Eastern Notes: Nets, Marks, Jenkins, Heat, Magic
Sunday’s draft lottery was disastrous for the Nets, who fell from third in the pre-lottery order — tied with three other teams for the best chance at landing No. 1 — to sixth overall. Several reporters described owner Joe Tsai, Brooklyn’s drawing room representative, as appearing “despondent” after the drawing occurred.
According to Brian Lewis of The New York Post (subscriber link), the onus is on general manager Sean Marks to figure out a way to make the best of the situation after Brooklyn dropped in last year’s lottery as well, falling from sixth to eighth and selecting Egor Demin.
Two league sources told Lewis the Nets will look to move up from sixth, but it remains to be seen how that will play out. Rival executives believe the Clippers could be open to moving down from No. 5, Lewis adds.
While Marks said the Nets would be “opportunistic” and “look at everything” regarding the possibility of moving up, he wasn’t sure that landing at sixth would necessarily make the team more aggressive on the trade market.
“Hard to tell. It’s all about how these guys develop,” Marks said, per Lewis. “I don’t think you want to make rash decisions before you’ve seen how they look. We all know there’s a group in this draft that could be game-changers; but I said could be because you never know. You get whether it’s six months from now or two years from now and there’s always surprises.
“So every draft there’s a guy who people didn’t quite expect to be [that good] if you do the redraft. So for us, it’ll be still about having patience. But at the end of the day, we’ve got optionality. We’ve maintained flexibility, we’ve got the cap space and assets. So the word would be opportunistic.”
Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:
- Taylor Jenkins received a six-year contract when he was hired to be the head coach of the Bucks, ESPN’s Shams Charania reports within his story about Milwaukee seeking trade offers for Giannis Antetokounmpo. Jenkins was considered the top coaching candidate on the market, Charania writes.
- The Heat stayed at No. 13 in the draft lottery, which was their most likely outcome. If they keep the pick instead of trading it, who will they select? Three of the four mock drafts that were updated on Sunday had Miami selecting Alabama guard Labaron Philon, with Arizona guard Brayden Burries, Mexican forward Karim Lopez, Michigan big men Yaxel Lendeborg, Aday Mara and Morez Johnson, Washington center Hannes Steinbach, and Houston big man Chris Cenac among the other prospects projected to go in that range, notes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald.
- Magic president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman said last week that the team would evaluate “everything” that led to a disappointing season, including injuries being a factor in the team’s first-round loss to Detroit, writes Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel. “We look at everything,” Weltman said. “There’s nothing from scouting to analytics to performance to medical that we don’t turn over every rock over the summer. We’ll have deep-dive evaluations on everything.”
Draft Notes: Dybantsa, Wizards, Mocks, Jazz, Tanner, More
BYU forward AJ Dybantsa has been the prospect most frequently cited as the frontrunner to go No. 1 overall, and he reacted to the Wizards landing the top pick at the draft lottery, per Chase Hughes of Monumental Sports Network (Twitter video link).
“Obviously I’ve been betting on myself for a little while to be a No. 1 pick,” Dybantsa said. “So initially just thinking like how I would fit into the team. I think I’m pretty versatile, adaptable, so I think I can play anywhere.”
Asked about what he knew about Washington, D.C., Dybantsa said he “knew a little bit.”
“The Jordan Brand Classic was there last year,” the 6’9″ forward said. “I got to tour their facility a little bit. I know a couple of their players. Tre Johnson, played against him at length (in high school/AAU). I’ve been watching AD (Anthony Davis) for a long, long time. Trae Young, even when he was at Oklahoma. So I know a couple of guys there.”
An anonymous NBA general manager told Jeff Goodman of the Field of 68 that he thinks the Wizards will end up taking Dybantsa (Twitter link).
“I don’t they can take the risk with (Darryn) Peterson even though I think his upside is even higher than Dybantsa,” the GM said. “I think Washington will go with Dybantsa because it’s a safer pick and they can’t afford to screw this up.”
Monumental basketball president Michael Winger, who was the Wizards’ lottery-drawing representative, released a statement after Washington won the lottery.
“Today is another encouraging day for Wizards fans and our entire organization,” said Winger. “To choose first among this inspiring group of athletes is a welcomed opportunity, and challenge, for our group. We look forward to adding another high performing young player to our ascending team.”
