2026 NBA Draft Tracker

The Wizards enter the draft not only holding the No. 1 pick but as one of the most intriguing teams of the NBA offseason. For any franchise coming off of a 17–65 season, the priority with that pick is to take the best player available, regardless of position, and they have the most interesting choice between three potential superstars that we’ve seen in some time. The roster is fairly wing-heavy already, and the group can use more shooting and playmaking, whether or not Trae Young is in the longterm future. And after the Bam Adebayo 83-point debacle, Washington clearly needs to improve its defensive presence inside, again, regardless of whether the team plans to hold onto Anthony Davis.

After several years of overt tanking, the Jazz are finally in position to put the finishing touches on their roster. Holding the No. 2 pick, Utah is set to add one of the top three prospects in this year’s class to a core already oozing talent featuring Lauri Markkanen, Keyonte George, Ace Bailey and midseason trade acquisition Jaren Jackson Jr. In an ideal world, the Jazz add a big wing creator with the capability to guard the opposing team’s best perimeter player to take that load off Markkanen’s shoulders, and more shooting is always nice. But Utah is still very much in the talent accumulation phase and will be looking to take the best player available, betting respected young coach Will Hardy can sort out whatever clunky fits might emerge from that philosophy.

The Grizzlies are in full rebuild mode after trading Jaren Jackson Jr. to the Jazz at this year’s deadline and as such are in need of just about everything. Cedric Coward seems like a nice long-term piece in the back court and Zach Edey will be the starting center for the long-term future if he can stay healthy. With Ja Morant serving as a potential trade chip this summer, Memphis has no obvious core and thus will start to create a new one beginning with the No. 3 pick. Any of the top three prospects would make for a welcome addition to a roster largely lacking talent. The Grizzlies are buildling from the ground-up.

The Bulls have an extremely thin core—it’s really just Josh Giddey and Matas Buzelis at this point. Chicago took a flier on Rob Dillingham at the trade deadline and Noa Essengue, last year’s first-round pick, is still a work in progress. With new coach Tiago Splitter in the fold, Chicago has a chance to bring in a top-tier talent after the fortune of moving up into the top four picks of the draft. With Nikola Vučević, Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu all gone after the trade deadline fire sale, the Bulls are done middling and are in the midst of a full rebuild where the franchise needs to acquire the best talent possible no matter the position.

The Clippers need a new center of the future to replace Ivica Zubac after sending him to the Pacers for this very pick. However, there aren’t many big men worth taking this high after Cam Boozer, so Los Angeles would be better off trying to find a long-term backcourt partner for Darius Garland. The team will also need depth on the wing as Kawhi Leonard gets older. But more than anything the roster needs upside. With future picks still owed to the Thunder from the Paul George trade, this is the highest the Clippers will pick in the draft for a while. Regardless of how they might fit with the current roster, the front office must find the next face of the franchise and this is a great spot to take that kind of swing.

Simply put, the Nets need more talent and a true face of the franchise that can lead the team out of its rebuild. Michael Porter Jr. starred for Brooklyn last season as he scored 24.2 points per game, but the Nets need much more talent if they have any shot at competing for a playoff spot any time soon. Brooklyn had four first-round picks last year and took three guards. You could argue that they should target a wing or a center to make Nic Claxton expendable via trade, but realistically, the Nets need to take the best player on the board.

The Kings are firmly in no-man’s land, dealing with a roster littered with overpriced and aging talent players who do not fit together on the court. Worse, there’s no blue-chip talent who can inspire hope for the future or give the franchise a sense of direction. Sacramento is praying that will change with this draft, and as such the franchise’s priority is talent over everything. The front office can and will shuffle pieces like DeMar DeRozan, Domantas Sabonis and Zach LaVine around to build around this year’s top pick no matter who it is. The priority is to find what the next version of the Kings looks like, starting with the No. 7 pick. The team’s situation won’t immediately improve, but it can’t get much worse.

The Hawks biggest need is ballhandling with Trae Young no longer in the picture and CJ McCollum, who was acquired in the Young trade, as an unrestricted free agent. A high-ceiling guard makes sense with multiple first-round picks, but Atlanta hopes to win now around its core of Jalen Johnson, Dyson Daniels and Nickeil Alexander-Walker. The Hawks did hand the NBA champion Knicks more losses than anyone else over the playoffs after all. Besides a lead guard, Atlanta could look to add more size in the paint behind Onyeka Okongwu or even a player who could surpass the sixth-year big man.

