The 2026 NBA Draft arrived amid one of the busiest stretches the league has seen in years. Giannis Antetokounmpo had already been traded to Miami, Julius Randle and Nic Claxton were on the move, and rumors involving stars such as Jaylen Brown continued to swirl throughout the day.
By the time Adam Silver stepped to the podium in Brooklyn, there were more questions than answers. Would AJ Dybantsa or Darryn Peterson go first? Who would land at No. 5? How would the collection of guards led by Darius Acuff Jr. come off the board? And would any major trades shake up the league before the night was over?
What follows is a look back at the draft as it unfolded in real time through the eyes of Brad and Emile. From predictable selections to unexpected twists, these were their immediate reactions to one of the most entertaining draft nights in recent memory.
8:18 ET: Peterson goes #2 to the Jazz
Brad: We just got the answer to the order of the top two picks. I think Utah came away with the best player in this draft. Peterson is just unbelievably special. What makes him unique is that he's the only college guard I've ever seen combine this level of scoring volume with this kind of efficiency. Usually, guards drafted this high are projected to become efficient scorers at the next level. Peterson already was one, shooting nearly 40 percent from three in college. I think the way Utah has built its roster is incredibly unethical, but shoutout to Ryan Smith and company. The Jazz could be a top-four seed as soon as next year.
Emile: Shoutout to Brockton, Massachusetts and AJ. I like DP here, though. The Jazz finally landed the premier talent they have been searching for, with all due respect to Ace Bailey.
8:23 ET: Boozer goes #3 to the Grizzlies
Emile: Maybe what feels like the easiest selection at a non-top-two pick in a while. I would be very surprised if Boozer is not a valuable NBA player for a long time. The Grizzlies, who are at something of a crossroads, did very well for themselves here. There is a reasonable argument that Boozer was the top player on some teams' boards. The top three picks have gone pretty much as expected so far.
8:30 ET: Caleb Wilson goes #4 to the Bulls
Emile: Hard to dislike this pick, maybe impossible. I'm a big fan of Wilson and it seems like the Bulls are moving in a smarter direction.
Brad: Frankly, this was the least interesting pick we're gonna have tonight, but that's not an indictment of Wilson. It’s just more a reflection of the distribution of talent at the top of the draft. I think Wilson was pretty comfortably the consensus 4th best player in the draft, and this pick has been written in pen since the Bulls got the 4th pick, but hey, credit to them for not messing it up.
8:38 ET: Wagler goes #5 to the Clippers
Brad: It seemed like it was between Wagler and Brown for the past week or so, and the Clippers ultimately took the better fit at the two. Most of the models I trust are higher on Wagler's offense than the general consensus, and his defensive metrics in college were better than his reputation suggests. I understand the concerns. He has some of the weakest physical tools of any player drafted this high in recent memory. Still, the offensive talent is real. If he's averaging 20 points per game on something close to 50/40/90 splits by the end of the decade, I won't be surprised.
8:41 ET: Mikel Brown goes #6 to the Nets
Emile: This pick has been discussed online ad nauseam. It was reported that Brooklyn really loved Nate Ament, but Brown has been lurking in the background the entire time. I like this for the Nets. Brown has the talent to be a truly special offensive weapon in the NBA, and I think I might favor him over Wagler slightly. While he had a rocky college season, when he played he popped. Sometimes it's okay to swing on upside, and that's exactly what the Nets need right now. I'm not sure the defense of a Mikel Brown-Egor Demin backcourt would hold up, but it might elevate the Nets into a team you'd actually want to watch on League Pass.
Brad: Brown and Demin as a defensive backcourt is going to be so bad on-ball I don't even know how to evaluate this pick. It's not really Marks's fault, because Acuff is probably a worse defender, but respectfully, every time Luka plays the Nets next year he could score 85.
8:48 ET: Darius Acuff goes #7 to the Kings
Emile: Speaking of a questionable defensive backcourt, I think this is kind of the quintessential Kings pick. Would anyone be surprised if it doesn't work out for them? At the same time, Acuff is extremely talented, he's a Calipari guard, and there's nothing like putting the ball in the basket at the end of the day. I don't know, maybe I'm hating too much. I think he will certainly have the freedom to do what he wants.
