NBA Mock Draft 8.0: The latest projections for all 60 picks, including a new landing spot for Cameron Boozer

· Yahoo Sports

We are witnessing a perfect 10 out of 10 NBA Finals, and 28 other teams in the league can only watch and imagine what they're missing to be on this stage. That process is happening now with negotiations for Giannis Antetokounmpo, player workouts across the country, and debates within front-office boardrooms.

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The first round of the 2026 NBA Draft is on June 23 here in New York. The second round will be on the following day. Here's my full two-round mock draft with analysis for every choice based on all the latest intel.

"Ask Kevin O'Connor"Check out our new interactive feature on the NBA Draft Guide, which delivers AI-powered answers to your NBA Draft questions written in Kevin O'Connor's style and drawing from his in-depth analysis.

Dybantsa could become one of the NBA's most unstoppable shot-creators. At 6-foot-9, he has a special blend of athletic tools with the way he bends, shifts, and explodes with the ball in his hands. He gets to the rim at will, cooks in the midrange, draws fouls at a high rate, and displays point-forward potential. In Washington, the pressure will be alleviated on him early in his career, now that he's teammates with veterans Trae Young and Anthony Davis. In the longer term, Dybantsa fits: Alex Sarr already looks like an effective two-way big, while guards and wings like Kyshawn George, Tre Johnson, Will Riley, and Bilal Coulibaly have all shown flashes. But none of them project to be a superstar like Dybantsa, whose upside will be determined by whether he can become a knockdown 3-point shooter, as well as a more impactful defender to take full advantage of his physical tools. But even with those areas for improvement, Dybantsa has an MVP ceiling.

I'm moving Boozer into this slot, and it's not based on any intel at all. It's just a gut feeling based on history. Once upon a time, the Celtics had the first pick in the draft. Then they traded it! Boston worked out Markelle Fultz, the consensus first pick in 2017, and something was just off. Fultz didn't perform well at the workout, but he also didn't display leadership qualities. Alarm bells went off. So the Celtics traded down and landed Jayson Tatum in what has gone down as one of the greatest trades in the history of basketball. So, you're telling me that a Jazz front office, now led by Danny Ainge and Austin Ainge, will take Darryn Peterson? Peterson has the whole cramping saga. He also missed 11 of 35 games, and one of them came against undefeated Arizona when he pulled himself 15 minutes before the game because of "flu-like symptoms." Peterson sits out of the biggest game of his life, and he calls himself an "anti-social loner." I just don't buy it when the alternate choice is one of the greatest college freshmen in recent history: Cam Boozer.

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So that's why I've moved Boozer into this slot. And here's why he's a fit in Utah: At 6-8 and 253 pounds, Boozer is the most polished player in the class. He scores from the post with both footwork and power, hits 40% of his 3s on high volume, and has enough handle to run offense as a point forward. He shifts between those modes based on what the defense gives him, and that adaptability led to a 35-win season at Duke and the Naismith Player of the Year award. Jaren Jackson Jr. and Lauri Markkanen are both more perimeter-based players, so Boozer can play inside with them. Walker Kessler, who could be re-signed, is an interior player, so Boozer can create. The Jazz would be massive across positions, especially since this group could even move Ace Bailey to shooting guard. Jackson and Kessler could both support Boozer on defense, alleviating concerns about his explosiveness and size to protect the rim full-time and his lateral quickness to switch onto guards. With the bloodline of two-time All-Star Carlos Boozer, the team that drafts him is betting that skill, adaptability, and a track record of winning at every level all lead to superstardom. And the Jazz have the right pieces to make that future a reality for Boozer.

Peterson is a buttery smooth scorer with a blend of fluid body control and positional size that gives him the ingredients to become an elite NBA player. At the high school level, he was a dynamic playmaker who used his burst to get into the teeth of defenses and generate buckets for himself and his teammates, while also showing off the kind of shot-making that draws comparisons to Hall of Famers. At Kansas, he thrived in an off-ball role, stroking jumpers out of movement actions and showing he can scale up or down depending on what a roster needs. Even when he isn't scoring, he's a high-impact defender who causes chaos off-ball and has the 6-11 wingspan to switch screens. The concern isn't his game. It's his body, which is why he slipped to third in this mock. Peterson missed 11 of 35 games and pulled himself out of others due to cramping, capping off one of the weirdest freshman seasons in recent memory. Questions about his burst, his availability, and what exactly is going on under the hood are going to define how NBA front offices feel about him at the top of this draft. But maybe that could work to the benefit of the Grizzlies given the need for a guard and his fit as a big guard alongside Cedric Coward and the two-man actions that could develop with a skilled center like Zach Edey.

