2026 NBA draft thread

[Winter]

I noticed him, too. He´s either the next Iverson or the next Iverson. That guy carries the ball on literally every dribble. He just needs to be so persistent with it and so good at basketball that the refs just give up calling it. Call it the LeBron/Giannis five steps rule.

Dash Daniels, the younger brother of Dyson, is also having a 2nd round projection. He can shoot 16% from three as a 2nd rounder, if the rest of his game is as good as his brother.

Yeah, f-ing everyone here has something I don't like. Meleek's no star on defense either. The other thing about him is that his profile may just be too much like Miles Kelly. 

There's a couple of PGs that look good statistically until you notice that none of them are over 6'2" (Tyler Tanner, Braden Smith). We have one of those already.

[Jakeospikez]

Really hope the Mavs can go full tank now, get the 5th/6th slot, hope no one jumps them, and get Flemings or Wagler. Would really go a long ways to kicking off the rebuild quick.

March Madness could shake things up though.

[windjc]

Like every draft there will be players picked 7-30 who are much much better than some picked 1-6.

It's all about knowing the talent. Which is a skill beyond most on this board for sure.

[JamesConway912]

Really hope the Mavs can go full tank now, get the 5th/6th slot, hope no one jumps them, and get Flemings or Wagler. Would really go a long ways to kicking off the rebuild quick.

March Madness could shake things up though.

Im really high on Wagler as well. Individually he seems like  stud and hed also fit like a glove here.

PG: Irving
SG: Wagler
SF/PF: Flagg
SF/PF: Marshall / Washington

that‘s a very balanced group from 1 through 4 with plenty of outside shooting, ballhandling, size and not terrible defensively.

OTOH I keep going to Nate Ament. Dude is putting up 22ppg on 45/40/80+% over the last 7-8 games while getting to the line at an elite level. That dude next to Flagg might be pretty awesome as well. Just needs to maintain that level for a while after a rough start to his freshman season.

He might actually be 6‘11 with ballskills, an outside touch and the ability to draw FTs regularly. Super freakish. Guys like that tend to rise.

[Dirknows]

Im really high on Wagler as well. Individually he seems like  stud and hed also fit like a glove here.

PG: Irving
SG: Wagler
SF/PF: Flagg
SF/PF: Marshall / Washington

that‘s a very balanced group from 1 through 4 with plenty of outside shooting, ballhandling, size and not terrible defensively.

OTOH I keep going to Nate Ament. Dude is putting up 22ppg on 45/40/80+% over the last 7-8 games while getting to the line at an elite level. That dude next to Flagg might be pretty awesome as well. Just needs to maintain that level for a while after a rough start to his freshman season.

He might actually be 6‘11 with ballskills, an outside touch and the ability to draw FTs regularly. Super freakish. Guys like that tend to rise.

We might have to settle for someone other than Wagler after his meteoric rise. He definitely needs to get stronger though, I can see him struggling with the physicality of the NBA. Ament has been very hit or miss, only shot 50% or higher in 8 of his 22 games this year. Another guy who will need to get stronger. But picking outside the top 3 those guys will all have flaws, I mean even the top-3 have question marks to some degree. But whoever is making this pick, wherever it lands, can't afford to miss on it.

[Winter]

We might have to settle for someone other than Wagler after his meteoric rise. He definitely needs to get stronger though, I can see him struggling with the physicality of the NBA. Ament has been very hit or miss, only shot 50% or higher in 8 of his 22 games this year. Another guy who will need to get stronger. But picking outside the top 3 those guys will all have flaws, I mean even the top-3 have question marks to some degree. But whoever is making this pick, wherever it lands, can't afford to miss on it.

Agree with your analysis. Wagler is the flavor of the month now and was never expected to be a lottery pick. It's hard to know if his metrics this season will carry over into the NBA.

