Jason Burgos
On Tuesday night, the NBA offseason really kicked off with the 2026 edition of the NBA Draft. This year’s class is considered one of the deepest and most talent-rich in a very long time. It’s so good that close to a dozen teams tanked early so they could get a top pick in tonight’s event.
With Round 1 of this year’s draft in the books, we look at the biggest winners and losers from Tuesday night in Brooklyn.
Winner: Utah Jazz for getting Darryn Peterson
There was a lot of speculation over the last few days that Kansas star Darryn Peterson would go No. 1 overall to the Washington Wizards. And if not for his availability issues this season, he likely would have. However, the Utah Jazz luck out and get a player at No. 2 that many NBA pundits believe has the most superstar potential in this deep class. For a team already expected to be much better in 2026-27, adding Peterson is a big coup for Utah.
Loser: Isaiah Hartenstein after Oklahoma City selects Aday Mara
With their first pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, the 2025 champion Oklahoma City Thunder went big and selected Michigan 7-foot-3 center, Aday Mara. And that was very bad news for Isaiah Hartenstein. OKC owns a team option on the veteran center, and the expectation was that they would pick up the the $28.5 million left on his deal. That is no longer a lock, and he could end up on the open market this summer after the team took a player they will look to match up with Victor Wembanyama in the years ahead.
Winner: Oklahoma City Thunder trade for Bennett Stirtz
Instead of picking at 17, the Thunder unofficially swapped spots with the Memphis Grizzlies and landed Iowa guard Bennett Stirtz. For most teams, this might be a reach at this point in the draft. However, OKC’s starting five is set, and adding depth was the goal in this draft. With Stirtz, they get a rock-solid point guard with reliable shooting to run their second unit. At the highest levels of the game, impact players off the bench can be the difference in winning a championship, and the Thunder understands that.
Loser: Dusty May taking Morez Johnson with first pick as Dallas Mavericks head coach
After the Dallas Mavericks made Michigan’s Dusty May their new head coach this week, some joked that he would take one of his players with his first pick in the job. Well, he actually did when Morez Johnson Jr. was selected with the ninth overall pick. The forward is a talented defensive player who is a great glue guy on a winning team. That is why he seems like an odd choice for a rebuilding Mavericks squad. At No. 9, it feels like Dallas reached with Johnson Jr.
Winner: Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks already have a young core with a ton of upside. But they actually had two picks in Round 1 of this talent-rich draft. With their first pick at No. 8, they took the future floor general for their young core with talented two-way guard Kingston Flemings. Then, at 23, they made an interesting decision by drafting St. John’s big man Zuby Ejiofor.
While some projections had the Big East Player of the Year going in Round 2, he brings exactly what Atlanta likes. A dog on the boards and on defense. But he also has a rock-solid offensive game. He is an undersized center, but this is a different era nad Atlanta has good size throughout their starting five. At worst, he can be a really good big man off the bench in the years ahead.
Winner: Detroit Pistons trading up for Ebuka Okorie
At 17th overall, Stanford’s Ebuka Okorie would be a big reach since he was projected to go in the 20s. However, for the Detroit Pistons — via a trade with the Grizzlies — he feels like a good pick. Okorie is a bucket machine, and that is what Detroit needed. They have an elite scoring, ball handling, and large guard in Cade Cunningham. Okorie gives the MVP candidate a talented scorer to play off of, who can pick up some of the offensive load in the years ahead. At worst, he gives Detroit a perennial Sixth Man of the Year contender.
Loser: Chicago Bulls reaching on Dailyn Swain
The Chicago Bulls made the right decision by selecting Caleb Wilson at No. 4. However, taking Arizona swingman Dailyn Swain felt like a bit of a head scratcher. Swain has a lot of potential, but he also needs further development. With players like Bennett Stirtz, Labaron Philon Jr., and Christian Anderson still on the board, it was a bit surprising that Chicago took Swain at No. 15.
Winner: Philadelphia 76ers get steal with Labaron Philon Jr. at No. 23
Labaran Philon Jr. was the top scorer on the best scoring team in college basketball last season. However, he was still on the board as Round 1 entered the 20s. While they didn’t necessarily need him, the Philadelphia 76ers smartly added another gifted scoring guard to go along with Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgcombe. In an era of small ball, if Nick Nurse can develop lineups that have all three on the floor, they could be a matchup nightmare for Eastern Conference rivals.
Loser: Charlotte Hornets select Christian Anderson
Entering the 2026 NBA Draft, the Charlotte Hornets seemed to have a clear need: Help in the front court. They already have LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, ROTY candidate Kon Knueppel, and Miles Bridges in the backcourt or as swing men. But they used their pick at 18 on Texas Tech’s Christian Anderson. He is absolutely a good player, but there is only one ball, and the Hornets needed bigs. He will certainly help the bench, but this felt like a missed opportunity.
Winner: San Antonio Spurs selecting Jayden Quaintance
Going to the basket on the San Antonio Spurs was already really tough with Wembanyama guarding the middle. Now, he will have another very athletic shot blocker and rim runner to play with after they used their pick at 20 on Kentucky’s Jayden Quaintance. Although he is coming off a serious knee injury, Quaintance is a superb athlete for a big man and has a lot of potential. At the very least, San Antonio gets a very good backup center for Wembanyama for the next four years.
