Author: Luke Adams

The 2026 NBA draft is still nearly 10 months away, but a number of teams have already traded away their first-round picks for ’26, and more clubs may do so before this season’s trade deadline.

We’ll use the space below to keep tabs on each team’s first-round pick for 2026, continually updating it as necessary throughout the year.

We’ve listed all 30 teams here, so even if a team hasn’t traded its first-round pick, that will be noted. We’ll also provide details on the protections for each traded pick, including what happens to the pick in 2027 if it doesn’t change hands in 2026.

Here’s the full breakdown on the status of each 2026 first-round pick:

Note: Teams marked with an asterisk (*) have traded away their 2027 first-round pick (either unprotected or with protection) and can’t freely trade away their 2026 first-rounder due to the Stepien Rule.

Atlantic

• Boston Celtics: Own pick.
• Brooklyn Nets: Own pick.
• New York Knicks (*): Own pick.
• Philadelphia 76ers: Traded to Thunder (top-four protected).
  • If this pick lands in its protected range, the Sixers would instead owe the Thunder their 2027 first-round pick (top-four protected).
• Toronto Raptors: Own pick.

Central

• Chicago Bulls: Own pick.
• Cleveland Cavaliers (*): Traded swap rights to Jazz and Hawks.
  • Details outlined at bottom of article.
• Detroit Pistons: Own pick.
  • The Pistons have swap rights on their pick. Details outlined at bottom of article.
• Indiana Pacers: Traded to Clippers (top-four protected; 10-30 protected).
  • If this pick lands in its protected range, the Pacers would instead send the Clippers their 2031 first-round pick (unprotected).
• Milwaukee Bucks (*): Traded swap rights to Hawks.
  • The Hawks will receive the most favorable pick of the Bucks and Pelicans’ first-rounders; the Bucks will receive the least favorable of the two.

Southeast

• Atlanta Hawks (*): Traded swap rights to Spurs.
  • Details outlined at bottom of article.
• Charlotte Hornets: Own pick.
• Miami Heat (*): Own pick.
• Orlando Magic: Traded to Grizzlies or Hornets.
  • Details outlined at bottom of article.
• Washington Wizards: Traded to Knicks (top-eight protected).
  • If this pick lands in its protected range, the Wizards would instead send the Knicks their 2026 second-round pick and 2027 second-round pick, and Washington would have swap rights on its pick (details outlined at bottom of article).

Northwest

• Denver Nuggets (*): Own pick.
• Minnesota Timberwolves (*): Traded swap rights to Jazz or Pistons.
  • Details outlined at bottom of article.
• Oklahoma City Thunder: Own pick.
  • The Thunder will receive the most favorable pick of their own, the Rockets’ (top-four protected), and the Clippers’ first-rounders. The Sixers will receive the second-most favorable of the three. The Mavericks will receive the least favorable of the three.
• Portland Trail Blazers: Traded to Bulls (top-14 protected).
  • If this pick lands in its protected range, the Trail Blazers would instead owe the Bulls their 2027 first-round pick (top-14 protected).
• Utah Jazz: Traded to Thunder (top-eight protected).
  • If this pick lands in its protected range, the Jazz’s obligation to the Thunder would be extinguished and Utah would have swap rights on its pick (details outlined at bottom of article).

Pacific

• Golden State Warriors: Own pick.
• Los Angeles Clippers: Traded to Thunder, Sixers, or Mavericks.
  • The Thunder will receive the most favorable pick of their own, the Rockets’ (top-four protected), and the Clippers’ first-rounders. The Sixers will receive the second-most favorable of the three. The Mavericks will receive the least favorable of the three.
• Los Angeles Lakers (*): Own pick.
  
• Phoenix Suns (*): Traded to Wizards, Grizzlies, or Hornets.
  • Details outlined at bottom of article.
• Sacramento Kings: Own pick.

Southwest

• Dallas Mavericks (*): Own pick.
• Houston Rockets: Traded to Thunder, Sixers, or Mavericks (top-four protected).
  • The Thunder will receive the most favorable pick of their own, the Rockets’ (top-four protected), and the Clippers’ first-rounders. The Sixers will receive the second-most favorable of the three. The Mavericks will receive the least favorable of the three.
  • If this pick lands in its protected range, the Rockets would send the Thunder their 2026 second-round pick instead of a first-round pick.
• Memphis Grizzlies: Own pick.
  • The Grizzlies have swap rights on their pick. Details outlined at bottom of article.
• New Orleans Pelicans: Traded to Hawks or Bucks.
  • The Hawks will receive the most favorable pick of the Bucks and Pelicans’ first-rounders; the Bucks will receive the least favorable of the two.
• San Antonio Spurs: Own pick.
  • The Spurs have swap rights on their pick. Details outlined at bottom of article.

A series of 2026 first-round picks are tied up in a pair of convoluted trade/swap scenarios. The first of those situations involves the Spurs‘, Hawks‘, Jazz‘s, Timberwolves‘ and Cavaliers‘ first-rounders, while the second involves the Suns‘, Wizards‘, Magic‘s, and Grizzlies‘ picks.

Here are the details on how the first set of picks will be distributed:

The Spurs will receive the most favorable of the following picks:

1. The Spurs’ own first-round pick.
2. The Hawks’ first-round pick.

The Jazz will receive the most favorable of the following picks if their own first-rounder is in the top eight:

1. The Jazz’s own first-round pick.
2. The Timberwolves’ first-round pick.
3. The Cavaliers’ first-round pick.

The Timberwolves will receive the least favorable of the following picks:

1. The Timberwolves‘ own first-round pick (if outside the top 19).
2. The Pistons‘ first-round pick.
3. The Jazz‘s first-round pick (if in the top eight).

The Pistons will receive the second-most favorable of the following picks:

1. The Pistons‘ own first-round pick.
2. The Timberwolves‘ first-round pick (if outside the top 19).
3. The Jazz‘s first-round pick (if in the top eight).

The Hawks will receive the most favorable of the following picks, while the Cavaliers will receive the least favorable:

1. The least favorable of the Hawks’ own first-round pick and the Spurs’ first-round pick.
2. The least favorable of the Cavaliers’ first-round pick and either the Jazz’s first-round pick (if in the top eight) and the Timberwolves’ first-round pick (whichever is most favorable).

If the Jazz’s pick lands outside the top eight, it will be sent to the Thunder, the Pistons will receive the most favorable of their own pick and Minnesota’s pick, and the Timberwolves would receive the least favorable of the two (unless Minnesota’s pick is in the top 19, in which case the Wolves could keep it).

In that scenario, the Jazz/Timberwolves picks would not be in play for the Hawks and Cavaliers — and Utah wouldn’t control a first-rounder.

Here are the details on how the second set of picks will be distributed:

The Wizards will receive the most favorable of the following picks if their own first-rounder is in the top eight:

1. The Wizards’ own first-round pick.
2. The Suns’ first-round pick.

The Grizzlies will receive the two most favorable of the following picks, while the Hornets will receive the least favorable:

1. The Grizzlies’ own first-round pick.
2. The Magic’s first-round pick.
3. The least favorable of the Wizards’ first-round pick (if in the top eight) and the Suns’ first-round pick.

If the Wizards’ pick lands outside the top eight, it will be sent to the Knicks. In that scenario, the Wizards pick wouldn’t be in play for the Grizzlies and Hornets — and Washington wouldn’t control a first-rounder.

Information from RealGM was used in the creation of this post.