This is my favorite area of this draft. The top of the draft has plenty of intrigue and we’re sure to see some drama on draft day but for my money, the most interesting part of the 2026 NBA Draft is the second half of the lottery.
This is the area where guards will dominate but a few big men have made big strides and are gaining momentum as top 10 picks. Aday Mara has been a steady riser throughout the season and has risen even higher this week at the NBA Draft combine in Chicago. Could he crash the top 10? How about the top 5??
Hannes Steinbach is another big that I’m really high on. I think he could sneak into the top 10 and at worst deserves to be a late lottery pick. Then there’s a guy like Morez Johnson who tested off the charts this week. I still see him as a mid first rounder but wouldn’t be shocked if he crashes the lottery party.
Here are my thoughts on the best fits for the picks in the 8-14 range of the draft.
8) Hawks Have Options
Although they didn’t have any great lottery luck this is still a really nice place to be picking (thank you Joe Dumars). One of the elite guards will fall to this spot in Wagler, Acuff Jr., Brown Jr. or Flemings. I would probably just take whichever one is there. But after this week in Chicago there’s a stronger case for Aday Mara, the 7-3 mammoth from Spain. The team could use a defensive anchor who can also facilitate on offense. Guys like that are hard to find. In fact, the more I think about it I love this fit.
Best Fits: Mikel Brown Jr, Keaton Wagler, Aday Mara
9) Mavs Get Cooper Good Company
This is a really important pick for the Mavs, as it could be the last time they’re in this position to draft a difference maker. They obviously need a young guard to pair with the peerless Cooper Flagg and there will be a few on the board. Brayden Burries is a really intriguing option. He measured a bit bigger than expected and seems to be a guy who can step in right away and play in an off ball or on ball role. He’s a bit older for a freshman but is still a very fine prospect.
Could Aday Mara work here? It would be an interesting defensive pairing with Flagg in the frontcourt but it’s not my favorite fit.
Labaron Philon could be an option as well. This is probably the start of his draft range, which extends to about pick 15 IMHO.
Best Fits: Brayden Burries, Labaron Philon, Aday Mara
10) The Bucks Stop Here
After a few years of turmoil and teasing it seems that Giannis could finally be on the move this summer and the Bucks will be looking at a full blown rebuild. If they do trade Giannis they are sure to get some big time draft assets in return but this pick at no.10 is still very important. Thankfully for the Bucks there will be some really good talent still on the board.
I think this is sort of a floor for Aday Mara. If he doesn’t go before this pick I think the Bucks take him here. If he’s gone they good look at a guard like Philon or Burries or take a swing on a young forward like Karim Lopez or Nate Ament.
Best Fits: Labaron Philon, Aday Mara, Karim Lopez
11) Warriors Window Closing
If the Golden State Warriors hope to make one more championship run they will have to either nail this pick or trade it for a win-now player. A guy like Hannes Steinbach would make a lot of sense and would fill a big need, while also giving them the beginning of a youth movement (don’t call it two timeline!). Yaxel Lendeborg would also be a win-now pick who would be a nice fit. A young guard like Philon would take pressure of Steph.
Best Fits: Labaron Philon, Hannes Steinbach, Yaxel Lendeborg
12) The Unstoppable Thunder
Man, we might be witnessing a dynasty in progress. The Thunder look capable of repeating as champions and have a metric shit-ton of draft capital to continue to work with. This pick might not seem like a big deal but for a championship level team to getting a lottery pick in this stacked draft class is terrifying. I absolutely love the Hannes Steinbach fit and if he’s still on the board they should take him. Karim Lopez would be an interesting swing. The Thunder can develop him and bring him along slowly and he just might have some hidden star upside that none of us are fully appreciating. This could also be the beginning of the Morez Johnson draft range, after his great combine showing.
Best Fits: Hannes Steinback, Karim Lopez, Morez Johnson
13) Welcome To Miami
The Heat could add a solid piece here at no.13. I like the Yaxel fit and the Hannes Steinbach fit as well. Or maybe this is where an elite high school recruit like Koa Peat or Nate Ament goes off the board.
Best Fits: Yaxel, Koa Peat, Nate Ament
14) The Hornets Are Buzzing
After a quarter century of remarkably consistent mediocrity the Charlotte Hornets finally have something fun going on. They have some core pieces in place and will look to add a complementary piece here at no.14. Do they swing for upside with a Nate Ament, Chris Cenac Jr. or Karim Lopez or look for a more win-now guy like Yaxel or Morez Johnson. I would love to see them add a beefy bully like Johnson to solidify the front line.
Best Fits: Morez Johnson, Chirs Cenac Jr., Karim Lopez
Go to: Picks 1-7
See where all these prospects land in my latest 2026 NBA Mock Draft