2026 NBA Draft Review: Western Conference

The Western Conference has long been the big brother conference in the NBA. The dogfights as top aces collide every year in the West also produce some of the most dominant teams in NBA history. This past season, an Eastern Conference team hoisted the Larry O’Brien Trophy, and every team in the West is looking to prevent that from happening again.

Utah Jazz

Draft Selections:

Darryn Peterson, 2nd Overall

Grade: A

The rumors around the Jazz trading up to acquire in-state product AJ Dybantsa never materialized, but Darryn Peterson fits what the Jazz need more. Being hobbled by muscle cramps his entire freshman year at Kansas hurt Peterson's stock. Despite that, Peterson would be a first overall selection in most drafts. His unique blend of finishing, shooting, and athleticism are franchise-altering traits. Danny Ainge may prove again that being cool-headed, making the obvious pick, and letting talent speak for itself is a tired and true strategy for a reason.

Memphis Grizzlies

Draft Selections:

Cameron Boozer, 3rd Overall,

Karim Lopez, 21st Overall,

Richie Saunders, 32nd Overall

Grade: A+

The Grizzlies have ended the Ja Morant era and have chosen Cameron Boozer to lead them out of the basement and back into the light of playoff basketball. Boozer is the most technically polished player in the entire draft. His athleticism isn’t jaw-dropping, but rarely have basketball games been determined with rulers and stopwatches. Karim Lopez is a developmental project perfect for a rebuilding Grizzlies team, bottoming out and having time for players to grow into themselves. Richie Saunders is the opposite side of the bet for rebuilding teams. Saunders is coming off an ACL tear from February, turning 25 in September, and doesn’t have the ceiling Lopez has. But getting the leadership Saunders possessed at BYU, with his high motor and efficient high-volume threeball, the Grizzlies could use the stability.

Los Angeles Clippers

Draft Selections:

Keaton Wagler, 5th Overall,

Baba Miller, 36th Overall,

Nick Martinelli, 55th Overall,

Narcisse Ngoy, 57th Overall

Grade: B+

The Clippers are a franchise littered with what-ifs and what-coulda-beens, from Bill Walton’s injury-plagued tenure, to Lob-City’s playoff struggles, to the most recent Kawhi-George era’s disappointment. With the departure of Kawhi Leonard, the Clippers needed to swing for the fences for their next franchise player. Instead, they selected plenty of solid NBA players, but top-pick Wagler’s current ceiling is as a great number two. They made smart choices in Baba Miller, a future fan-favorite high-energy role player, Nick Martinelli, an odd, unique, ball-floating phenom, and Narcisse Ngoy, a 7-foot project. The Clippers’ youth movement is a positive change, but the headliner is a potential all-star, not a potential MVP.

Sacramento Kings

Draft Selections:

Darius Acuff Jr., 7th Overall,

Alex Karaban, 29th Overall,

Emanuel Sharp, 45th Overall

Grade: A-

The Kings gave in and chose the offensive engine out of Arkansas, Darius Acuff Jr. He is a major boom-or-bust player. His defense leaves plenty to be desired, but his offense has the potential to be extraordinary. Picking two-time NCAA Champion and high-floor leader Alex Karaban pairs well with Maxime Raynaud and Nique Clifford as foundational role players for the next playoff team. Houston sharpshooter Emanuel Sharp lives up to his name as one of the most consistent threeballers in the NCAA. The Kings are taking a bet on Acuff, but if it pays off, their past two drafts have loaded them with future premium role players.

Dallas Mavericks

Draft Selections:

Morez Johnson Jr., 9th Overall,

Sergio De Larrea, 25th Overall,

Tobi Lawal, 48th Overall,

Vsevolod Ishchenko, 56th Overall

Grade: B-

Cooper Flagg is still a few years out from shaking the league to its core, but he’s on the right trajectory. New Mavericks’ coach Dusty May didn’t surprise anyone by pushing the team to select a member of his former team, the Champion Michigan Wolverines. But selecting Johnson Jr. was a surprise. Johnson is the Collin Murray-Boyles of this year’s draft, a big switchable defensive monster with a brutal posterizing offense. For a team looking to rebuild, he can be a foundational piece, but the Mavericks need more high-ceiling running mates at pick nine. Sergio De Larrea fills a desperate need at point guard and has room to evolve beyond second-unit pick-and-roll maestro. Tobi Lawal is athletically blessed but developmentally raw; his G League time will let him polish. Vsevolod Ishchenko is another project as a Russian league big, ball-handling wing-sized guard.

