Recap of the 2026 NBA Draft and Trades

The 2026 NBA draft was marked by a series of swaps and trades across its two rounds, spanning over two nights. These deals started before the first name was even called and continued through to the last player selected.

Initial Picks and Trades

The draft began quietly on Tuesday night with teams selecting players without any immediate trades for the first 12 spots. Activity began with the 13th pick as teams involved in a substantial trade, agreed upon on Monday, commenced deals that continued throughout the evening. By the end of round one, nine trades affecting ten players occurred within the final 18 picks.

The Challenge of Trade Tracking

On Wednesday night, keeping track of trades became increasingly difficult. Draft rights for 17 players were swapped, and several picks changed hands multiple times during the second round. These trades will not be official until July 6. Here’s a detailed look at the key selections and trades during this draft:

Round 1

• No. 13: F Nate Ament was chosen by Miami, who then quickly sent his rights to Milwaukee.
• No. 16: G Bennett Stirtz was picked by Memphis, who swapped his rights to Oklahoma City in exchange for the No. 17 pick and two second-round selections.
• No. 17: G Ebuka Okorie’s slot, originally held by Oklahoma City, was sent to Memphis in the trade for Stirtz’s rights.
• No. 21: F Karim Lopez, initially announced by Detroit, had his rights traded to Memphis, along with three first-round selections in exchange for Okorie’s rights.
• No. 24: G Cameron Carr’s rights, selected by New York Knicks, were sent to the Los Angeles Lakers.
• No. 25: The Lakers picked F Sergio De Larrea, but his rights were traded to the Knicks, who then sent them to Dallas.
• No. 26: C Tarris Reed Jr., chosen by Denver, had his rights traded to San Antonio.
• No. 28: F Joshua Jefferson’s spot was traded from Minnesota to Brooklyn as part of the Julius Randle trade, moving the Nets up five slots.
• No. 29: F Alex Karaban’s rights, initially held by Cleveland, were sent to Sacramento.
• No. 30: F Koa Peat’s rights, chosen by the Knicks, were sent to Phoenix along with a pick.

Round 2

• No. 31: G Bruce Thornton’s pick, selected by the Knicks, was traded to Houston as part of a deal that allowed them to move back to No. 39.
• No. 33: G Isaiah Evans was acquired by Minnesota in the trade involving Julius Randle’s movement to Brooklyn.
• No. 34: G Meleek Thomas’s rights were sent from Sacramento to Cleveland.
• No. 35: F Trevon Brazile’s selection was swapped by the Spurs to Denver.
• No. 37: G Ryan Conwell was picked by Oklahoma City, who then traded his rights to Miami.
• No. 38: G Braden Smith was selected by Chicago and his rights were sent to Indiana.
• No. 39: G Jack Kayil’s rights, drafted by Houston, were sent to the Knicks.
• No. 41: G Otega Oweh’s rights, selected by Miami, were swapped to Oklahoma City for Conwell’s rights.
• No. 46: F Felix Okpara was picked by Orlando, who traded his rights to Washington.
• No. 47: F Tyler Nickel’s rights were included in a deal with Phoenix involving Peat’s rights from the Knicks.
• No. 51: F Izaiyah Nelson, initially chosen by Washington, saw his rights sent to Orlando.
• No. 52: C Henri Veesaar’s rights were traded from the Los Angeles Clippers to Atlanta.
• No. 53: C Ugonna Onyenso, acquired by the Knicks, was completed from a trade with Houston.
• No. 55: F Nick Martinelli’s rights went from Houston to the Clippers.
• No. 56: G Vsevolod Ishchenko’s selection, initially by Chicago, saw his rights sent to the Los Angeles Lakers and then to Dallas.
• No. 57: F Narcisse Ngoy’s rights went from Atlanta to the Clippers.
• No. 60: F Malique Lewis’s slot was secured by Milwaukee through a trade with Orlando.

These selections and trades highlight the focus on strategic adjustments and considerations by NBA teams, aiming to optimize their rosters through the lively trade dynamics evidenced in the 2026 draft.

Source: AP NBA