2026 NBA Draft Highlights: Trades and Player Selections

The 2026 NBA draft unfolded over two rounds and two nights, marked by a series of trades that began before the draft even commenced. Teams initially chose players without trading them during the first 12 spots, but the activity intensified thereafter.

Round 1 Trades

The trades began with the selection of

F Nate Ament, initially picked by Miami with rights transferred to Milwaukee for No. 13.

G Bennett Stirtz was picked by Memphis, but his rights moved to Oklahoma City in exchange for No. 17 and two second-round picks.

G Ebuka Okorie was originally slated for Oklahoma City but sent to Memphis for Stirtz’s rights.

F Karim Lopez‘s rights went from Detroit to Memphis, along with three first-round picks for Okorie’s rights.

G Cameron Carr was picked by the New York Knicks with his rights soon traded to the Los Angeles Lakers.

F Sergio De Larrea moved from the Lakers to the Knicks, then his rights were traded to Dallas.

C Tarris Reed Jr. was a Denver selection traded to San Antonio.

F Joshua Jefferson had his Minnesota slot traded to Brooklyn in the Julius Randle deal.

F Alex Karaban was initially chosen by Cleveland, who then moved back to No. 34, sending Karaban’s rights to Sacramento.

F Koa Peat was involved in a deal that saw the Knicks exit the first round, sending his rights from Dallas to Phoenix.

Round 2 Trades

Wednesday night proved complex with

G Bruce Thornton‘s pick traded by the Knicks to Houston, allowing the move to No. 39 and acquiring a draft pick for 2029.

G Isaiah Evans was chosen by Minnesota as part of the trade that relocated Julius Randle to Brooklyn.

G Meleek Thomas got transferred by Sacramento to Cleveland.

F Trevon Brazile‘s Spurs slot went to Denver linked with the 26th pick overall.

G Ryan Conwell, originally picked by Oklahoma City, sent his rights to Miami.

G Braden Smith was chosen by Chicago and later traded to Indiana.

G Jack Kayil was acquired by the Knicks in a multi-pick deal with Houston.

G Otega Oweh from Miami swapped his rights to Oklahoma City for Conwell’s.

F Felix Okpara was picked by Orlando and sent his rights to Washington.

F Tyler Nickel‘s Phoenix pick was part of the deal for Peat’s rights from the Knicks.

F Izaiyah Nelson from Washington sent his rights and No. 60 to Orlando for Okpara’s rights.

C Henri Veesaar had his rights moved from the Los Angeles Clippers to Atlanta.

C Ugonna Onyenso was the Knicks’ acquisition from Houston.

F Nick Martinelli from Houston was sent to the Clippers, transferred to the Knicks in a prior swap.

G Vsevolod Ishchenko was originally picked by Chicago then traded from the Lakers to Dallas.

F Narcisse Ngoy‘s Atlanta rights were part of the deal for Veesaar’s rights.

F Malique Lewis came to Milwaukee from a deal with Orlando.

The official status of these trades will be confirmed on July 6.

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