Wilson is the most gifted athlete in the draft. He's 6-9 with springs for legs. When he's flying above the rim, finishing through contact, and chasing down every shot in his area code, he looks like a future franchise cornerstone. That's exactly what the Bulls need in the frontcourt. But Wilson isn't a sure thing. He made too many aloof rotations as an off-ball defender at North Carolina, and the speed of NBA offenses will test him even more. He also won't be sharing the floor with two bigs like he often did in college. On offense, Wilson has never shot jumpers with any consistency at any level, so it'd be a bonus if he can figure that out. And he might have to for Josh Giddey and Matas Buzelis to be optimized. Still, even without the jumper, he has star upside.

I mentioned last week that the Clippers are widely considered the most likely team to trade down from this range, and the expectation is that the teams moving up are – unsurprisingly – the teams with multiple firsts: Atlanta (8th and 23rd), Dallas (9th and 30th), Oklahoma City (12th and 17th), and Charlotte (14th and 18th). Milwaukee could be added to that list if Giannis Antetokounmpo is traded to Miami. That doesn't mean anything will happen, but it's noteworthy that different teams could swoop up and target different players, which could disrupt any board.

If the Clippers stay put, maybe Brown could be the pick. Brown has an unstoppable pull-up jumper, an ambidextrous finishing ability, and the quick reads to rifle passes before the defense has time to react. He had a 45-point breakout performance in February after a back injury dogged him all freshman year and then ended his year later in the month. The absences muddy the evaluation and leave real questions about his consistency that may not get answered until he's fully healthy. But right now, he is, and all indications are that he is dominating workouts.

Forwards Nate Ament and Karim Lopez worked out against either other in Brooklyn on Tuesday, Lopez revealed on my podcast. Projected lottery picks Keaton Wagler and Kingston Flemings were originally scheduled to attend that workout, but dropped out after a group workout in Chicago that both also attended, according to league sources. There is a sense in opposing front offices that Brooklyn could trade down from this spot, whether it's with a team trying to leap way up the board or even up just one spot in the Kings or two spots in the Hawks. Weeks ago I reported the Kings are widely believed to be targeting Acuff, so that's in part why he's the pick here for Brooklyn. Want your guy? Trade for him.

Acuff would make sense for the Nets anyway given the need for a face of the franchise. Acuff is not the biggest guard or the most explosive athlete, but he reads defenses like someone who's been in the league for a decade. He emerged as a freshman as a skilled, low-turnover playmaker. And that's not even what he's best at. Acuff is a wiry scorer who can get a bucket from anywhere on the floor with a quick trigger, slippery handle, and a feel for manipulating defenses. He has a knack for clutch moments too. The question that follows every undersized guard into the draft is whether the brilliance survives contact with bigger, longer, faster defenders.

The Kings are working out Keaton Wagler next week, according to league sources. Though Acuff remains the favorite for this choice, the franchise of course is doing its due diligence and Wagler could be available after he was previously expected to be the fifth choice. There was a bit of shock on social media when I moved Wagler down last week. But inevitably, someone will slip on draft night. And it could be Wagler, since league sources say the Clippers aren't head over heels in love with him for the fifth pick and Wagler's group canceled his workout this week with the Nets, who have the sixth pick.

But Wagler is still a lottery lock. Someone will scoop him up if he does fall to this range after he became the orchestrator of a high-powered Illinois offense with his high-IQ playmaking and crafty scoring. After he showed up at Illinois as a four-star recruit with no expectations of becoming a one-and-done, he scored 46 at Purdue against a top-ranked team in the country, then kept rolling and led the team to an unexpected Final Four appearance. But he's a quirky player in that he logged zero dunks. To become an NBA star, Wagler needs to overcome a lack of traditional athleticism. And teams question just how special he is as a shooter too.

The Hawks could use a true center and the best one in this class is Mara, who stepped on UCLA's campus as a lottery-projected center from Spain. Then he fell off draft boards during two forgettable seasons there before transferring to Michigan and becoming one of the best true 5s in the country on his way to winning the national championship. He reads the floor like a guard, finishes with both hands, and swats shots with elite timing. Quin Snyder will love using him as a facilitator from the wings and elbows. The complication is he doesn't shoot from outside, makes below 60% of his free throws, and opponents are going to attack him on the perimeter. But the Hawks are building a team littered with size, length and versatility. If there's anywhere that Mara could best reach his potential, it might be Atlanta.

(Taylor Wilhelm/Yahoo Sports Illustration)

Adam Finkelstein of CBS Sports reported that Burries hasn't taken many workouts and there is speculation that he's trying to angle his way to Dallas. I also have heard that same chatter, which is why he lands here. To add some more color to that reporting: Burries is represented by Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul, who steered Dereck Lively to the Mavericks with the 12th pick in the 2023 draft, even though some teams picking higher wanted to select Lively. It would make perfect sense for Klutch to want Burries to be the guard paired with Cooper Flagg for many years to come. Burries is a physical, versatile scorer who can beat you from all three levels, rebounds like a forward and competes hard on defense. But he's a methodical creator rather than an explosive one, and his shooting history before Arizona gives scouts reason to wonder whether the efficiency is real or a blip.

