, Mara makes big people look average. Mara has elite size for the position, and he'd be one of the top shot-blockers in the NBA from the jump. He got tougher at Michigan and also showed additional defensive versatility, along with his unique feel as a top-of-the-key playmaker who can make reads in DHOs. That would be especially key in this Golden State offense, where he could set road-grating screens for Steph Curry and give Steve Kerr a much-needed changeup against the big fellas that litter the West.

From Los Angeles Clippers Round 1 - Pick 12

Morez Johnson Jr.

Michigan

• Soph • 6'9" / 250 lbs