{"id":2119,"date":"2026-05-05T17:47:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-05T17:47:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rjbarrett.redirectme.net\/?p=2119"},"modified":"2026-05-05T17:47:00","modified_gmt":"2026-05-05T17:47:00","slug":"2026-nba-mock-draft-adam-finkelsteins-projections-for-top-picks-as-sundays-lottery-to-determine-no-1-looms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rjbarrett.redirectme.net\/?p=2119","title":{"rendered":"2026 NBA Mock Draft: Adam Finkelstein’s projections for top picks as Sunday’s lottery to determine No. 1 looms"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n Dybantsa has established himself as the clear-cut favorite to be the number one pick. He’s a polished scorer and shot-creator who also happens to have great positional size, athleticism, and elasticity. He can rise-and-fire in the mid-range area on demand, made huge strides with his rim pressure, gets to the free-throw line in high volume, and is capable, albeit a bit unreliable, from three. He’s even creating for teammates and making reads better than ever before. The defense is the last frontier and while he has physical tools, it’s not yet his point of emphasis.\n <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n Darryn Peterson is the second ranked prospect on the CBS Sports Big Board, but if the lottery fails this way I won’t be surprised to see Boozer be Indiana’s pick. He’s the surest thing in this draft. He had a historic high school career, was the college basketball player of the year, and has an extremely high floor with his overlap of physicality, skill, and basketball IQ. There will be questions about whether his creation or upside is on par with Dybantsa and Peterson, but for a team that has hopes to get back to the NBA Finals as soon as next season with Tyrese Haliburton’s return, Boozer’s ability to slide in alongside Ivica Zubac and Pascal Siakam could be too compelling to pass up on.\n <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n The Nets are deep into their rebuilding project and still lack a star of the future. Peterson could give him that. While his season at Kansas was full of controversy, he made massive gains with his shooting. Combine that with the playmaking, burst, and physicality we saw when he was completely healthy in high school and you have a prospect who could very well end up being the best player taken from this draft down the road. In Brooklyn, he would be the focal point from day one and the player that the Nets build the rest of their roster around moving forward. Having a big facilitator on the wing like Egor Demin, could also be a nice long-term fit.\n <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n The Jazz are done rebuilding and hoping to join the list of contenders in the west next year, so this is potentially their last big swing at the draft for a while. Wilson gives them a prospect with legit star-type outcomes. He’s a high-level athlete with a big-time motor, and has unusual elasticity (or bend) for a player his size. There’s still immense room for progress, both with his perimeter skill and defensive polish. Slot him into a frontline that already includes Jaren Jackson and Lauri Markkanen and Utah would be loaded up front.\n <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n The Kings are a franchise in need of a lead guard of the future, and with the 5th pick they’ll have their choice of four one-and-done freshmen. Acuff was the best college player of the bunch and may also be the most prepared to step in and be an offensive focal point in the NBA. He’s a multi-level creator with shooting splits that were off the charts last year at Arkansas and has the passing metrics to match. While he may be maximizing his impact offensively, it’s the defensive end of the floor that is the biggest question, and if Sacramento were to go in a different direction here, that would be the reason.\n <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n Ja Morant may still be on the Grizzlies, but that isn’t expected to last, so Memphis is another team that could look for their future point guard. Flemings would provide the Grizz with an elite athlete who can get a piece of the paint on demand, rise up explosively at the rim, get to his pull-up at virtually anytime, and be solid on the defensive end. His swing skill is his shooting. If that holds up, then Flemings has legit star-type outcomes. He also just seems to be a fit for the things Memphis, who has drafted extremely well in recent years, prioritizes.\n <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n There is a case to be made that Wagler is the best long-term point guard prospect in this draft. He came out of virtually nowhere to have a huge freshman season and lead Illinois to the Final Four with his combination of skill and feel. He has terrific positional size, which will ultimately allow him to play on and off the ball, and yet he’s still just beginning to fill out his frame. With still so much growth left in front of him, his adjustment to an unprecedented level of competition at Illinois should have required patience, and yet it was seamless. It’s possible that this could be a sign of things to come.\n <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n Mikel Brown Jr. is the best available prospect on the board, but Burries may be a better long-term fit alongside Cooper Flagg, particularly if Masai Ujiri is content to keep Kyrie Irving in the fold for the foreseeable future. Burries is a strong and aggressive two-way guard who can get downhill with real force, provide a formidable three-point shooter to stretch the floor, and simultaneously defend his position. Burries is also more physically ready to make the transition to the NBA game than most of the other one-and-done guards in the draft.\n <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n The Bulls have hired former Hawks’ senior vice president Bryson Graham as their new Executive Vice-President of Basketball Operations. He takes over a roster that has 10 free agents, needs a new coach, and has only a couple of long-term pieces. Josh Giddey is one such player, and Mikel Brown Jr. might be a great fit alongside him. Brown is incredibly talented with the ball, has shooting potential that vastly exceeds his Louisville numbers, and would complement Giddey’s playmaking beautifully, if they could co-exist defensively.\n <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\n Ament is a fairly polarizing prospect with a potentially wide range on draft night. He’s a late-blooming 6-foot-10 combo-forward with touch, natural skill, and fluidity. He needs to get stronger and more assertive in order to address the vast inconsistencies we saw this year, but overall, he’s still a prospect who has made drastic improvements in recent years and has a wealth of untapped potential.\n <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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