By John Hollinger | The Athletic, 2026-06-25 12:30:03
关于2026年NBA选秀，有两大事实成立：
- 这是数年来选秀前最令人兴奋的一次
- 这也是数年来选秀过程本身最不令人兴奋的一次
天呐，这可真是一板一眼。有时，感觉每个人都在照着同一份选秀榜单工作；前八个顺位完全符合所有人的预期，前22名被选中的球员全都位列每位公开选秀分析师的前25名榜单中，而且，到第二轮中段，我个人排名前43的球员中有40人已被选中。
与此同时，没有一个前15顺位的签位被交易，没有人用高顺位疯狂跳选一个预计顺位低30位的球员，甚至连50多顺位的选择都相对井然有序。第二天晚上最大的戏剧性是，北卡罗来纳大学中锋亨利·维萨 (Henri Veesaar)，预计会在20顺位末被选中，结果一路滑到了第52顺位。
尽管如此，我们依然看到了一些值得关注的时刻，尤其是因为选秀之外的事务几乎在同一时间进行：合同续约、选秀进行中的球员交易，甚至还有关于拉梅洛·鲍尔传闻的激动人心的“余兴派对”。
时过境迁，每个人回顾这届选秀时，焦点都会集中在前四顺位上，因为他们属于自己独一档的天赋层级。即使他们中无人能成为文班级别的超级巨星，AJ·迪班萨 (AJ Dybantsa)、达林·彼得森 (Darrn Peterson)、卡姆·布泽尔 (Cam Boozer) 和卡莱布·威尔森 (Caleb Wilson) 都有可能成为一支季后赛级别球队中最好的两名球员之一。对我来说，彼得森的案例也许最可疑（我将他排在第四），但他也进入了最佳环境：犹他爵士队的阵容已经准备好嵌入他作为得分手和空间拉开者的技术特点。
在此之后，接下来的18名球员都有尚佳到极佳的机会，至少成长为优质的轮换球员，即便不是长期首发。这届选秀直到二十顺位中段才真正开始变弱，但随后便急转直下。有竞争力的球队为了设法管理奢侈税线，放弃了首轮末的薪资，而和往常一样，第二轮的签位易手之频繁，几乎让你跟不上节奏。多伦多猛龙队用第50顺位选的（亚利桑那大学后卫杰登·布拉德利 (Jaden Bradley)）是唯一一个由原签位所有者使用的选秀权。
让我们来看看这异常井然有序的48小时里的最佳、最差和最怪操作：
最诡异的连续交易：底特律活塞与孟菲斯灰熊
底特律在周二用三个次轮签和孟菲斯交易，从第21顺位升至第17顺位，选中了后卫埃布卡·奥科里 (Ebuka Okorie)。然后，仅仅24小时后，孟菲斯又用同样的那几个签位换回给了底特律，以此换来强悍的大个子以赛亚·斯图尔特 (Isaiah Stewart)。我完全不记得有过这样的交易序列，同一两支球队将资产交易给一方，然后又立刻交易回来。
这笔交易的性质显然让人怀疑底特律可能还有后手。活塞队并没有特别紧迫的需求去交易斯图尔特，而且这笔交易的回报也并不丰厚……除非他们需要腾出薪资空间来促成更大的交易。例如，有传言称底特律看上了密尔沃基最近得到的泰勒·希罗 (Tyler Herro)，而关于杰伦·布朗 (Jaylen Brown) 可能被交易的传闻也可能引起了他们的注意。
活塞队有两条获取球员的途径：要么将斯图尔特送出的1500万美元作为他们配平薪资的一部分（与孟菲斯的交易很可能要到七月才能最终完成，可以被纳入更大的交易中），要么通过甩掉这份及其他合同来创造薪资空间（活塞目前有2400万美元的空间，通过交易走卡里斯·勒韦尔 (Caris LeVert)，可以相对轻松地再创造出1400万美元的空间）。
在我们等待另一只靴子落地的时候，这笔交易诡异的结果是，底特律用斯图尔特换来了在选秀中仅仅提升四个顺位。至于孟菲斯，灰熊队可以将斯图尔特的合同计入他们的非纳税球队中产特例，或者计入为小贾伦·杰克逊 (Jaren Jackson Jr.) 交易产生的2890万美元交易特例；他们选择哪一种，可能取决于接下来两周的进展。
