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Bryce Hopkins Selected by Nuggets With No. 49 Pick
The Denver Nuggets selected St. John's forward Bryce Hopkins with the No. 49 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. The 24-year-old rebuilt his stock in his lone season with the Red Storm, averaging 13.6 points, 6.2 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.1 steals in 28.8 minutes while shooting 46.9 percent from the field, 36.3 percent from deep, and 71.3 percent at the line. His fantasy path is not wide in Denver, where Nikola Jokic and Aaron Gordon headline the frontcourt, but Hopkins has enough rebounding, cutting, and improved shooting to compete for bench forward minutes if he carries over his late-season momentum.
Source: Brett Siegel
Source: Brett Siegel
Tobi Lawal Joins a Crowded Mavericks Frontcourt
The Dallas Mavericks closed their draft with an athletic upside swing, taking Virginia Tech forward Tobi Lawal with the 48th pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. The explosive leaper averaged 12.3 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks on 54.2 percent shooting as a senior, posting one of the best vertical marks in combine history. Lawal projects as a lob-finishing, transition-running, switchable energy forward in the Derrick Jones Jr. mold, though his shooting cratered to 25.0 percent from three and his half-court game is raw. The fantasy reality is a numbers crunch: he joins a Dallas frontcourt already deep with Daniel Gafford, Dereck Lively II, P.J. Washington, and fellow rookie Morez Johnson Jr. Lawal is a long-shot athletic stash, not a fantasy piece, but the tools are rare enough to bookmark.
Source: Jake Fischer
Source: Jake Fischer
Knicks Land Tyler Nickel at No. 47 in a Four-Team Trade
The defending-champion New York Knicks came away with one of the draft's best shooters, acquiring Vanderbilt wing Tyler Nickel in a four-team draft-night trade after Phoenix selected him with the 47th pick. The movement shooter averaged 13.5 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.2 assists on 44.5 percent shooting and 40.0 percent from three, hoisting 7.6 triples a night and burying 110 of them as a senior. Nickel is a Duncan Robinson-style specialist whose game starts and mostly ends with floor spacing, and Mike Brown's staff has a track record of developing exactly that. The catch for fantasy is the roster: he lands on a loaded title team and may not even open the year on a standard contract. He is a deep-watch shooter, nothing more, until he proves he can stick.
Source: NBA
Source: NBA
Felix Okpara Heads to Washington in a Draft-Night Deal
The Orlando Magic drafted Tennessee center Felix Okpara at No. 46 and flipped him to the Washington Wizards for picks 51 and 60 in the 2026 NBA draft, HoopsHype's Michael Scotto reports. The Lagos, Nigeria native averaged 8.0 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks on 59.7 percent shooting as a senior, anchoring an Elite Eight defense with his length and rim protection. Okpara is a lob-finishing, shot-blocking big with little offensive polish, landing behind Anthony Davis and Alexandre Sarr on Washington's depth chart. That is where it gets interesting for fantasy: both starters have long injury histories, and Tristan Vukcevic is the only other guaranteed center, so Okpara could back into spot starts and cheap blocks if either big misses time. Trae Young's lob passing only sweetens the fit.
Source: Michael Scotto
Source: Michael Scotto
Emanuel Sharp Joins Darius Acuff Jr. in Kings Backcourt
After landing Darius Acuff Jr. in the first round, the Sacramento Kings added shooting around their new lead guard, taking Houston's Emanuel Sharp with the 45th pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. Houston's all-time leading three-point shooter averaged 15.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.2 steals on 41.3 percent shooting and 37.2 percent from deep as a senior, drilling 2.6 threes a night. Sharp is an undersized but knockdown 3-and-D guard who moves well off the ball and rarely turns it over. Unlike most second-round shooters buried on contenders, he lands on a rebuilding team actively clearing its veteran guards, so a rotation role is in reach if the shooting carries over. He won't help fantasy managers right away, but the fit next to Acuff makes him a name worth tracking.
Source: Brett Siegel
Source: Brett Siegel
Spurs Grab Maliq Brown at No. 44 Overall in the 2026 Draft
The San Antonio Spurs kept stockpiling defense in the second round, taking Duke forward Maliq Brown with the 44th pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. The 22-year-old led all of college basketball in defensive box plus-minus and was the ACC's top defender, averaging just 4.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.8 steals on 62.9 percent shooting off the bench. Brown is a switchable, havoc-creating defender whose offense barely registers: he hit 16.7 percent from three and 50.0 percent at the line. That profile has an NBA path as an energy big, just not on this roster soon, with Victor Wembanyama anchoring an elite frontcourt and San Antonio adding more size in the same draft. For fantasy, Brown is a name to file away and nothing more, barring a Nicolas Claxton-style defensive role down the line.
Source: Brett Siegel
Source: Brett Siegel
Hornets Entertain Trade Offers for LaMelo Ball
According to Shams Charania of ESPN, the Charlotte Hornets are engaged in trade talks involving guard LaMelo Ball. Charania reports that multiple teams are "strongly" pursuing the star point guard, with some making "aggressive" offers. He added that there's a legitimate chance Ball could be moved if a team is willing to meet Charlotte's asking price. NBA insider Marc Stein also reports that the Minnesota Timberwolves and Toronto Raptors have emerged as two of the teams interested in the 24-year-old, who averaged 20.1 points, 7.1 assists, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.2 steals in 28.0 minutes across 72 games last season.