The Bucks have been signaling to people around the league that they could have multiple first-round picks on draft night. While this could be a leverage tactic in trade talks with teams interested in Giannis Antetokounmpo — and a negotiation tactic with agents as an attempt to schedule more workouts — there certainly are a lot of signals that Milwaukee does indeed have some strong offers on the table for Giannis.

The Bucks should take a swing to jump start their new era, whether or not Giannis is part of it. Flemings could be that type of bet since he plays with surgical midrange touch, an explosive first step and the passing vision of a true point guard who can run an offense. But Flemings is also 183 pounds and midrange-heavy in a 3-point league, and he watched his efficiency crater against the stiffest competition late in the season. The question is whether his scoring package translates against NBA length and spacing, or whether opposing scouts figure him out the same way late-season defenses did. Still, he brings incredible effort and passion to the floor and will likely maximize whatever he's going to become.

It was a brutal season. The Warriors lost Jimmy Butler to a torn ACL and Moses Moody to a torn patellar tendon, watched Steph Curry miss 27 games with knee issues, and finally gave up on Jonathan Kuminga. Golden State has been desperately searching for a young star to extend Curry's championship window, and bridge into whatever comes next. It will be harder to do that here after not getting lucky in the lottery. But maybe the Warriors will find a star. Players who can handle, shoot off the dribble, and stand at 6-10 don't grow on trees. This physical foundation kept Ament in lottery consideration even after a dreadful start to his freshman season when he struggled to score efficiently and make an impact defensively. But over the second half of the year for Tennessee, he flipped a switch and shots began to fall. He averaged 23.8 points over a six-game stretch in January and February that reminded everyone why he was a top recruit in the country. Then he dealt with an ankle injury that ruined his momentum entering March and severely struggled during the tournament. Steve Kerr re-signed for a two-year deal and would probably rather have a pro-ready player, but maybe Ament will be the young guy who exceeds expectations and turns into a star.

It has been widely reported that the Thunder could look to move up from this 12th choice. But if they stay put, López checks a lot of boxes with his excellent physical tools, hard-nosed approach, well-rounded ability to defend multiple positions and handle the ball, and blossoming shot. But he's thus far more of a jack of all trades since his jumper runs hot and cold and he lacks the burst to blow by defenders off the bounce. Regardless, not every player is drafted with stardom in mind. López has all the requisite skills to enhance a star teammate as a key piece on a winning team.

The Heat are indeed the favorite to land Giannis Antetokounmpo, so there's a strong probability that Milwaukee could end up picking in this slot. Some league sources even expect a trade to happen as soon as the NBA Finals conclude, though the longer this series goes the more time there could be for other teams to step up their offers. Regardless, a smart choice here could be Steinbach, who will enter the NBA with some readymade skills as an interior scorer and rebounder. He has massive hands that he uses to grab every possible rebound and finish effectively around the basket. He also showed legitimate touch on 3-pointers in flashes, which would turn him into a very different player if it becomes real. But he's not quite a true 7-footer, and there are specific matchups where he gets targeted in space. It's encouraging, though, that he bulked up from 220 to 248 pounds from the start of his freshman year at Washington until now. He was already strong, and now he's making the case that he can be a true center for any team.

You know the guy on a championship team who never gets enough credit nationally? The one who sets the bone-crushing screen that springs the star, then immediately sprints to the rim for the lob, then turns around and blows up the other team's pick-and-roll on the other end all in one sequence? That's Morez Johnson. He transferred from Illinois to Michigan and became the connective tissue of the national champions as a 251-pound wrecking ball with surprisingly soft hands and the defensive IQ to guard 1 through 5 in a switch-heavy scheme. And the Hornets are in need of someone with Johnson's multi-position versatility since Miles Bridges, Josh Green, and Grant Williams all have just one more season on their contracts. The issue with Johnson is he's not quite big enough to be a true center and not yet proven enough as a shooter to guarantee he spaces the floor. But even without a jumper, Johnson has a long future ahead of him at the next level – and that is why league sources say his stock is on the rise into the mid-late lottery range.

The Bulls have a lot of guards on their roster, but probably not the right guy for the long term. Stirtz feels the game at a different frequency than everyone else on the floor, and yet still makes scouts squint because he doesn't look the part athletically. The question isn't whether he can play, though. After transferring from Drake to Iowa, he kept cooking with bullseye passes, pump-fakes, and shooting touch off the dribble from NBA range. If he adjusts to the physicality and speed of the NBA, he could thrive as both a floor general and off-ball connector.

