Some Exclusive FortyEightMinutes Intel Ahead of the 2026 NBA Draft
- The No. 5 pick remains very much on the table in trade talks, a non-Clippers source tells FortyEightMinutes.
- One scout believes the Clippers will convince the Kings to trade up to No. 5 so that Sacramento can select Darius Acuff and the Clippers can select a player who fits better alongside Darius Garland. They’ve also indicated that the Clippers are likely to have an active offseason.
- Tyler Herro is likely to be traded by the Heat regardless of whether they land Giannis.
- There have been rumblings that Herro could be routed to the Pistons with the No. 21 pick heading to Milwaukee as part of a bigger trade. However, a three-team, Giannis trade appears unlikely now.
- If Herro is not part of a deal with Milwaukee, the Heat will look to add multiple pieces for Herro or include him as part of a separate bigger trade (such as one for Kawhi Leonard) without a draft selection necessarily being prioritized.
- Miami is expected to retain Norman Powell heading into next season and with that, Herro’s skillset becomes less valuable for the club.
- The Sixers at No. 22 are seen as Chris Cenac‘s floor.
- The team had him in for a workout and as we previously relayed, one front office member believes Cenac’s arrival (and timeline to develop) could be part of a elongated post-Joel Embiid transition.
- Koa Peat is another name that multiple sources have linked to Philly.
- The Hornets have been rumored to be willing to trade one of the two first round picks (No. 14 or No. 18) for veteran frontcourt help. We hear that Daniel Gafford is a name to watch.
Related: Our Final Top 60, 10 Tier Big Board With Draft Notes
Dallas/Steinbach Updates
- There’s been recent viral speculation that the Mavericks could look to draft one of the Michigan first round prospects, we’ve heard that Dallas has interest in Hannes Steinbach.
- While we’ve repeatedly heard that Steinbach was a “lock” to go in the lottery, trades in the late lottery could change his position. Steinbach is still expected go in the top half of the first round and could go as high as No. 9.
- While the only reported workout Steinbach had was with the Warriors, Dallas and Milwaukee are two teams that we’ve been hearing as a possible destination.
- It’s possible Dallas moves No. 30 and a veteran, such as Daniel Gafford, to the Hornets for No. 14.
- Another possibility: the Mavericks sending the No. 9 pick and a future asset to Oklahoma City for No. 12 and No. 17. The Mavericks are open to moving back in the draft, according to Jeremy Woo of ESPN writes in his latest Mock Draft.
No. 2 Pick
- We heard a month ago that Cameron Boozer was strongly being considered for the No. 2 pick. We haven’t been able to gather anything concrete out of Utah since. Elsewhere:
- Bill Simmons indicated that the Jazz might have had a secret workout with Darryn Peterson.
- Former Ringer associate Kevin O’Connor is among the only mainstream draft pundits to mock Boozer at No. 2.
Wizards Things
- Barring a last minute scandal, the Wizards are taking AJ Dybantsa with the No. 1 overall pick. Over a month ago, we heard from sources connected to ownership that AJ would be the pick and the announcement for the pick is likely to be made ahead of the draft start time on Tuesday night.
- Washington reportedly looking to trade for an additional lottery pick. If they succeed, they would be the fourth team in history to have the No. 1 pick and an additional lottery selection in the same draft. Some names we heard for Washington if they succeed: Morez Johnson, Cameron Carr, and Aday Mara.
Karim Lopez
- We’ve previously heard that Lopez was a strong candidate to be selected in the top 10 with later intel suggesting that him being selected in the top half of the first round was the safer bet. Lopez recently had a head-to-head workout for the Nets alongside Nate Ament. Brooklyn has done extensive research on Lopez throughout his NBL experience. It’s unlikely that he’s the No. 6 selection and the Nets haven’t let too much information about what they are thinking leak.
- Jonathan Wasserman writes that the Bucks have shown interest in Lopez, placing him at No. 10 in his Final Mock Draft. Wasserman also states that Ament is the other “trending name” tied to Milwaukee.
- FWIW, Wasserman has Ament coming off the board at No. 13 to the Heat.
- He also has Steinbach coming off the board at No. 23, which, as mentioned, would run counter to everything we’ve heard leading up to the draft.
More NBA Draft Intel
- It’s been widely reported that the Bucks are operating like they will have multiple first round draft picks. The recent ESPN report indicating that any Giannis trade will not involve a third team suggest that has changed.
- Anyone projecting Jayden Quaintance without seeing his medicals is “confident in their guess,” one NBA team’s scout explained to FortyEightMinutes. Quaintance is expected to go in the first round nevertheless, though he wasn’t one of the NBA’s green room invites.
- The Knicks are looking to move down from No. 24. We previously heard that the Lakers are in the same boat. There’s a lot of picks in the back-nine of the first-round that could switch hands.
