Biggest Winners and Losers from the 2026 NBA Draft
Both rounds of the 2026 NBA draft are officially in the books! We will commemorate the occasion in one of the only ways we know how: with a fresh batch of winners and losers from Day 1 of the Association's prospect pageant.
Hot takes are coming. Mistakes will be made. That is the hazard of these (totally necessary) reflexive reactions.
We make no apologies. Expect none. Not until later, anyway. Bookmark this for receipts months and years down the line.
Steals and reaches from the draft itself will populate a chunk of this list. But rumors, completed transactions and the trickle-down effects from both are also fair game and heavily featured.
Winner: Memphis Grizzlies
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Getting Cam Boozer at No. 3 will be an offensive boon for the Memphis Grizzlies' frontcourt. They won't be very mobile when he's sharing the floor with Zach Edey, but the Duke product's offensive skill set is so vast he doesn't have a good comp. Pure forwards aren't supposed to have such polished handles or initiate pick-and-rolls so effortlessly.
Truth be told, though, the Grizzlies' work outside the lottery does most of the heavy lifting here.
First, they moved No. 16 to the Oklahoma City Thunder for No. 17 and two second-rounders. Then, they proceeded to flip No. 17 to the Detroit Pistons for No. 21 and three second-round picks.
Amassing five additional second-rounders in exchange for dropping five spots in the draft order is great asset management by the front office. It also helps that the Grizzlies used No. 21 on Karim López, a potential reach who's nevertheless drawn offensive comps to Franz Wagner with a better jumper.
Memphis' surplus of second-rounders came in handy during Round 2. It flipped three of them to the Detroit Pistons for Isaiah Stewart.
Having a strong backup 5 is non-negotiable with Zach Edey as your primary center. Stewart is as strong as they come. He has some three-point range, runs the floor hard, just shot 76 percent at the rim and instantly becomes the Grizzlies' most switchable big. He can also play beside any one of Boozer, Edey and Santi Aldama.
Owed just $30 million over the next two seasons, with a 2027-28 team option, Stewart's contract is a bargain. So, too, was the price Memphis paid to get him.
Loser: Miami Heat
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Good luck keeping Norman Powell now, Miami Heat.
You can blame the Pistons. And to a lesser extent, the Atlanta Hawks.
The math was always going to be tight in southeastern Florida. Miami is hard-capped at the first apron after acquiring Giannis Antetokounmpo and doesn't have enough wiggle room beneath it to bring back Powell.
Convincing Andrew Wiggins to opt out and take an annual pay cut in exchange for a longer deal probably doesn't change that, either. Powell is 33, but he is fresh off his first All-Star appearance and his drive-or-shoot game fits anywhere.
Still, the Wiggins opt-out scenario at least offered a modicum of hope, even amid reports to the contrary. This optimism is on life support now that the Pistons can chisel out $20-plus million in cap space while also carrying Jalen Duren's free-agent hold.
Even if Detroit isn't the Bogeyman stalking Powell, his market won't do the Heat any favors. Atlanta is re-signing CJ McCollum on a one-off $21 million deal. That per-year salary feels like Powell's floor, and it's a number Miami probably can't reach without stumbling into a Nikola Jović salary-dumping miracle.
Winner: Jalen Duren
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A postseason to forget likely cost Jalen Duren some money. We now have confirmation it won't cost him too much money.
Paul Reed is currently the only rotation big under guaranteed contract for the Pistons after they shipped Isaiah Stewart to the Grizzlies. They officially have no choice other than to pony up for Duren.
This isn't to imply Detroit was ever going to let its All-NBA center walk. But between the playoffs and the inherently repressive nature of restricted free agency, it had the leverage necessary to squeeze him.
Not so much anymore.
Duren still isn't getting the five-year, $287.1 million supermax for which he qualified. But he certainly has a better chance of getting the regular ol' 25 percent max, which would be valued at $239.3 million over five years or $184.8 million over four years.
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Loser: Boston Celtics
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It turns out Jaylen Brown's availability wasn't limited to a potential Giannis Antetokounmpo trade. ESPN's Shams Charania reported on Tuesday night that the Boston Celtics are officially taking calls on their two-time All-NBA wing. And then he did so yet again on Wednesday night.
The motivation behind this remains to be seen. A multitude of factors could be at play, including the balance of Brown's contract (three years, $183.1 million); his getting a taste of being the No. 1 option last season and wanting that to continue; or even the Celtics getting so far down the road in Giannis talks that there's no going back with JB.
Regardless of the reasoning, Boston will be hard-pressed to emerge from this better for wear.