对状元签而言最成问题的合同：特雷·杨的合约
迪班萨在某些方面进入了一个不错的环境：奇才队在他身后有安东尼·戴维斯 (Anthony Davis) 和亚历山大·萨尔 (Alex Sarr) 两位防守强悍的大个子，并且他将与精英传球手特雷·杨 (Trae Young) 一起打球。
但现在悬在华盛顿头上的一件事是特雷·杨的新合同，这份在选秀前几天达成的四年2.12亿美元的协议让大多数观察家感到震惊。特雷·杨这份合同的平均年薪是5300万美元，支付顶薪直到他31岁的赛季。
相比之下，亚特兰大老鹰队非常不愿意为他支付接近这个数额哪怕一个赛季的薪水，以至于老鹰队本质上是用他换来了到期合同，没有要任何选秀权，大概是因为他们在别处找不到更好的报价了。华盛顿提供的这份合同看起来如此不利，以至于他还得到了一个球员选项的事实几乎都不值得担忧了；他表现超出合同价值并进入自由市场的风险似乎微乎其微。
以这个金额给特雷·杨第四年合同的特殊问题在于，除了严重的溢价之外，它还在一个拥有才华横溢的年轻球员的球队最适合进行操作的年份——即球员的第三个和第四个赛季之间——堵塞了薪资空间。这是在球员可能签下的最大续约合同生效前（迪班萨在2029-30赛季的薪水仅为1700万美元），球队有足够财力来吸收一位球星合同的黄金窗口期。这个流动性现在可能被特雷·杨的薪资吸干了。
这引出了显而易见的问题。奇才队在和谁竞价？如果真有另一支球队愿意为他开出顶薪，那么在哪个节点你宁愿放他走会更好？这是他们去年冬天得到特雷·杨（然后让他休战）时默认同意的条件吗？无论如何，在华盛顿特区，这份合同很可能会笼罩在迪班萨的新秀合同之上。
最佳价值奖：亚特兰大与孟菲斯
我认为很多球队从这次选秀中收获颇丰，仅仅是因为人才济济，但就他们选秀位置的超值程度而言，我认为亚特兰大和孟菲斯做得最好。
当然，灰熊队用探花签选中了我排名最高的球员卡姆·布泽尔，所以他们一开局就非常棒。但真正让他们大放异彩的是首轮中段，他们从底特律得到斯图尔特，从俄克拉荷马雷霆拿到两个次轮签，代价仅仅是从第16顺位下滑一位到第17顺位，然后依然在第21顺位得到了我排名第12的新秀，墨西哥前锋卡里姆·洛佩兹 (Karim Lopez)。孟菲斯还在第32顺位押注了里奇·桑德斯 (Richie Saunders)，一位正在从前交叉韧带撕裂中康复的优秀球员，并且大概会在康复期间给他一份双向合同——考虑到灰熊队阵容看起来多么拥挤，这是一个必要的举动。
至于亚特兰大，老鹰队需要一名真正的控球后卫，而在第5到第22顺位被选中的八名后卫中，他们得到了我个人榜单上评分最高的金斯顿·弗莱明斯 (Kingston Flemings)，一个拥有出色球场视野和直觉的涡轮增压突破手。之后，他们在第23顺位选中了圣约翰大学前锋祖比·埃吉奥福 (Zuby Ejiofor)，一个身材矮小但影响力巨大的大学球员，可以立即在大前锋和中锋的替补位置上提供轮换时间。
最后，他们解决了当晚下滑幅度最大球员的谜题，通过用现金从第57顺位向上交易，在第52顺位选中了北卡罗来纳大学的投射型五号位亨利·维萨。维萨需要增强身体对抗并提高体能，但他作为一名能在内线得分又能拉开空间的大个子，拥有内外兼修的潜力。
最佳次轮签：明尼苏达森林狼选中以赛亚·埃文斯
我喜欢上面提到的亚特兰大和孟菲斯的次轮签操作，但如果非要我选一个能留在其新球队的次轮秀，那将是埃文斯 (Isaiah Evans)，这位瘦削的投手在大二赛季于杜克大学展现出强劲进步，森林狼用第33顺位选中了他。在朱利叶斯·兰德尔 (Julius Randle) 的交易中，森林狼将他们在本届选秀中的最高顺位从首轮第28顺位移至次轮第33顺位，部分原因是为了将他们需要为该阵容名额支付的薪资大致减半——在奢侈税线下的喘息空间，现在可能对他们突然追求拉梅洛·鲍尔 (LaMelo Ball) 至关重要。
