One year after the Dallas Mavericks took a step toward securing their future by drafting Cooper Flagg, the 2026 NBA draft kicks off with the Washington Wizards on the clock.
Unlike last year there is a little mystery surrounding which direction the Wizards will go, but just a little, as they are expected to draft Brigham Young small forward AJ Dybantsa over Kansas State point guard Darryn Peterson.
The Dallas Mavericks draft 9th and 30th in Tuesday’s first round, the San Antonio Spurs draft 20th while the Houston Rockets don’t have a first-round pick.
When is the 2026 NBA draft?
The 2026 NBA Draft is set to kick off with Round 1 on Tuesday, June 23, followed by Round 2 on Wednesday, June 24. Each night’s selections are scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. MT/7 p.m. CT.
How to watch the NBA draft
The first round of the NBA draft will be available for viewing on ABC and ESPN, or through the ESPN app. Interested fans can also stream the first night of the draft with Fubo.
The second round of the NBA draft will also air on ESPN, but will not air on ABC.
2026 NBA draft order
First Round: Lottery
First Round: Nos. 15-30
15. Chicago Bulls (via Portland)
16. Memphis Grizzlies (via Phoenix)
17. Oklahoma City Thunder (via Philadelphia)
18. Charlotte Hornets (via Orlando)
19. Toronto Raptors
20. San Antonio Spurs (via Atlanta)
21. Detroit Pistons (via Minnesota)
22. Philadelphia 76ers (via Houston)
23. Atlanta Hawks (via Cleveland)
24. New York Knicks
25. Los Angeles Lakers
26. Denver Nuggets
27. Boston Celtics
28. Brooklyn Nets (via Detroit)
29. Cleveland Cavaliers (via San Antonio)
30. Dallas Mavericks (via Oklahoma City)
Second Round
31. New York Knicks (via Washington)
32. Memphis Grizzlies (via Indiana)
33. Minnesota Timberwolves (via Brooklyn)
34. Sacramento Kings
35. San Antonio Spurs (via Utah)
36. LA Clippers (via Memphis)
37. Oklahoma City Thunder (via Dallas)
38. Chicago Bulls (via New Orleans)
39. Houston Rockets (via Chicago)
40. Boston Celtics (via Milwaukee)
41. Miami Heat (via Golden State)
42. San Antonio Spurs (via Portland)
43. Brooklyn Nets (via LA Clippers)
44. San Antonio Spurs (via Miami)
45. Sacramento Kings (via Charlotte)
46. Orlando Magic
47. Phoenix Suns (via Philadelphia)
48. Dallas Mavericks (via Phoenix)
49. Denver Nuggets (via Atlanta)
50. Toronto Raptors
51. Washington Wizards (via Minnesota)
52. LA Clippers (via Cleveland)
53. Houston Rockets
54. Golden State Warriors (via Los Angeles Lakers)
55. New York Knicks
56. Chicago Bulls (via Denver)
57. Atlanta Hawks (via Boston)
58. New Orleans Pelicans (via Detroit)
59. Minnesota Timberwolves (via San Antonio)
60. Washington Wizards (via Oklahoma City)
NBA draft 2026 top picks, predictions
The Washington Wizards are reportedly leaning toward AJ Dybantsa, a 6-foot-9 small forward from Brigham Young. Kansas State point guard Darryn Peterson is also in consideration for the top pick and is most likely to end up at Utah with the second pick.
Duke center Cameron Boozer rounds out the projected top three.
At BetMGM, Dybantsa is -1000 to go first, Peterson is +700 and Boozer is +4000.
Texas players in the NBA draft
The top player from a Texas university is expected to be Houston point guard Kingston Flemings, who is projected to be around the top 10 picks. Baylor swing player Cameron Carr and Texas Tech point guard Christian Anderson should go in the middle of the first round.
Texas swing player Dailyn Swain, Houston center Chris Cenac Jr., are also projected to go late in the first round.
When are the Dallas Mavericks drafting?
The Dallas Mavericks hold the Nos. 9, 30 and 48 picks. They have been linked to Arizona shooting guard Brayden Burries, but there are also reports they have been in trade discussions with Oklahoma City that would involve them trading down a few spots and picking up more picks.
Michigan centers Aday Mara and Yaxel Lendeborg would be likely targets if Dallas trades down.
When are the San Antonio Spurs drafting?
The San Antonio Spurs are drafting 20th in the first round, and have three picks (Nos. 35, 42, and 44) in the second round. Players that have been mocked to them at No. 20 include UConn center Tarris Reed Jr., Texas swing player Dailyn Swain and Michigan center Yaxel Lendeborg.
When are the Houston Rockets drafting?
The Houston Rockets don’t have a first-round pick and are set to select No. 39 and No. 53 in the second round. Their needs are guards and wings.
Bret Bloomquist can be reached at bbloomquist@elpasotimes.com; @Bretbloomquist on X.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: When is the 2026 NBA draft? What will Spurs and Mavericks do?
Reporting by Bret Bloomquist, El Paso Times / El Paso Times
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By Bret Bloomquist, El Paso Times | USA TODAY Network