After landing Peterson with the third pick, the Grizzlies find a backcourt partner here who complements Peterson's perimeter style. Okorie is the best driving guard in the class, a 6-1 jitterbug who manipulates defenders with a tight handle, sudden changes of speed, and an advanced feel for the game. He's not an above-the-rim athlete, though, and not long ago he was a kid from New Hampshire who ranked outside the top 100 and committed to Harvard. Then Stanford found him, he flipped his commitment, and he proceeded to lead the ACC in scoring with eight 30-point games and a habit for hitting clutch shots. NBA teams will have to decide whether what carved up the ACC will survive against bigger, longer defenders.

The Thunder could combine this choice with the 12th pick to move into the top 10, or if they can't do that they could flip this first for a future first. A popular target here might be Graves, who was a point guard before a late growth spurt, and whose floor skills carried over when he sprouted to 6-8. He came off the bench at Santa Clara as a redshirt freshman and quietly became one of the most efficient producers in college basketball. While he lacks great athleticism and had some struggles against the limited top competition that he faced, the analytics love him, and he passes the eye test with his elite feel for the game.

The Hornets don't necessarily need any more shot creators. But Thomas has shown the ability to thrive with and without the ball. You could see that on the court the way he never hesitated to fire, stepped right into the lead role when Darius Acuff was sidelined at Missouri to close the regular season, and willed Arkansas to the SEC championship game with 29 against Ole Miss. He's a legit NBA shooter with deep range, a quick release, and creation juice off the bounce. But he doesn't get to the rim, his shot selection drifts into hero-ball, and there are questions about how he'll deal with NBA physicality.

League sources say that Anderson has worked out for multiple teams that hold top-10 picks this year. Point guards in this range are all in a fight for similar spots, though, so beauty will be in the eye of the beholder. Maybe Anderson could fit Toronto since he has an elite shooting ability and a dynamic pick-and-roll creation feel. These skills would complement Toronto's existing core, headlined by Scottie Barnes. But at his small stature he hasn't shown a consistent ability to get to the rim with any regularity. And any small guard will always be a target on defense, so there's a lot of pressure on his shot translating to the next level.

I genuinely don't know what to say to Spurs fans after that 29-point blown lead. The only silver lining is the fact that this team is still so young, still so good, still should conceivably be contending for many years to come, but nothing is ever certain. That's the terrifying part about being in this situation. With the chance to win a championship and then choking away the opportunity, even if you think you'll be back, you truly just don't know if you actually will be.

While these Finals are ongoing, the Spurs do have to invest time into the draft, and it's very possible a potential steal could fall into their laps with this 20th pick. Lendeborg has a compelling story. Poor grades kept him off his high school varsity team. He went to a JUCO. Then UAB. Then he entered the draft, went through the combine, pulled his name back, and came back for one more year at Michigan and won a national championship. He just kept getting better every single time the competition got harder. He fills the stat sheet, he can play multiple positions, and he has a 7-foot-4 wingspan at 241 pounds with a genuine handle. But he'll be 24 as a rookie, and teams still have concerns about his maturity level. The arc is a great story. But he could slip outside of the lottery come draft night, and maybe that could be a blessing in disguise for him if he's able to land with an organization like the Spurs who need a player with his exact skill set and have the perfect infrastructure.

The Pistons need more shooting and more creation. Carr checks both boxes. After two forgettable years at Tennessee, he transferred to Baylor, and led the team in scoring, shot nearly 40% from 3 on high volume, and looked like a 3-and-D role player who also has blossoming skills off the dribble. With NBA genes in his blood, as the son of former player Chris Carr, Cameron has the skills to make it in the NBA. But at 184 pounds with not a ton of games under his belt, he's going to get introduced to the NBA's physicality in a way college basketball never did.

Finding a center to play behind Joel Embiid needs to be prioritized. Embiid simply cannot be trusted to stay on the floor. Cenac checks every box on paper as a superb athlete who moves like a wing, has the length to alter shots, and shoots from the perimeter. Houston handed him a starting role with national title aspirations and trusted him with heavy minutes. But the Cougars fell short again, in part because Cenac struggled to stay out of foul trouble, couldn't score efficiently, and was overeager to play on the perimeter despite having the body of a bruiser. He arrived in college with lottery expectations, and he still could become that player in the future. But the NBA team drafting him is taking a project.

A guard is going to slip on draft night. In this mock, the unlucky winner is Philon, a shifty, score-first point guard who blossomed into one of the best guards in college basketball as a sophomore. He doubled his scoring output with buttery floaters, a deceptive handle, and a feel for running an offense, while also beginning to shore up the shooting questions that once clouded his projection. But maybe this could be the best for Philon, since Atlanta could surround him with long-armed perimeter players – and now a massive 7-3 center in Mara, their first choice in this mock. But why isn't Philon in the lottery with all that skill? He is a below-the-rim athlete and is listed under 180 pounds, so his slight frame remains the one thing standing between him and stardom. For all the talk about how effective Jalen Brunson has been leading the Knicks to the NBA Finals, he has 30 to 40 pounds on Philon thanks to a wider, thicker frame that can support that weight. And Hawks fans already know all about the challenges of having a small guard.