Golden State Warriors

Draft Selections:

Yaxel Lendeborg, 11th Overall,

Lajae Jones, 54th Overall

Grade: A+

Yaxel Lendeborg feels molded to be a Warrior. His age deceives scouts and coaches about his development path. Despite being twenty-three, Lendeborg only picked up basketball recently and has had major growth every year in college ball. His do-everything skillset isn’t remarkable, but in a structure like the Warriors with coach Kerr, veterans like Curry and Green, Lendeborg is in an ideal situation to continue his flight path to becoming a switchable stretch forward in the mold of Draymond Green. Lajae Jones is an above-the-rim, high-motor athlete who utilizes his 40.5-inch max vertical at every opportunity. He needs to evolve beyond being an athlete and build an NBA skillset, but the Warriors do have a solid development pipeline.

Oklahoma City Thunder 

Draft Selections:

Aday Mara, 12th Overall,

Bennett Stirtz, 16th Overall,

Otega Oweh, 41st Overall

Grade: A

The Thunder are leaving the comfort of star players on rookie contracts and are entering the difficult transition to contending while fighting the luxury tax. Aday Mara’s mobility doesn’t look impressive until watching him play and move with his 7-foot-3 frame. He won’t be a Wembanyama-stopper, but adding a big man to at least slow Wembanyama while Chet is on the bench is key for their next playoff matchup. 

Bennett Stirtz has a white-hot motor with great instincts and high basketball IQ. He will be a rotational guard and dependable floor general. Otega Oweh was a great point-of-attack defender in college and has the impressive size and mobility to translate to the NBA level. His offense relies heavily on his athleticism, but the Thunder adding another point-of-attack defender has never done them wrong.

San Antonio Spurs

Draft Selections:

Jayden Quaintance, 20th Overall,

Tarris Reed Jr., 26th Overall,

Ja’Kobi Gillespie, 42nd Overall,

Maliq Brown, 44th Overall

Grade: A+

The Spurs guard and wing room is solidified, but their frontcourt’s age was exposed in the Finals. Outside Wembanyama, they needed more youth and energy. Picking Quaintance and Reed in the first round was perfect. Quaintance has immense potential athletically and defensively, but he needs time for his knee to fully heal before he can make an impact. Luckily, Reed is an out-of-the-box backup center/power forward. Reed’s well-polished post game and high IQ will immediately make him an impact role player on offense, and his instincts on defense will benefit from playing next to Wembanyama. Ja’Kobi Gillespie is an excellent second-round find as a backup point guard. His high-floor volume threeball and solid playmaking give insurance in case of injury and help keep the stars fresh for the playoffs. Maliq Brown is a key defensive specialist and after winning ACC Defensive Player of the Year and ACC Sixth Man of the Year, anchoring Duke, his lack of offensive value can be ignored.

Los Angeles Lakers

Draft Selections:

Cameron Carr, 24th Overall

Grade: A

Cameron Carr was a steal at 24th overall. His weight is a concern, but with his athleticism, threeball, and insane 6-foot-5 height with 7-foot wingspan, he has untapped potential. He still needs to improve his defensive instincts and add weight to deal with contact on both sides of the court, but the Lakers haven’t left the draft with this much potential in a long time. Luka needs 3-and-D teammates, and Carr has the highest potential for that exact archetype. He still needs to put in the work, but long-term, Carr is a good bet for the Lakers to succeed with Luka for years.

Phoenix Suns

Draft Selections:

Koa Peat, 30th Overall

Grade: B

Koa Peat was viewed as a top prospect coming out of high school, but he has shown zero potential as a three-point shooter and desperately needs more time developing before he hits the hardwood. His playmaking, finesse, motor, and mobility for a big forward are major positives. The Suns are betting on him being the dominant force he was at the U17 World Cup when he and Cooper Flagg headlined it. 

