2026 NBA Mock Draft: NBC Sports shakes up top three in Volume 2 of projected picks

The NBA Playoffs are still in full swing with conference championships coming right around the corner. But as is the case in all sports, excitement is buzzing with the upcoming NBA Draft as well.

For teams like the Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonio Spurs and others, eyes are still on a championship. But the teams knocked out now are looking for their futures. And it’s a loaded draft class that features a ton of quality players for teams to add.

NBC Sports has released its latest mock draft for the event on June 23 and 24. It’s Volume No. 2 for the publication and can be seen below. Numbers next to player names indicate the fall or rise from Volume 1. Dashes indicate no change.

1. WASHINGTON WIZARDS — AJ DYBANTSA, BYU (-)

Dybantsa appears to be most likely to go No. 1 to Washington, as most mocks have this being the pick. The BYU star led the country in scoring at 25.5 points per game and also grabbed 6.8 rebounds per game. He has been painted as a generational talent for years now and will soon take his talents to the NBA. And it looks like Washington is where he goes.

2. UTAH JAZZ — DARRYN PETERSON, KANSAS (-)

Another generational talent, according to experts, Peterson had a bit of a controversial college season at Kansas. Cramping issues took him out of games multiple times and even had him sitting out games at one point. But there’s no denying the talent when healthy. Peterson averaged 20.2 points per game and showed the ability to take over. He just needs to be on the floor more in the NBA.

3. MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES — CALEB WILSON, NORTH CAROLINA (+2)

While North Carolina as a program was a letdown this year, Wilson was not. He averaged 19.8 points and 9.4 rebounds per game. That was, of course, until he suffered a broken hand that required surgery and sat him out for the rest of the season after February 10. He might not have been a March Madness name, but Wilson is quickly rising in the mock drafts, as he was not No. 3 in NBC’s first attempt at a mock draft.

4. CHICAGO BULLS — CAMERON BOOZER, DUKE (-)

Duke’s dominance in the ACC and college basketball as a whole was thanks to Boozer. One of college basketball’s most dominant players, Boozer put up 22.5 points and 10.2 rebounds per game for the Blue Devils. This would be a great landing spot for his family too, as Boozer’s father, Carlos Boozer, played in the NBA for the Bulls from 2010-2014.

5. LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS (from Pacers) — DARIUS ACUFF JR., ARKANSAS (+2)

While Peterson, Boozer and Dybantsa dominated the No. 1 pick conversation all year long, John Calipari and others advocated for Acuff to be in the conversation for Player of the Year honors or the No. 1 pick spot. It’s tough to deny the talent, even if he isn’t No. 1. Averaging 23.5 points per game, Acuff was the third-leading scorer in the country and an electric watch when the Razorbacks took the floor.

6. BROOKLYN NETS — KINGSTON FLEMINGS, HOUSTON (-3)

This is a bit of a drop for Flemings, as NBC had him as the No. 3 pick in last week’s first attempt at a NBA mock draft. No. 6 is still a strong draft position for Flemings and would be a great pickup for the Nets. Averaging 16.1 points and 5.2 assists per game, Flemings was one of Kelvin Sampson’s key players for a very dominant Houston team this year.

7. SACRAMENTO KINGS — MIKEL BROWN JR., LOUISVILLE (+1)

The Kings could use some young, exciting talent to help turn things around for the NBA franchise. Enter Brown. Averaging just shy of 20 points per game at 18.2, Brown also battled injuries throughout the year. A back issue held Brown out for all of March, so there’s fair reason to be concerned about the future. But perhaps those concerns have subsided and Brown is good to go now.

8. ATLANTA HAWKS (from Pelicans) — KEATON WAGLER, ILLINOIS (-2)

The Hawks no longer have Trae Young in town and they need a new exciting player for fans to latch onto. That would be exactly what Wagler brings. A bit overlooked in the recruiting process, Brad Underwood tapped into Wagler’s talents and got him to put up 17.9 points, 5.1 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game. He went from unknown by some to Top 10 pick status in just one year.

9. DALLAS MAVERICKS — BRAYDEN BURRIES, ARIZONA (+1)

The Big 12 Champions had no shortage of talent this past season and Burries was leading the charge. One of five players to average double digits for the Wildcats, Burries averaged 16.1 points per game to go along with 4.9 rebounds per game. While the team as a whole was strong, it was Burries in front leading the way. He will be a huge pickup for whoever lands him.

10. MILWAUKEE BUCKS — ADAY MARA, MICHIGAN (-1)

While it was Yaxel Lendenborg who won Big Ten Player of the Year honors, there’s no denying what his teammate Mara brings to the floor. At 7-foot-3, Mara brings the size that no one can teach. You just have to coach the talent right. Mara averaged 12.1 points per game for the national champs and is another player quickly climbing draft boards.

Remainder of NBA Mock Draft picks

11. Golden State Warriors — Nate Ament, Tennessee (-)

12. Oklahoma City Thunder (from Clippers) — Yaxel Lendenborg, Michigan (-)

13. Miami Heat — Labaron Philon Jr., Alabama (+3)

14. Charlotte Hornets — Jayden Quaintance, Kentucky (+1)

15. Chicago Bulls (from Trail Blazers) — Karim Lopez, New Zealand Breakers (-2)

16. Memphis Grizzlies (from Suns, via Magic) — Christian Anderson, Texas Tech (+6)

17. Oklahoma City Thunder (from 76ers) — Cameron Carr, Baylor (+1)

18. Charlotte Hornets (from Magic, via Suns) — Dailyn Swain, Texas (-1)

19. Toronto Raptors — Morez Johnson Jr., Michigan (+5)

20. San Antonio Spurs (from Hawks) — Hannes Steinbach, Washington (-6)

21. Detroit Pistons (from Timberwolves) — Bennett Stirtz, Iowa (-)

22. Philadelphia 76ers (from Rockets, via Thunder) — Chris Cenac Jr., Houston (-3)

23. Atlanta Hawks — Amari Allen, Alabama (debut in mock)

24. New York Knicks — Henri Veesaar, North Carolina (+3)

25. Los Angeles Lakers — Isaiah Evans, Duke (-2)

26. Denver Nuggets — Tarris Reed Jr., UConn (-)

27. Boston Celtics — Ebuka Okorie, Stanford (+2)

28. Minnesota Timberwolves (from Pistons) — Allen Graves, Santa Clara (-3)

29. Cleveland Cavaliers (from Spurs, via Hawks) — Tounde Yessoufou, Baylor (-1)

30. Dallas Mavericks (from Thunder, via Wizards and 76ers) — Meleek Thomas, Arkansas (-)