Evaluating the Biggest Winners at the 2026 NBA Draft

The 2026 NBA offseason is off to a monumental start, with LaMelo Ball being traded to the Timberwolves, Giannis being traded to the Miami Heat, and AJ Dybantsa being selected No. 1 overall by the Washington Wizards -- headlining an elite top-three prospects and an excellent draft class overall.

With the draft class being one of the best in recent memory and with no one truly knowing how these picks will turn out, it would be unjustified to proclaim that any team "lost" the draft. However, below we'll take a look at three teams that certainly seemed to improve their future outlook through the 2026 NBA Draft.

Los Angeles Clippers

Jun 23, 2026; New York, NY, USA; NBA commissioner Adam Silver greets the fifth pick in the 2026 NBA draft, Illinois guard Keaton Wagler after he was selected by the Los Angeles Clippers at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Back in February, the Clippers traded away Ivica Zubac to the Pacers in exchange for Bennedict Mathurin (RFA), Isaiah Jackson, an unprotected 2029 first-round pick, a 2028 second-round pick, and a 2026 first round pick -- the likes of which had unprecedented protections.

If the pick landed between 1-4, the Pacers would keep their own pick and instead trade their own 2031 unprotected first round pick to the Clippers. This had a 52.1% chance of happening. However, on the day of the draft lottery, the pick landed between 5-9 -- resulting in the event with the 47.9% chance to happen occurring and the Clippers landing No. 5 overall. This calculated risk had already led to an improved future outlook for the Clippers, however, their selection at No. 5 improved the organization's outlook even further.

Keaton Wagler is a 6-foot-6, 19-year old guard with a 6-foot-6 wingspan. He fits the mold really well offensively of a secondary playmaker who can develop into a primary ball-handler. He's got height/length and is a great catch-and-shoot player, but also has elite feel, footwork, and change of pace to create rim pressure, hit shots off the dribble, and also playmake for others at a high level -- especially out of pick-and-rolls.

Defensively, Wagler has some length/height as mentioned but needs to bulk up. There is some concern this lack of upper and lower body strength could also impact his offensive game, leading to being bumped off driving lanes or being less efficient at the rim -- something that was already a concern due to his lack of verticality and zero dunks on the season. He'll likely be someone who's targeted defensively until he continues to improve his strength which, once improved, could lead to being a below average defender overall (which would be manageable). All this being said, Wagler's unique offensive capabilities resulted in him being the No. 5 overall player on my board and in the same tier as No. 4 overall prospect Caleb Wilson. I believe he's someone who could fit really well alongside Garland on the offensive end and will be an excellent pick for the Clippers.

Additionally, after a calculated risk led to an elite draft prospect like Wagler, LA wasn't done. They made a second unprecedented move -- drafting the first college basketball draft-and-stash in Narcisse Ngoy. Lastly, the Clippers rounded out their draft with Baba Miller (someone who will likely earn a roster spot) and Nick Martinelli (likely two-way contract) as well as signing Fletcher Loyer to an E10 and Themus Fulks and Riley Kugel to summer league contracts.

San Antonio Spurs

Dec 23, 2025; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats forward Jayden Quaintance (21) fives a teammate during the first half against the Bellarmine Knights at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images | Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

The Spurs entered the draft with only a few glaring needs -- one of them was a backup center. They addressed that and then some by selecting Tarris Reed Jr, an excellent rebounder who projects to be a sound backup big, and by taking a swing on a high-upside big like Jayden Quaintance.

Even if Quaintance returns with 80% of the mobility and verticality he had and can only offer 10-15 minutes a night, the mobility, rim protection, rebounding, and play finishing he offers is unique. Quaintance-Wembanyama lineups would likely have one of the best defensive ratings in the NBA while opposing teams' percentage of shots taken at the rim and field goal percentage at the rim would both likely be amongst the lowest in the NBA. Additionally, both him and Reed Jr can offer rotation minutes at the five spot in non-Wembanyama lineups.

Adding Tyon Grant-Foster and Harry Wessels to their summer league roster are solid pickups that went under-the-radar as well.

Oklahoma City Thunder

Jun 23, 2026; New York, NY, USA; NBA commissioner Adam Silver greets the twelfth pick in the 2026 NBA draft, Michigan center Aday Mara after he was selected by the Oklahoma City Thunder at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

While this offseason has been centered around ducking the second apron and reducing luxury tax penalties with trading away rotation wings in Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins, the Thunder somehow managed to come away from the 2026 NBA Draft with Aday Mara and Bennett Stirtz.

Mara's a 7-foot-4 big with a 7-foot-6 wingspan who will offer drop coverage defense and rim protection while being an excellent play finisher offensively with real touch around the rim as well as passing and feel that make him interesting as a DHO hub. While lacking the same level of strength and physicality, Mara will likely be able to offer in a few years a lite version of what Hartenstein brings and, with a "mutual" '28-29 option for Hartenstein in the recent extension, aligns well with the Thunder's roster.

Mara will likely be part of the rotation early, but with his conditioning still improving and player development needed, he'll likely see 10-15 minutes per game before hopefully seeing increased minutes as he progresses over the years. Lastly, Mara was the only junior to meet the Productive Junior Query this past season -- a query in which 18% of players who've previously met the criteria have gone on to be multi-time All-Stars or Starters, while another 44.7% became Backups (an overall hit-rate of 63%).

On the other hand, Stirtz will provide elite shooting and additional ball-handling needed by losing Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins. He's a high-level pick-and-roll scorer and playmaker who uses a blend of NBA-level craft, feel, and change-of-pace to get to the rim and create for teammates. He was unassisted on 68.5% of his made field goals this past season while assisting on an estimated 24.9% of his teammates’ made field goals when on the floor as well. However, his athletic limitations lead to concerns about his potential (in)ability to create without a screen and be targeted defensively.

Honorable Mentions: Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics, Charlotte Hornets, Chicago Bulls, Detroit Pistons, Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets, and the Los Angeles Lakers

Evaluating the Biggest Winners at the 2026 NBA Draft

Los Angeles Clippers

San Antonio Spurs

Oklahoma City Thunder

Read More: The Productive Junior Query

Read More: 2025 NBA Draft Winners