但即使不考虑薪资动态，明尼苏达能在这么靠后的位置得到埃文斯，也干得漂亮。森林狼在安东尼·爱德华兹 (Anthony Edwards) 身边极度缺乏投射能力，尤其是在唐特·迪温琴佐 (Donte DiVincenzo) 很可能缺席整个赛季的情况下，而埃文斯单靠自己无法解决这个问题。但引进一个每百回合出手16.4次，职业生涯罚球命中率84.9%的射手，似乎是弥补迪温琴佐缺失的部分产量的一个可靠方法。
最差趋势：芝加哥公牛出售选秀权
芝加哥管理层迎来了新的一天，但可惜的是，老板还是那个老板。尽管处于重建初期，芝加哥在周三出售了不是一个而是两个次轮选秀权，而不是将它们交易为未来的选秀资产，或者，你知道的，真正地去选一个球员。
公牛队在技术上用第38顺位换来了一揽子筹码，包括卡姆·琼斯 (Kam Jones)、两个未来的次轮签互换权和现金。但是拜托，你用这个糊弄不了我——次轮签互换权几乎一文不值，而步行者队很可能本来就打算裁掉琼斯和他那份部分保障的合同。你们就是卖了选秀权。
芝加哥还把第56号签卖给了湖人，然后湖人又莫名其妙地转身将这个签卖给了独行侠。炒房，NBA风格？个人而言，我不喜欢他们加装的船板橱柜，但我希望他们赚到了利润。
最佳适配：亚克塞尔·伦德伯格加盟金州勇士
传话下去：勇士队终于有一个能扣篮的人了！不，说真的！伦德伯格 (Yaxel Lendeborg) 为勇士队提供了他们过去几年所缺失的许多东西：一个拥有运动活力的巨型前锋，能够抓下篮板后直接推进，在转换进攻中移动中做出决策，并且非常有效地防守多个位置。
虽然他是一名大龄球员，但他可以说是上赛季大学篮球中最好的球员，应该能够立即首发。他将立即成为球队中除德雷蒙德之外最好的防守者，并且很可能会去对位防守对手最好的锋线球员……如果他不作为能够换防的小球五号位上场比赛的话——这也是他极其擅长的事情。
伦德伯格在训练营开始时将年满24岁，这理所当然地吓跑了一些在勇士之前选秀的重建球队，尤其是考虑到他那不太靠谱的外线投篮。但在第11顺位，在真正精英级别的天赋已经选完的情况下，这对勇士来说是一个本垒打。有人会指出，乐透区大龄新秀的历史表现并不好，但那段历史完全发生在NIL时代之前；例如，如果不是密歇根大学去年春天带着巨款挖角，伦德伯格本可能在2025年作为UAB的球员在首轮末被选中。他正是这支球队所需要的。
最诡异的跳选：达拉斯独行侠选中莫雷兹·约翰逊
周二的乐透区选秀井然有序，只有一个例外：独行侠队用第九顺位跳选了密歇根的大个子小莫雷兹·约翰逊 (Morez Johnson Jr.)。我喜欢约翰逊，认为他会有不错的职业生涯，但他在我个人榜单上的排名要低好几个位置。
作为其不断给库珀·弗拉格 (Cooper Flagg) 提供尽可能少进攻空间的“项目”的一部分，达拉斯错过了一名有天赋的后卫（布雷登·伯里斯 (Brayden Burries)，密尔沃基雄鹿在接下来的顺位兴高采烈地选中了他），将约翰逊塞进了一个拥挤的、堆满了四五号位球员的前场，而凯里·欧文 (Kyrie Irving) 和马克斯·克里斯蒂 (Max Christie) 基本上是阵容中仅有的轮换级别后卫。
显然，人们会好奇新聘请的主教练达斯蒂·梅 (Dusty May) 对这个选择有多少影响；尽管他的任命在选秀前一天才正式生效，但他来自密歇根大学，约翰逊上赛季正是在那里打球。（其他乐透秀如亚克塞尔·伦德伯格和阿代·马拉 (Aday Mara) 也是如此。）
这虽然不像新奥尔良鹈鹕用一个潜在状元签去换德里克·奎因 (Derik Queen)，或者多伦多猛龙选中布鲁诺·卡博克洛 (Bruno Caboclo) 那么离谱，但这是今年首轮最令人错愕的时刻。说到这里：也得称赞达拉斯在首轮末的精明操作，他们向上交易，在第25顺位抢到了被极度低估的塞尔吉奥·德·拉雷亚 (Sergio De Larrea)。
