2026 NBA draft thread

[myconsumerclub]

Kyrie, Cooper, Lively, Max, PJ, Naji, Gafford, Ryan, Brandon, AJ, Martin, Klay, they all have contracts next season.

Bagley is young and a strong enough option to be added into the mix. He hits the 3 well and rebounds better than both our existing guys that makes him a keeper if you can resign him on a decent enough contract. Plus he is Duke alumni.

So if the guys getting kept include those who are all on contracts next year and all the other free agents including Middleton get let go then there is only room for 2 of the rookies that we draft and we got three picks. Who if anyone gets moved to make room for a rookie if coach and MBT likes the rookies more?

I think all 3 of these draft picks needs to be on the roster at the start of camp and locked in long term. That means some trades need to happen. A trade sending out 2 or 3 guys with one or 2 coming back. Martin and AJ are top on my list of guys we need to move but we might need to add in some talent to make it happen and you guy guys like Gafford if we keep Bagley and we can probably move Naji and get a great pick for him as well. Might get a good solid first rounder for Naji. Hate to do it but we got a timeline and a need for shooting that is better than a lot of our guys are capable of.

PG, Wing, and C that is what we need to aim at and hit on.

Number 6 should get us a future all star and that is what we need.

I like what I see at 30 too.

So far the guys I see falling to 50 are awesome for a 50th pick.

I think it goes in that order 6th pick PG 30th pick Wing and 50th pick a center.

Possibly we get to add on a few guys with 2 ways. Our big needs to be 7' + and I think there are some decent guys that fall out of the draft who make good candidates for centers as well and they may be better than guys drafted ahead of them.

With our centers health and track record you need to pick at least one center in the draft and gamble of another 1 or 2 with a 2 way offer to make sure you are getting enough help to develop something young for when we got to deal with our vets hurting.

[vfromlmf]

My thoughts on roster building:

You need 3 lead guards. You have Kyrie. BWill and Nembhardt will both be free agents. You can resign one and draft a PG, or resign both ...or find other FAs.

You need 3 centers. Assuming you keep Lively and Gafford you can sign one FA, so maybe one of Bagley, Powell or Cisse. Or another FA. Or draft a guy. Or trade Lively or Gafford to open up another spot.

Then you need 9 big "wings". You want the biggest, baddest, two-way-est nine guys you can find. Six will be in the rotation. Three will be mostly backups so they can be older vets or flier rookies, whatever you prefer. The Mavs will have Christie, Naji, Flagg, Klay, Martin, PJW, AJJ. So barring trades probably at least 2 new players, either through the draft or FA or both. If you get lucky and find a way to move off Klay, Martin or AJJ, I'd sign another FA, Middlelton.

Looking at the draft:

if I'm picking 6-8, I'm going guard and whoever I pick is probably backing up Kyrie. I'd resign BWill. Sadly, Nembhard goes home.

If I'm picking 1-4, I'm getting Peterson or a big wing / 4 handler, so I'd sign another free agent PG. Maybe Nembhard.

I'm looking hard at big wing-ish players at picks 30 and 50.

I'd sign Cisse or another no-name as 3rd center, or Bagley if he's cheap. If I can trade Gafford I'm willing to go higher to resign Bagley. I wouldn't be bothered if Powell is resigned (instead of Cisse) because it would obviously be for off court impact, reasons I'm not qualified to have an opinion about.

3 + 9 + 3 = 15

I'd sign one guard, one wing and a center to two-ways.

[Chicagojk]

Saw this on reddit.  Would you trade pick 30 to Denver for pick 21 and add Zeke Njaji to your TPE?    Njaji is making 7.5 million next year and a player option for the same amount the following year.   Denver gets off the contract to potentially make resigning Watson easier.  They also stay in the first round and may get a comparable player.  Dallas gets a chance to move up if they really like a player.

[vfromlmf]

Saw this on reddit.  Would you trade pick 30 to Denver for pick 21 and add Zeke Njaji to your TPE?    Njaji is making 7.5 million next year and a player option for the same amount the following year.   Denver gets off the contract to potentially make resigning Watson easier.  They also stay in the first round and may get a comparable player.  Dallas gets a chance to move up if they really like a player.

If everyone that's currently in the draft, stays in the draft, I'd definitely do that deal if there's a guy you want at 21. There seems to be a strong tier of players that could go anywhere between 10-20+. 

Name brand guys like Peat, Carr, Quaintance, Haugh, Cenac, Mullins, Krivas, even Philon or Ament could be there at 21.

[michaeltex]

IMO, the team needs to make some internal decisions on their FAs before the draft. Bagley, Williams and Nembhard are minimal cap holds at $2.2M to 2.4M each. Signing or not depends on whether the team needs the slot(s). The big hit is Middleton's cap hold of $51M+. I can't see him signing for anywhere near that, but it could clog up FA activity after the draft if it isn't resolved. He's proved there is still gas in his tank, so maybe he's a SnT candidate? Bagley's cap hit is small enough you can wait to resolve his status until after the dust settles, although I'd like to see him back for a longer run with a team that actually wants to win.

Powell ($7.6M) and Melli ($5M) are the only other cap holds above minimums and I'm OK if they are off the books. Probably time for Powell to transition into management anyways.

A lot of moving parts to manage once the season is over. Just turns up the volume on getting a competent GM in place ASAP.

[From Dirk to SCREW YOU Nico]

Mark at 0:21 second

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5K8jIt1DF6M

WOW

[Chicagojk]

The ringer released their first draft board (only top 14).  I have some disagreements with their rankings but just for discussion.

https://www.theringer.com/nba-draft/2026/big-board

[Chicagojk]

That's why I say that everyone is different in how they rank these Guards. As I'm sure GM's of the lottery teams will be also. For me, Brown and Wagler are in a tier or two above guys like Burries, Philon, Mullins, Stirtz, Anderson. I still have Brown over Wagler, because I think he's the better creator of the two. I think Wagler fits the prototypical SG role in the NBA. Same for Peterson. Acuff, Flemings, and Brown are lead Guard types, creators and facilitators, that can score... and also play off-ball plenty.