However, the Suns need potential. Their success this past year was getting career years out of several borderline starters. They need to add to their pool of prospects to grow under this newfound core of veterans, but Peat’s lack of a three-point shot drastically hurts his ceiling. He needs to be truly elite in the post and midrange if he’s going to be a future star and help this team go from playoff-bound to finals-bound.

Houston Rockets

Draft Selections:

Bruce Thornton, 31st Overall

Grade: A-

The Rockets were limited by their lack of a first-round pick, but they picked one of the most consistent top-level college players at the top of the second round. Bruce Thornton is Ohio State’s all-time point leader and has consistently shot the threeball efficiently every year of his four-year college career. His finishing is the real star. At 6-foot, 223 pounds, he is a wrecking ball in the paint. His leadership, being selected team captain all four years, and vast experience running pick-and-roll while orchestrating offense make him a premium high-floor backup point guard. His downside is his height and lack of elite speed or explosiveness. He won’t be a starter, but for a team that crumbled without Fred VanVleet this past season, they need a steady, high-character guard in the locker room.

Minnesota Timberwolves

Draft Selections:

Isaiah Evans, 33rd Overall,

Trey Kaufman-Renn, 59th Overall

Grade: D+

The Timberwolves have lacked a true point guard for several years. Mike Conley's age caught up to him two years ago, and the Rob Dillingham experiment ended poorly despite the capital invested to get him. Additionally, Rudy Gobert isn’t getting any younger and will need a successor to help with load management. Isaiah Evans, as of now, is a threeball specialist only. He needs to add weight, or he will be hunted on defense. Evans needed to go to a team that would give him time to develop his secondary and tertiary skills, not a contender. Trey Kaufman-Renn is a super-efficient post technician, but he lacks an outside shot, is twenty four next month and his athleticism limits his defense. 

Denver Nuggets

Draft Selections:

Trevon Brazile, 35th Overall,

Bryce Hopkins, 49th Overall

Grade: B+

While the Nuggets are facing major luxury tax crunches, they couldn’t expect to have immediate solutions present themselves. So instead, picking up Brazile, an amazing athletic forward who never put it together in college, could have promising upside. The Nuggets need hyper-efficient contracts, so taking a bet that Brazile learns to embrace a cutting Aaron Gordon-style role with Jokic’s playmaking could pay dividends. Bryce Hopkins is a supreme fit for the Nuggets. His well-polished game is hurt by being an undersized forward and not athletic enough to be a do-it-all wing. However, his IQ, rebounding, low-volume but efficient threeball, and competitiveness will blend well with what the Nuggets need out of their role players.

New Orleans Pelicans

Draft Selections:

Jaron Pierre Jr., 58th Overall

Grade: C+

The Pelicans traded this year’s first-round pick to move up and select Derik Queen in last year’s draft. While the pick only ended up being the 8th overall selection, the Pelicans were left without a pick until the end of the second round. Despite that, Jaron Pierre Jr. is a decent pickup for the Pelicans. Pierre is a late bloomer and only really came into his own his last two years of college. His athleticism is undeniable, and while he may not have the handling to be a guard, his size can translate as a small forward. His defense and offense is spotty, but he had flashes of excellent shooting, perimeter defense, and connective passing this past year at SMU. 

The Pelicans need future starters, and while Pierre could be a future starter, if he isn’t, he doesn’t have a clear archetype as a role player to contribute heavily. Pierre’s time in the G League will be instrumental to his and the Pelicans future.

Portland Trail Blazers

Draft Selections:

None

Grade: N/A

The Blazers were the only team to leave the Draft without a pick. Their team is stuck looking for an identity after the Damian Lillard trade. Former 2023 3rd overall selection Scoot Henderson was finally showing flashes this past season, but has been disappointing. Deni Avdija broke out this past year, but the team’s ceiling with him as the No. 1 is questionable. The Blazers are more of a collection of role players and solid starters than a competitive team. In time, they might coalesce, but leaving this year’s draft without adding any prospects is disappointing.