Adam Finkelstein Grades Every First-Round Pick in the 2026 NBA Draft

The first round of the 2026 NBA Draft is in the books, and the class that scouts and executives have been circling for years finally has NBA homes.

For all the anticipation around this draft -- and there has been plenty -- Tuesday night was relatively light on true chaos. There were a few wonky, small-potatoes trades, some movement around the margins and one notable faller in Koa Peat, who slid further than expected before barely saving face as a first-round pick. But the headliner remained the pool itself: a loaded group of prospects headlined by a Big 3 whose potential stardom has been obvious since high school. AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson and Cameron Boozer have long been viewed as franchise-altering talents, and now the real work begins for the Wizards, Jazz and Grizzlies, in that order.

The strength of this draft did not stop there. Caleb Wilson and Keaton Wagler helped give the top five even more star power than expected, while the one-and-done point guard crop -- Wagler, Mikel Brown, Darius Acuff and Kingston Flemings among them -- gave lottery teams plenty to debate. Brooklyn picking Brown over Acuff will be one of the draft's defining long-term questions.

2026 NBA Draft team grades: Report cards for all 30 teams after Round 1 Cameron Salerno

As always, these grades are not just a referendum on the player. They are an attempt to evaluate each pick in the proper context: the prospect's long-term upside, the team fit, the range of outcomes and, in some cases, the resources it took to get into position to make the selection.

With that in mind, here are CBS Sports' grades for every pick in the first round of the 2026 NBA Draft.

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 3-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 : Caleb Wilson | N. Carolina | PF

Wilson was the fairly obvious choice here. He has legit star-type outcome and potential. He's the most explosive athlete in the draft with a big-time motor and unusual elasticity (or bend) for a player his size.  At North Carolina, Wilson was farther along offensively than expected and yet has immense room for progress, not just with his perimeter skill-set, but even his defensive polish. Those tools should check a lot of boxes for new Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Bryson Graham.  Grade: A

5. Los Angeles Clippers : Keaton Wagler | Illinois | PG

Of the four one-and-done freshman point guards, Wagler is the easiest to pair with Clippers' guard Darius Garland. The positional size and shooting give him on/off ball versatility that would be critical in this context, but it's his feel for the game and natural instincts that may be his true superpower. Wagler is a natural shooter with versatility to make shots off the catch, dribble, or on the move. He has terrific basketball instincts, high basketball IQ, and a very deliberate pace that prevents opposing defenders from speeding him up. Grade: B+

2026 NBA Draft: Wizards take AJ Dybantsa over Darryn Peterson at No. 1 as top four unfolds without a surprise Cameron Salerno

6. Brooklyn Nets : Mikel Brown Jr. | Louisville | PG

Brown gives Brooklyn a naturally skilled, high-upside, late-blooming lead guard, whose athleticism is catching up. He's incredibly skilled, naturally ambidextrous, has complete control of the ball, is a pinpoint passer, and a much better shooter than his numbers showed at Louisville. Brown Makes deep shots in bunches when he gets hot. Excellent left hand too. Very good floor-vision, passing, and ability to make reads coming off of ball-screens. Ranked in the 89th percentile as a pick-and-roll ball-handler. Grown into having positional size at 6-3.5 without shoes, long arms, and newfound athleticism. The concerns are Brown's lack of strength and physicality. He can hunt high-level plays instead of making the easy one, and he has a history of injuries, which could impact his durability.B rown impressed teams when he met with them face-to-face.  Grade: B+

7. Sacramento Kings : Darius Acuff Jr. | Arkansas | PG

This is exactly what Sacramento wanted and it didn't have to trade up to get him.  Acuff gives the Kings the type of offensive alpha creator they don't yet have and he provides a more immediate impact than other players on the board, especially on the offensive end of the floor. Acuff is a shot-creator and multi-level scoring threat. He has the strength, balance, and poise to dictate his own pace and supplements that with extreme confidence to deliver in big games and moments. There are some concerns with his defensive commitment and approach. Size, length, and athleticism are adequate for NBA standards, but not ideal. Grade: A-

8. Atlanta Hawks : Kingston Flemings | Houston | PG

Flemings gives Atlanta a high-level athlete and two-way lead guard with a high floor. Flemings would fit with a defensively oriented young perimeter core in Atlanta, and give them plenty of upside if his shooting proves to be sustainable. What is undeniable is that Flemings is an elite athlete who can get a piece of the paint on demand and rise up explosively at the rim.