Ament is up and down - currently up I think - and may have a had a longer look from analysts than Wagler has had. Between the two, I probably like Wagler's skill set on this team more than Ament. I think you get a good player either way. Braden Burries is moving up the mock draft charts now, and if Arizona goes deep into the tournament then he might be a lottery pick and a nice selection for the Mavs if Wagler and Ament are off the board.

I think things will shake out a little during the tournament and then again at the combines, so I'm not sure it's necessary to stake out an opinion yet. I rather doubt that the Mavs move outside the 8-9 spot, but we'll see.

[Chicagojk]

way too early to debate pick 30.  More than likely you miss.    Although almost every good team has a valuable player who was picked late first or early second contributing.    It was my main gripe for the Mavs for years.   They never gave themselves extra chances (or even took the picks seriously).   If you find just one really good player, it can prove to be so rewarding.    Even if you missed on three others.    Mavs never took it seriously I believe.

[Scott41theMavs]

way too early to debate pick 30.  More than likely you miss.    Although almost every good team has a valuable player who was picked late first or early second contributing.    It was my main gripe for the Mavs for years.   They never gave themselves extra chances (or even took the picks seriously).   If you find just one really good player, it can prove to be so rewarding.    Even if you missed on three others.    Mavs never took it seriously I believe.

Jalen Brunson sez hi.

[SkenfromLMF]

way too early to debate pick 30.  More than likely you miss.    Although almost every good team has a valuable player who was picked late first or early second contributing.    It was my main gripe for the Mavs for years.   They never gave themselves extra chances (or even took the picks seriously).   If you find just one really good player, it can prove to be so rewarding.    Even if you missed on three others.    Mavs never took it seriously I believe.

Under Cuban this was true after the 2000 draft. He went all in on the worst draft in history and came away with 3 players they could not wait to trade. Like traded for Christian L8ner. I truly believe this totally soured the MBT on the draft as a way to improve and they shifted to making trades for overpriced players and going over the cap. They were successful to the point that the league introduced the Luxury Tax in response to the bloated payroll that "poor owners" could not compete with.

[khaled1987]

Outside of the top 6 (top 3 of Dybnasta, Boozer & Peterson as top 3 , Wagner, Flemings & Wilson as tier 2) Mullins is the guy that I like the most.

Once you are outside of top 5, you move from hoping for a franchise player, into a good starting caliber player, and wish that you might luck into a cornerstone player while doing so.

Mullins has a transferable skill as elite NBA 3pt shooter, that fits a lot with Flagg. He has good defensive ratings according to Tankathon.

For 30th pick, a name to look at is Alijah Arenas. Health is question mark, dad is crazy, but talent has high ceiling. I expect him to stay though.

[Dirknows]

way too early to debate pick 30.  More than likely you miss.    Although almost every good team has a valuable player who was picked late first or early second contributing.    It was my main gripe for the Mavs for years.   They never gave themselves extra chances (or even took the picks seriously).   If you find just one really good player, it can prove to be so rewarding.    Even if you missed on three others.    Mavs never took it seriously I believe.

A lot of us wanted Bane who went 30th over Green in 2020.

[Smitty]

A lot of us wanted Bane who went 30th over Green in 2020.

@phen_omenon
Notable 30th overall picks in recent NBA history 
2022 - P. Watson
2021 - S. Aldama
2020 - D. Bane
2019 - KPJ
2017 - J. Hart
2015 - K. Looney
2014 - Kyle Anderson
2011 - Jimmy Butler

[Scott41theMavs]

Outside of the top 6 (top 3 of Dybnasta, Boozer & Peterson as top 3 , Wagner, Flemings & Wilson as tier 2) Mullins is the guy that I like the most.

Once you are outside of top 5, you move from hoping for a franchise player, into a good starting caliber player, and wish that you might luck into a cornerstone player while doing so.

Mullins has a transferable skill as elite NBA 3pt shooter, that fits a lot with Flagg. He has good defensive ratings according to Tankathon.

For 30th pick, a name to look at is Alijah Arenas. Health is question mark, dad is crazy, but talent has high ceiling. I expect him to stay though.

