2026 NBA Draft: Major Trades and Player Moves

5 days ago 0

The 2026 NBA Draft unfolded over two eventful nights, featuring numerous trades. These transactions took place even before the first pick was announced, extending to the final player selected. The initial stages on Tuesday night were calm, with teams holding onto their picks for at least the first 12 spots. The trading activity picked up from the 13th pick onward, heavily influenced by a major deal involving Giannis Antetokounmpo. Nine trades encompassing 10 players occurred during the last 18 first-round selections.

Wednesday night saw an even more complex trading scenario. Draft rights for 17 players exchanged hands, and multiple picks were traded more than once. These moves will become official on July 6.

A detailed look at the players picked and traded during this draft:

Round 1

No. 13: Forward Nate Ament initially went to Miami, but his rights were swiftly transferred to Milwaukee.
No. 16: Guard Bennett Stirtz was picked by Memphis; Oklahoma City acquired his rights in exchange for No. 17 and two second-round picks.
No. 17: Guard Ebuka Okorie’s slot from Oklahoma City was sent to Memphis in exchange for Stirtz’s rights.
No. 21: Forward Karim Lopez was named to Detroit, yet his rights were sent to Memphis with three first-round selections for Okorie’s rights.
No. 24: Guard Cameron Carr’s rights moved from the New York Knicks to the Los Angeles Lakers.
No. 25: Forward Sergio De Larrea was picked by the Lakers; his rights went to the Knicks and later traded to Dallas.
No. 26: Center Tarris Reed Jr. saw his rights shifted from Denver to San Antonio.
No. 28: Forward Joshua Jefferson’s rights moved from Minnesota to Brooklyn amid the Julius Randle trade, allowing the Nets to move up five spots.
No. 29: Forward Alex Karaban’s rights transferred from Cleveland to Sacramento after Cleveland moved back to No. 34.
No. 30: Forward Koa Peat’s rights were traded from the Knicks, who departed the first round, sending Dallas’s pick to Phoenix along with rights to another player.

Round 2

No. 31: Guard Bruce Thornton’s rights and No. 55 traded from the Knicks to Houston, moving back to No. 39, with Houston gaining No. 53 and a future second-round pick.
No. 33: Guard Isaiah Evans, Minnesota acquired this pick in the Randle trade with Brooklyn.
No. 34: Guard Meleek Thomas’s rights moved from Sacramento to Cleveland as part of Tuesday’s pick exchange.
No. 35: Forward Trevon Brazile’s rights were swapped by the Spurs to Denver amid the trade involving the 26th pick overall.
No. 37: Guard Ryan Conwell was selected by Oklahoma City and his rights quickly traded to Miami.
No. 38: Guard Braden Smith, initially selected by Chicago, had his rights traded to Indiana.
No. 39: Guard Jack Kayil’s rights moved from Houston to the Knicks amid the exchange that saw Houston move higher to No. 31.
No. 41: Guard Otega Oweh’s rights went from Miami to Oklahoma City for Conwell’s rights.
No. 46: Forward Felix Okpara’s rights were secured by Orlando and later sent to Washington.
No. 47: Forward Tyler Nickel’s slot was part of the Phoenix-Knicks deal involving rights to Peat.
No. 51: Forward Izaiyah Nelson’s rights and the No. 60 pick moved from Washington to Orlando in exchange for Okpara’s rights.
No. 52: Center Henri Veesaar’s rights were traded from the Los Angeles Clippers to Atlanta, with Atlanta moving five spots up.
No. 53: Center Ugonna Onyenso, second pick in this round acquired by the Knicks from Houston.
No. 55: Forward Nick Martinelli’s rights transferred from Houston to the Clippers after initial announcements of swapping.
No. 56: Guard Vsevolod Ishchenko’s selection proceeded from Chicago to the Los Angeles Lakers, later shifted to Dallas.
No. 57: Forward Narcisse Ngoy’s rights transferred from Atlanta to the Clippers as part of the Veesaar rights deal.
No. 60: Forward Malique Lewis was acquired by Milwaukee in a deal from Orlando following the Magic’s acquisition during the Okpara trade.