The Mavericks are in the business of building around Cooper Flagg for the foreseeable future and their No. 1 priority is finding players who fit around their young superstar. As Flagg is a do-everything two-way forward, that means Dallas is hunting for shooting and guard talent first and foremost. A stretch big could also be in play depending on the franchise’s plans for Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively II’s status after a lost season due to a foot injury. Some size on the perimeter wouldn’t hurt either; Ryan Nembhard and Max Christie can grow with Flagg but make for a small back court. In a dream scenario the Mavs stumble into a long-term running mate for Flagg but settling for a young talent whose skillset makes life easier for the franchise superstar isn’t a bad outcome by any means.

The Bucks have officially moved on from the Giannis Antetokounmpo era and are armed with two lottery picks on Tuesday night to help kickstart the rebuild. Milwaukee received an interesting collection of young talent from the Heat in exchange for their franchise superstar, as well as the reliable scoring of 26-year-old Tyler Herro. But there is no clear cornerstone to build around and that’s what the Bucks are hunting for in this draft. Any concern about how incoming talent fits with the current roster takes a backseat to finding the next face of the franchise—or, at the very least, finding exciting young talent who can provide hope for the future as the Bucks figure out their direction post-Giannis.

Golden State needs to inject some youth into its roster. Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green won’t play forever. But with the time left that Curry has, the Warriors must to everything possible to contend around the greatest shooter ever. That’s not a problem that can get solved with one draft pick, but after missing the playoffs, the Warriors have an opportunity to add a young piece that can help the roster now and become a mainstay for the next era. As the roster currently stands, the Warriors could look to add some size and a guard who can make plays both next to Curry and when he’s off the floor.

After boasting the NBA’s best regular-season record, the Thunder failed to reach the NBA Finals when Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs took them out in seven games during the Western Conference finals. Despite falling short of repeating as champions, the Thunder are set up remarkably well for the future. Two-time MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams are all locked up long term, while the rest of the roster has plenty of depth. OKC faces decisions on team options for Luguentz Dort and Isaiah Hartenstein, while Cason Wallace is extension eligible. The team is poised to go well over the dreaded second apron, so it may need to unload some contracts. If Sam Presti wants to get creative and trade for an upgrade while moving salary, he has plenty of ammo with a deep roster and a boatload of picks over the next two drafts. This year, the Thunder owns the 12th, 17th and 37th picks to either deal or make upgrades.

The Heat finally found their superstar to pair with Bam Adebayo, shipping out numerous draft picks (including the No. 13 selection in this year’s draft) along with half their rotation for Giannis Antetokounmpo. It leaves them with only the No. 41 pick on Tuesday night but Miami should be plenty active anyway as Pat Riley now turns to buildling out the best roster possible around his new star duo of Bam and Giannis. That’s an amazing defensive frontcourt that will desperately need shooting in order to thrive, so that figures to be the Heat’s top priority going forward. The franchise will also be seeking backcourt depth and a backup center to replace what it sent out to land Antetokounmpo. But the hard part is done in Miami—these will just be the finishing touches on a new contender for the East crown.

Charlotte was one of the NBA’s hottest teams after the All-Star break, but fell short of the playoffs via a loss in the play-in tournament. Next season is about getting to the playoffs and, hopefully, making some noise. The Hornets have a young and exciting roster with the core trio of LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel. If they can improve anywhere, it’s likely in the frontcourt although Moussa Diabaté and Ryan Kalkbrenner each had strong seasons last year. Coby White is a free agent which brings the need for some scoring pop off the bench. The Hornets were in the middle of the pack defensively last season, another area they can improve as the organization tries to take a leap.

The Raptors were a lockdown defensive group in 2025–26, powering them to the playoffs and a near-upset of the Cavaliers in the first round. They have some certified bucket-getters in Scottie Barnes, RJ Barrett and Brandon Ingram, but the team’s outside shooting leaves a lot to be desired. They shot just 35.4% from deep in the regular season and saw that number tick up by .02% in the playoffs. Most of the team’s offense runs through its wings, and the roster could use an infusion of backcourt playmaking to create easier opportunities for players like Barrett and Ingram. The health and longterm contract of center Jakob Poeltl remains an issue for Toronto as well, and finding a true backup center (and potential longterm replacement for him) should also be a priority.