Here’s more on the 2026 NBA draft:
- Just like in the recent mocks from ESPN and Yahoo Sports, Dybantsa goes No. 1 overall to the Wizards in the updated 2026 mock drafts from Sam Vecenie of The Athletic and Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report. The mocks from Vecenie and Wasserman are actually identical for the first nine picks, with Peterson (Jazz), Cameron Boozer (Grizzlies), Caleb Wilson (Bulls), Keaton Wagler (Clippers), Darius Acuff (Nets), Kingston Flemings (Kings), Mikel Brown (Hawks) and Brayden Burries (Mavericks) selected two through nine. Vecenie is a little lower on New Zealand Breakers forward Karim Lopez than other evaluators. Vecenie has Lopez going 20th to the Spurs, while Wasserman has him at 10th (Bucks). Interestingly, all four mocks have the Thunder taking Michigan big man Yaxel Lendeborg at No. 12 and three of the four have the Heat selecting Labaron Philon at No. 13, while two have the Bulls drafting Jayden Quaintance at No. 15.
- The Jazz moved up in the draft lottery for the first time in franchise history, according to Gordon Monson of The Salt Lake Tribune, who thinks the future is looking bright in Utah after the team added Jaren Jackson Jr. at the deadline to a core featuring Keyonte George, Ace Bailey, Lauri Markkanen and restricted free agent Walker Kessler. The Jazz will be selecting second overall, up from fourth in the pre-lottery odds. “It feels great, a big relief,” president of basketball operations Austin Ainge said, per Sarah Todd of The Deseret News. “It’s a really important tool for us to help build this winning team. So, couldn’t be more happy.” Ainge told the Deseret News it would be easier selecting second than fifth or seventh. “For sure, a lot easier,” Ainge said. “We just have to figure out who believe is No. 1 and No. 2… It’s much easier, but we still have to get it right.”
- Vanderbilt guard Tyler Tanner, who is testing the draft waters, tells Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress (Twitter link) he’ll be competing in the scrimmages at this week’s combine as he looks to boost his stock. “I’ll do whatever it takes to stay in the draft. I’m not running from anything. I love to play,” Tanner said. The sophomore guard said he’s focused on getting drafted “as high as I can,” addressed his size (he’s listed at 6’0″) being a perceived weakness, and listed his goal during the pre-draft process (All Twitter links). “My goal is to play in the NBA. Always has been since I was a kid,” Tanner told Givony. “I’m fully focused on making it. This is another opportunity to show what I can do. The way I make those around me better and raise the level of my teammates. I’ve always built my game on that.”
- One GM told Goodman he doesn’t think there’s much difference between the first and ninth picks in what’s viewed as a deep class (Twitter link). “I don’t see much disparity from No. 1 to the No. 8 or 9 pick,” the GM told the Field of 68. “I think the No. 3 or 4 pick may be the best because you won’t get crucified for not taking Dybantsa, Peterson, Boozer or Wilson down the line. The decision will be made for you.”
Draft Notes: Pacers, Wizards, Mock Drafts, Jazz, Grizzlies, More
Pacers president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard released a statement (via Twitter) after the team’s top-four protected first-round pick landed at No. 5 and conveyed to the Clippers. Indiana also sent Los Angeles its unprotected 2029 first-rounder, Bennedict Mathurin, Isaiah Jackson and a 2028 second-round pick (via Dallas) in exchange for 2024/25 All-Defensive center Ivica Zubac.
“I’m really sorry to all our fans. I own taking this risk,” Pritchard wrote. “Surprised it came up 5th after this year. I thought we were due some luck. But please remember – this team deserved a starting center to compete with the best teams next year. We have always been resilient.”
While the Pacers lost their coin flip, the Wizards landed the No. 1 overall selection, becoming the first team to win the lottery with after finishing with the worst record in the league since the NBA flattened the lottery odds in 2019. Jeremy Woo of ESPN and Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports have updated their 2026 mock drafts after the lottery results, with identical top fives: AJ Dybantsa to Washington, followed by Darryn Peterson (Jazz), Cameron Boozer (Grizzlies), Caleb Wilson (Bulls) and Keaton Wagler (Clippers).
Here are a few more notes about the 2026 NBA draft:
- Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress (Twitter link) has an identical three through five, but he has Peterson going No. 1 and Dybantsa No. 2. While the Wizards will undoubtedly perform their due diligence, Michael Wallace of Grizzlies.com suggests (via Twitter) the Jazz would be thrilled if they’re able to select Peterson, whom Keyonte George and other members of the team congratulated. According to Wallace, many people around the league think the Grizzlies will be making a “tough choice” between Boozer and Wilson.
