Overview
- The NBA confirmed a two-night 2026 draft at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center on June 23–24, with Round 1 on ABC/ESPN and a five-minute clock and Round 2 on ESPN with a four-minute clock.
- The draft lottery will be held May 10 in Chicago, which sets the top 14 order and kicks off combine week in the same city.
- Analysts describe this class as one of the strongest in years, and USA TODAY/Yahoo mock drafts project BYU scorer AJ Dybantsa to the Wizards at No. 1 and Arkansas guard Darius Acuff Jr. to the Hawks.
- USA TODAY reports a record eight NBA teams finished with 55 or more losses, and Commissioner Adam Silver is weighing ways to punish clubs that lose on purpose.
- Across other leagues, Bleacher Report lists Vancouver with a 25.5% chance to win the NHL lottery for top prospect Gavin McKenna, and CBS Sports relays reporting that the Cowboys could trade up in the NFL draft as the Giants’ GM notes exploratory calls.