I'm still in complete and utter shock about what I witnessed last night at Madison Square Garden. If there's one thing that's clear about this roster, it's the level of toughness and grit shared across positions. It's a group of resilient, hard-nosed individuals that collectively make a winning impact. With the Knicks one game away from winning their first championship in 53 years, there is still a chance that roster turnover will occur this offseason. With Mitchell Robinson entering free agency this summer, it would make sense for the Knicks to bolster the frontcourt. Peat's bloodline is so loaded with offensive linemen that it's almost funny he ended up playing basketball. His father played nine NFL seasons. His uncle was a Pro Bowl tackle. Two brothers played college ball on the line. And you can absolutely see it in how he plays: powerful, physical, relentless, and it genuinely takes something special to stop him from getting to where he wants to go. He opened the season with a 30-point game against defending champion Florida and backed it up as one of Arizona's best players all year on its way to the Final Four. Since Peat can't shoot yet, it'll be important that he's paired with a floor-spacing center like Karl-Anthony Towns. Or he could serve as a small-ball center in switchable lineups. So even though Peat entered the year with top-10 hopes, it might be a blessing in disguise for him to fall to the end of the first round.

What type of support does Luka Dončić need by his side? Versatile wing defenders who can serve as connectors on offense. Swain is relentless getting to the rim, creative as a finisher, and active enough defensively to project as a switchable wing. But the reason he lives at the rim is because his jump shot is genuinely terrible. He has stiff mechanics, bad percentages, and a reluctance to even attempt it that goes all the way back to high school. He made improvements at Texas, though, so there's hope his soft touch at the line and from the paint will eventually translate.

The Jonas Valančiūnas acquisition didn't go quite as planned for the Nuggets last year. Maybe they'd have better luck in the draft. Quaintance is going to get drafted based almost entirely on what he looked like before his knee exploded. As a freshman at Arizona State, he was blocking everything in sight, showing defensive instincts and mobility that players his size aren't supposed to have, and he was 17 years old while doing it. Then came the ACL, the meniscus, the fractured knee, the transfer to Kentucky, persistent swelling, and a shutdown for the remainder of his sophomore season. Now teams have to make a decision after 28 games of great defense with eyesore offense.

After the Nikola Vučević experiment fell short for the Celtics, Veesaar would present a new opportunity. He is an agile big with real shooting touch, connective playmaking, and baseline skills with the ability to set screens and catch lobs. He also offers rim protection and is a locked-in help defender. In all three of his collegiate seasons, he made a massive leap in production each year. But he's 227 pounds and his lanky frame can get pushed around, plus he still hasn't fully defined his cornerstone skill.

Just look at how crucial Mike Conley still was to the Timberwolves in these playoffs. But he's 38. And Ayo Dosunmu and Bones Hyland will both be upcoming free agents. The Wolves might need a secondary shot creator that can double up as a scorer. Evans is the kind of shooter that defenses guard and think they've got him contained, then he uses a screen and catches it off a full sprint, moving away from the rim, and somehow manages to rise into a perfect 3-pointer. He's a legitimate sharpshooter with the off-ball chops to thrive without even running any offense for himself, and he also has a developing handle that could unlock more creation chances. But he's still a perimeter-based player who needs to add more layers to his game to become a complete offensive talent.

Keon Ellis and Dean Wade will be free agents this summer, and Max Strus will be in one year. It may be time for the Cavaliers to get a wing — one with more skill — in the developmental pipeline alongside Jaylon Tyson. De Larrea is a tall playmaking guard with major feel and a knockdown jumper who thrives within team concepts. He suffered a dislocated shoulder that ended his 2024-25 season and removed him from draft boards, but it ended up a blessing in disguise since he returned with a bigger role and stronger production for a great team in the EuroLeague. With size, smarts, and defensive versatility, he could carve out a role in the NBA if his international skill can translate.

Suigo has until June 13 to decide if he's going to stay in this year's draft or commit to a college – likely Villanova. In all likelihood, he's heading to school. But there's still some chatter around the league about him sneaking into the first round. To play with that idea in this mock, let's put Suigo on the Mavericks. Suigo has said he wants to be the Italian Wemby and, at 7-3 with passing feel and shooting touch, you can see why a teenager might put that out into the universe. Suigo lacks the handle and self-creation chops to ever be the best player on a team, but his dynamic skills as a passer, shooter, and lob threat layer cleanly on top of baseline center duties as a screener, finisher, and rim protector. Becoming the Italian Marc Gasol is a more realistic goal, and would still be an excellent outcome.

31. New York Knicks

Jack Kayil, 6-4, Alba Berlin international guard

Kayil is a combo guard with a strong frame, a feel for the game that exceeds his youth, and the grit to become a high-level defender. He just became one of the youngest players to ever win the German League's Under-22 Player of the Year, joining Franz Wagner and Dennis Schröder on a list that bodes well for his NBA prospects. He committed to Gonzaga back in October, but has decided to stay in the draft — a decision that surprised some scouts since he has yet to prove he can shoot consistently or run an offense full-time. But there's no denying his upside and he could end up one of the late risers in this class.

