The 2026 NBA Draft is over a month away, as NBA Commissioner Adam Silver will take the stage at the Barclays Center in New York on June 23, 2026, to announce the first-round selection of the draft. This class has been hyped for years, with a strong top four featuring AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer, or Caleb Wilson. The rest of the lottery is also filled with exciting talents, particularly a strong guard core featuring the likes of Darius Acuff Jr., Kingston Flemings, Keaton Wagler, Mikel Brown Jr., and more.
However, the rest of the first round shouldn’t be ignored. The teams we saw in the 2026 NBA Playoffs will be selecting picks 15 through 30, where plenty of gems are projected to be available. The value of making the right draft picks is even more important in the second-apron era, as these players could be on cost-controlled contracts while performing at a level far above their pay grade at the start of their careers.
Let’s analyze some of the best prospects who will be available for teams at the end of the first round, with some of these prospects potentially climbing draft boards and going in the lottery if teams realize their potential value.
7. Allen Graves – Forward, Santa Clara
Allen Graves is a 19-year-old forward from Santa Clara, a mid-major that recently produced All-NBA forward Jalen Williams. Graves has the perfect skill set for a modern NBA forward, as he’s able to shoot the ball efficiently from all three levels, has active hands on defense, and is a composed on-ball passing presence when required. He averaged 11.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.9 steals, and 0.9 blocks on 51.2% from the field and 41.3% from three in his freshman NCAA season.
Graves is already looking like a complete prospect and has room to grow. He measured in at the Draft Combine at 6’7.75″ barefoot and 226 pounds, with a 7’0″ wingspan and 8’10.25″ standing reach. This is a good size for an NBA forward, but scouts know that he isn’t an explosive athlete whose defensive skills might take a while to translate as he adds the strength necessary to be an effective frontcourt defender in the NBA.
His limited usage also indicates he might not be a future star, but could be the perfect do-it-all wing on a contending franchise. But his youth also means he could take his all-around skill set and become a star if he’s developed that way. Graves is considered to be a late first-round pick, primarily due to his limited production on a mid-major against inferior opposition. But if you see what he brings to a basketball court, he looks like a more enticing prospect.
6. Dailyn Swain – Guard/Forward, Texas
Dailyn Swain is a swingman coming off his junior season, where he averaged 17.3 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.6 steals, and 0.3 blocks on 54.2% shooting from the field and 34.4% from three. for the Texas Longhorns. Swain projects as a strong wing defender with explosive athleticism, but a questionable jumpshot. His poor three-point shooting efficiency is mitigated by the fact that he shot 81.5% from the free-throw line, keeping expectations high that he could translate as an above-average shooter in the NBA.
Swain’s scoring diet is primarily based on isolation, but he projects to be a strong second-option scorer on a team with a strong playmaker, as he can thrive on handoffs, drives to the rim, and cuts from behind the basket. His Combine measurements of 6’6.5″ barefoot and 211 pounds, with a 6’10” wingspan and 8’8.5″ standing reach indicate he can be a very effective perimeter defender in the NBA, with his agility making him an option against guards as well.
His poor outside shooting will likely ensure he goes in the 20s of the 2026 NBA Draft, which means a potentially contending roster could add a role-player like him to great effect. If he can find success as a catch-and-shoot threat, which isn’t far-fetched given his mechanics, he’d be as valuable as a lottery pick in this draft.
5. Koa Peat – Forward, Arizona
Koa Peat averaged 14.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists on 52.8% from the field and 35.0% from three on 0.6 attempts per game in his freshman season with the Arizona Wildcats, choosing to enter the NBA Draft process instead of returning to the NCAA for another season to improve his stock. Peat has slid down the boards from being a preseason lottery pick to someone projected to go in the mid-20s.
Given his athletic profile as someone who measured in at 6’7″ barefoot and 245 pounds at the NBA Draft Combine, with a 6’11.25″ wingspan and 8’8″ standing reach and a top-three standing vertical, there should be more interest in him as the draft nears.
The biggest problem with Peat is his inability to shoot from outside 15 feet. It’s hard to find success as a modern NBA power forward when you can’t stretch the floor, so Peat’s development of this skill will be make-or-break for his career. This deficiency is what will keep him out of the lottery, so whichever team drafts him and manages to develop this skill for him will reap huge rewards.
