2026 NBA draft recap: Best picks, execs buzz, ROY prediction - ESPN

The 2026 NBA draft might be over, but that doesn't mean we have to stop talking about it. While the lottery didn't offer many surprises — I hit the first eight picks in my final mock draft — this was a deep and interesting class, and there were a few compelling themes throughout.

The first: There were zero trades in the lottery. It's clear teams really liked this class and valued taking the top guys on their boards instead of acquiring future assets. That trend might not change with the new lottery system coming in 2027.

Another theme: The NBA is valuing big men again.

Which team had my favorite pick — in the top 10 and outside it? Which team drafted the best class? What are execs buzzing about? And which players will be named first-team All-Rookie? I've spent years studying these prospects, and I have a few opinions about how things turned out. Let's dig into the fallout of this draft by answering 13 big questions:

Jump to a topic:
Favorite picks | Ideal situation | Best value
Biggest surprise | Top class | Execs buzz
Where were the trades? | ROY pick
All-Rookie team | Undrafted underdog
Big prediction | Overall takeaway

Let's separate this into two categories. My favorite high-profile pick was Darryn Peterson to the Utah Jazz at No. 2.

I would have taken him first, so it's hard not to like this outcome for the Jazz. I've explained this plenty — check out my writeup on him after Round 1. He's going to get right and be extremely good.

My favorite pick outside the top 10 was Aday Mara to the Oklahoma City Thunder at No 12.

Color me fascinated by how the chess match between OKC and San Antonio is going to evolve over the next few seasons. I enjoyed watching it unfold in the draft. I don't think it's a coincidence both