In Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen, the New Orleans Pelicans may boast two impending All-Rookie First Teamers… but they’re not going to be able to live down their shocking decision to offload their 2026 NBA Draft future first-round pick, unprotected, during what was destined to be a rebuilding year.
Now, the Atlanta Hawks are poised to reap the benefits of that questionable move. The Pelicans boast the single-worst record in the league at 9-32 — but the Hawks have their pick.
Using Tankathon‘s latest draft lottery simulator as of Tuesday afternoon, the Atlanta Hawks would land their second No. 1 selection in three seasons thanks to that Pelicans deal.
Unless Queen or Fears can wind up being better than any of the three supposedly can’t-miss freshmen at the top of this NCAA season’s crop, Joe Dumars is going to regret that deal.
Here’s this week’s mock draft.
The Lottery
- Atlanta Hawks (via NO): AJ Dybantsa, SF, BYU
- Indiana Pacers: Cameron Boozer, PF, Duke
- Sacramento Kings: Darryn Peterson, SG, Kansas
- Washington Wizards: Caleb Wilson, PF, North Carolina
- Brooklyn Nets: Kingston Flemings, PG, Houston
- Charlotte Hornets: Mikel Brown Jr., PG, Louisville
- Utah Jazz: Nate Ament, F, Tennessee
- Dallas Mavericks: Koa Peat, PF/C, Arizona
- Oklahoma City Thunder (from LAC): Mikel Brown, Jr., PG, Louisville
- Milwaukee Bucks: Braylon Mullins, SG, UConn
- Memphis Grizzlies: Jayden Quaintance, C, Kentucky
- Chicago Bulls: Chris Cenac Jr., C, Houston
- Portland Trail Blazers: Darius Acuff Jr., PG, Arkansas
- San Antonio Spurs (from ATL): Tounde Yessoufou, SF, Baylor
You read that right — I’m knocking Darryn Peterson down to third this week. The 6-foot-6 freshman combo guard has barely been available this year, appearing in just seven contests thus far. Still, when he has played, he’s looked great. His eye-popping 63.2 percent true shooting rate, his abilities as a shot creator, and his unreal athleticism have made him a tantalizing prospect.
Peterson remains the preferred player in Jeremy Woo of ESPN’s latest top 100. But it’s frustrating that a top prospect can’t stay healthy in a relatively cupcake NCAA schedule. How will his body hold up with the NBA’s more intense slate? His fit, also, makes plenty of sense on the Atlanta Hawks, who currently possess the top pick in this Tankathon order. Atlanta shipped out four-time All-Star point guard Trae Young last week. Is Dyson Daniels the Hawks’ lead guard of the future?
Alternately, how would BYU forward AJ Dybantsa slot into a roster that’s also looking to get big minutes for rising star Jalen Johnson and 2024 No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher, both forwards? My theoretical counter: the size of that frontline would be impressive, especially if Quin Snyder opted for a jumbo-sized starting lineup a la the Houston Rockets, installing Dybantsa or Risacher as a starting shooting guard.
It would behoove Atlanta to not overthink drafting the Big 12’s most prolific scorer.
By the same token, would the Indiana Pacers really want to draft another power forward in Cameron Boozer (son of Bulls non-legend Carlos, the Nikola Vucevic of his day), with 31-year-old incumbent Pascal Siakam still performing like an All-Star? I think any team with as much injury trouble as Indiana should exercise extreme caution when it comes to Peterson, and a small-market team that can only attract standouts through trades or the draft shouldn’t take the risk of the more practical positional move.
The Chicago Bulls need a long-term replacement for Nikola Vucevic. It feels unlikely that either Jalen Smith or Zach Collins will get there.
Chris Cenac Jr. might not even last this long — but the 6-foot-11 freshman’s early issues this season could potentially knock him down a few pegs. His jump shooting and rim protection are the exact skill sets centers need in the modern league, but he needs to bulk up.
Mid-Round Picks
15. Miami Heat: Cameron Carr, SF, Baylor
16. Golden State Warriors: Yaxel Lendeborg, SF/PF/C, Michigan
17. Atlanta Hawks (from CLE): Keaton Wagler, PG/SG, Illinois
18. Memphis (from ORL): Labaron Philon, PG, Alabama
19. Oklahoma City Thunder (from PHI): Thomas Haugh, PF, Florida
20. Toronto Raptors: Dash Daniels, SG, Melbourne United
Carr has looked like a new player during his first season with Baylor. He was a little-used reserve during his first two seasons of collegiate eligibility with the Tennessee Volunteers. His athleticism has been appetizing, but questions remain about how effectively he can nail treys off the dribble at the NBA level.
The Heat have multiple A-/B+ stars in Norman Powell, Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro. They still need that A+ guy. Carr might not have that upside, but he could still evolve into a solid piece to be thrown into, say, a Giannis Antetokounmpo trade down the line.
Golden State needs size. Mike Dunleavy Jr. has at least taken some swings in the draft recently, including taking Quinten Post late in the second round circa 2024. Post lacks the defensive upside to truly bang with the best bigs in the West, however. The 6-foot-9 Yaxel Lendeborg may be a bit slight as an NBA center, but Dunleavy and Steve Kerr do seem to love undersized fives.
Late First Rounders
21. Oklahoma City Thunder (via HOU): Hannes Steinbach, PF/C, Washington
22. Boston Celtics: Bennett Stirtz, PG, Iowa
23. Charlotte Hornets (via PHO): Neoklis Avdalas, SF, Virginia Tech
24. Los Angeles Lakers: Aday Mara, C, Michigan
25. New York Knicks: Patrick Ngongba, C, Duke
26. Minnesota Timberwolves: Meleek Thomas, G, Arkansas
27. Denver Nuggets: Dame Sarr, SG/SF, Duke
28. Cleveland Cavaliers (from SA): Isaiah Evans, SG, Duke
29. Detroit Pistons: Joshua Jefferson, PF, Iowa
30. Washington Wizards (from OKC): Henri Veesaar, C, North Carolina
So, to recap, the reigning champion Oklahoma City Thunder would net three new young players in just the first round of the supposedly stacked 2026 NBA Draft from other teams, including one lottery pick. Positionally, the big needs for the 33-7 Thunder seem to be bench ball handling and maybe a long-term Isaiah Hartenstein replacement at center.
Washington freshman Hannes Steinbach has notched double-doubles across five of his seven bouts, and is a solid post defender and rebounder. This year, he’s been averaging 17.9 points, 11.9 boards and 2.7 dimes. He could be paired next to Chet Holmgren at either center or power forward. Between Steinbach and Florida power forward Thomas Haugh, Oklahoma City should be able to build out its frontcourt for the future in this mock.