最 ganz ausgezeichnet (卓越的) 选秀：夏洛特黄蜂
本届选秀周期中，只有两名拥有德国护照的球员是现实的新秀候选人，而黄蜂队不知怎么地把他俩都选中了。在第14顺位，夏洛特选中了华盛顿大学大个子汉内斯·施泰因巴赫 (Hannes Steinbach)，一个来自德国维尔茨堡的篮板怪兽。（这也是一位德国篮球传奇的故乡。不，不是马克西·克勒贝尔 (Maxi Kleber)，是另一位。）
然后，仅仅四个顺位之后，夏洛特又选中了来自德克萨斯理工大学的投射型后卫小克里斯蒂安·安德森 (Christian Anderson Jr.)。虽然安德森在亚特兰大地区长大，但他同样拥有德国护照，并在2024年与施泰因巴赫并肩作战，为德国队赢得了欧洲U18锦标赛金牌。
这对“汉内斯 - 克里斯蒂安·安德森”组合会成就一段童话般的搭档吗？（编辑：抱歉。）还是他们的前景在这个水平上会更“格林（Grimm，意为严酷的）”一些？（编辑：再次致歉。我们已经就此问题与约翰谈过无数次了。）
这两名新秀很可能在夏洛特的第二阵容中大量搭档上场，看看他们能将此前国际赛场上的协同效应转化多少到NBA，将非常有趣。无论如何，对于柏林的观众来说，赛程表上的四场夏洛特对奥兰多的比赛现在已然成为必看节目。
最令人费解的趋势：圣安东尼奥马刺追逐中锋
圣安东尼奥需要更多高度吗？马刺队在首轮摘走的不只是一个，而是两个中锋，尽管他们已经拥有联盟中最好的中锋，并且为一个相当能干的替补锁定了未来三年的合同。
尽管如此，马刺队用第20顺位选中了杰登·昆坦斯 (Jayden Quaintance)——一个健康隐患案例，他在2024-25赛季效力亚利桑那州立大学时前交叉韧带撕裂，本赛季可能无法打太多比赛——然后又跳回首轮末，在第26顺位摘下了康涅狄格大学大个子小塔里斯·里德 (Tarris Reed Jr.)。里德看起来几乎像是给昆坦斯上的保险，但相对于直接签下一个底薪老将，这份保险似乎相当昂贵。
不管怎样，这暗示了另一种可能性：马刺队可能认为维克托·文班亚马 (Victor Wembanyama) 的最佳使用方式是作为一个投射型大个子，与另一位魁梧的高大内线搭档。特别是昆坦斯，在防守端可能成为一个怪物，将他与文班亚马联合起来，可能会让这支球队变得几乎坚不可摧。
之前的论调一直是圣安东尼奥需要兼具身高和实力的优质前锋，但论“优质”和“身高”，你很难在文班本人之上了。另一方面，文班亚马和卢克·科内特 (Luke Kornet) 同时上场的阵容本赛季并没有打出统治力，而且随着上赛季的进行，马刺队也放弃了使用这些阵容。
随着这个交易周期的推进，我们将获得更多关于马刺队想法的线索，特别是圣安东尼奥在奢侈税线以下仍有将近5000万美元的灵活空间。但对于处于争冠梯队的球队而言，在这个相对沉寂的选秀之夜，这绝对是迄今为止最引人注目的动向。
由生成式人工智能翻译，译文内容可能不准确或不完整，以原文为准。
点击查看原文：2026 NBA Draft: The best, worst and weirdest from an unusually orderly two days
2026 NBA Draft: The best, worst and weirdest from an unusually orderly two days
Two big things are true about the 2026 NBA Draft:
- There hasn’t been as much excitement leading up to a draft in several years
- There hasn’t been as little excitement during the draft itself in several years.