Turning Brown and other stuff into Giannis would have been enough of a risk given Antetokounmpo's age, recent injury history and extension eligibility. At least in that scenario, though, Boston would be acquiring a better player.
That almost certainly won't happen in other potential trades. The Celtics are more likely to accept an offer built around high-impact depth and draft picks than another All-NBA player. Perhaps that ends up being the right call. Clearly, though, it wasn't Plan A.
In the event Brown doesn't go anywhere, Boston isn't necessarily off the hook. This is the second time its willingness to move him has gone public. The Celtics went after Kevin Durant back in 2023, a pursuit that would have probably come at the expense of Brown.
Working relationships will need to be repaired. Trust must be rebuilt. Assuming that's even possible.
Winner: Jaylen Brown Suitors
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On the other side of the Jaylen Brown rumor-mill coin, we have his potential suitors. The list of teams likely features anyone who wanted to join the Giannis Antetokounmpo hunt but didn't—on top of a few other squads.
This victory is two-fold. First and foremost, we have the fact that Brown is available at all. The prevailing consensus was that he'd be gettable only for Giannis. But ESPN's Shams Charania reiterated during Round 2 of the draft that the two-time All-NBAer is still very much on the table.
The second leg of the victory is more of a theory.
Although suitors shouldn't expect to acquire Brown for pennies on the dollar, his relationship with the Celtics is officially at Defcon Awkward. Grown adults can iron out personal beef. But between Giannis negotiations this offseason and Boston's Kevin Durant chase a few years ago, this is technically the third time the team has semi-publicly treated the 2024 Finals MVP as expendable.
All of which only increases the point-of-no-return stench emanating from this situation. The inevitability of a divorce could back Boston into a corner, perhaps allowing interested parties the opportunity to acquire Brown even if they're not shipping out a fellow All-Star as part of the returning package.
Loser: Mitchell Robinson
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No, the New York Knicks did not draft anyone who profiles as a Mitchell Robinson replacement. But they did trade out of the first round and move down in the second round for the sake of saving money and, it seems, side-stepping the second apron.
It turns out New York's billionaire blowhard James Dolan didn't misspeak when he called entering the second apron "suicidal." After the Knicks shed $3.3 million in prospective salary by moving No. 24, SNY's Ian Begley essentially confirmed they're operating like a squad that won't cross the $221.7 million threshold.
This doesn't bode well for Robinson's return. If we assume New York gave Mohamed Diawara the minimum (or close to it) in his new deal, and that Jose Alvarado opts out, the team is inside $20 million of the second apron with five roster spots to fill. Even paying Robinson the $13 million he earned this season would be a no-go.
To top it all off, at least two of the big man's potential suitors have already come off the board. The Chicago Bulls certainly aren't throwing cap space Robinson's way after absorbing Nicolas Claxton. The Grizzlies also won't be interested in paying him to back up the Zach Edey-Cam Boozer frontcourt after landing Isaiah Stewart.
Things can always change. Perhaps the Knicks have a come-to-Jesus, let's-pay-the-second-apron moment. For the time being, though, all signs are pointing to the exact opposite.
Winner: Ace Bailey
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Ace Bailey's role and future with the Utah Jazz would have immediately come under scrutiny if AJ Dybantsa fell to No. 2 or the front office traded up to get him. He can breathe easy knowing neither scenario played out.
Darryn Peterson is headed to the Jazz instead. He is much less of an existential threat to Bailey's importance. Peterson's high school film is inundated with self-created possessions, but he cut his teeth playing off the ball at Kansas.
Equally critical, there is no positional overlap between the two. Listed at 6'6", Peterson might be able to soak up minutes outside the backcourt. That will not be his default. The same can't be said for the 6'9" Dybantsa.
Pecking-order politics must still be navigated in Utah. Bailey is not suddenly immune to them with Lauri Markkanen and Jaren Jackson Jr. populating the frontcourt.
But the 19-year-old has already shown he can defend different positions while filling gaps away from the ball on the offensive end. His fit with these Jazz was never going to be hopeless. It just feels a lot cleaner now.
Loser: Bilal Coulibaly, Washington Wizards
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No, no, no. This has nothing to do with the Washington Wizards inexplicably ponying up so much for Trae Young that it shows they are definitely going to overpay the extension-eligible Anthony Davis and declare they're unable to bankroll the also-extension-eligible Bilal Coulibaly's next deal.
It has everything to do with the 21-year-old's suddenly shaky spot in the rotation and bigger picture following the arrival of AJ Dybantsa.
Washington has wings for days with Coulibaly, Dybantsa, Kyshawn George, Justin Champagnie, Will Riley and Cam Whitmore. Coulibaly has all of his peers beat on the defensive end. But a team planning to play Davis and Alex Sarr together needs spacing. Coulibaly has yet to prove he can consistently knock down threes.
