NBA

Along with teammate Brayden Burries, Peat helped lead Arizona to its first Final Four since 2001. In 36 games, the 6-foot-7 forward averaged 14.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 0.7 blocks, shooting 52.8 percent from the field and 62.3 percent from the foul line. Peat did most of his damage offensively in the paint, and he struggled with his shot at the NBA Draft Combine. That’s the area where he will need to improve, but the rebounding ability and motor will allow Peat to compete for minutes immediately. He’ll head about two hours north of where he played his college basketball, with the Arizona native’s draft rights being acquired by the Suns. How much help the Suns need in the frontcourt will depend partially on what happens with Mark Williams, who will be a restricted free agent. Peat is not a center, but his athleticism and rebounding ability will be key, especially if the Suns move on from Williams. This pick was part of a three-team deal, with Phoenix acquiring it from Dallas after Dallas acquired the draft rights of No. 25 pick Sergio De Larrea from the Knicks. New York, which moves out of the first round with the transaction, received three future second-round picks.

Karaban left college as one of the most accomplished players in the sport’s recent history, having won a school-record 126 games and two national titles while at UConn. The 6-foot-7, 225-pound forward helped lead the Huskies to their third national title game appearance in four years last season, averaging 13.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 0.8 steals, 0.8 blocks and 1.9 three-pointers per game. While not a jump-off-the-screen athlete, Karaban’s shooting ability and basketball IQ should serve him well in the NBA. Sacramento sent pick 34 and a future second-round pick to move up to 29 to add Karaban to the rotation. He may not provide much value for fantasy managers, but he should be a solid piece for the Kings.

After two seasons at Saint Mary’s, Jefferson transferred to Iowa State, where his career truly blossomed. A consensus All-American as a senior, he averaged 16.4 points, 7.4 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.6 steals, 0.8 blocks and 1.1 three-pointers while shooting 47.1 percent from the field and 70.0 percent from the foul line. The 6-foot-8 forward brings a high basketball IQ to the table, similar to that of another former Iowa State standout, Georges Niang, and his perimeter shot has steadily improved. While the Timberwolves drafted him, Jefferson will be headed to Brooklyn as part of the Julius Randle trade. With the Nets in a rebuild, the playmaking forward should get opportunities to contribute, even if he’s likely to come off the bench. Jefferson will likely be more valuable in dynasty leagues than redraft leagues next season.

There were some questions regarding Cenac’s motor before he entered college, and playing for Kelvin Sampson at Houston was an excellent way to address that. Making 36 starts in his lone college season, the 6-foot-11 forward/center averaged 9.5 points, 7.9 rebounds, 0.8 steals and 0.5 blocks in 24.8 minutes, shooting 48.5 percent from the field and 62.1 percent from the foul line. While his current athleticism and competitiveness as a rebounder and defender are why Cenac is a first-round pick, his long-term value will be determined by how much progress he can make offensively. Boston has decent depth at center, with Neemias Queta leading the group. Cenac will get time to develop in Boston, though he likely won’t play much of a role early on.

Reed played two seasons at Michigan before transferring to UConn for his final two, and he would emerge as one of the best post players in college basketball during the Huskies’ run to the 2026 title game. In 35 appearances, the 6-foot-10 center averaged 14.7 points, 9.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 0.9 steals and 2.0 blocks, shooting 60.7 percent from the field and 61.7 percent from the foul line. While he won’t offer much offensive production outside of the paint, Reed is a solid screen-setter who finishes well around the basket. He also offers reliable production as a rebounder and defender. While the Nuggets selected him, Reed will be headed to San Antonio. The Spurs did select Jayden Quaintance earlier in the first round, but he has some health concerns. Reed has the potential to earn consistent rotation minutes as a rookie. In exchange for this pick, Denver receives the No. 35 pick in the 2026 draft, a 2028 second via Minnesota and a 2031 second via Sacramento.

A native of Valladolid, Spain, the 6-foot-6 De Larrea helped lead Valencia to the Spanish Supercup this season. One of the top young international players in this draft class, he averaged 7.1 points, 2.0 rebounds and 2.9 assists in just over 14 minutes per game while shooting 45.0 percent from the field, 40.9 percent from three and 81.2 percent from the foul line. De Larrea’s combination of basketball IQ, size and shooting ability makes him one of the most intriguing prospects in this class. New York traded back from 24 to 25 and received cash considerations. De Larrea’s draft rights were eventually acquired by Phoenix, which sent them to Dallas in exchange for the draft rights to No. 30 overall pick Koa Peat. For the transactions, the Knicks received five second-round picks, two from Dallas and three from Phoenix. The question is whether De Larrea comes over immediately or spends another season in Spain, but his chances of playing in the NBA in 2026-27 have improved with the move to Dallas.

After appearing in just 18 games over the course of one-plus season at Tennessee, the 6-foot-5 Carr transferred to Baylor during the 2024-25 campaign. After playing well in the 2025 World University Games, he took another step forward in his lone season with the Bears. A third-team All-Big 12 selection, Carr averaged 18.9 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 0.9 steals, 1.3 blocks and 2.3 three-pointers per game, shooting 49.4 percent from the field, 37.4 percent from three and 80.1 percent from the foul line. A standout performance at the NBA Draft Combine helped Carr even more, essentially locking him into the middle of the first round. While the Knicks made the pick, he will be a Laker after Los Angeles moved up a spot in the draft order in exchange for cash considerations. With Dalton Knecht unable to earn consistent rotation minutes, Carr will have every opportunity to provide value as a rookie.

After one season at Kansas, Ejiofor spent the next three at St. John’s, breaking out during his junior campaign. The 6-foot-9 pivot was even better as a senior, averaging 16.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.2 steals and 2.1 blocks while shooting 53.6 percent from the field and 71.8 percent from the foul line. After being crowned the Big East’s Most Improved Player in 2024-25, Ejiofor won conference Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2025-26. His length, athleticism and motor are most evident on the defensive end of the floor, which gives Ejiofor a shot at making an immediate impact in the NBA. He’ll likely fill in as a rotational reserve in the frontcourt, which may not give him much of an opportunity to provide much for fantasy managers.

After a solid freshman campaign, Philon was one of the most productive guards in college basketball last season. Earning multiple All-America honors, he averaged 22.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.2 steals and 2.5 three-pointers, shooting 50.1 percent from the field and 79.8 percent from the foul line. While Philon needs to cut down on turnovers, he flourished in Nate Oats’ fast-paced system at Alabama. And he’s a more than capable shooter from beyond the arc, having shot 39.9 percent from deep as a sophomore. Philon played at an incredibly high pace at Alabama, which may serve him well at the NBA level. The 76ers add another perimeter playmaker who’s ready to compete immediately, and learning from Tyrese Maxey should benefit Philon.

The 6-foot-8 Lopez, who recorded solid numbers for the New Zealand Breakers last season, is the first native of Mexico to become a first-round pick in NBA Draft history. Last season, the 19-year-old averaged 11.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.0 blocks per game, and he was most effective offensively from 15 feet and in. However, Lopez has the potential to expand his offensive game and the size and athleticism to be a factor defensively. Memphis traded down twice from pick 16 but was still able to add a talented piece in López. He’ll provide value on both ends of the floor and should fit well next to Cameron Boozer, who the Grizzlies added with the 3rd pick.