After a run to the Finals behind Victor Wembanyama, the Spurs are set up for success for years to come. The roster will get more expensive over time with Wembanyama eligible for a rookie extension this offseason, but San Antonio doesn’t have a key free agent this offseason unless you count Harrison Barnes. The biggest question is De’Aaron Fox’s future with the team after his rocky postseason coupled with a massive extension that will kick in next season. San Antonio will have a hard time offloading that deal if the front office chooses to. But with Stephon Castle, Dylan Harper, Julian Champagnie, Devin Vassell and Keldon Johnson alongside Wembanyama, this offseason is about improving around the margins. If Fox is offloaded, a cheaper veteran playmaker makes sense to take some of the ballhandling pressure off of Castle and Harper as they continue to develop in an effort to limit turnovers.

Detroit won 60 games and earned the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference last season, but the Pistons have some serious holes to address over what’s a crucial offseason. They need more shooting to put next to Ausar Thompson and Jalen Duren, two members of the starting lineup who do not space the floor in the slightest. The biggest need, however, is an additional playmaker and bucket-getter to take some pressure off of Cade Cunningham. This offseason is about putting complementary pieces around the core already in place and some extra scoring power would go a long way.

The 76ers have their back court of the future set in stone with Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe. The front court is the real question mark in the short- and long-term, so it should be addressed by the franchise this offseason. Philadelphia will always be in need of big man depth as long as Joel Embiid is on the roster—the Andre Drummond-Adem Bona duo did a fine job last season but the team would be well-suited trying to find a center with upside in the draft in preparation for the post-Embiid era. In the big picture, the new front office will be prioritizing size on the wing and at forward to best complement its star guards as the veteran core continues to fade.

The Knicks will need to address their bench for next season as New York looks to defend its title. The core of Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, Josh Hart, OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges remains in place. But the Knicks have key free agents in Mitchell Robinson, Landry Shamet, Jordan Clarkson and even Jeremy Sochan–all key depth pieces. Shamet made huge shots off the bench over the Knicks’ historic playoff run, while Robinson did an admirable job defending the rim in his minutes. New York will likely look to retain at least some of those pieces, but the Knicks could also look to address their need for shooting and rim protection through cost-controlled contracts in the draft.

LeBron James and Austin Reaves are the two big questions that surround the Lakers. James is a free agent, although it remains to be seen whether he’ll come back for a 24th season and if he does, if that will be with the Lakers. Reaves will get a well-deserved pay raise this offseason which L.A. will be wise to give him as opposed to letting him get poached elsewhere. While we await those dominoes to fall, the Lakers have additional critical free agents in Rui Hachimura, Luke Kennard and Jaxson Hayes. Luka Dončić needs more shooting around him whether one or both of Reaves and James are back. Plus, he needs a lob threat who can protect the rim and relying on just Deandre Ayton isn’t the answer.

The Nuggets were the most disappointing team in the 2026 playoff field and will be looking to make changes to the core around Nikola Jokić. The top need on paper is a backup for the superstar center. Denver struggled mightily when he was off the floor despite an All-Star season from Jamal Murray in large part because the Jonas Valančiūnas experiment did not work out as planned. Adding a prospect with a knack for rim protection would offer a different element when Jokić has to sit. And like any contender, Denver could use more shooting to give the Jokić-Murray combo as much room to operate as possible. The Nuggets’ biggest changes will come later this offseason but the pressure is on to nail the selection given the value of finding a cheap contributor outside the lottery, no matter what area of need they choose to address.

The Celtics blew a 3–1 lead to the 76ers to end their season but showed off tremendous depth throughout the campaign, limiting any glaring needs around the roster. And after falling short in the Giannis Antetokounmpo sweesptakes, Boston’s offseason goals are clear: Find players who complement the star talents of Tatum and Jaylen Brown, presuming he sticks around. The Philadelphia series showed Boston could use some quality center depth more than anything. The C’s could also use a bit more playmaking off the bench; Payton Pritchard could move into the starting lineup, and even if he doesn’t the rest of the bench guys are hard-pressed to dribble more than a few times after getting the ball.  Where those areas of need meet Tatum and Brown’s preferred playstyle is where the Celtics will land.

The Timberwolves failed to make their third straight trip to the Western Conference finals. Anthony Edwards and Minnesota fell to the Spurs in six games and this offseason is all about keeping up with the giants out West in Oklahoma City and San Antonio. Roster wise, trade-deadline acquisition Ayo Dosunmu is a free agent and the Wolves should bring him back on a significant deal to continue his two-way prowess. Bones Hyland is another free agent—even if Dosunmu is back, the Wolves should add some scoring punch and playmaking off the bench to keep the offense afloat while Edwards is off the floor. Donte DiVincenzo tore his Achilles in the first-round series against the Nuggets. His absence brings an even greater need for additional shooting, too.

