2026 NBA Mock Draft: Adam Finkelstein's final first-round mock loaded with selection intel and trade rumors

Some drafts are anticlimactic, as by this point in the calendar most of the top lottery picks are already known before Adam Silver gets to the podium. The 2026 version is not one of those drafts. There is still some Intrigue with the first picks, though most expect AJ Dybantsa to hear his name called first. Darryn Peterson is expected to go No. 2, but could Cameron Boozer sneak in at that point?

>And then we have the stacked list of lead guards. There is a lot of fun debate over the order in which Darius Acuff Jr., Keaton Wagler, Mikel Brown Jr., and Kingston Flemings should be taken, and who of the four will end up having the best NBA career.

>In addition to an absolutely loaded class of talent, this year's cinema is also heightened by a tremendous amount of uncertainty headed into the final hours. There is also the trade element, which will likely shake up a few things. And then you add in the breaking news on Monday morning that the Dallas Mavericks are hiring Michigan coach Dusty May. Will that change what the Mavericks do at No. 9?

>In this final mock draft, we'll not only plot out what we think the most likely scenarios will be – based on intel, fit, and history – but also what the other options are that each franchise is believed to be considering with their respective picks.