Source: Shams Charania
Source: Shams Charania
Tyler Bilodeau Taken by Nets in Second Round of NBA Draft
The Brooklyn Nets drafted UCLA forward Tyler Bilodeau with the 43rd overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft on Wednesday. Bilodeau is one of the better shooters in this year's draft class, hitting 46.4 percent of his three-point attempts during his senior season at UCLA. While he has room to improve defensively, his perimeter shooting could help him earn rotational minutes during his rookie season.
Source: Brett Siegel
Source: Brett Siegel
Ja'Kobi Gillespie Selected by Spurs in NBA Draft
The San Antonio Spurs selected Tennessee guard Ja'Kobi Gillespie with the 42nd overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft on Wednesday. Gillespie began his collegiate career at Belmont before transferring to Maryland and then Tennessee ahead of the 2025-26 season. The 22-year-old averaged 18.4 points, 5.4 assists, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.1 steals in 34.6 minutes per game across 37 starts for the Volunteers. He set Tennessee's single-season program record for steals during the 2025-26 campaign.
Source: Brett Siegel
Source: Brett Siegel
Otega Oweh Drafted by Miami, Dealt to Oklahoma City
According to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints.com, the Miami Heat drafted Kentucky guard Otega Oweh with the 41st overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft and traded his rights to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday. Oweh averaged 18.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 0.3 blocks, and 1.8 steals in 32.8 minutes across 36 regular-season games for the Wildcats during the 2025-26 season. Oklahoma City's loaded roster could limit Oweh's playing time during his rookie campaign.
Source: Brett Siegel
Source: Brett Siegel
Dillon Mitchell Lands in Boston in NBA Draft
The Boston Celtics selected St. John's forward Dillon Mitchell with the 40th overall pick on Wednesday in the 2026 NBA Draft. Mitchell is a physical defender who shines on that end of the floor, but he is limited offensively. He spent the 2025-26 campaign at St. John's, averaging 8.3 points and 7.0 rebounds in 37 outings. His defensive abilities could help him land a regular role in the NBA at some point.
Source: Brett Siegel
Source: Brett Siegel
Jack Kayil Taken by Knicks in Second Round of NBA Draft
The New York Knicks have selected guard Jack Kayil with the 39th overall pick in the second round of the 2026 NBA draft. The Houston Rockets originally had this pick, but they traded it to the Knicks on Wednesday. Kayil posted a productive season for Alba Berlin this past season. He averaged 12.3 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 3.5 assists across 21.0 minutes per game. At first, Kayil committed to Gonzaga, but ultimately decided to enter the draft. He offers a good overall skill set, but probably isn't quite ready for the professional level yet. It sounds like Kayil is ready to join the league and won't play another year in Germany. It seems unlikely that he'll crack the rotation or that he'll have a minimal role at best.
Source: Evan Sidery
Source: Evan Sidery
Bulls Draft Braden Smith, Trade him to Indiana
The Chicago Bulls have selected Purdue guard Braden Smith with the 38th overall pick on Wednesday in the 2026 NBA draft. He'll immediately be on the move to the Indiana Pacers in exchange for Kam Jones and future draft swaps. The Purdue product finished his career as the NCAA's all-time assist leader. As a senior, Smith averaged 14.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 8.8 assists at Purdue. His best attribute is his ability to run an offense and find open players. He won't start in Indiana, but Smith could end up as a quality backup guard. The Pacers do have depth at the guard spot, so we'll see where Smith lands on the depth chart.
Source: Shams Charania
Source: Shams Charania
Ryan Conwell Drafted by Thunder in Second Round of NBA Draft
The Oklahoma City Thunder have selected Louisville guard Ryan Conwell with the 37th overall pick during Wednesday's NBA draft. Conwell won't stick around in OKC. Instead, he'll head to the Miami Heat in exchange for No. 41 and cash. Conwell is a capable scorer with 18.8 points per game with Louisville this past season. He also averaged 4.8 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 3.3 three-pointers during his final year of college ball. The Heat traded a ton of talent to acquire Giannis Antetokounmpo earlier this week. There is a chance that Conwell has a role in the rotation right away in Miami. He'll need to improve in other areas of his game, but he can probably be trusted as a perimeter scoring option.
Source: Shams Charania
Source: Shams Charania
Baba Miller Selected by Clippers at No. 36 Overall in NBA Draft
The Los Angeles Clippers have selected forward/center Baba Miller with the No. 36 overall pick during Wednesday's NBA Draft. The Clippers need depth after trading away Ivica Zubac this past season. Miller won't fix the problem, but he should be a benefit as a rebounder, which is something the Clippers desperately need after moving on from Zubac. The Cincinnati product averaged 13.0 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks as a senior this past season. There is certainly room to improve after finishing with a 52.9 percent from the floor as a senior. His biggest asset will be his rebounding, but it's unlikely that Miller has a consistent role in the rotation right away.
Source: Jake Fischer
Source: Jake Fischer