The Cavaliers boast a talented and well-rounded core of talent featuring Donovan Mitchell, James Harden and Evan Mobley. The rest of the roster is loaded with great athletes and quality shooting. Big changes might be needed to get over the hump and enter true championship contention, but if Cleveland opts for smaller moves, more perimeter defense is needed. Mobley and Jarrett Allen make for a dangerous interior duo but the Cavs lack a true stopper on the wing, a crucial archteype for a team built around two offensive guards with questionable reputations at the other end. And, as the most expensive roster in the NBA, it is very important that Cleveland find cheap contributors in the draft.

The Pacers have Tyrese Haliburton coming back next year after a dreadful 19–63 season without the star guard. Pascal Siakam remains under contract and Indiana took a swing by adding former Clippers big man Ivica Zubac at last year’s trade deadline. The problem? That trade left the Pacers without their top pick in this year’s draft, slotted at No. 5, as it now resides with Los Angeles. A top-five pick could have only given Indiana’s return to contention more juice, but the roster remains in tact with most key pieces from the NBA Finals run in 2025 still with the team.

Much was expected of the Rockets after they acquired Kevin Durant in a deal with the Suns last summer. The regular season was solid, as they went 52–30 and young players Amen Thompson and Reed Sheppard took the next step in their development. Unfortunately, with Durant hampered by an ankle injury, Houston flopped in the first round of the playoffs, falling to a similarly undermanned Lakers team. The Rockets’ core is locked up for a while, as Duran, Sheppard, Alperen Şengün and Jabari Smith Jr. are under contract through 2028, and Thompson is sure to get an extension this offseason. Fred Van Vleet owns a $25 million player option this summer, but the team really doesn’t have any other big free agents. Houston currently has a good chunk of space before the first apron, so moves are possible this summer. Could the Rockets get into the Giannis Antetokounmpo sweepstakes? Without a first-round pick, they’ll have to make external moves to improve.

The Pelicans need a lot of help, but there are some positives heading into the offseason despite a 26–56 regular season. Zion Williamson played in 62 games this season while staying relatively healthy. Jeremiah Fears, the No. 7 pick in the 2025 draft, showed a ton of promise as a rookie, Trey Murphy III had an excellent season, and rookie Derik Queen also had his moments. There are issues, though. Herb Jones took a step back offensively this season, and New Orleans owes nearly $67 million to Jordan Poole and Dejounte Murray next season after they played a combined 53 games during the 2025-26 campaign. Given that the Pelicans are nearly at the first apron, building a roster won’t be easy unless they make a big trade. They are also without a first-rounder after shipping what became the No. 8 pick this year to the Hawks for the draft rights to Queen, who was the 13th pick in 2025.

The Suns surprised many in the NBA with their play this season, as they finished eight games above .500 and made the playoffs. Yes, they were steamrolled by the Thunder in the opening round, but there were a ton of positives. The emergence of Dillon Brooks and his chemistry with Devin Booker and Jalen Green were welcome developments. Phoenix enters the offseason with nearly $23 million in space below the first apron and has decisions to make. Center Mark Williams is a restricted free agent, while backup point guard Collin Gillespie will hit free agency, and Brooks will be up for an extension as he enters the final year of his contract. The Suns will have to get creative to improve as they don’t own a first-rounder this year.

Coming off of a successful breakthrough season and playoff trip, there are plenty of things the Trail Blazers could do to improve its roster, with Deni Avdija now looking like a star forward to build around. The problem, entering the 2026 draft: Portland has no picks in a very deep draft. The No. 15 selection is controlled by the Bulls stemming from a 2021 three-team deal in which the Blazers acquired Larry Nance Jr. They also traded away their second-round pick. Should they trade back into the draft, however, there are some clear needs. Portland was one of the NBA’s worst shooting teams, knocking down 34.3% of their shots from deep despite attempting the third-most threes in the league. Scoot Henderson’s postseason was encouraging but the jury’s still out on whether he is the true point guard of the future. And the Blazers’ could use a reliable big to spell Donovan Clingan, unless they get a huge leap from Yang Hansen.

The Magic are entering a new era under rookie coach Sean Sweeney and their strong defensive identity figures to carry over. Orlando was suffocating on that end in a near-upset of the No. 1 seed Pistons in the first round of the playoffs, but it was the offense that led to the team’s defeat. Again. Thus, as has been the case for a few years running now, the Magic really need shooting to help open up the floor for Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner; last season proved Desmond Bane’s deadly accuracy from deep wasn’t quite enough. If Orlando can find another high-quality shooter this offseason and the roster clicks under Sweeney, this could prove to be a very dangerous team.