I more or less agree with you. I have a feeling that the Mavs are going to finish 6th in the tank rankings, therefore either hopefully drafting top four, or falling to 7th or 8th in the event they are leapfrogged, which aren't going to be great places to pick in this draft. 

The key thing after the lottery takes place is that we have the right mind guiding the ship to choose the right guy.

[Mavs2021]

@phen_omenon
Notable 30th overall picks in recent NBA history 
2022 - P. Watson
2021 - S. Aldama
2020 - D. Bane
2019 - KPJ
2017 - J. Hart
2015 - K. Looney
2014 - Kyle Anderson
2011 - Jimmy Butler

Meh. Can we trade the pick for Odom or Rondo?

[Chicagojk]

Duke vs UNC tomorrow.  I won't get a chance to watch live, but it is right up there with Dybansta vs Peterson.   Should be super fun.  

UNC has a good big man as does Duke.  

Duke has two potential later first round picks in Evans and Sarr too.

[Winter]

Several Mock Drafts have come out post-trade deadline.

https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/2026-...e-giannis/

https://www.bleachernation.com/nba/2026/...-draft-26/

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nb...529231007/

https://fansided.com/nba/2026-nba-mock-d...line-chaos

Braylon Mullins is all over the map from #5-26, but Keaton Wagler has really settled now into the #6-9 spot

[khaled1987]

Several Mock Drafts have come out post-trade deadline.

https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/2026-...e-giannis/

https://www.bleachernation.com/nba/2026/...-draft-26/

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nb...529231007/

https://fansided.com/nba/2026-nba-mock-d...line-chaos

Braylon Mullins is all over the map from #5-26, but Keaton Wagler has really settled now into the #6-9 spot

US has him at 28th even, that is crazy IMO.
Seems that some have him as next Knueppel, others sees him as a potential 3D backup wing

[Winter]

US has him at 28th even, that is crazy IMO.
Seems that some have him as next Knueppel, others sees him as a potential 3D backup wing

There's a few players like this where analysts don't seem to have any data that really defines him. He has a reasonable history as an Indiana high school phenom and a MacDonalds All-American, but it's not a glitzy basketball history like Boozer, Peterson, or Flemings.

NBADraft.net has him at #10 but when you click on the link, there is literally no data profile to discuss defense and other metrics. Even the little-known Wagler has an analysis profile from that website.

It may be that we won't have a deep dive on him until the tourney or even the combines. Every time I watch him on video, it's like I'm watching Ray Allen or maybe Booker. He gets his shot off almost as fast as Klay as he's intent on getting them by volume (his game history has him shooting two games with 10 3-pt shots and two games with 8 3-point shots.... and hitting high percentages in all but one of those games).

He's not a real centerpiece for a team, but you can just imagine him as the pefect companion piece to Flagg's game.

[windjc]

Under Cuban this was true after the 2000 draft. He went all in on the worst draft in history and came away with 3 players they could not wait to trade. Like traded for Christian L8ner. I truly believe this totally soured the MBT on the draft as a way to improve and they shifted to making trades for overpriced players and going over the cap. They were successful to the point that the league introduced the Luxury Tax in response to the bloated payroll that "poor owners" could not compete with.

Exhibit #1753 as to how Cuban was and is a moron of epic proportions.

[Mavs2021]

I´d love to snatch that #28 pick (Spurs)  from the Cavs with the TPE for Strus + Suns 2nd round pick. Anyway I wanted to point out a player that has gotten no attention yet.

This is a super guard heavy draft all throughout the first round and that means the overseas guards will hardly be valued properly. I absolutely love Spanish 6´6 guard Sergio de Larrea for the #30 pick. I´d go as far as making him a promise, so he does pull out to become a top 10 pick in 2027. He´s getting regular minutes for a top team in the ACB and EuroLeague. He was the youngest ever Super Cup MVP, when Valenica beat Real Madrid with former NBA players Hezonja, Lyles, Campazzo, Garuba, Tavares and Llull.