- The mock drafts from ESPN and Yahoo Sports have 13 overlapping players in the 14-team lottery, but there are some differences in where they’re selected. For example, O’Connor has the Hawks selecting Michigan center Aday Mara eighth overall, while Woo has the Spanish big man going 14th to the Hornets. Among the overlapping picks: Tennessee forward Nate Ament to the Bucks (No. 10), Mexican forward Karim Lopez to the Warriors (No. 11), and Michigan big man Yaxel Lendeborg to the Thunder (No. 12).
- In addition to Trey Kaufman-Renn (Purdue) and Jacob Cofie (USC), who were previously mentioned as G League combine standouts, Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link) hears from NBA scouts and executives who said Aiden Tobiason (Temple), Rafael Castro (George Washington), Aaron Nkrumah (Tennessee State) and Nate Bittle (Oregon) helped themselves on Day 1 of scrimmages.
NBA Announces 73 Invitees For 2026 Draft Combine
The NBA announced today (via Twitter) that 73 prospects have been invited to attend this year’s draft combine, which will take place in Chicago from May 10-17.
In addition to those 73 players, a handful of standout players from the G League combine, which is also held in Chicago just before the combine begins, are expected to receive invites to stick around for the main event.
Not all of the prospects invited to the combine will end up remaining in the 2026 draft pool, since many are early entrants who are testing the waters while retaining their NCAA eligibility.
College players must withdraw from the draft by the end of the day on May 27 if they wish to preserve that eligibility, while non-college players face a decision deadline of June 13. The feedback they receive from NBA teams at the combine may be a deciding factor for players who are on the fence.
Here’s the list of players who have been invited to the 2026 draft combine:
(Note: For players in international leagues, the country listed is where they had been playing, not necessarily where they’re from.)
- Matt Able, G, North Carolina State (freshman)
- Darius Acuff, G, Arkansas (freshman)
- Amari Allen, F, Alabama (freshman)
- Nate Ament, F, Tennessee (freshman)
- Christian Anderson, G, Texas Tech (sophomore)
- Tobe Awaka, F, Arizona (senior)
- Flory Bidunga, F/C, Kansas (sophomore)
- Tyler Bilodeau, F, UCLA (senior)
- John Blackwell, G, Wisconsin (junior)
- Cameron Boozer, F, Duke (freshman)
- Kylan Boswell, G, Illinois (senior)
- Nick Boyd, G, Wisconsin (senior)
- Jaden Bradley, G, Arizona (senior)
- Trevon Brazile, F, Arkansas (senior)
- Maliq Brown, F, Duke (senior)
- Mikel Brown Jr., G, Louisville (freshman)
- Brayden Burries, G, Arizona (freshman)
- Cameron Carr, G, Baylor (junior)
- Chris Cenac, F/C, Houston (freshman)
- Rueben Chinyelu, C, Florida (junior)
- Ryan Conwell, G, Louisville (senior)
- Sergio De Larrea, G, Spain (born 2005)
- AJ Dybantsa, F, BYU (freshman)
- Zuby Ejiofor, F, St. John’s (senior)
- Isaiah Evans, G/F, Duke (sophomore)
- Jeremy Fears, G, Michigan State (junior)
- Kingston Flemings, G, Houston (freshman)
- Ja’Kobi Gillespie, G, Tennessee (senior)
- Allen Graves, F, Santa Clara (freshman)
- Keyshawn Hall, G/F, Auburn (senior)
- Juke Harris, G, Wake Forest (sophomore)
- Joshua Jefferson, F, Iowa State (senior)
- Morez Johnson, F/C, Michigan (sophomore)
- Alex Karaban, F, UConn (senior)
- Jack Kayil, G, Germany (born 2006)
- Toibu Lawal, F, Virginia Tech (senior)
- Yaxel Lendeborg, F, Michigan (senior)
- Karim Lopez, F, Australia (born 2007)
- Aday Mara, C, Michigan (junior)
- Nick Martinelli, F, Northwestern (senior)
- Baba Miller, F/C, Cincinnati (senior)
- Dillon Mitchell, F, St. John’s (senior)
- Milan Momcilovic, F, Iowa State (junior)
- Malachi Moreno, C, Kentucky (freshman)
- Izaiyah Nelson, F, South Florida (senior)
- Tyler Nickel, F, Vanderbilt (senior)
- Ebuka Okorie, G, Stanford (freshman)
- Felix Okpara, C, Tennessee (senior)
- Ugonna Onyenso, C, Virginia (senior)
- Otega Oweh, G, Kentucky (senior)
- Koa Peat, F, Arizona (freshman)
- Darryn Peterson, G, Kansas (freshman)