Brad: I don't think it's fair for me to question this pick just because the Kings were the team that made it. I kinda wonder if this was the best spot for him, because he's gonna be allowed to be as heliocentric as he could ever want.
8:55 ET: Kingston Flemings goes #8 to the Hawks
Emile: Solid player. Brad said he had no comment on this. I'm not really sure I do either. I like drafting Sampson's Houston guys as a general rule.
9:01 ET: Morez Johnson goes #9 to the Mavericks
Emile: ESPN's Lisa Salters just asked what many people are thinking: how much of this was due to your coach? Kind of a tough first question to field as an NBA player. Regardless, I think Johnson is a pretty good player who has a chance to be fairly valuable as he continues to mature and learn what the offensive side of the ball is.
Brad: Since May was hired by the Mavericks yesterday, I had this pick written in pencil. I never really thought the Ament rumors made sense outside of Masai just being goofy. Anyone who followed college basketball this year knew that Morez was clearly Dusty's favorite player on that team. May was smiling ear to ear after the pick was announced, which was a cool moment that I think people will remember moving forward. Kinda weird to draft a guy you hope becomes Daniel Gafford when Daniel Gafford is already on your roster, but whatever.
9:09 ET: Brayden Burries goes #10 to the Bucks
Emile: For some reason I just don't love this match between player and team. I still think Burries does have some talent, but I'm not convinced. Might be my least favorite pick of the draft so far, but still, that's a very high bar.
Brad: I generally love players with Burries's profile, but what position is he in the NBA? Is he a slow shooting guard, a small small forward (irony unintended), or a tiny power forward? The position question feels important enough that I have a hard time looking beyond it. He could just end up being a smaller Andrei Kirilenko and make me look like an idiot, but I like my odds.
9:14 ET: Yaxel Lendeborg goes #11 to the Warriors
Emile: This feels like the last gasp of a team that is desperate to contend right now. I don't really blame them, but at some point it becomes fair to wonder how much any of these moves actually move the needle. The older prospect going to the older team makes plenty of sense, and I don't dislike Yaxel as a player either. It's a reasonable fit all around.
9:22 ET: Aday Mara goes #12 to the Thunder
Brad: I really like Mara, and credit to Presti for not having to move up here, but I don't think this was as necessary as everyone else thinks. Chet had a rough series against Wembanyama, but he still finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting. Spending a lottery pick on a player whose primary short-term value is guarding one player for 15 minutes a game in a single series is objectively hilarious, and the Thunder are so talented it isn't even bad business.
Emile: This pick felt like it had been decided for a while, the only question was whether they would trade up or not, and I am a fan of it. I think putting a guy like Mara, who has incredible size and legit offensive skill, in the hands of the Thunder development program could result in a super fun player. I'm ultra-interested in his deployment alongside Chet.
9:30 ET: Nate Ament goes #13 to the Bucks
Emile: I'm not a huge Ament guy, and I’m not loving this Bucks draft at all. It's tough to go from Giannis to Ament and Burries. Obviously it's a new era in Milwaukee, and Ament has enough size and athleticism to develop into something. But this is a big bet on a player whose game still needs a lot of refinement.
9:39 ET: Hannes Steinbach goes #14 to the Hornets
Note from Authors: Nothing to add. Dirk likes it though!
9:46 ET: Dailyn Swain goes #15 to the Bulls
Emile: Love it. Big fan of Swain and his potential. Bulls FO seems very, finally, serious. Wilson and Swain is an awesome haul.
BEST OF THE REST:
9:58 ET:
Brad: I don't know the last time a pro sports league was 2 hours into the draft without even a mild surprise. I guess credit to GMs for improving, but this has been boring.
10:01 ET: Ebeka Okorie gets drafted by the Grizzlies, who then trade him to the Pistons
Emile: First and foremost, a really nice shirt from Okorie's father. I like this pick for the Pistons, who just traded for it as I'm writing this. A lot of very smart people are in love with the Stanford guard and I'm trusting them here.
10:21 ET: Jayden Quaintance goes to San Antonio at #20
Emile: Smart by the Spurs, I think Brad may have passed out.
Brad: I wanted Quaintance to go to my Lakers. I think it's hard to compare the value they got here to Utah getting Peterson at 2, but I think they got a fringe top 8 player outside the lottery. Good for them. I'm not happy.
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