The first round of the 2026 NBA Draft is finished, and it was surprisingly more subdued. Unlike other years where there were more reaches and draft slides, this draft played out more or less by the books. Perhaps that’s a reflection of the depth of this year’s draft, with high-level prospects being selected even outside of the lottery.
Even with all that assumed parity, though, some teams ended up being better after the 2026 NBA Draft. There were also a few players that benefitted from this year’s draft. Let’s look at the biggest winners of the 2026 NBA Draft
Wizards, AJ Dybantsa are a match made in heaven
The Washington Wizards won the NBA Draft the moment they won the Draft Lottery a few months ago. The moribund franchise has had a rough few years in the league. This year, though, they were blessed to have first dibs in what is largely considered the most stacked draft in years.
The great thing about the Wizards picking Dybantsa is that both parties will benefit from this decision. The worst thing for a rookie is to be handed the reins of an NBA offense without having the proper help around him. Dybantsa did display some solid passing chops last season, but he’s far from becoming the focal point of an NBA offense. With the Wizards, though, Dybantsa will be able to focus on scoring, as he’s paired with Trae Young. Dybantsa can work on his playmaking behind the scenes while not having a ton of pressure on the court during the regular season.
The Wizards also have been looking for that consistent scorer that’s eluded them in years past. After Russell Westbrook’s brief stint, Washington hasn’t found a player who can also score buckets on his own. It’s a big reason why they ranked 25th in scoring last year. Snagging arguably the best scorer in this year’s NBA Draft is a big boon for Washington. With Young, Dybantsa, and Anthony Davis, the Wizards are now a sneaky contender in the Eastern Conference.
Warriors, Thunder benefit from Mavericks’ surprising choice
We didn’t say there weren’t ANY surprises in this draft, didn’t we? One of the few shockers in the 2026 Draft was the Dallas Mavericks’ decision to draft Morez Johnson Jr. with the eighth pick in this year’s draft. The reason this was surprising, mind you, is because there were at least three other big men who were rated higher still available: Adem Mara, Nate Ament, and Yaxel Lendenborg.
There were two teams, in particular, who were looking to get big men who absolutely loved this decision from the Mavs: the Golden State Warriors and the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Warriors have long been looking for a proper big man to complement their aging core. Here, they were gifted a freebie: their choice between Mara and Lendenborg. It took a lot of time (and some disagreements, it seems), but the Warriors got Lendenborg, a springy forward who can do it all in Golden State’s Stephen Curry-centric system.
Meanwhile, the Thunder got yet another big man they can throw at Victor Wembanyama in Mara. A 7’4 behemoth, the Spanish center has elite defensive fundamentals and is also a great post passer. His offensive game remains to be seen, but considering Isaiah Hartenstein’s imminent departure in the next year or so, OKC was able to prepare for that possibility.
Bulls’ rebuild gets a great jumpstart
The Bulls have been one of those teams that are seemingly in a perpetual rebuild. They’ve had some flashes here and there, but they haven’t been able to get out of the purgatory for a long, LONG time. In this year’s NBA draft, though, Chicago might have finally gotten the players they need to escape this hell.
In a draft as deep as this year’s, getting the fourth overall pick is a completely acceptable consolation prize after missing out of the first overall pick. Chicago gets a premier defensive specialist in Caleb Wilson, who’s versatility on that side of the ball should help stabilize the team. There are concerns over his offensive output, which could hurt his value in the future, but you can never go wrong with a defensive player who’s shown flashes of improvement from deep.
To complement Wilson, though, the Bulls did get themselves a high-scoring guard later in the draft. Dailyn Swain has steadily improved in college and has become a solid offensive threat. If both players pan out, the Bulls get a nasty 1-2 pairing that will help them get out of this rut they’ve been stuck in for years.
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