- Labaron Philon, G, Alabama (sophomore)
- Jayden Quaintance, F/C, Kentucky (sophomore)
- Tarris Reed, C, UConn (senior)
- Billy Richmond, G/F, Arkansas (sophomore)
- Richie Saunders, G, BYU (senior)
- Emanuel Sharp, G, Houston (senior)
- Braden Smith, G, Purdue (senior)
- Hannes Steinbach, F, Washington (freshman)
- Bennett Stirtz, G, Iowa (senior)
- Andrej Stojakovic, G/F, Illinois (junior)
- Peter Suder, G, Miami (OH) (senior)
- Luigi Suigo, C, Serbia (born 2007)
- Dailyn Swain, G/F, Texas (junior)
- Tyler Tanner, G, Vanderbilt (sophomore)
- Meleek Thomas, G, Arkansas (freshman)
- Bruce Thornton, G, Ohio State (senior)
- Milos Uzan, G, Houston (senior)
- Henri Veesaar, C, North Carolina (junior)
- Keaton Wagler, G, Illinois (freshman)
- Caleb Wilson, F, North Carolina (freshman)
- Tounde Yessoufou, G/F, Baylor (freshman)
It’s worth noting that the NBA and the NBPA agreed to several combine-related changes in their latest Collective Bargaining Agreement. Here are a few of those changes:
- A player who is invited to the draft combine and declines to attend without an excused absence will be ineligible to be drafted. He would become eligible the following year by attending the combine. There will be exceptions made for a player whose FIBA season is ongoing, who is injured, or who is dealing with a family matter (such as a tragedy or the birth of a child). That player would be required to complete combine activities at a later date.
- Players who attend the draft combine will be required to undergo physical exams, share medical history, participate in strength, agility, and performance testing, take part in shooting drills, receive anthropometric measurements, and conduct interviews with teams and the media. Scrimmages won’t be mandatory.
- Medical results from the combine will be distributed to select teams based on where the player is projected to be drafted. Only teams drafting in the top 10 would get access to medical info for the projected No. 1 pick; teams in the top 15 would receive medical info for players in the 2-6 range, while teams in the top 25 would get access to info for the players in the 7-10 range.
Draft Notes: Lendeborg, Mara, Prospects, Hurley, Lewis
Michigan star Yaxel Lendeborg sprained the MCL in his left knee and sprained his left ankle on a dunk attempt in the first half of Saturday’s Final Four victory over Arizona, but he’s determined to play in Monday’s NCAA final, writes Jeff Borzello of ESPN.com.
“I will be on that floor in that game,” Lendeborg said.
A fifth-year senior who is a projected first-round pick, Lendeborg exited the game twice in the first half after suffering the injuries and played a few minutes in the second half. The 6’9″ forward admitted he was far from 100%.
“I was very scared to guard out there,” Lendeborg said. “And once I did a little bit, it didn’t feel well. I didn’t feel much pain on the plant. So I mean … when I play Monday, I’m going to be a corner three-point shooter.”
Michigan trainer Chris Williams said Lendeborg had limited swelling when the injuries occurred, and told ESPN the Big Ten Player of the Year will receive “around-the-clock” treatment ahead of Monday’s championship game.
Here are a few more draft-related notes:
- Although Lendeborg was productive (11 points and three rebounds), he was limited to just 14 minutes due to foul trouble and the injuries. Michigan center Aday Mara stepped up in a major way in the blowout victory over the Wildcats, finishing with 26 points (on 11-of-16 shooting), nine rebounds, three assists and two blocks in 30 minutes, writes Forbes contributor Adam Zagoria. “Aday was sensational,” Michigan coach Dusty May said. “He was at the rim, catching lobs. He was a force down low. He was a pressure release up top. I mean, he’s such a smart basketball player. And obviously his rim protection — he did a great job on (Koa) Peat. He did a great job forcing a lot of those misses around the basket because of his aggression.” Mara, a 7’3″ junior from Spain, is currently No. 32 on ESPN’s best available players list.
- Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports listed 24 potential NBA prospects to watch prior to the Final Four, including Lendeborg, Mara, and Peat, among others. UConn defeated Illinois in the other Final Four matchup and will be looking for its third title in four years.
- Speaking of the Huskies, head coach Dan Hurley told Jeff Goodman of Field of 68 that he’s not interested in UNC’s head coaching vacancy (Twitter video link). However, he left the door open for a possible NBA job in the future. “I’m a UConn coach until the end,” Hurley said. “You know, maybe the NBA some day down the line.” The Lakers tried to hire Hurley a couple years ago, but he wound up returning to Storrs on a lucrative long-term contract.
- Villanova freshman Acaden Lewis is entering the NBA draft while maintaining his college eligibility, he tells Joe Tipton of On3 (Twitter link). The 6’2″ guard, who was a second-team All-Big East selection in 2025/26, is also entering the transfer portal, Tipton adds.
And-Ones: M. Brown, AP All-Americans, Senior Prospects, More
Louisville guard Mikel Brown Jr.., widely considered a top-10 prospect in the 2026 NBA draft class, won’t be suiting up for the Cardinals this week as the NCAA tournament tips off.
The University of Louisville announced on Wednesday that Brown continues to deal with the back issues that have plagued him for much of the season and won’t play in Thursday’s game vs. South Florida (Twitter link via Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports). He also won’t be ready to return for the round of 32 game this weekend if the Cardinals advance.
Brown averaged 18.2 points, 4.7 assists, and 3.3 rebounds in 29.2 minutes per game as a freshman in 2025/26, but he was limited to 21 outings and hasn’t played since February 28. Even if Louisville advances to the Sweet 16 and Brown is able to return next week, NBA teams figure to be keeping a close eye on his medical testing results at the draft combine this spring.
Here are a few other odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- The Associated Press’ NCAA All-American first team for the 2025/26 season is heavy on freshmen, writes Dave Skretta of The Associated Press. Duke’s Cameron Boozer was unanimously voted to the first team, while BYU’s AJ Dybantsa and Arkansas’ Darius Acuff Jr. also made the cut alongside Texas Tech junior JT Toppin and Michigan senior Yaxel Lendeborg. Among other top freshman prospects, UNC’s Caleb Wilson and Illinois’ Keaton Wagler were named second team All-Americans, while Houston’s Kingston Flemings made the third team and Kansas’ Darryn Peterson earned an honorable mention.
- The influx of NIL money in college basketball has made senior prospects more appealing than they used to be, according to John Hollinger of The Athletic, who observes that most NBA-level prospects didn’t used to spend four (or more) years playing NCAA basketball but now may be incentivized to do so based on the money they can earn in college. With that in mind, Hollinger singles out 12 senior prospects worth watching in this year’s NCAA tournament, including UConn forward Alex Karaban, Purdue guard Braden Smith, and Iowa guard Bennett Stirtz.
- Several of ESPN’s NBA insiders preview the storylines to watch ahead of the playoffs, taking a look at the most crucial questions playing the top contenders in each conference and assessing which lower-seeded playoff team might be the most intriguing postseason sleeper — Zach Kram thinks the Heat fit that bill, noting that they’ve played some of their best basketball lately and are only three years removed from making the NBA Finals as a No. 8 seed.
And-Ones: Mock Draft, Big Board, Wembanyama, USA Basketball
BYU wing AJ Dybantsa goes No. 1 overall in the latest mock draft from Sam Vecenie of The Athletic. As Vecenie details, the 6’9″ freshman has put up incredible numbers, has elite athletic tools, and has made tremendous strides in terms of his offensive decision-making and passing. Dybantsa is still a work in progress on the other end though, per Vecenie.
Dybantsa, Kansas guard Darryn Peterson (No. 2 in Vecenie’s mock) and Duke power forward Cameron Boozer (No. 3) are all in contention to be selected with the first pick, Vecenie writes, but Dybantsa and Peterson are talked about more often for that spot.
According to Vecenie, North Carolina forward Caleb Wilson is the clear No. 4 player in a class that is “absurdly good” at the top. Then there’s another five players (Houston’s Kingston Flemings, Illinois’ Keaton Wagler, Arkansas’ Darius Acuff Jr., Louisville’s Mikel Brown Jr. and Tennessee’s Nate Ament) that teams would love to land.
The 10 through 30 spots in the first round are much trickier to pin down, Vecenie continues, in part because it’s unclear which players will return to school to potentially make more money because of name, image and likeness — some could get around $4MM, per Vecenie.