32. Memphis Grizzlies

Tarris Reed, 6-10, UConn senior big

Reed is a throwback center who played at his best on the biggest stage on UConn's way to the national title game. He does all the dirty work inside the paint as a finisher and rebounder and shot-blocker. But beyond his ability to screen and pass, he isn't all too comfortable on the perimeter as a shooter or defender. So there are questions about his upside, especially since he'll be 23 as a rookie.

33. Brooklyn Nets

Zuby Ejiofor, 6-8, St. John's senior forward

After Ejiofor's freshman year at Kansas, Bill Self told him he wasn't good enough to play major minutes on any Big 12 team. Three years later, he became the unanimous Big East Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Tournament MVP, and Scholar-Athlete of the Year — the first player in the league's history to sweep all four in a single season — and he helped St. John's bounce his former team in the Round of 32 on the way to the program's first Sweet 16 in 25 years. Ejiofor found success with foundational skills: motor, length, and defensive versatility. The question with Ejiofor is the fact he's undersized for a center and his jumper is still a work in progress. But he's developed enough to deserve a chance to figure it out in the league.

34. Sacramento Kings

Alex Karaban, 6-7, UConn senior forward

Karaban makes defenses pay the moment they relax on him. He relocates for a 3, cuts when nobody's watching, and does everything efficiently. He's a similarly high-effort, high-IQ player on the defensive end, which helps him overcome his average athleticism. But he'll be 24 as a rookie, and hasn't shown much upside. He rarely shoots off the dribble because of his funky mechanics. So if his role-player skills are slow to translate, his margin for error is narrower than for most.

35. San Antonio Spurs

Joshua Jefferson, 6-8, Iowa State senior forward

Some players are drafted for their ceilings. Others for their floor. Jefferson lands in the latter category as a 22-year-old senior who spent four years in college getting better at everything to the point he's a steady, high-feel forward. He can pass out of the post, make connective reads, and guard multiple positions. He just needs his shooting progress to prove to be real, and right now there's not enough of a sample to be sure it is.

36. Los Angeles Clippers

Baba Miller, 6-11, Cincinnati senior forward

Miller is a fluid athlete who grew up playing guard before a late growth spurt. He retained his perimeter skills given the way he can handle in the open floor and make advanced moves. He's also an equally compelling defensive player who can switch across positions. The big issue, and the main reason why he has spent four years in college, is that he still can't shoot.

37. Oklahoma City Thunder

Dillon Mitchell, 6-7, St. John's senior forward

Mitchell showed up at Texas as a McDonald's All-American, and back then it looked like a jump shot was the only thing standing between him and stardom. Four years and three schools later, the jumper is still nonexistent. And yet, he's played his way onto boards anyway as a left-handed power player who finishes everything around the rim, wrecks games on defense, and blossomed into a high-feel passer as a senior at St. John's. The non-shooting is a problem, but on the right team his athleticism on offense and defensive versatility could allow him to carve out a long career.

38. Chicago Bulls

Ryan Conwell, 6-2, Louisville senior guard

Conwell's college career took him from South Florida to Indiana State to Xavier, and then to Louisville, and he got better at every stop. By the end of his senior year he was the leading scorer for the Cardinals at 18.8 points per game. He's a stocky 6-2 lefty with broad shoulders, no real first step, and exactly one dunk in four years of college basketball. But he's a knockdown shooter with deep range and a bruiser at the rim who absorbs contact like a fullback. The question is whether the climb continues at the next level, when he can't muscle his way to the cup or shoot over the top of smaller defenders the way he could in college.

39. Houston Rockets

Bruce Thornton, 6-0, Ohio State senior guard

Thornton is a three-level scorer with playmaking feel and the competitive fire that lifts a locker room. But he's short and not a bursty athlete, which means he projects as a reserve point guard. Players with his intangibles can prove to be important to winning teams, though. He was a four-year captain at Ohio State, and improved every year on his way to becoming the school's all-time leading scorer.

40. Boston Celtics

Richie Saunders, 6-5, BYU senior wing

Saunders is a hard-nosed, two-way wing who plays with manic energy, hustling around the floor hunting for steals on defense and jumpers on offense. The team that gets him knows exactly what they're gonna get out of him. He's also skilled, though, with a quick-trigger jumper, soft touch on floaters, and a feel for moving the ball. With less than ideal size and athleticism, he more likely projects as a solid role player. But he's not a guarantee to succeed at age 25 after tearing his ACL in February, ending his four-year career at BYU.

