The Complex Bets 2026 NBA Mock Draft 2.0

AJ Dybantsa, SF, BYU
There is still some mystery regarding the No. 1 overall pick as Washington could still opt to select Darryn Peterson here. At the end of the day though, the Wizards will likely select Dybantsa, who led the nation in scoring last season at 25.5 ppg.

Darryn Peterson, PG/SG, Kansas
There have been whispers that Danny and Austin Ainge are eyeing Cameron Boozer at No. 2, but that is likely just a smokescreen. This has long been a Draft with two clear top players—Dybantsa and Peterson. It’s unlikely the Jazz pass one of the two.

Cameron Boozer, PF/C, Duke
Boozer has elite competitiveness as he willed Duke to many a victory in his only season in Durham. He averaged 22.5 points and 10.5 boards this past season with the Blue Devils. Boozer would give the Grizzlies some of that old grit-and-grind flavor.

Caleb Wilson, PF/C, North Carolina
Wilson should make plenty of 2026-27 NBA highlight reels as his athleticism jumps off the page, and he has zero fear when going to the basket. He is 6-foot-10 and can guard multiple positions. Wilson’s draft stock skyrocketed in the pre-draft process.

Keaton Wagler, G, Illinois
Wagler was exceptional in his only season in Champaign as he helped lead the Illini to the Final Four. The 6-foot-6 guard has drawn comparisons to the Pacers’ Tyrese Haliburton. Ironically, the Clippers received this pick from the Pacers in the Ivica Zubac trade at the deadline.

Darius Acuff Jr, PG, Arkansas
Acuff Jr. might be getting lost in the shuffle in a Draft that features so many strong guards. He is a strong scorer at 6-foot-3 and is excellent in transition. The Arkansas product is NBA-ready and could boost the Nets’ lineup immediately.

Mikel Brown Jr, G, Louisville
Brown is a smooth shooter, having averaged 18.2 points per game as a freshman at Louisville. He is a high-IQ defensive player, and can heat up in a hurry. The guard hit 10 3-pointers in a game against NC State this past February.

Kingston Flemings, G, Houston
Flemings led the Cougars in scoring this past season, but he struggled at times in some of Houston’s bigger games. He averaged just 12.7 ppg in three NCAA Tournament games, and scored just 8 points in a Big 12 Tournament Final loss to Arizona. Flemings’ athleticism is unquestioned, however, and he is a superb playmaker. The Hawks received this pick from the New Orleans Pelicans.

Brayden Burries, G, Arizona
Burries is being labeled as the “safest” pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, as he is NBA-ready. The trade-off, of course, is that his ceiling isn’t that high. Burries has a terrific mid-range game, and he averaged 16.1 ppg last season for the Wildcats. He would fit in nicely with Cooper Flagg in Big D.

Nate Ament, F, Tennessee
Ament is one of the more raw prospects in the 2026 NBA Draft. He is 6-foot-10 but definitely needs to add some muscle to compete with the NBA’s big boys. It will take a few years for Ament to adjust to the NBA level, but he has an extremely high ceiling.

Aday Mara, C, Michigan
Mara is a tantalizing player, standing at 7-foot-3. He has rare passing ability for a player his size and a soft touch around the rim. The concern with Mara is that he could get pushed around at the NBA level, as he needs to add some muscle to his frame.

Hannes Steinbach, F/C, Washington
Steinbach has “Heat Culture” written all over him as he is arguably the most physical player in this draft. The German big man led the nation in rebounding last season while at Washington, pulling down 11.8 boards per game.

Karim Lopez, SF/PF, New Zealand Breakers
Lopez profiles as a player similar to Franz Wagner, in terms of size and game. The Hermosilo, Sonora, Mexico native set the single-season scoring record for draft-eligible NBL Next Stars with 358 points in 30 starts. At 19-years-old, he would be a nice foundational piece to pair with Kon Knueppel.

Cameron Carr, G, Baylor
The Bulls have two first round picks and will likely be rolling the dice on players that offer the most upside. Carr has eye-popping athleticism and is often compared to former Bulls star Zach LaVine. The cupboard is mostly bare in Chicago, so it will be interesting to see what new executive Bryson Graham prioritizes with a clean slate.

