NBA Player News

The Mavericks acquired the rights to de Larrea, whom the Lakers selected with the No. 25 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft before trading his rights to the Knicks, Shams Charania of ESPN reports.

De Larrea will ultimately join the Mavericks as part of a deal in which the Knicks will acquire five second-round picks. The 20-year-old guard can play on and off the ball thanks to his size and catch-and-shoot ability. However, de Larrea isn't a lock to sign with the Mavericks ahead of the upcoming season and could instead return to Spain as a draft-and-stash prospect. De Larrea is coming off an excellent development cycle with Valencia Basket in 2025-26, earning Liga Endesa Best Young Player honors while averaging 9.7 points per game and displaying an advanced feel for the game. Standing at 6-foot-6 barefoot with a 6-foot-9 wingspan, De Larrea boasts elite positional size that allows him to survey the floor, pick apart defenses in the pick-and-roll and comfortably see over opposing guards. He was lethal from deep against professional competition this past season, draining 40.7 percent of his three-pointers on respectable volume.

The Mavericks selected Peat with the No. 30 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft and traded his rights to the Suns.

The Suns made a late-night splash to close out the first round, and the 19-year-old power forward stays in-state after a highly productive freshman campaign at Arizona, where he anchored the interior for a Wildcats squad that captured a Big 12 championship and advanced to the Final Four. Starting all 36 contests, the 6-foot-8, 245-pound forward earned Third Team All-Big 12 and All-Freshman honors by averaging 14.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.6 assists in 27.8 minutes per game. Peat is a physically mature, blue-collar frontcourt player who excels at absorbing contact, finishing efficiently around the rim (52.8 percent from the field) and operating as a high-post playmaker. While his lack of vertical explosiveness and sub-optimal perimeter shooting (35.0 percent from deep on low volume and 62.3 percent from the line) caps his upside as a primary scoring option, he is an incredibly stable, high-floor "glue guy."

The Timberwolves selected Jefferson with the No. 28 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft and traded his rights to the Nets, Michael Scotto of USA Today reports.

The Nets used the pick they got from Minnesota in the Julius Randle trade to take Jefferson, who isn't the most explosive athlete and still has room to grow as a three-point shooter. However, he's a capable ballhandling wing, a willing passer and projects as a solid NBA role player. He showcased his all-around game during his final season at Iowa State, averaging 16.4 points, 7.4 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.1 triples and 1.6 steals per contest.

Cenac was selected by the Celtics with the No. 27 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.

Cenac entered the collegiate ranks as a well-regarded recruit and showed flashes of greatness mixed with inconsistency during his lone season at Houston. Across 37 games, the big man averaged 9.5 points, 7.9 rebounds, 0.8 steals, 0.7 assists and 0.5 blocks while shooting 48.5 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from beyond the arc in 24.8 minutes per contest. The 19-year-old possesses an excellent frame and moves well at 6-foot-11, but he remains a raw prospect with significant development ahead of him. Cenac will join a center group that is slated to lose Nikola Vucevic to unrestricted free agency, though the much-improved Neemias Queta excelled as Boston's starting center throughout the 2025-26 season and Luka Garza provides additional depth.

The Nuggets selected Reed with the No. 26 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft and traded his rights to the Spurs, Jake Fischer of BleacherReport.com reports.

The Nuggets will receive the 35th overall pick in this year's draft and two additional second-round picks in exchange for Reed. The 22-year-old center appeared in 35 outings for UConn in 2025-26, averaging 14.7 points, 9.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 2.0 blocks and 0.9 steals while shooting 60.7 percent from the field in 27.3 minutes per game. He also earned All-Big East First Team honors. The big man isn't guaranteed a meaningful role in his rookie season, as the Spurs still have Luke Kornet behind Victor Wembanyama and selected Jayden Quaintance (knee) with the 20th overall pick in this year's draft.

The Knicks selected Carr with the No. 24 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft and traded his rights to the Lakers, Shams Charania of ESPN reports.

After playing sparingly across two seasons with Tennessee, Carr broke out in his lone season at Baylor in 2025-26, averaging 18.9 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.3 blocks and 0.9 steals on 49.4 percent shooting from the field and 37.4 percent from deep in 33.7 minutes over 34 games, culminating in All-Big 12 Third Team honors. The Lakers' roster is far from set heading into the 2026-27 campaign, though LeBron James and Austin Reaves are expected to return, leaving Carr's path to consistent usage blocked.

The Lakers selected De Larrea with the No. 25 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft and traded his rights to the Knicks, Shams Charania of ESPN reports.

The Knicks traded down one spot with the Lakers to secure De Larrea at No. 25, adding an incredibly polished and crafty international playmaker to their backcourt. The 20-year-old Spanish point guard is coming off an excellent development cycle with Valencia Basket, where he earned Liga Endesa Best Young Player honors while averaging 9.7 points per game and displaying an advanced feel for the game. Standing at 6-foot-6 barefoot with a 6-foot-9 wingspan, De Larrea boasts elite positional size that allows him to survey the floor, pick apart defenses in the pick-and-roll and comfortably see over opposing guards. He was lethal from deep against professional competition this past season, draining 40.7 percent of his three-pointers on respectable volume. While there are legitimate concerns about his lack of elite vertical explosion and foot speed translating to the NBA defensive spacing, his high basketball IQ and patient pacing make him a very stable prospect. Because the newly crowned champion Knicks boast a locked-in backcourt anchored by Jalen Brunson, New York has the luxury of playing the long game with De Larrea. He represents an ideal draft-and-stash candidate or a low-pressure backup floor general who can refine his physical tools before stepping into a multi-positional secondary playmaking role at the next level.

Ejiofor was selected by the Hawks with the No. 23 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.

Ejiofor dominated the interior during his senior season at St. John's, posting averages of 16.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.2 steals and 2.1 blocks per game. He's an elite defender and solid passer, but he still needs to develop a three-point shot. Ejiofor could have a tough time finding minutes in the rotation during his rookie season, as he seems likely to battle for reserve big-man minutes. However, the Hawks may not be done adding to their frontcourt behind Onyeka Okongwu this offseason.

Philon was selected by the 76ers with the No. 22 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.

Philon spurned the 2025 NBA Draft in favor of returning to Alabama for his sophomore season and subsequently broke out offensively. In 33 games with the Crimson Tide during the 2025-26 campaign, the 20-year-old averaged 22.0 points, 5.0 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 1.2 steals while shooting 50.1 percent from the field and 39.9 percent from beyond the arc in 30.9 minutes per contest. The guard's stellar season earned him All-SEC First Team honors. The 76ers boast a star point guard in Tyrese Maxey, allowing Philon to learn behind him and provide instant offense in a reserve role.

The Pistons selected Lopez with the No. 21 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft and traded his rights to the Grizzlies, Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints.com reports.

The Grizzlies traded down from pick No. 16 to No. 17 before moving further back to No. 21, acquiring five second-round picks in the process. Lopez will now join third overall pick Cameron Boozer in Memphis. Lopez spent the last two years playing overseas for the New Zealand Breakers, averaging 11.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.0 blocks in 25.6 minutes per showing last season. The 19-year-old became the first Mexican-born player selected in the first round and should have an opportunity to carve out a meaningful role in the Memphis rotation during his rookie season. He's a physical forward who brings solid size, athleticism and upside.