Evaluating the Most Realistic 2026 NBA Draft Trades

Assessing which teams could be looking to go up or down on draft night.

Mar 18, 2026; Portland, OR, USA; BYU Cougars forward AJ Dybantsa (3) passes the ball during a practice session ahead of the first round of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images | Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images

The 2026 NBA Draft is just over 20 days away, the rumors are heating up regarding which prospects will land with which teams.

There hasn't been much information released just yet, though as always, there's certain to be draft-night movement.

Given where rosters stand currently, one can guestimate which teams will be aggressive in moving up, and which teams could be fine to move down and add more value long-term. Here are three of the more realistic trade ideas for the 2026 draft:

Dallas moves down for multiple picks

Far-and-away the most popular would-be trade has been Dallas moving down a few spots for an extra selection or two. They didn’t land as high as they wanted at the lottery in grabbing No. 9, and still need multiple tries at landing good young prospects next to Cooper Flagg.

The Thunder seem the most likely trade partner here, owning both No. 12 and No. 17 and needing to clear roster spots for both presently. 

If Dallas’s desired player will be there twelfth, this is an essential no-brainer for the Mavericks.

Clippers pick up win-now value

The Clippers won their trade-deadline gamble, with the Pacers falling to No. 5 and granting the pick to LA. Now, the Clippers will seemingly grab their best prospect in years.

The issue is that the team isn’t geared for a rebuild at all, and still has draft selections tied up with the Thunder and other teams. A top-five prospect would offer hope for the future, but might not be necessarily franchise-changing at this exact juncture.

If LA deems that to be the case, they could entertain trades for the pick, looking for win-now players in return.

Wizards drop a few spots

The top-three prospects in the class — AJ Dybantsa, Cameron Boozer and Darryn Peterson — have been neck-and-neck all season long for the No. 1 spot. Despite that, AJ Dybantsa has seemingly emerged as the overwhelming favorite hear his name called first.

Whether that’s smoke or truly how scouts and NBA decision-makers feel, that won’t necessarily mean the Wizards value him more than Peterson or Boozer. If that’s the case, Washington could move down to either No. 2 or No. 3, picking up value and still getting their top option.

There’s a chance things go as planned and Dybantsa finds himself in red and blue, though the Celtics laid the blueprint for this move in grabbing Jayson Tatum.