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Jon Chepkevich of RookieScale.com has created a consensus big board using input sources from 13 different outlets (including The Athletic) and “dozens of other independent boards/mocks.” The same nine players listed above are the top nine on Chepkevich’s board, with Michigan big man Yaxel Lendeborg at No. 10 (he’s No. 19 in Vecenie’s mock) and Kentucky big man Jayden Quaintance at No. 11 (No. 12 in Vecenie’s mock).
- Third-year center Victor Wembanyama has become a minority investor in Nanterre, the French team with whom the Spurs star played from the ages of 10-17, per Eurohoops. Wembanyama made the announcement alongside his former coach in an interview with Yann Ohnona of L’Équipe. “I don’t even remember who approached whom first, but it happened naturally. I was born and raised in France. I want to have an impact on French basketball, and at Nanterre because that’s where I feel at home,” Wembanyama said.
- The U.S. men’s national team was upset by the Dominican Republic in a 2027 World Cup qualifying game last Thursday, writes Joe Vardon of The Athletic. Team USA never led in the game and trailed by as many as 19 points. “Now I am very happy because every player that comes to the (Dominican Republic) national team, they feel love for this country, for this flag,” Dominican coach Nestor Garcia said. “In our country, the people support us. This is for the Dominican people.” As Vardon notes, the U.S. roster isn’t exactly star-studded considering it’s the middle of the NBA season, but several players with recent experience in the league are competing, including James Wiseman and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl. After rebounding by blowing out Mexico on Sunday, Team USA is still 3-1 with eight qualifying games remaining, so the Americans aren’t in any danger of not qualifying for the World Cup at this point.
And-Ones: 2025 Draft Grades, 2026 Class, France, Gabriel
Five teams earned ‘A’ grades on Sam Vecenie’s post-draft report card for The Athletic, including four teams who had picks in the top six. The fifth team to earn an A was the Hawks, primarily for landing an unprotected 2026 first-round pick from the Pelicans to drop 10 spots in the middle of the first round.
Another 18 teams earned ‘B-‘ to ‘B+’ grades, meaning they mostly met or exceeded the value expected at their respective draft slots. Multiple clubs who only had second-round picks, like the Cavaliers and Warriors, found themselves in this tier. A few teams who ended up landing players who slid from pre-draft projections also ended up in this group, with the Jazz getting Ace Bailey at No. 5, the Heat landing Kasparas Jakucionis at No. 20 and the Thunder getting Thomas Sorber at No. 15.
That left five teams to earn a mark of ‘C’ or lower from Vecenie (Houston and Denver did not make any selections). The Pelicans were marked down for the haul they gave up to move up from No. 23 to No. 13 and select Derik Queen. The Nets were questioned for making three selections – Egor Demin, Nolan Traore and Ben Saraf – with positional overlap, while the Knicks earned a middling grade for selecting a stash player who may not make it to the league.
We have more from around the basketball world:
- The 2026 draft looks to be loaded on paper, with a strong blend of returners who would have been drafted this year and high-level incoming talent. In ESPN’s first full 2026 mock draft, Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo have Darryn Peterson of Kansas as the No. 1 overall pick. A.J. Dybantsa (BYU), Cameron Boozer (Duke), Nate Ament (Tennessee) and Mikel Brown Jr. (Louisville) round out their top five. Among returning college players, Jayden Quaintance (No. 6, Kentucky) and Yaxel Lendeborg (No. 14, Michigan) are the highest-ranking.
- Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report‘s top three looks identical to ESPN’s, but he has Arizona’s Koa Peat at No. 4 in his first 2026 mock draft. Another significant difference between the two boards is Baylor wing Tounde Yessoufou‘s spot — Wasserman has him at No. 6, but ESPN places him at No. 23.
- France has named its 18-man preliminary roster for EuroBasket 2025, per the team (Twitter link). Bilal Coulibaly, Moussa Diabate, Ousmane Dieng, Zaccharie Risacher, Alex Sarr and Guerschon Yabusele are the current NBA players on the roster. Former NBAers on the team include Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, Frank Ntilikina and Theo Maledon, among others.