Flemings is a dynamic athlete with end-to-end speed, burst in his first step, physical strength, and leaping ability. He puts constant pressure on the paint, attacks both sides off the dribble, and rises up for big finishes. He's also capable of getting to his pull-up at virtually any time and arguably the most dedicated defender of this freshman quartet. Flemings has solid positional size, but lacks great length. His 3-point shot is still very streaky with questionable mechanics.  Grade: B+

'Nerd' Kingston Flemings knows he could be an analyst or a scout; instead, he'll be a first-round draft pick James Herbert

9. Dallas Mavericks : Morez Johnson Jr. | Michigan | PF

New Mavs coach Dusty May brings in a Michigan player to Dallas. Morez Johnson was one of the biggest winners of the combine, measuring bigger than expected with massive length, well-rounded athleticism, and simultaneously reaffirming the shooting gains we saw this year. Johnson is long and powerful with an NBA-ready body and rugged physicality to match. He is a two-way rebounder and a versatile defender who can not only guard ball-screens in multiple ways but also be switchable inside-and-out. Johnson is not a creator and doesn't project as being more than a complementary piece offensively. Shooting is also still largely unproven with a total of 12 3-pointers in two college basketball seasons. He can provide some secondary rim protection, but doesn't project as a primary shot-blocker at the NBA level.  Grade: C+

10. Milwaukee Bucks : Brayden Burries | Arizona | SG

The Bucks benefit from Dallas taking a swing on Morez Johnson and are able to get Burries at No. 10. Burries is a strong and aggressive two-way guard who can get downhill with force, provide a formidable 3-point shooter, and defend his position, all with an NBA-ready frame. He has versatility in his shot-making profile and utilizes his strength as an engaged defender and high-volume perimeter rebounder. Burries played point guard when he was younger, but hasn't shown the ball-handling or passing growth as much since. Best as a secondary handler. Grade: B+

11. Golden State Warriors : Yaxel Lendeborg | Michigan | PF

Lendeborg is one of the more versatile two-way players, and specifically defenders, in the draft. At 6-9 with a 7-3+ wingspan, he often guarded opposing point guards this year, is an excellent passer, and improved shooter who made 37% of his 3-pointers. Very good passer who can be a connector offensively, start the break himself, and has improved each year as a shooter.

The questions about Lendeborg are tied to his upside since he will turn 24-years-old before playing in his first NBA game. Very solid ball-handler for his size but more of a straight-line driver than dynamic creator or change of direction play. Aday Mara would have been a better roster fit here for the Warriors.  Grade B-

12. Oklahoma City Thunder : Aday Mara | Michigan | C

The Thunder picking Mara here is easily seen as a direct answer to attempting to defend San Antonio Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama for the foreseeable future. At 7-3 (without shoes), Mara is a giant, even by NBA standards, and a tremendous rim protector. He's also got sneaky mobility, good hands, real passing ability, and provides vertical spacing.  Mara is a defensive anchor who alters or discourages as many shots as he blocks thanks to his timing and massive size.

Playmaking big who has good touch, can pass the ball from various spots on the floor, and even show some creativity with the way he can manipulate passing angles. Vertical spacer and lob threat who ranked in the 97th percentile at the rim with his extreme reach, underrated hands, and coordination for his size. Mara's body mechanics aren't ideal with less visible muscle mass and high/wide hips that can impact his flexibility. Not always a graceful mover on the perimeter, but more adept at keeping people in front than he sometimes gets credit for. He is an inconsistent free-throw shooter who has shown a reluctance to develop his face-up touch.  Grade: A-

13.  Milwaukee Bucks : Nate Ament | Tennessee | PF

(via trade with Miami)

The Bucks begin their rebuild after trading away Giannis Antetokounmpo by selecting Ament, a late-blooming 6-10 combo-forward who is fluid and has touch and skill. Ament remains inconsistent and needs to get stronger, but has a great overlap of positional size, along with dexterity (great left hand) and fluidity as a mover. He has soft natural hands and touch and a high release point on his shot.

Ament has a lack of strength and sheer force in his game, which can impact his physicality. He can play upright, without ideal bend or upper body elasticity, on both ends of the floor, and is somewhat in between positions defensively. Ament's shooting and finishing numbers haven't been nearly as encouraging in college as they were in high school. While his freshman year was u

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