NBA Player News

The Thunder selected Okorie with the No. 17 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft and traded his rights to the Grizzlies, who then traded his rights to the Pistons, Shams Charania of ESPN reports.

Detroit moved up from No. 21 and packaged three second-round picks to acquire Okorie, who powered Stanford's offense during his lone collegiate campaign. The guard averaged 23.2 points, 3.6 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.6 steals in 35.0 minutes per contest across 31 starts during the 2025-26 season. He earned All-ACC First Team honors and showcased his scoring prowess by reaching the 30-point mark eight times. The Pistons are set at point guard with superstar Cade Cunningham, but Okorie figures to provide a spark off the bench during his rookie campaign.

Anderson was selected by the Hornets with the No. 18 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.

While Anderson is a bit undersized at the guard position at 6-foot-2, he's a tremendous three-point shooter and has a polished offensive game. Anderson averaged 18.5 points, 3.6 rebounds, 7.4 assists, 3.3 triples and 1.5 steals on 47/42/81 shooting splits during his sophomore season at Texas Tech, but he'll join a crowded backcourt in Charlotte, where he'll be competing for minutes with the likes of LaMelo Ball, Coby White and Kon Knueppel.

The Grizzlies selected Stirtz with the No. 16 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft and traded his rights to the Thunder, Shams Charania of ESPN reports.

The Grizzlies will receive two second-round picks while trading down to the 17th overall pick in this year's draft. Meanwhile, Oklahoma City will bolster its backcourt depth. Stirtz began his career at Division II Northwest Missouri State before following head coach Ben McCollum to Drake and then Iowa. In his lone season with the Hawkeyes in 2025-26, the ball-dominant guard averaged 19.8 points, 4.4 assists, 2.6 rebounds and 1.4 steals while shooting 47.7 percent from the field and 35.8 percent from beyond the arc in 37.8 minutes per contest across 37 games. Stirtz's standout campaign landed him All-Big Ten Second Team honors. He isn't guaranteed a meaningful role with the Thunder immediately, and he'll likely compete for playing time off the bench with the likes of Nikola Topic (back) and Jared McCain.

Swain was selected by the Bulls with the No. 15 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.

Swain lands in Chicago after putting together a dominant junior season at Texas. The athletic forward was the engine of the Longhorns' offense, putting up a stellar line of 17.3 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game while displaying tremendous efficiency inside the arc with a 54.2 percent shooting mark from the field. Swain possesses a versatile, modern skill set, offering the size to impact the game on the glass alongside the playmaking chops to generate looks for others out of the frontcourt. A significant driver behind that high field-goal percentage is Swain's elite ability as a finisher at the rim. He excels at using his length and explosive athleticism to play through contact in the paint, frequently converting tough, contested looks and generating second-chance opportunities. While his perimeter shooting consistency remains a development point as he transitions to the NBA, his interior scoring prowess, defensive motor and elite athletic traits give him dynamic upside. He joins a Bulls squad looking to inject youthful length and playmaking into its core, positioning Swain to compete for immediate minutes during his rookie campaign.

Steinbach was selected by the Hornets with the No. 14 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.

Steinbach played professionally in Germany before heading to Washington for his lone college season. Over 30 appearances for the Huskies, the 20-year-old big man averaged 18.5 points, 11.8 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.2 blocks and 1.1 steals while shooting 57.7 percent from the field and 34.0 percent from downtown in 34.6 minutes per contest. Steinbach will now join a team that has the potential to make waves in the Eastern Conference in 2026-27. With that in mind, the 20-year-old may not have an opportunity to start for the Hornets initially, as Moussa Diabate and Ryan Kalkbrenner return after showing flashes last season. However, Steinbach could earn meaningful minutes immediately, considering the club doesn't have many reliable options off the bench.

Ament was selected by the Bucks with the No. 13 overall selection in the 2026 NBA Draft.

Ament appeared in 35 games for Tennessee in his lone college campaign, averaging 16.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.0 steals and 0.6 blocks while shooting 39.9 percent from the field in 29.7 minutes per tilt. The 6-foot-10 forward earned Second-Team All-SEC and SEC All-Freshman Team honors for the Volunteers. Ament will be competing with Jaime Jaquez and Kyle Kuzma for minutes in Milwaukee, so it'll be interesting to see how the rookie's role develops over training camp.

Mara was selected by the Thunder with the No. 12 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.

Mara joins Morez Johnson (No. 9 to Dallas) and Yaxel Lendeborg (No. 11 to Golden State) as the third Michigan player selected in the lottery. The 7-foot-3 center spent the first two years of his collegiate career at UCLA, where he played a limited role before transferring to Michigan. In 40 games (39 starts) with the Wolverines in 2025-26, Mara averaged 12.1 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.6 blocks and 2.4 assists in 23.5 minutes per contest. He earned Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year honors and was named to the All-Big Ten Third Team en route to winning a national championship. It should be an eventful offseason in Oklahoma City as the club navigates its salary-cap situation, particularly in the frontcourt with a pending club option on Isaiah Hartenstein. Mara's exact role remains to be seen, but he projects as a strong contributor in the paint, especially on the defensive end.

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.