41. Miami Heat

Ugonna Onyenso, 6-11, Virginia senior big

Onyenso has bounced from Kentucky to Kansas State to Virginia, finally finding a home in Charlottesville where he turned into one of the most feared shot-blockers in college basketball. He had 21 blocks across three ACC tournament games, including nine against Cam Boozer and Duke in the championship. He lays a brick wall around the basket, though he has heavy feet when guarding on the perimeter and is still developing his offensive skill set.

42. San Antonio Spurs

Maliq Brown, 6-8, Duke senior forward

Brown guards all five positions and has both the length and IQ to anchor the defense when he's on the floor. As a 6-8 senior, he was named ACC Sixth Man of the Year and won the Lefty Driesell Award as the nation's top defender. But he struggles to shoot the ball, which will make his offensive fit a difficult one. Regardless though, his defense could be that special that his team can't help but put him on the floor.

43. Brooklyn Nets

Braden Smith, 5-10, Purdue senior guard

Smith left Purdue as the NCAA's all-time assists leader, breaking a 33-year-old record. He's arguably the highest-IQ player in the draft who could orchestrate an offense at the college level while also providing scoring off the bounce. But the issue is the one every 5-10 guard faces: he isn't a plus athlete, and bigger guards are going to hunt him the moment he steps on an NBA floor. That's precisely why he is a projected second-rounder and will need to work his way up.

44. San Antonio Spurs

Nick Martinelli, 6-7, Northwestern senior forward

Martinelli is a lefty who hunts mismatches in the post, uses footwork and physicality to compensate for his average athletic profile, and plays with a fire in his belly. He arrived at Northwestern as a three-star recruit, got notably better in each season, and proceeded to become the back-to-back Big Ten scoring champion. There are no questions about his work ethic. The real concern is about whether he can adapt at the next level when he can't feast on smaller players, and when he'll be targeted on defense. But he's beaten the odds so far and will receive chances to prove he belongs in the NBA.

45. Sacramento Kings

Jaden Bradley, 6-3, Arizona senior guard

Bradley is a combo guard with a strong frame, a calm demeanor, and a knack for clutch moments. After arriving in college as a McDonald's All-American, he lost his starting spot as a freshman at Alabama then transferred to Arizona, where he got better every year and became the team's trusted leader. As a senior, he won Big 12 Player of the Year, Big 12 Tournament MVP, and led the Wildcats to their first Final Four since 2001. There are questions about whether he can be a lead guard at the next level, but his connective passing, improved shooting, and gritty defense all give him the potential to play big minutes.

46. Orlando Magic

Emanuel Sharp, 6-3, Houston senior guard

Sharp's calling card is his shooting ability. He can catch fire from 3-point range and be utilized as a weapon off screens. He plays with a high IQ even though he isn't a primary shot creator as well. On defense, he plays extremely hard to help compensate for the fact he's on the smaller side at only 6-3.

47. Phoenix Suns

Ja'Kobi Gillespie, 6-0, Tennessee senior guard

Gillespie spent two seasons at Belmont, transferred to Maryland for a year, then came home to Tennessee as a senior and helped lead the Volunteers to the Elite Eight. In the NBA, he projects as less of a lead guard and more of a spark plug who comes off the bench and fires jumpers and reliably runs the offense. The NBA's track record with guards his size is the obvious concern, but anyone who shoots like Gillespie and processes the game at his level deserves a real chance.

48. Dallas Mavericks

Izaiyah Nelson, 6-8, South Florida senior big

Nelson is a 6-8 athlete with a 7-3 wingspan who feasts on lobs, rebounds in traffic, and disrupts everywhere on defense. He sets a tone any time he's on the floor. After three years at Arkansas State, he followed his coach to USF and proceeded to put up one of the most decorated mid-major seasons in recent memory by becoming the first player in American Conference history to win Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, and Newcomer of the Year. Even though he lacks creation and shooting abilities, he made jaw-dropping plays at the Portsmouth Invitational, then earned an NBA Draft Combine invite, and now has a chance to go in the second round.

49. Denver Nuggets

Felix Okpara, 6-10, Tennessee senior big

Okpara knows his role as a player who protects the paint, runs the floor, finishes lobs, sets screens, and doesn't try to be more than that. He spent two years at Ohio State, transferred to Tennessee, and helped take the Vols to the Elite Eight as their defensive backbone. He had four blocks in the Round of 32 with clutch defense down the stretch, then a 12 and 10 double-double in the Sweet 16.

50. Toronto Raptors

Bryce Hopkins, 6-6, St. John's senior forward

Hopkins is a big wing who bullies smaller defenders with hard drives to the rim. But he's not a one-trick pony. He also passes with feel, rebounds, and offers highly versatility defense. He's a do-it-all player who could've been in the NBA by now if it weren't for injuries. He was a first-team All-Big East talent at Providence before a torn ACL ended one season and a bone bruise in the same knee wiped out most of the next, limiting him to 17 games over two years. He finally got a full, healthy run at St. John's, regained his explosiveness, and became a pivotal piece on a team that won the Big East title and made a tournament run.

