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The first round of the 2026 NBA draft is officially complete, and it did not disappoint. At the top of the draft, the Wizards kicked things off with a selection so clear-cut that we all predicted it from our couches months ago, taking AJ Dybantsa who will team up with Trae Young and Anthony Davis in D.C.
Much of the early portions of the draft may have gone as expected, but we had some noteworthy trades, reaches, and interesting falls as things progressed. Some teams made inspired moves, while others played it way too safe.
Here are the biggest winners and losers from the 2026 draft.
2026 NBA Draft winners
Wizards, Jazz, Grizzlies, and Bulls
Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer, and Caleb Wilson went chalk to the Wizards, Jazz, Grizzlies, and Bulls with the first four picks of the draft. It may seem like grade inflation, but I gave all of those selections either an A or an A+ in my live grades. They were impossible to screw up, and each team got a potentially franchise-altering player. For those four tanking teams, the pain was worth it.
The Bulls added to their strong night by making a great selection at No. 15, picking up Dailyn Swain out of Texas. Swain is a terrific slasher and a capable defender who was the best wing creator outside of Dybantsa in this draft.
Chicago certainly has a type, picking two talents with good size and shooting concerns. New lead decision-maker Bryson Graham believes that shooting can be taught. It will be interesting to see how that philosophy pans out in the long run.
One-and-done guards
This is a great guard class, whereas 2027 and 2028 project to be much weaker at that position. There was some question on if any of the talented one-and-dones including Keaton Wagler, Mikel Brown Jr., Darius Acuff Jr., Kingston Flemings, or Brayden Burries would fall given the positional surplus.
Instead, all five of those guards went between picks No. 5 and 10. Teams generally went for a best player available approach in the lottery, with Morez Johnson Jr. to the Mavericks at No. 9 serving as the notable exception.
Johnson was one of the most interesting picks in the draft. He reunited with Michigan coach Dusty May in the biggest reach of the lottery. He's a good player, but few had him as the first Wolverine off the board.
MORE: Why Morez Johnson Jr. was first Michigan player selected
Thunder
Aday Mara was projected to be a top 10 pick. He fell to the Thunder at 12, who picked up a great weapon to use against Victor Wembanyama in next year's playoffs.
Mara isn't a plug-and-play prospect. He needs a certain fit in order to maximize his skills at the next level. This was a great pairing. The Thunder's terrific defensive guards should give Mara the point-of-attack personnel to play his best defensive coverage as a drop center. That will keep him close to the rim, where his massive 9-9 standing reach can be utilized. His passing and play finishing make him a great complement next to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams. And his conditioning issues should be mitigated by good depth at the center position.
Bennett Stirtz was another pickup that I loved for Oklahoma City. They needed more shooting against the Spurs, and Stirtz shot an insane 51.7 percent from 3 on his catch-and-shoot attempts for Iowa this past season. Like Mara, he has found a fit where he can feast on open 3's and have his defensive issues covered up by the team's personnel.
Yaxel Lendeborg
There were some whispers that Lendeborg was going to slide down the first round due to poor interviewing skills. The always-candid Michigan star is a free spirit who drew some questions about his lack of maturity.
That slide ended up not happening. The Warriors saw a player that was too talented to pass up at No. 11. The match between the two could not be any better.
Steve Kerr is used to handling unique personalities. He is the perfect coach for Lendeborg, and Kerr should appreciate the joy that Lendeborg plays with more than most. Kerr also knows how to use versatile players with high feel. The thought was that as a 23-year-old prospect, Lendeborg didn't have a ton of room to grow. Kerr is going to develop him more than people realize.
DECOURCY: Why Yaxel Lendeborg's age is a feature, not a bug, for team that takes him
2026 NBA Draft losers
The end of the first round
There were a lot of A's given in my live grades through the first 24 picks. The talent started dropping off precipitously after that point. It was not a good draft to pick in the late 20's due to so many players returning to college for NIL paydays.
The most surprising pick in that range was Alex Karaban at No. 29. The Kings traded into that pick in order to grab him. Karaban is an elite shooter but an extremely limited player with a ceiling that doubles as a basement.
The more surprising aspect of the end of the first round came from the players who didn't get selected. Henri Veesar, Meleek Thomas, Richie Saunders, and Isaiah Evans all had first-round grades from several evaluators. They highlight a stronger-than-anticipated board to start the second round on Wednesday.
Cameron Carr
Carr was the biggest faller of the night, looking upset as he saw his name passed over throughout the late lottery range that he was expected to go in.
Don't feel too bad for Carr. He ended up in a great landing spot, going to the Lakers at No. 24. He'll get national exposure there and be spoon-fed the easiest shots of his life next to Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, and potentially LeBron James. His questionable decision-making at the college level won't matter in Los Angeles. His job will be to catch lob passes, finish in transition, and hit open 3's.
Koa Peat
Peat had a similar swing. At one time thought to be a lottery-level prospect, he slid all the way to pick No. 30 due in large part to concerns about his shot. He couldn't have been more happy with the team that selected him though, going to his hometown Suns who traded into that pick.
Peat probably should have stayed in school to fix his weaknesses and try his luck in a much weaker 2027 draft class. He likely would have been a lottery pick. But continuing his legacy as an Arizona legend isn't a bad outcome for him.
MORE: Koa Peat carving a pro basketball path in a pro football family
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