NBA Draft winners and losers: Grizzlies excel with picks and trade
NBA Draft winners and losers: Grizzlies excel with picks and trade
Lorenzo Reyes, USA TODAYThu, June 25, 2026 at 4:30 AM UTC
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That's a wrap on the 2026 NBA Draft.
With the second round completed Wednesday, June 24, teams can now sit back and assess the additions they've made, the trades they've executed and get to work on figuring out how to incorporate these young players.
The Summer League will be a good indication on the quality of these picks, but this was widely regarded as a deep and talent-laden draft, so there should be plenty of optimism around the league.
That's also why, if teams didn't quite execute their vision, or if they were caught off guard by how the board settled, it could be costly.
Here are the winners and losers from the 2026 NBA Draft:
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WINNERSMemphis Grizzlies
The Grizzlies, who may be looking to offload Ja Morant and fully commit to a youth movement, aced this draft. They found balance. Memphis got arguably the most polished hooper in the draft at No. 3 in Cameron Boozer, the consensus national college basketball player of the year who should shine from Day One. But the Grizzlies also nabbed a promising project in Karim López who is only 19 but has years of pro experience in the National Basketball League in Australia.
The masterstroke was the trade for former Pistons forward Isaiah Stewart at incredibly low value simply because Memphis took the salary off of Detroit's books. Stewart is a physical defender who sets the tone, something the young Grizzlies will need moving forward.
Chicago Bulls
It always helps when you shoot up the lottery, but the Bulls rose to the occasion. Chicago did trade out of both its second-round picks, but Caleb Wilson at No. 4 and Dailyn Swain at No. 15 are excellent fits for new Bulls coach Tiago Splitter.
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Wilson is a touch raw and will need to add bulk to his frame, but he boasts excellent size and length, he's extremely athletic and plays with physicality. Swain can get to the cup, though he needs to refine his jumper. Splitter likes for his teams to run up the floor and read opposing defenses while attacking the paint. Both Wilson and Swain fit that perfectly.
Miami Heat
No, they didn't have a first-round pick, but the No. 13 selection they had held was the centerpiece of the deal that shipped two-time Most Valuable Player Giannis Antetokounmpo to Bayside. The Heat, however, hollowed out their roster to acquire Antetokounmpo, so they needed to maximize their return on their second rounder.
Sensing that, the Heat aggressively moved up four spots from No. 41 to take an NBA-ready guard, Ryan Conwell, who fits Miami perfectly. He was a senior and has experience (which the Heat love), he's a dynamic athlete, he's a plus defender and he helps solve a glaring roster issue: shooting. Last season at Louisville, Conwell converted 112-of-325 (34.5%) shots from 3-point range and posted eight games in which he drained at least five 3-pointers.
Guard Ryan Conwell celebrates after hitting a 3-pointer for Louisville during a game against N.C. State during a game on Feb. 9, 2026.LOSERSIndiana Pacers
Some of this was out of their control and goes back to the draft lottery, when the Pacers had to see their No. 5 pick conveyed to the Los Angeles Clippers as part of the Ivica Zubac trade. Assuming Tyrese Haliburton (Achilles) can return to full health, the Pacers will have a solid roster.
But missing out on a high lottery pick will sting, and it will put pressure on Zubac to ensure it was worth it. Indiana's lone selection was in-state fan favorite Braden Smith from Purdue, and the Pacers had to trade into pick No. 38 to get him.
New York Knicks
Yes, they are fresh off of their first NBA title in 53 seasons, and yes they already have a complete and balanced roster, but New York took a calculated risk to defer. Essentially, the Knicks do not want to go over the second apron, so by trading out of their selections — the Knicks did so six times in both rounds — they were able to save a little bit of cap space. New York also stashed away a bunch of future second-round selections.
But this was a generationally deep draft, one that could've injected even more talent into their roster. It could go down as something of a missed opportunity, especially since it will be tough for them to re-sign both Mitchell Robinson and Landry Shamet.
Dallas Mavericks
This was an odd draft for the Mavericks, who have undergone some significant changes over the last month-and-a-half. Masai Ujiri is now in charge of the operation, and he deserves the benefit of the doubt, given his track record. Dusty May is making the jump from the NCAA champion Michigan Wolverines to new Mavericks head coach.
Morez Johnson Jr. is a fine player and more of a defensive presence, but taking him at No. 9 — even though he played under May at Michigan — is a bit of a premium. Sergio de Larea at No. 25 is more of a project, and Tobi Lawal at No. 48 is a flyer on an uber-athletic wing. It's hard to see any of them making a significant impact on a roster that needs help now.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who won, lost NBA draft? Grizzlies excel, Knicks at risk with trades
Source: “AOL Sports”