Peat’s strength and quickness relative to his size and ability to guard the perimeter make him a fascinating defensive prospect who could impact a contender from day one. But if he can’t find the skills to make him offensively viable in the NBA outside of slashing to the rim against much-stronger defenders, this could be a pick that backfires for whichever team makes it. This puts him at risk of potentially falling even lower, or into the second round.
4. Isaiah Evans – Guard/Forward, Duke
Isaiah Evans averaged 15.0 points and 3.2 rebounds on 43.3% from the field and 36.1% from three last season with the Duke Blue Devils. The 20-year-old swingman measured in at the Draft Combine at 6’5.5″ barefoot and 186 pounds, with a 6’8.75″ wingspan and 8’8.5″ standing reach.
He projects to be a strong perimeter scorer with a very reliable jumper, which scouts hope will translate to the NBA. He’s an aggressive three-level scorer who can make threes at a high-volume and has already showcased NBA range in college. He can help any team as both an on-ball scorer and a secondary option, given his ability to get his jumper off in any situation.
His thin frame raises major concerns at the NBA level as a defender, but he’s already proven to be a high-effort defender with good on-ball instincts. If he can avoid being a defensive liability in the NBA, he’d be a very productive player in the NBA for a late first-round pick.
3. Morez Johnson Jr. – Forward, Michigan
Morez Johnson Jr. averaged 13.1 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 0.7 steals, and 1.1 blocks on 62.3% from the field and 34.3% from three last season with the NCAA Champion Michigan Wolverines. The 20-year-old forward measured in at the Draft Combine at 6’9″ barefoot and 251 pounds, with a 7’3.5″ wingspan and 8’11” standing reach.
Johnson is an imposing forward who could also play as a center in the NBA, providing a serious vertical threat while being a potential five-position defender. Johnson could climb up the draft boards based on his skill and athleticism, but his poor offensive skills might hold him back. He’s one of the best overall defenders available in the entire class, so he’s bound to have an impact on whichever team drafts him in the post-lottery picks.
Johnson isn’t a self-creating scorer and lacks a pull-up jumper from mid-range or three. The signs of him developing into a good shooter at the NBA level aren’t there yet, but he’s shown a willingness to attempt threes. He’s also a poor on-ball decision-maker right now, but there is lots of room for development, which makes him an exciting prospect.
2. Hannes Steinbach – Forward/Center, Washington
Hannes Steinbach averaged 18.5 points, 11.8 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.1 steals, and 1.2 blocks on 57.7% from the field and 34.0% from three last season with the Washington Huskies. The 20-year-old big man measured in at the Draft Combine at 6’10.25″ barefoot and 248 pounds, with a 7’2.25″ wingspan and 9’0″ standing reach.
Steinbach is arguably one of the best rebounders in the 2026 NBA Draft, also thriving as an interior scorer with polished post moves and strong finishing around the rim. He has good mobility for his size and is an active defender. Despite his strengths, he’s expected to be a mid-to-late first-round pick due to his poor outside shooting and turnover-prone play for someone who averaged just 1.6 assists per game.
Steinbach will likely struggle to immediately adjust in the NBA against stronger and more polished post players, but his skill set projects that he could be a competent frontcourt player for years to come. There is a clear upside with his developing skills, so this is a pick that could wind up paying huge dividends if he pans out for whichever team selects him.
1. Cameron Carr – Guard, Baylor
Cameron Carr averaged 18.9 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 0.9 steals, and 1.3 blocks on 49.4% shooting from the field and 37.4% from three last season with the Baylor Bears, and is rising rapidly through the NBA Draft boards after his Combine measurements at 6’4.5 (barefoot) and 184 pounds, with a 7’7.5″ wingspan and 8’8″ standing reach.
Carr is proving to be a skilled offensive player, both as an on-ball as a catch-and-shoot threat. He was the star of the open scrimmage at the Draft Combine, scoring a game-high 30 points with seven rebounds on 50% from three (9-18 FG, 6-11 3P). His measurables show he can be a strong perimeter defender in the NBA, which makes him project as a highly valuable two-way player in the NBA.
Carr could jump into the lottery if he keeps rising through the draft boards as he has since the Combine. There are very few players in the Draft with little to no clear weaknesses, and Carr is one of them. Outside being 21 years old and the oldest on this list, he’s clearly the prospect with the most to gain in the 2026 NBA Draft process.