Baking in George's breakout 2025-26, and the Dybantsa pick may now mean Bilalcatraz has been leapfrogged in the pecking order twice over. That's not ideal in a vacuum. It's even worse when he's entering the final year of his rookie contract.
Winner: Isaiah Hartenstein Suitors
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The Oklahoma City Thunder Summer Shred is already underway. They dumped Aaron Wiggins to the Atlanta Hawks on Monday night, saving more than $75 million in salary and taxes. With almost $30 million to go before they duck the second apron, they aren't done yet, either.
If Oklahoma City's selection of Aday Mara at No. 12 is any indication, Isaiah Hartenstein could be the next name on the chopping block.
Though Mara isn't a perfect analog for Hartenstein, he's massive at 7'3" and an excellent passer. He also profiles as an imposing rim protector and nifty finisher around the hoop. (Think: What if Donovan Clingan had better hands and vision.)
Conventional wisdom suggests Mara, if anything, is the heir apparent to Hartenstein rather than an immediate replacement. It would be somewhat shocking if the Thunder decline the latter's $28.5 million team option or offload him into another team's cap again.
At the same time, this feels more possible than it did prior to the draft. Failing an immediate move, the investment in Mara could compel Oklahoma City to pick up Hartenstein's team option and play out next year rather than re-sign him to a long-term deal.
Either way, whether it's now or slightly later, iHart suitors have a reason to pump their fists and cross their fingers (extra tightly).
Loser: Atlanta Hawks
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Would you rather have Kingston Flemings and Asa Newell or Derik Queen? We're asking for the Atlanta Hawks.
Last year's trade with the New Orleans Pelicans, while still a home-run in value, has lost some of its sheen now that the No. 8 pick turned into Flemings. His athleticism, ability to generate separation from mid-range and knack for creating looks at the rim are inarguable. So, too, is his defensive effort. But the fit isn't peachy keen.
Flemings shot 38.7 percent from deep at Houston yet attempted under three triples per game. As someone touted for his finishing, his efficiency at the rim was no great shakes. Mid-range shot creation has value, but the spacing in a rotation with limited deadeye marksmen could get wonky.
To that end, there is a not-insignificant chance Flemings struggles to see the floor as a rookie. He'll need to prove he can be a strong off-ball player alongside some combination of Jalen Johnson, CJ McCollum and Nickeil Alexander-Walker. That's before getting into whether he can play beside Dyson Daniels or Jonathan Kuminga (team option).
Drafting for fit in the top 10 is typically frowned upon. But there's a real debate over whether Flemings was even the best player available. Aday Mara or Brayden Burries would have been comfier fits without undermining floor-to-ceiling value.
Winner: Chicago Bulls
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Exiting the first round with Caleb Wilson at No. 4 and Dailyn Swain at No. 15 is tremendous business for the Chicago Bulls.
Sure, Chi-Town didn't technically have a decision with their first selection. Unless you are smitten with Mikel Brown Jr. or Keaton Wagler, Wilson is the consensus fourth-best prospect in the class. The Bulls were always going to default to whomever the Washington Wizards, Utah Jazz and Memphis Grizzlies left on the board.
Still, between Wilson, Swain and the decision to pick up Nicolas Claxton for nothing (other than cap space), Chicago is forging a clear identity under senior vice president Bryson Graham. Add in Matas Buzelis and even Leonard Miller, and this team is going to be long, switchable and disruptive.
Granted, it could take a while for the vision to crystallize. Rookies aren't always dominant out of the gate. But Wilson's defense has drawn comps to Scottie Barnes, while Swain gives off Kyshawn George-Nickeil Alexander-Walker hybrid vibes.
So while the Bulls aren't necessarily back, they're well on their way to being both coherent and fun.
Loser: Anyone Hoping for Fireworks in the Lottery
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Were you among those hoping for a splashy draft-day trade? Or a shockingly high rise through the lottery?
Or even a stunningly precipitous fall outside the lottery?
Well, you weren't alone. But you were left disappointed.
Not only were there no draft-day lottery trades, but it pretty much went chalk. Bleacher Report draft guru Jonathan Wasserman correctly nailed the first seven selections in his final mock. Thirteen of the 14 players he had going in the lottery also came off the board before pick No. 15.
Glorious work by Wass. But I speak for all transaction junkies and wild-card enthusiasts when I say: Where were all the curveballs?
Dan Favale is a National NBA Writer for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Bluesky (@danfavale), and subscribe to the Hardwood Knocks podcast, co-hosted by Bleacher Report's Grant Hughes.
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