Notable NBA Mock Draft 2026 Expert Picks for Bulls, 76ers, Celtics, Warriors, Lakers, Knicks & More
Things Will Get Interesting After the Top 10
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As you can see from the top-10-comparisons and the first-round mock from Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman, there may not be a ton of drama early in Round 1. Wasserman, The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie, CBS Sports’ Adam Finkelstein, and ESPN’s Jeremy Woo all had the Washington Wizards taking AJ Dybantsa first overall.
In fact, all four mocks we examined had the same 10 prospects going in the top 10, albeit not all in the same order. Now, we’re almost certain to see some surprises in the top 10, quite possibly via trades, but things will really get interesting as the round shifts to the middle portion.
The Golden State Warriors, for example, fell just outside of the top 10 as a play-in team last season. There’s only a near consensus for their selection. While Vecenie, Finkelstein and Woo paired Golden State with Michigan’s Aday Mara, Wasserman mocked NBL standout Karim Lopez to the Warriors.
Things get more unpredictable later into the draft. With the Bulls’ second selection (15th overall), Finkelstein went with Kentucky’s Jayden Quaintance, Vecenie went with Michigan’s Yaxel Lendeborg, Woo went with Washington’s Hannes Steinbach, and Wasserman went with Texas Tech’s Christian Anderson.
The Philadelphia 76ers—who own the Houston Rockets’ 22nd pick—were paired with Arizona’s Koa Peat by both Vecenie and Finkelstein. Wasserman went with Washington’s Chris Cenac Jr., and Woo went with Texas’ Dailyn Swan.
While things may be unpredictable in the middle-to-late portions of Round 1, playoff teams like the Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics, and the Knicks can still find good value and potential contributors.
For example, Wasserman mocked Peat to the Celtics at No. 27 as a potential bargain:
“While questions about shooting and fit have reduced interest around the freshman, they may have also helped turn Peat into a buy-low value pick for teams interested in adding a physical, interior scorer and frontcourt passing asset,” Wasserman wrote.
Vecenie partnered the Lakers with a potential scheme fit in St. John’s Zuby Ejiofor.
“I like them building their frontcourt with a versatile player in Ejiofor, a tough defender who can switch on the perimeter. He’s long, athletic and protects the rim well for his size,” Vecenie wrote.
Despite winning the title, even the Knicks can come away from Round 1 with a quality player. Woo, for example, mocked North Carolina’s Henri Veesaar to New York at No. 24:
“Veesaar’s perimeter shooting and sheer size should give him a path to rotation minutes relatively early and have put him in play for first-round teams that need depth at center. The Knicks are a team that probably will look at bigs, whether at this spot or later, with Mitchell Robinson a pending free agent.”
Vecenie and Woo mocked Tarris Reed Jr. of Connecticut to the Knicks, while Wasserman went with Arkansas’ Meleek Thomas.