- Former NBA player Wenyen Gabriel is leaving Panathinaikos to sign with Bayern Munich in Germany, according to Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews. Gabriel played his first EuroLeague season in 2024/25, averaging 6.0 points per game, and will remain in the league by signing with Bayern. The 6’9″ big man played 150 NBA games from 2019-24 across stints with the Lakers, Pelicans, Trail Blazers, Kings and others. He averaged 4.4 PPG and 3.4 RPG for his career.
Yaxel Lendeborg Withdrawing From Draft, Transferring To Michigan
Yaxel Lendeborg, projected to be a first-round pick next month, is withdrawing from the 2025 NBA draft and transferring from UAB to Michigan, he tells Jonathan Givony and Shams Charania of ESPN.
“While it’s been and still is a dream of mine to play in the NBA, I feel the development and growth as a player and a person I will gain at the University of Michigan will be very beneficial,” Lendeborg explained to ESPN.
There will be no shortage of college early entrants pulling out of the NBA draft ahead of the NCAA’s withdrawal deadline on Wednesday, but Lendeborg will almost certainly be one of the highest-rated prospects to forgo the professional route. He had been listed as the No. 26 overall prospect on ESPN’s 2025 big board and was also the 26th player selected in the site’s most recent mock draft.
[RELATED: 2025 NBA Draft Early Entrants List]
A 6’9″ forward, Lendeborg made the All-AAC first team in 2024 and 2025 and was named the conference’s Defensive Player of the Year in both seasons as well. As a senior this past season, he averaged 17.7 points, a conference-leading 11.4 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.8 blocks, and 1.7 steals in 33.6 minutes per game across 37 outings (all starts). He posted a strong shooting line of .522/.357/.757.
According to Givony, Lendeborg joined elite company by registering at least 600 points, 400 rebounds, and 150 assists a single season in 2024/25 — Larry Bird is the only other player in Division I history to accomplish that feat.
Lendeborg has one year of NCAA eligibility remaining before becoming automatically draft-eligible in 2026. He told ESPN that he got excited about the idea of joining the Wolverines after seeing how they deployed big man Danny Wolf as a ball-handler and facilitator.
“It’s amazing what Dusty May did with Danny Wolf,” Lendeborg said. “I would watch his games this season and say, ‘Man, I wish that was me.’ I’m trying to bring the same type of versatility he brought to Michigan.”
Draft Notes: Lendeborg, Kings, Beringer, Knox, Mock
Former UAB forward Yaxel Lendeborg, who reportedly has a lucrative offer on the table to transfer to Michigan if he opts to return to college, is among the prospects who will be working out for the Kings on Friday, tweets James Ham of TheKingsBeat.com.
Lendeborg comes in at No. 26 on ESPN’s best available prospects list, making him a possible late first-round pick. Interestingly, Sacramento currently only controls a second-rounder — No. 42 overall — in June’s draft.
While there have been no reports (that we’re aware of) to this point indicating the Kings are interested in acquiring an earlier selection, it also wouldn’t be surprising at all if they do — there are always teams on the hunt for young players on cost-controlled contracts. For what it’s worth, the Nets — who have a league-high five picks (all in the top 36) — are expected to be active in trade talks around the draft.
The other five prospects joining Lendeborg on Friday will be Zakai Zeigler (Tennessee), RJ Felton (East Carolina), Ben Henshall (Perth), Cameron Matthews (Mississippi State) and Jalon Moore (Oklahoma). Henshall (No. 63) and Moore (No. 73) also appear on ESPN’s big board, while the other players do not.
Here are a few more draft-related notes:
- French center Joan Beringer, a late bloomer who is the third-youngest player in the 2025 class, is drawing late-lottery interest, sources tell Grant Afseth of RG.org. The 18-year-old big man comes in at No. 16 on ESPN’s board. According to Afseth, scouts have pegged the Hawks (No. 13) as a potential fit, since Clint Capela is an unrestricted free agent and the team could be looking for a younger option at backup center behind Onyeka Okongwu.
- Guard Kobe Knox is withdrawing from the draft and will transfer to South Carolina for his senior season, reports Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports (Twitter link). Knox is the younger brother of Warriors forward Kevin Knox and the older brother of early entrant Karter Knox. The middle Knox brother averaged 10.8 points, 3.1 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.1 steals on .463/.331/.767 shooting in 30 games in 2024/25 with South Florida (28.6 minutes per contest).
- Cyro Asseo de Choch of HoopsHype recently released the website’s latest aggregate mock draft, which compiles 10 mock drafts from various outlets for a composite ranking. The aggregate mock also features a scouting report on each prospect in the first round.