Holy chalk-amoley. At times, it seemed everyone was working off the same draft board; the first eight picks were exactly what everyone expected, the first 22 players picked were in literally every single public-facing draft analyst’s top 25 and, by the middle of the second round, 40 of my top 43 players had been selected.
Meanwhile, none of the top 15 picks were traded, nobody jumped in with an outrageous selection of a guy 30 picks ahead of his projected spot, and even the picks in the 50s were relatively orderly. The biggest drama of the second night was that North Carolina center Henri Veesaar, projected to go in the late 20s, slid to pick 52.
Nonetheless, we still had our notable moments of interest, especially since matters outside the draft were still taking place around the same time: Contract extensions, a player trade in the middle of the draft, and even an exciting after-party of LaMelo Ball rumors.
Down the road, everyone will look back on this draft will focus on the top four picks, because they were in their own talent tier. Even if none become Wemby-esque superstars, odds are that AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Cam Boozer and Caleb Wilson will all become one of the two best players on a playoff-caliber team. Peterson has perhaps the most suspicious case to me (I ranked him fourth), but he also enters the best situation: a Utah Jazz roster ready-made to plug in his skill set as a scorer and floor spacer.
After that, the next 18 players all have a decent-to-good chance of developing into at least plus-rotation players, if not long-term starters. The draft didn’t really soften up until the mid-20s, but then it went downhill fast. Contending teams bailed on late first-round salaries to try to manage the tax aprons, and, as ever, picks in the second round changed hands so much you could barely keep up. Toronto’s pick at 50 (Arizona guard Jaden Bradley) was the only one used by its original owner.
Let’s tackle the best, worst and weirdest from an unusually orderly 48 hours:
Weirdest consecutive trades: Detroit and Memphis
Detroit traded three second-round picks to Memphis on Tuesday to move up from No. 21 to No. 17 and select guard Ebuka Okorie. And then, just 24 hours later, Memphis gave those same picks right back to Detroit to acquire rugged big man Isaiah Stewart. I can’t ever remember a sequence of transactions like this where the same two teams traded assets to one side, and then traded them right back.
The nature of this trade obviously opens suspicion to what else Detroit might have up its sleeve. The Pistons had no particularly urgent need to trade Stewart and the return on the deal wasn’t overwhelming … unless they needed to move salary to facilitate a larger trade. Detroit has been rumored to have eyes for Milwaukee’s recently acquired Tyler Herro, for instance, and the rumors of Jaylen Brown’s availability may also have gotten their attention.
The Pistons have two pathways to player acquisition, either by using Stewarts’s outbound $15 million as part of their matching salary (the deal with Memphis likely won’t be completely until July and can be looped into a larger trade), or by generating cap space from dumping this and other contract (the Pistons have $24 million in room right now and could fairly painlessly generate $14 million more by offloading Caris LeVert).
While we wait for the other shoe to drop, the deal bizarrely nets out as Detroit trading Stewart to move up just four spots in the draft. As for Memphis, the Grizzlies can either take Stewart into their non-taxpayer midlevel exception or into a $28.9 million trade exception for Jaren Jackson Jr.; which one they choose likely depends on how these next two weeks play out.
Most problematic contract for a No. 1 pick: Trae Young’s deal
Dybantsa moves into a good situation in some ways: The Wizards have two strong defensive big men behind him in Anthony Davis and Alex Sarr, and he’s playing with an elite passer in Trae Young.
But the one thing now hanging over Washington is Young’s new contract, a four-year, $212 million pact agreed to days before the draft that left most observers shocked. Young’s average salary on the deal is $53 million per annum, paying him max money through his age 31 season.
In contrast, Atlanta was so loath to pay him nearly that amount for one season that the Hawks essentially traded him for expiring money and no picks, presumably because they couldn’t find a better offer anyplace else. The deal by Washington looks unfavorable enough that the fact he also got a player option is hardly even a concern; the risk of him outrunning the contract and hitting free agency seems negligible.