51. Washington Wizards

Tobe Awaka, 6-8, Arizona senior forward

Awaka was college basketball's best rebounder and helped energize Arizona's bully-ball style over the past two years. At 6-8 with a brickhouse frame and an unrelenting style of play, he set a tone off the bench and earned Big 12 Sixth Man of the Year. The problem is everything else. He doesn't shoot. He doesn't pass. And he doesn't have a clearly defined position on defense. The team that drafts him is betting it can find enough of a defensive role to keep that elite rebounding and relentless motor on the floor.

52. Los Angeles Clippers

Tyler Nickel, 6-6, Vanderbilt senior forward

Nickel has a flamethrower jump shot that Vanderbilt used in a wide array of actions to consistent success all season long. The questions about him are the ones every specialist faces: Does he offer enough other than shooting? Will he survive defensively? But anyone who shoots like Nickel and stands at 6-6 will get a shot to make it in the NBA.

53. Houston Rockets

Tyler Bilodeau, 6-7, UCLA senior forward

Bilodeau was one of the most efficient stretch-4s in college basketball. With his 6-7 frame, he could bring real value with his size and spacing ability at the next level. But no one should mistake Bilodeau for Tyler, The Creator, since he rarely takes shots off the dribble or serves as a playmaker for teammates. He also struggles as a defender, which is truly the big question about his ability to make it in the modern NBA.

54. Golden State Warriors

Milos Uzan, 6-3, Houston senior guard

Uzan is a high-IQ combo guard who knits teams together with his playmaking skills and defensive hustle. Those are the translatable skills that made him a fixture in Houston's rotations for back-to-back 30-win seasons. But then there's the nagging question about what he actually offers as a primary shot creator and as a shooter. Uzan could've answered that question with a big senior season, but he didn't take the leap that scouts hoped for.

55. New York Knicks

Otega Oweh, 6-4, Kentucky senior wing

As a 6-4 wing with a strong frame, Oweh became one of the best slashing wings in college basketball and had one of the great games of the season with 35/8/7 against Santa Clara in the opening round of March Madness with a buzzer-beater to force overtime. At the next level, though, he doesn't project to be a primary creator because of his shaky handle and jumper, so the odds are he'll need to adapt as a role player. Fortunately, he has a ton of those skills as a cutter, connective passer, and versatile defender.

56. Chicago Bulls

Trevon Brazile, 6-10, Arkansas senior big

Brazile was a projected first-rounder before tearing his ACL nine games into his sophomore year at Arkansas, and the next two years were spent rebuilding the explosiveness that made him a prospect in the first place. He finally put it together as a fifth-year senior with a career year by anchoring Arkansas' defense. His long wingspan, explosive vertical, switchability, and perimeter jumper, all give him the potential to have a long NBA career. But at this point, he's already 23 and still projects only as a role player.

57. Atlanta Hawks

Tobi Lawal, 6-7, Virginia Tech senior forward

Lawal is a London-born forward with elite athleticism, but he didn't start playing basketball until age 16 and it shows with his underdeveloped skills. He's still figuring out his jumper and doesn't do much off the dribble. But with NBA-ready hops and a strong frame, he has the tools to be a highly versatile defender who serves as a role player on offense.

58. New Orleans Pelicans

Keyshawn Hall, 6-6, Auburn senior forward

Hall has been to UNLV, George Mason, UCF, and Auburn, and at every stop he just keeps scoring as a 6-6, 227-pound lefty wing by knocking down 3s and overpowering smaller defenders inside. But everywhere he's gone, his defense has been shaky and his decision-making has left a lot to be desired. After bouncing through four programs without seeing those flaws get resolved, he'll need to figure it out in the NBA. There's certainly a lot of talent worth betting on.

59. Minnesota Timberwolves

Darrion Williams, NC State senior forward

Williams is a broad-shouldered wing with the versatility to run point or do the dirty work as a power forward. A lack of top-end athleticism puts him in a role player bucket, but he brings winning qualities. During a stretch in which Williams was struggling to score, his college coach Will Wade said: "What'd he have? Six rebounds, four assists, zero turnovers. Everybody needs to shut the hell up about him. He's a damn good player and the shot's going to fall."

60. Washington Wizards

Aaron Nkrumah, 6-5, Tennessee State senior wing

Nkrumah is a 6-5 wing with a 6-10 wingspan and has the motor to cause havoc on defense. His jumper is still developing, but it was quite a journey to even get to this point. He started his college career at Division III Nichols College, transferred to Division III Worcester State and won MASCAC Player of the Year, then jumped to Tennessee State and became the Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year while leading the Tigers to the NCAA tournament as a 15-seed. He got a late invite to the G League Combine, dropped 33 points across two scrimmages to earn a call-up to the NBA Combine, and kept producing once he got there. He still needs to add muscle and tighten up his jumper, but nothing has stopped him yet.

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