2026 NBA Draft Review: Eastern Conference

The gap between the Eastern and Western Conferences has only widened in recent years. The top end of the Eastern Conference has kept the finals competitive, with six championships going west and four east over the past ten years, but for years, the East has struggled to keep up. This draft saw several Eastern Conference teams invest significant capital to try to revitalize their franchises.

Washington Wizards

Draft Selections: 

AJ Dybantsa, 1st Overall
Grade: A

The Wizards got their guy in AJ Dybantsa. Dybantsa’s unique blend of elite three-level scoring and athleticism becomes a potent elixir to jumpstart any NBA team. Given the positioning of the Wizards with the veteran depth and promising young players, they are close to competing out of the gate with Dybantsa. The only concern is Dybantsa’s lack of defensive production, given his ideal size and movement abilities.

Chicago Bulls

Draft Selections:

• Caleb Wilson, 4th Overall

• Dailyn Swain, 15th Overall

Grade: A

If the Bulls have clearly decided on a new path for their franchise. With the selections of Wilson and Swain, the Bulls have big, athletic wings and forwards up and down the roster. Even their lead guard, Josh Giddey, is a 6-foot-7. The Bulls went from a team with an abundance of guards and one promising forward in Matas Buzelis, to a team chock full of youth, size, and energy. Essengue will be back from injury as well, making the Bulls a fun watch next season.

Brooklyn Nets

Draft Selections:

Mikel Brown Jr., 6th Overall

Joshua Jefferson, 28th Overall

Tyler Bilodeau, 43rd Overall

Grade: A+

Brown’s back and shot selection need to improve if he’s going to become more than a volume scorer, but his incredible shot-making is tantalizing. The Nets have plenty of ball handlers, so adding another is a concern, but Brown enters as one of the most polished in Brooklyn and brings much-needed playmaking. Joshua Jefferson is the exact glue guy the Nets needed. His impact will outshine Brown in the short term. Selecting Bilodeau as a long-term threeball specialist could pay off, but doesn’t move the needle.

Atlanta Hawks

Draft Selections:

Kingston Flemings, 8th Overall

Zuby Ejiofor, 23rd Overall

Henri Veesaar, 52nd Overall

Grade: A+

The Hawks got the eighth pick from New Orleans in the Derik Queen trade-up. While the pick wasn’t top five, point guard Kingston Flemings is a nice consolation prize. Flemings is a great shot-maker and playmaking decision-maker and should develop nicely. He needs to add muscle to his lean frame to handle a full NBA season and to improve his finishing through contact, but the Hawks have time. Ejiofor is a great bench addition with a top-end motor and competitive drive. Veesaar is one of the best stretch bigs in the class. His defensive concerns can be covered by Okongwu moving to power forward for his minutes, but overall Veesaar fell in the draft due to his lack of physicality.

Milwaukee Bucks

Draft Selections:

Brayden Burries, 10th Overall

Nate Ament, 13th Overall

Malique Lewis, 60th Overall

Grade: B+

The successors to Giannis’ reign shall be Burries and Ament. Both have big hills to overcome to come close to filling the Greek’s shadow. Burries should be fine short-term as a do-it-all guard, but he needs to find that killer skill that helps him elevate from the rest of the pack. Nate Ament is pure potential. As a silhouette, he looks great; he has the athleticism, the highlights, and the look of an NBA star. But once the spotlight turns to his rough stats and full tape, he needs a lot of work. Like a young Giannis, Ament has all the tools to reach the mountaintop, but it will take several years before he can reach the summit. Malique Lewis has the defense, motor, and build, but a heart condition scared teams away. He may prove to be a steal.

Charlotte Hornets

Draft Selections:

Hannes Steinbach, 14th Overall

Christian Anderson, 18th Overall

Grade: A-

The Hornets went to the Biergarten and selected two German natives. With the trade of LaMelo Ball, Anderson will need to step up in a major way in his rookie year. The offensive talent is there, but he will be hunted on defense. Steinbach was one of the best rebounders in the class and adds more energy and grit to the Hornets’ big man corps. While both have their own issues, Anderson’s size and Steinbach’s athletic ceiling, they both provide skillsets the Hornets needed.

Detroit Pistons

Draft Selections:

Ebuka Okorie, 17th Overall

Ugonna Onyenso, 53rd Overall

Grade: B

Surprising to most, Ebuka Okorie, as a freshman, was handed the offensive keys at Stanford. His feel and IQ are beyond his years for such a young point guard. He brings the ball handling that the Pistons desperately needed in the playoffs. While Okorie will still need to show he has the strength to deal with the physicality of the NBA, he can certainly lead a second unit and keep the offense humming while Cade Cunningham is on the bench. Ungonna Onyenso has a low offensive ceiling. He never showed that he can handle the ball or has well-developed post moves. But his athleticism and defense more than make up for it. If he can develop a chemistry with the Detroit's guards, he will find lob after lob.