The particular problem with giving Young a fourth year at this number, aside from the dramatic overpay, is that it also clogs the cap in the best year for a team with a talented young player to make a move: between his third and fourth season. That’s the sweet spot before the player’s likely max extension hits the cap (Dybantsa will make just $17 million in 2029-30) and the team has the wherewithal to absorb a star contract. That liquidity may now be soaked up by Young’s money.
Obvious questions come to mind here. Who were the Wizards bidding against here? If another team was actually dangling the max for him, at what point are you better off just letting him go? Was this something they tacitly agreed to when acquiring Young (and then shutting him down) last winter? At any rate, this contract is likely to hang over Dybantsa’s rookie contract in D.C.
Best value award: Atlanta and Memphis
I think a lot of teams made out very well from this draft, just because of the sheer talent, but in terms of value for where they picked, I thought Atlanta and Memphis did the best.
The Grizzlies, of course, nabbed my top ranked player with the third pick in Cam Boozer, so right away they’re off to a great start. But it was the middle of the first round where they really shined, getting Stewart from Detroit, plucking two seconds from Oklahoma City just to drop a single spot from 16 to 17, and still grabbing my 12th-ranked prospect, Mexican forward Karim Lopez, with the No. 21 pick. Memphis also took a shot on Richie Saunders, a good player rehabbing a torn ACL, with pick 32, and presumably will slot him into a two-way contract while he rehabs — a necessary move given how crowded the Grizzlies’ roster looks.
As for Atlanta, the Hawks needed a true point guard and, of the eight selected between picks 5 and 22, got the highest-rated one on my board in Kingston Flemings, a turbo-booster penetrator with excellent court vision and instincts. Later, they took St. John forward Zuby Ejiofor at 23, an undersized but highly impactful college player who could play rotation minutes right away at backup four and five.
And finally, they solved the mystery of the biggest slider of the night by trading up with cash from No. 57 to select North Carolina stretch five Henri Veesaar at No. 52. Veesaar needs to fill out physically and improve his stamina, but he has inside-outside potential as a stretch big who can also score in the paint.
Best second-round pick: Isaiah Evans to Minnesota
I like the second-round picks by Atlanta and Memphis, above, but if I had to pick one second-rounder to stick with his new team it would be Evans, a skinny sharpshooter who showed strong improvement in his second season at Duke that Minnesota picked 33rd. The Wolves moved their highest pick in this draft from No. 28 to No. 33 in the Julius Randle trade earlier in the week, partly as a means to roughly halve the salary they would owe for that roster spot — sub-apron breathing room that may now be needed for their sudden pursuit of LaMelo Ball.
But even in the absence of salary dynamics, this was nice work by Minnesota to land Evans so late. The Wolves have a paucity of shooting around Anthony Edwards, especially with Donte DiVincenzo likely to miss the season, and Evans won’t cure it by himself. But adding a guy who launched 16.4 times per 100 possessions and made 84.9 percent career from the line seems like a solid way to make up some of that missing volume from DiVincenzo.
Worst trend: Chicago selling picks
It’s a new day in the Chicago front office, but alas, it’s the same owner. Chicago, despite being in the early stages of a rebuild, sold not one but two second-round picks on Wednesday, rather than trading them for future draft capital or, you know, actually selecting a player.
The Bulls technically traded the 38th pick for a package that included Kam Jones, two future second-round pick swaps and cash. But c’mon, you can’t fool me with that — second-round pick swaps are near-worthless and the Pacers were likely cutting Jones and his partially guaranteed contract. Y’all sold the pick.
Chicago also sold the 56th pick to the Lakers, who then bizarrely turned and sold the pick again to Dallas. House-flipping, NBA style? Personally I wasn’t a fan of the shiplap cabinetry they added, but I hope they turned a profit.
Best fit: Yaxel Lendeborg in Golden State
Spread the word: The Warriors have somebody who can dunk! No, seriously! Lendeborg gives the Warriors a lot of what they’ve missing the last few years: A huge forward with athletic juice who can grab-and-go off the glass, make decisions on the move in transition, and guard multiple positions very effectively.