Yaxel Lendeborg, F, Michigan
Lendeborg led the way for the Wolverines as Michigan steamrolled the NCAA Tournament field this past March and April. At 6-foot-9, Lendeborg’s best quality is his versatility as he can play inside and outside. He is a smart player with outstanding defensive anticipation.

Chris Cenac Jr., PF/C, Houston
Cenac Jr. is extremely agile for his size as he moves tremendously well for a player standing 6-foot-10. He was a rebounding machine for the Cougars in the NCAA Tournament as he had 18 boards in a first round game against Idaho, and had 10 rebounds in a Sweet 16 game against Illinois.

Christian Anderson, PG, Texas Tech
Anderson would give the Hornets some great backcourt depth. He is excellent at controlling the pace of the game and thrives in the pick-and-roll. The German-American guard averaged 18.5 points and 7.4 assists this past season for Texas Tech.

Bennett Stirtz, PG, Iowa
Like Christian Anderson, Stirtz is tremendous at controlling the pace of the game. Stirtz worked out for the Raptors in the Draft process and Toronto is in need of a more traditional point guard. The worry with Stirtz is that he might just not be athletic enough to play big minutes at the NBA level.

Allen Graves, F, Santa Clara
The Spurs shot just 33.9 percent from 3-point range in their NBA Finals loss to the Knicks. Graves could certainly help San Antonio in that department as he shot 41.3 percent from 3 last season at Santa Clara. He also posted 67 steals, which was tied for the most among NCAA Div. 1 freshmen.

Dailyn Swain, F, Texas
The Pistons brought in Swain for a pre-draft workout late last week, according to Hunter Patterson of The Athletic. Swain is a prototypical modern-day NBA wing and he averaged 17.3 points per game last season at Texas with All-SEC honors.

Koa Peat, F, Arizona
Philly loves players that aren’t afraid to get their nose dirty, and Peat certainly fits that description. In his lone season at Arizona, the 6-foot-7, 245-pound beast averaged 14.1 points and 5.6 rebounds. There is a concern with his free throw shooting as he shot just 62.3 percent from the charity stripe while at Arizona.

Jayden Quaintance, F, Kentucky
Quaintance is a boom-or-bust prospect as he is still undeveloped offensively. He also has injury concerns as he tore his right ACL and meniscus in February 2025 at Arizona State. He transferred to Kentucky for his final collegiate season, and played in just four games. Still, Quaintance runs the floor extremely well for a big man and he could prove to be an elite defender.

Zuby Ejiofor, F/C, St. John’s
As if the Knicks couldn’t be more loved in the city right now, drafting the man who had a huge hand in St. John’s rising from the ashes of college basketball would be poetic. Ejiofor’s defensive intensity and high-energy would fit perfectly with the tough-as-nails Knicks.

Labaron Philon Jr, G, Alabama
Philon Jr has some herky-jerky dribble-drive moves that have drawn comparisons to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The 6-foot-4 guard out of Alabama can play both guard spots and he ranked 11th in the country in scoring at 22.0 points per game in 2025-26.

Henri Veesaar, F/C, North Carolina
Veesaar is often compared to Nikola Vucevic as he is well-polished offensively and thrives in the pick-and-pop game. The downside with Veesaar is his defense and rebounding as he lacks physicality. The 7-foot Veesaar averaged 17.0 points per game last season at UNC.

Tarris Reed Jr, F/C, UConn
Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens has cited the need for the Celtics to get more baskets at the rim this coming season. Reed Jr. can certainly help in that department as he averaged 19.5 ppg in UConn’s March Madness run to the NCAA title game.

Sergio De Larrea, G, Spain
De Larrea is a 6-foot-6 guard who reads the floor extremely well and is a consistent playmaker. Finding a playmaker to place next to Anthony Edwards is a definite want this summer for Minnesota president of basketball operations Tim Connelly.

Alex Karaban, F, UConn
The Cavs need role players that can knock down a 3 in a big spot. Karaban is one of the winningest players in collegiate basketball history, having won a pair of National Championships at UConn, and can knock down the 3 at 6-foot-8.

Ebuka Okorie, G, Stanford
Okorie spent just one year in college, but he certainly made a name for himself as the 23.2 points per game he scored ranked eighth in the country. No guard prospect in the Draft had more attempts at the rim (250) last season than Okorie. He is extremely creative around the basket and he rarely turns the ball over.