NBA Player News

Lendeborg was selected by the Warriors with the No. 11 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.

Lendeborg began his college career at Arizona Western before spending two years with UAB. He transferred to Michigan for his final college season and appeared in 40 games (39 starts) in 2025-26, averaging 15.1 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.2 blocks and 1.1 steals in 30.2 minutes per tilt. He earned Big Ten Player of the Year honors and was named to the Big Ten All-Defensive Team while helping the Wolverines win a national championship. The 23-year-old forward could carve out a significant role for the Warriors immediately, with Jimmy Butler (knee) and Moses Moody (knee) both expected to miss an extended period.

Johnson was selected by the Mavericks with the No. 9 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.

Johnson is a versatile defender and rim runner who posted averages of 13.1 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.1 blocks per game on 62/34/78 shooting splits during his sophomore season. His offense is a work in progress, and he's a bit undersized for the center position. However, his grit and commitment to winning should endear him to the Mavericks' coaching staff, specifically new head coach Dusty May, who led Johnson and the Wolverines to a national title in 2025-26. While the 20-year-old may not be an immediate threat to overthrow Dereck Lively (foot), P.J. Washington or Daniel Gafford for a starting job, assuming they remain on the roster, it could happen sooner than expected, especially if there are injuries.

Flemings was selected by the Hawks with the No. 8 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.

Flemings played in 37 games for Houston in 2025-26, during which he averaged 16.1 points, 5.2 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 1.5 steals across 31.6 minutes per contest. The 19-year-old point guard shot 47.6 percent from the field and 38.7 percent from downtown. The 6-foot-3 guard was also named to the All-Big 12 First Team in his lone college season. He'll likely be operating in the second unit in Atlanta, helping back up CJ McCollum and Nickeil Alexander-Walker at the guard spots.

Brown was selected by the Nets with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.

Brown profiles as a lead guard but can play off the ball and has plenty of upside for the rebuilding Nets to be excited about. The 20-year-old appeared in just 21 games (19 starts) for Louisville in 2025-26 due to a lingering back injury, finishing the season with averages of 18.2 points, 4.7 assists, 3.3 rebounds and 1.2 steals while shooting 41.0 percent from the field in 29.2 minutes per game. He has a strong opportunity to carve out a significant role in his rookie campaign, though Brooklyn has plenty of young guards, including Egor Demin (foot), Nolan Traore (illness) and Ben Saraf.

Acuff was selected by the Kings with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.

Acuff is the latest in a long line of outstanding guards to play under legendary college coach John Calipari. In 36 games for Arkansas in 2025-26, the 19-year-old averaged 23.5 points, 6.4 assists, 3.1 rebounds and 0.8 steals while shooting 48.4 percent from the field and 44.0 percent from beyond the arc in 35.1 minutes per contest, earning SEC Player of the Year, First Team All-American and Bob Cousy Award honors. He's undersized at 6-foot-2 and 186 pounds, but there's no denying his microwave scoring ability, as he topped 30 points six times this past season, highlighted by a magnificent 49-point performance on the road at Alabama in February. With Russell Westbrook (toe) slated to hit free agency, Acuff is well-positioned to step into a significant role with the Kings right away.

Wilson was selected by the Bulls with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.

Wilson will now head to Chicago after playing his only collegiate season at North Carolina. The 19-year-old logged 24 regular-season appearances for the Tar Heels, averaging 19.8 points, 9.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.4 blocks and 1.5 steals across 31.3 minutes per game. However, after suffering a fractured left hand during the Feb. 10 meeting with Miami, he subsequently sustained a broken right thumb in practice, resulting in season-ending surgery. Wilson's athleticism and explosiveness set him apart from most, though he had trouble taking care of the ball, averaging 2.0 turnovers per contest. His three-point shooting also needs work. With that in mind, Wilson has a high ceiling, but it may take him time to develop and improve in certain areas. Still, he will have an opportunity to earn minutes immediately with the Bulls, a team focused on rebuilding around Matas Buzelis (ankle) and Josh Giddey (ankle), even though there could be some growing pains along the way.

Peterson was selected by the Jazz with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.

Peterson entered the collegiate ranks as one of the most highly touted recruits in the country and showed flashes of greatness during his lone season at Kansas. Recurring cramping issues occasionally impacted his availability, but the guard was a dynamic scorer when on the floor, averaging 20.2 points on 43.8 percent shooting from the field and 38.2 percent from beyond the arc to go along with 4.2 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.4 steals in 29.0 minutes per contest across 24 appearances. The 19-year-old primarily operated off the ball in college and therefore still has room to grow as a playmaker and ballhandler, but Peterson's pure scoring ability makes it easy to understand why he was selected at No. 2 overall and is viewed as a potential superstar. With the Jazz, Peterson will slot into the backcourt alongside emerging standout Keyonte George (hamstring) as Utah attempts to turn the corner on its rebuild.

Dybantsa was selected by the Wizards with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.

Dybantsa has been on the national stage since his freshman year of high school, when he earned Massachusetts Gatorade Player of the Year honors. The 19-year-old forward is coming off an impressive freshman campaign at BYU, where he led Division I basketball in scoring and averaged 25.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.1 steals while shooting 51.0 percent from the field and 33.1 percent from deep in 34.8 minutes per game across 35 outings. His three-point shot remains a work in progress, though he's a versatile offensive weapon who can get downhill, score from mid-range and draw fouls. He also offers strong upside on the defensive end thanks to his size and mobility. Dybantsa has the tools to be a franchise cornerstone and figures to command a sizable role right out of the gate alongside Trae Young (quadriceps) and Anthony Davis (finger).

Powell is unlikely to re-sign with the Heat this offseason, Shams Charania reported Tuesday on The Pat McAfee Show.

Powell is an unrestricted free agent this summer, and it sounds like Miami is preparing to go in a different direction as it tries to manage its payroll following Monday's acquisition of Giannis Antetokounmpo (calf). The All-Star guard averaged 21.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.2 steals and 3.0 three-pointers in 32.6 minutes per contest through 60 regular-season games last year, so his market value could be higher than the Heat are willing or even able to meet.

The Cavaliers exercised Porter's $2.41 million team option for the 2026-27 season Monday, Michael Scotto of USA Today reports.

After signing with the Cavaliers as an undrafted free agent in 2023, Porter has proven to be a developmental success story through his first three seasons in the league. He appeared in a career-high 64 games in 2025-26, shooting 45 percent from the field and 35.5 percent from downtown while averaging 4.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 0.9 steals and 0.6 blocks in 17.9 minutes per contest. Though he was left out of the rotation for most of the Cavaliers' postseason run while the team was at or near full strength, Porter's playmaking ability and disruptiveness on the defensive end made him a trusted member of the second unit during the regular season. The 26-year-old is expected to serve as a depth piece in the backcourt once again in 2026-27.