My rankings are a bit different.  I am hoping to be able to catch a lot of the games in the tournament and I am sure my thoughts would change.

I think I would have Flemings above the other guards in the 5-10 ranking.   I don't think he has the scoring upside of some, but looking at his build I think he has a chance to be a good defender.     There are some concerns i have about him, but I think he is the safest at the moment.

Wagler and Acuff would be next.  I go back an forth on both.  Acuff has had the better season and provides more scoring potential.  I am just afraid his measurements are not going to be good and he is going to be positionally challenged.   Wagler's lack of burst really worries me but at his size and craftiness, I think he can figure it out.   Probably doesn't have the upside of Acuff, but I could see him being a part of a good, deep team.   I think I am fine with either for the Mavs.   

Brown has the traits to make him most appealing to me, but I just have not seen it.  Even his good games make me want more.  He takes a ton of long threes and tough shots.   He is skinny and doesn't really absorb contact at the rim.   He is boom or bust for me.  I can certainly see him being one of the better prospects in this draft.   I see some Devin Harris in him.   Maybe a better Devin Harris, but he just scares me at the moment.  A couple of good games in the tournament will really help me feeling better about him.  

Stirtz is a sr.  Burries will be in the draft.   Same for Philon.   Anderson is questionable.  My concern is who slips.    Burries can play as a shooting guard, but that is a lot of point guards in round one.    I think at least one slips.

[Chicagojk]

well that sucks!

Breaking: Louisville Men's Basketball[/url] will be without star freshman Mikel Brown Jr. in the opening weekend of the NCAA tournament, the school announced.
He's been dealing with a back injury and will not play against No. 11 South Florida and will also not play if Louisville advances.

[mvossman]

well that sucks!

Breaking: Louisville Men's Basketball[/url] will be without star freshman Mikel Brown Jr. in the opening weekend of the NCAA tournament, the school announced.
He's been dealing with a back injury and will not play against No. 11 South Florida and will also not play if Louisville advances.

Back injuries are not good.  Wonder how far he will fall.

[Scott41theMavs]

Back injuries are not good.  Wonder how far he will fall.

If he falls to the 30th pick, I wouldn't mind the Mavs taking a flier on him there.

[mvossman]

If he falls to the 30th pick, I wouldn't mind the Mavs taking a flier on him there.

I had the same thought, but there is probably no chance he falls that far.  Unfortunately, all it probably means is that he is less likely to get picked before the other three guys so if we are sitting there at 8 he will very likely be the last man standing.

[Scott41theMavs]

I had the same thought, but there is probably no chance he falls that far.  Unfortunately, all it probably means is that he is less likely to get picked before the other three guys so if we are sitting there at 8 he will very likely be the last man standing.

I do not want him with a fox, I do not want him in a box... Not with the 8th pick. anyway. If we get the 8th pick and have Presti, he can decide whom to pick who isn't Brown or whether we should trade down. My earlier post to which you were responding was a jest, but I would have no problem with him at, say, 15 or lower. 11-14 I'd have to think hard about. Top ten, absolutely not.

[mvossman]

The ringer released their first draft board (only top 14).  I have some disagreements with their rankings but just for discussion.

https://www.theringer.com/nba-draft/2026/big-board

The comps on here are interesting.  If we don't get top 4, would you rather have:

De'Aaron Fox
Deron Williams
Austin Reaves
Anfernee Simons
Nickeil Alexander-Walker
Andrew Nembhard

[cow]

1. Deron Williams
2. De'Aaron Fox

Next Tier:

3. Desomond Bane
4. Andrew Nembhard
5. Austin Reaves

Next Tier:

6. Anfernee Simons

[mvossman]

1.  Deron Williams
2.  De'Aaron Fox

Next Tier:

3. Desomond Bane
4. Austin Reaves

Next Tier:

5.  Anfernee Simons

Next Tier:

6. Ryan Nembhard

That would be:

Acuff
Flemings

Burries
Wagler

Brown Jr.

Philon

The Bane comp for Burries was kind. His main comp was Nickeil Alexander-Walker and he also had Grimes

Also screwed up the Philon comp. It was Andrew, not Ryan.

[Smitty]

That would be:

Acuff
Flemings

Burries
Wagler

Brown Jr.

Philon

The Bane comp for Burries was kind.  His main comp was Nickeil Alexander-Walker and he also had Grimes

Also screwed up the Philon comp.  It was Andrew, not Ryan.

Grimes is a good comp for Burries imo. Obviously I agree with the Williams one for Acuff. I don’t see Fox at all when watching Flemings though…

[mvossman]

Grimes is a good comp for Burries imo. Obviously I agree with the Williams one for Acuff. I don’t see Fox at all when watching Flemings though…

The main comp for Flemings was Kevin Johnson, but he was before my time so I used another one on the list that was more recent.

[cow]

Also screwed up the Philon comp.  It was Andrew, not Ryan.

Ha!  I was wondering why that we be the comp, but the mix up makes sense considering he's on our team.  Andrew would be bumped to the second tier then.

[mvossman]

1.  Deron Williams
2.  De'Aaron Fox

Next Tier:

3. Desomond Bane
4.  Andrew Nembhard
5. Austin Reaves

Next Tier:

6.  Anfernee Simons

How does it change if you switch Anfernee Simons to Jordan Poole with a 10% of becoming a taller Damian Lillard?