After initially entering his name into the draft with an open mind toward returning to Michigan for another season, Johnson shot up draft boards throughout the spring. And his defensive ability is a big reason why. During his lone season in Ann Arbor, the 6-foot-9, 250-pound forward/center averaged 13.1 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 0.7 steals and 1.1 blocks while shooting 62.3 percent from the field and 78.2 percent from the foul line. Johnson can be used at either the four or the five, with the latter role coming as part of a smaller lineup. Dallas hired Dusty May as their next head coach, and May just won a national championship with Johnson at Michigan. The two will reconnect and look to build a strong frontcourt alongside Cooper Flagg.

The 6-foot-3, 183-pound Flemings was one of the best players in college basketball, earning consensus All-America honors during his lone season at Houston. In 37 games, he averaged 16.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.1 three-pointers, shooting 47.6 percent from the field, 38.7 percent from three and 84.5 percent from the foul line. Boasting the size, athleticism and instincts needed to defend his position, Flemings can also score on all three levels, but there is still room for growth on that end of the floor. He joins a perimeter rotation led by Nickeil Alexander-Walker and CJ McCollum, so Flemings will have some good players to learn from as he begins his NBA journey. Atlanta’s need for additional playmaking on the perimeter gives him a shot at achieving fantasy relevance as a rookie.

Acuff’s lone season at Arkansas was an outstanding one, especially once postseason play began. The SEC Player of the Year, Acuff led the Razorbacks to an SEC tournament title and a trip to the Sweet 16. A consensus first-team All-American, he averaged 23.5 points, 3.1 rebounds, 6.4 assists, 0.8 steals and 2.5 three-pointers per game, shooting 48.4 percent from the field, 44.0 percent from three and 80.9 percent from the foul line. Acuff is an uber-talented offensive player that should have the keys to the team from day one. There is plenty of potential for him to post some gaudy counting stats as a rookie, though he may face some of the efficiency issues that many rookie guards deal with.

Despite playing in 21 games, Brown earned third-team All-ACC honors after his lone season at Louisville. A back injury led to him missing a total of 14 games; eight in December/January, and the final six after the issue flared up in late February. The 6-foot-5 Brown, who is one of the most gifted offensive talents in this draft class, averaged 18.2 points, 3.3 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 1.2 steals and 2.6 three-pointers. To flourish at the next level, Brown will need to become more efficient as a scorer and playmaker, as evidenced by his shooting 41.0 percent from the field and committing 3.1 turnovers per game. While the Nets did use three of their five first-round picks in the 2025 draft on guards, none truly separated themselves from the pack. As a result, Brown should have every opportunity to take the reins as the franchise’s starting point guard of the future. The preseason battle between him, Egor Dëmin, Nolan Traoré and Ben Saraf will be one for fantasy managers to watch, especially if Brown remains healthy.

Wagler came off the bench to begin his freshman season, but things changed when Illinois lost Kylan Boswell to a broken hand. In addition to moving into the starting five, the 6-foot-5 Wagler had the ball in his hands more, and he took full advantage. Averaging 17.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 0.9 steals and 2.4 three-pointers, Wagler shot 44.5 percent from the field, 39.7 percent from three and 79.6 percent from the foul line. Wagler can both score and facilitate, and he has the length needed to affect passing lanes defensively. The Clippers’ acquired this pick from the Pacers in the Ivica Zubac trade, and the gamble paid off. Wagler should start alongside Darius Garland in the backcourt, where he’ll see plenty of reps both on and off the ball. Worst case scenario, he plays a large reserve role as Garland’s backup in year one, though he should be a big part of this franchise’s future.

A late-season injury led to Wilson appearing in 24 games last season, but that did nothing to dissuade draft analysts from placing him among the top players in this draft class. Wilson averaged 19.8 points, 9.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.4 blocks, shooting 57.8 percent from the field and 71.3 percent from the foul line. He doesn’t bring much to the table as a three-point shooter; that’s an area where Wilson will need to improve to unlock his full potential. With the Wilson selection, the Bulls have taken another step toward rebuilding their frontcourt. The rookie will join Matas Buzelis and Nic Claxton, with the latter arriving via trade. With Josh Giddey running the show, Wilson’s athleticism and ability to run the floor should pay dividends early on as the Bulls rebuild.

Boozer is one of the top prospects in the draft class, regardless of position. While he offers a high floor, that may be selling his long-term ceiling short. A consensus All-American, the 6-foot-8 forward averaged 22.5 points, 10.1 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.4 three-pointers in 33.4 minutes at Duke, shooting 55.6 percent from the field, 39.1 percent from three and 78.9 percent from the foul line. Boozer’s physicality and work ethic make him a good choice for any franchise looking to reset its roster. He should slot in as the starting power forward for Memphis after they traded Jaren Jackson Jr. to Utah at the trade deadline. Boozer should fit in well alongside Zach Edey in the starting unit and become the franchise cornerstone for the Grizzlies.

Due to health issues throughout the season, Peterson had some questions to answer during the pre-draft prospects. However, whatever concerns there may be, the former Kansas guard is still viewed as one of the best players in this class, regardless of position. In 24 appearances, Peterson averaged 20.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.4 steals and 2.6 three-pointers, shooting 43.8 percent from the field and 82.6 percent from the field. Where he needs to improve is setting up others, as Peterson finished the year with 38 assists and 38 turnovers. Even with Keyonte George coming off the best season of his NBA career and Isaiah Collier providing depth off the bench, Peterson’s scoring ability will get him plenty of opportunities to contribute immediately in Utah.

Dybantsa entered the 2025-26 season as one of the top prospects in this draft class, and his lone season at BYU did no harm to that status. The 6-foot-9 wing averaged 25.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.4 three-pointers last season, earning consensus first-team All-America honors. Dybantsa shot 51.0 percent from the field, 33.1 percent from three and 77.4 percent from the foul line. An excellent athlete who can score on all three levels and provide some playmaking, Dybantsa needs to become a more consistent three-point shooter. That said, he projects to be a franchise cornerstone for years to come. He’ll join a core in Washington that features young studs Alex Sarr, Tre Johnson and Kyshawn George, as well as veteran stars Trae Young and Anthony Davis. Dybantsa should start from day one and be a strong scoring option.

The news was first reported by ESPN’s Shams Charania. Nori, 52, has been an NBA assistant coach since 2009 and most recently has been the lead assistant for Chris Finch and the Timberwolves since 2021. He and Finch were assistants together under Mike Malone in Denver, helping build an offense around Nikola Jokic that eventually led to a championship. Nori will be the 17th head coach in Trail Blazers franchise history. Portland was 42-40 last season and lost to the Spurs in five games in the first round of the playoffs.