2026 NBA Draft: Top 12 Picks Stay Put, Warriors Earn A
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- The 2026 NBA draft saw none of the top 12 picks change hands, with the Wizards, Jazz, Grizzlies, and Bulls believing they landed potential franchise players at the lottery's top
- The Golden State Warriors earned the only 'A' grade by selecting Yaxel Lendeborg at No. 11 — the Michigan forward whose two-way play powered an NCAA title — to support Curry's stated goal of playing 'meaningful basketball'
- The Chicago Bulls earned a B+ by taking Caleb Wilson at No. 4, who said he wants 'to be better than Mike,' pairing him with 2024 lottery pick Matas Buzelis for transition threats alongside Josh Giddey
- The Boston Celtics earned an A- with Chris Cenac Jr. at No. 27, addressing a thin frontcourt the source says was 'exposed by the 76ers in the playoffs'
- The Brooklyn Nets slipped three spots in the lottery, chose Mikel Brown Jr. (6) over Darius Acuff Jr. in a pick the source says 'will be the subject of significant scrutiny,' and now face a frontcourt rotation of Michael Porter Jr. and Julius Randle with 'no good answer'
- The Atlanta Hawks earned an A- by adding freshman point guard Kingston Flemings (8) and Zuby Ejiofor (23) to assemble a guard corps with complementary skill sets alongside Nickeil Alexander-Walker, CJ McCollum, and Dyson Daniels
- The Portland Trail Blazers were bystanders with no pick after trading their first-round selection five years ago, while 29 of the league's 30 teams made at least one selection
Why it matters: Golden State's selection of Lendeborg — the only 'A' grade among the 11 teams graded in the visible portion — positions them as the draft's early winner as they maximize the end of Curry's career. The league-wide lack of top-12 trade activity means contenders had no chance to swing a blockbuster and instead doubled down on their own boards.