Toronto Raptors

Draft Selections:

Allen Graves, 19th Overall

Jaden Bradley, 50th Overall

Grade: C-

Allen Graves is a decent prospect, but he has a major problem on both defense and offense. He shoots well, but he has slow mechanics which can be a problem at the next level. He has good size, incredible steal and block instincts, but he doesn’t have the mobility to stick with ball-handling forwards and wings. Graves' floor is high, and his ceiling is limited. With Quaintance, Philon, and Carr all still on the board, the pick was questionable. Jaden Bradley is an excellent point-of-attack defender and floor general. He should be a good rotation piece.

Philadelphia 76ers

Draft Selections:

Labaron Philon Jr., 22nd Overall

Grade: A+

The 76ers got a steal in the back half of the draft when they selected Labaron Philon Jr. Philon is one of the craftiest guards in the entire class. What made him fall was his lack of size and weight concerns. While this is a weakness that needs to be addressed, Philon enters a solidified guard room with Maxey and Edgecombe being the starters. Philly is an ideal landing spot with a history of developing guards. Philon either adds muscle, maintains his speed, and becomes a top reserve, or he busts out of the league. The upside is apparent, and the bet was excellent.

Boston Celtics

Draft Selections:

Chris Cenac Jr., 27th Overall

Dillon Mitchell, 40th Overall

Grade: B+

The Celtics are known for their stellar player development, so picking up a top toolsy big man to strengthen their front-court depth makes sense. Cenac was never able to develop a major strength at Houston, but he also doesn’t have a glaring flaw in his game. Cenac has shown promise rebounding, shooting, defending, and posting up, giving him a solid foundation for the Celtics to build on. Dillon Mitchell has plenty of bounce and strength in his frame. He just needs time to develop the finesse aspect of his game in the G League.

Cleveland Cavaliers

Draft Selections:

• Meleek Thomas, 34th Overall

Grade: B+

Meleek Thomas was the lanky shooting threat that Darius Acuff paired well with at Arkansas this past season. Thomas’ frame might not be able to add much more muscle, but his ball handling, shooting, and energy will be good additions to an aging roster. While his defense is a question mark until he adds strength, Cleveland has plenty of rim-protectors to make Thomas’ transition smoother.

Miami Heat

Draft Selections:

• Ryan Conwell, 37th Overall

Grade: B

Ryan Conwell is a supreme threeball specialist, and a desperately needed role in Miami. While this does help address the lack of floor-stretching on the Heat’s roster, Conwell didn’t show flashes of being much more. His athleticism and feel on defense need major work, but his ball handling was serviceable at Louisville, and his playmaking is functional. Conwell needs to make a ton of strides if he’s going to become more than a threeball specialist at the next level.

Indiana Pacers

Draft Selections:

• Braden Smith, 38th Overall

Grade: B+

With the Pacers losing out on a top four selection by falling to five, transferring their pick to the Clippers, Indiana missed out. However, they were able to add another connective role player to their roster. Smith’s limitation is his size. Few NBA players 5-foot-10 and under become real starters in the league. However, Smith should bring top-shelf floor generalship to their second unit and keep Tyrese Haliburton from having to rush back too fast from his Achilles tendon tear. While his ceiling is low, Smith’s IQ, pick-and-roll artistry, and motor should make him a solid reserve.

New York Knicks

Draft Selections:

• Jack Kayil, 39th Overall

• Tyler Nickel, 47th Overall

Grade: D+

German Jack Kayil is a draft-and-stash prospect. He has a good feel for the game, is a fluid athlete, and is utterly confident his shot will make it, no matter how many times he misses. However, he struggles with efficiency. He’s still young, but he is reminiscent of Killian Hayes and needs to improve to unlock his playmaking and potential. Tyler Nickel is a threeball specialist through and through. His game is one-dimensional, and he has below-average athleticism. His ceiling is akin to Duncan Robinson, and on a stacked Knicks team, he will need to hone his finishing and add more weapons in the G League before seeing the court.

Orlando Magic

Draft Selections:

• Izaiyah Nelson, 51st Overall

Grade: B-

The Jonathan Isaac chapter of the Orlando Magic is coming to a close. After being waived, then re-signed in free agency to a veteran minimum, Isaac’s role is up for grabs. Nelson is an athletic switchable tweener. He isn’t likely to reach the Defensive Play of the Year candidate highs of pre-injury Isaac, but he can certainly do a good impression of modern Isaac once he’s gone. The Magic could use a similar archetype, and with Nelson’s white-hot motor, he can still expand his role as he finds his niche in the NBA.