While he’s an older player, he was arguably the best player in college basketball last season and should be able to start right away. He’ll immediately be the best defender on the team not named Draymond and likely will check every opponents’ best wing … if he’s not playing as a switching small-ball 5, something he also does extremely well.
Lendeborg being 24 when camp opens rightly scared away some of the rebuilding teams picking ahead of Golden State, especially in concert with his iffy outside shot. But at pick No. 11, with the truly elite talent off the board, this was a home run for the Warriors. Some will note that the history of older lottery picks isn’t great, but that history all pre-dated NIL; for instance, Lendeborg would have been a late first-rounder out of UAB in 2025 if not for Michigan coming with a giant bag last spring. He is exactly what this team needs.
Strangest reach: Dallas’ Morez Johnson pick
It was an orderly lottery on Tuesday, with one exception: The Mavs reaching for Michigan big man Morez Johnson Jr. with the ninth pick. I like Johnson and think he’ll have a nice career, but I had him several spots lower on my board.
As part of its ongoing project to give Cooper Flagg as little floor space as possible, Dallas passed on a talented guard (Brayden Burries, whom Milwaukee giddily snagged with the next pick) to cram Johnson into a crowded frontcourt littered with fours and fives, while Kyrie Irving and Max Christie are basically the only rotation-caliber guards on the roster.
Obviously, one wonders how much influence newly hired coach Dusty May had on this pick; although his hiring only became official the day before the draft, he came from Michigan, where Johnson played last season. (As did fellow lottery picks Yaxel Lendeborg and Aday Mara.)
This wasn’t quite New Orleans trading a potential No. 1 pick for Derik Queen or Toronto taking Bruno Caboclo, but it was the biggest record scratch in this year’s first round. While we’re here: Give Dallas credit for a shrewd move later in the first round, moving up to grab the wildly underrated Sergio De Larrea at No. 25.
Most ganz ausgezeichnet draft: Charlotte
Only two players with German passports were realistic prospects in this draft cycle, and somehow the Hornets picked both of them. At 14, Charlotte selected Washington big man Hannes Steinbach, a glass-crasher from Wurzburg, Germany. (Also the hometown of one other German basketball legend. No, not Maxi Kleber, the other one.)
And then, just four picks later, Charlotte picked sharpshooting guard Christian Anderson Jr. from Texas Tech. While Anderson grew up in the Atlanta area, he also has a German passport and played with Steinbach on Germany’s gold-medal winning Euro U-18 team in 2024.
Will it add up to a fairy-tale pairing for the Hannes-Christian Anderson duo? (Editor: Sorry.) Or is their outlook at his level more Grimm? (Editor: Again, apologies. We have spoken to John about this on numerous occasions.)
The two rookies are likely to play together quite a bit on Charlotte second units, and it will be interesting to see how much synergy they can carry over from their international experience together. No matter what, the four Charlotte-Orlando games on the schedule are now appointment viewing in Berlin.
Most puzzling trend: The Spurs chasing centers
Did San Antonio need more size? The Spurs walked away from the first round with not one but two centers, even though they already employ the best center in the league and have a fairly capable backup signed for the next three seasons.
Nonetheless, the Spurs drafted Jayden Quaintance with the 20th pick — a medical case who may not play much this season while he rehabs a torn ACL from his 2024-25 season at Arizona State — and then jumped back into the back of the first round to nab UConn big man Tarris Reed Jr. at No. 26. Reed seems almost like insurance for Quaintance, which seems fairly expensive insurance versus just signing a vet to the minimum.
Regardless, it hints at another possibility: That the Spurs may see Victor Wembanyama’s best use as a stretch big playing next to another imposing big man. Quaintance, in particular, is potentially a monster on defense, and uniting him with Wembanyama might make this team virtually impenetrable.
The argument has been that San Antonio needs quality forwards with size, but you can hardly do better on the “quality” and “size” fronts than with Wemby himself. On the other hand, units with Wembanyama and Luke Kornet together didn’t exactly cook this year, and the Spurs pivoted away from them as last season went on.
We’ll get more hints about the Spurs’ feelings as we go through this transaction cycle, especially with San Antonio still having nearly $50 million in wiggle room below the tax line. But on a sleepy draft night for teams in the contender class, this was by far the most noteworthy development.
By John Hollinger, via The Athletic