The early returns on the 2026 NBA Draft are overwhelmingly positive, and that can't come as a surprise given the amount of hype surrounding this class. We have multiple rookies in line for historic production and others continuing to pop in more limited roles.
Let's grade all 14 lottery picks to date. We will account for role, expectations and situation, so we are grading on a bit of a curve. It's not all about sheer productivity at this stage either: How strong is a player's foundation? What has been proven or disproven about the pre-draft narrative around him? These are the questions worth asking.
14. Hannes Steinbach, Charlotte Hornets
Grade: Incomplete
Hannes Steinbach is buried in a deep Charlotte Hornets frontcourt, which is what it is. Even for rookies as polished and physically mature as Steinbach, it can be hard to carve out minutes early in the season. Steinbach has a combined eight points and seven rebounds in 23 minutes; he's 4-for-4 at the rim. I am bullish on Steinbach as a guy who can help the Hornets, but we're waiting on the window of opportunity to crack open.
13. Nate Ament, Milwaukee Bucks
Grade: B
Nate Ament was easily my least favorite pick in the lottery. He struggled to penetrate and finish effectively at the rim with Tennessee, and he lacks in functional strength and burst. Then again, it was never hard to understand the appeal of a 6-foot-9 wing who can shoot, handle and defend like Ament. The Milwaukee Bucks are operating with a lot of patience right now. Ament is mostly rewarding that.
He's averaging 7.2 points and 2.3 rebounds in 14.8 minutes, on 53.4 percent true shooting. Ament has made 6-of-15 attempts from deep (40 percent), a promising sign. He still struggles to get downhill with control and composure. Ament is a bit of a foul magnet on defense, too, which is a product of his rail-thin frame. There will be sharp growing pains, but as long as the Bucks keep the faith and let Ament play through the ups and downs, there's reason to believe he can blossom into a productive, versatile contributor on the wing.
12. Aday Mara, Oklahoma City Thunder
Grade: B+
The Oklahoma City Thunder's depth was tanked in a one-week span, with Jalen Williams, Cason Wallace and Chet Holmgren all sidelined for the foreseeable future. That has forced OKC to get creative; Aday Mara made his first career start on Wednesday next to Isaiah Hartenstein. Mara will spend more minutes in funky double-big lineups with Holmgren out. The Thunder just don't have the wing depth right now, and their backcourt has broadly underperformed (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander notwithstanding).
To his credit, Mara has proven quite impactful in his role. He's a dominant rim protector and rebounder, which were the main selling points coming out of Michigan. His slick outlet passes are a thing of beauty, too. As OKC navigates an oversaturated cap sheet in the years to come, Mara has positioned himself as the logical successor to Hartenstein's role. He needs to cut down on turnovers and operate a fit more forcefully at the rim, but it's already wildly impressive to see the flashes of skill development — plus he's running the court like a gazelle, a resounding rebuttal to those skeptical of his pre-draft conditioning.
11. Golden State Warriors
Grade: A+
The track record for 24-year-old rookies ain't great, but the Golden State Warriors rightly viewed him as an immediate contributor. The extent to which Lendeborg has contributed, however, is quite the surprise. Even the most optimistic pre-draft fans — and there were plenty of smart folks on the Lendeborg top-five train — couldn't have predicted 31 and 37-point outbursts in his first eight games. Lendeborg is averaging 21.5 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.9 assists on .500/.400/.769 splits. He looks like an All-Star off the rip.
There are nitpicks to be had; Steve Kerr rightly pointed out Lendeborg's spacey off-ball defense, and he's up to 27 turnovers with his 31 assists. That said, Lendeborg is such a varied scorer and playmaker already, and he's consistently handling priority matchups on defense. A wing with his skill level and versatility is ever-valuable in the modern NBA. Lendeborg has meaningfully changed the outlook for Golden State this season. Suddenly it feels like there's a reason to push a few chips in and try to contend.
10. Brayden Burries, Milwaukee Bucks
Grade: A-
Milwaukee must eventually concede to its youth movement and fully unleash its rookies. Ament's limited exposure is at least understandable, but Brayden Burries should be playing far more than 17.9 minutes per game. He has started the last two games for the Bucks, which is a step in the right direction. Burries' 3s aren't falling, but he's contributing in other important ways: rebounding, foul-drawing, ball security, defense.
Burries was the most impressive rookie in Summer League and preseason. That does not always translate to actual games, but he has made an impression with his comfort level and physicality. He looks like he belongs, which is an underrated but critical step for any rookie. He's crafty enough to use his stout frame to absorb contact and negate defenders on drives to the rim. He can handle tough defensive assignments and he crashes the glass with a purpose. The more minutes he receives, the more Milwaukee will benefit.
9. Morez Johnson Jr., Dallas Mavericks
Grade: C
Morez Johnson Jr.'s pre-established relationship with Dusty May certainly helps, and the Dallas Mavericks as a whole look more connected and intentional on both ends than a lot of teams around the league. That said, the early returns on Johnson — a slight surprise at No. 9, although most draft experts did forecast his ascent — are mostly meh.
Johnson hasn't really moved the needle on defense. There are fun flashes of his versatility and his brute force, but he's not providing an edge on the glass and there have been moments where he's caught out of rotation. Offensively, Johnson's 3-point shot has not translated yet. It's still early, and he does other helpful things on that end, but Dallas would love to get his shot going with so much frontcourt talent on the roster and spacing around Cooper Flagg at a premium.
8. Kingston Flemings, Atlanta Hawks
Grade: B+
Kingston Flemings will need to fight for reps this season, but he's off to a strong start for the Atlanta Hawks, averaging 8.0 points and 4.5 assists on 59.2 percent true shooting in 20.8 minutes. There are some standard rookie guard woes — an elevated turnover rate chief among them — but the positives far outweigh the negatives.
Part of the reason behind Flemings' turnovers (23.4 TOV%) is that he's distributing at an extremely high volume, despite not commanding a huge portion of the offense. He's playing with his head up, eager to penetrate, collapse the defense and locate teammates. He's scoring at a 79 percent clip at the rim, quelling one of the more significant fears around his game coming out of Houston. Flemings has also applied his unique athleticism to maximum effect as a rebounder and defender. He's all over the place, making every small effort he can. It's clear Flemings has a spot in the Hawks rotation, especially if he keeps hitting 40-plus percent of his 3s.
7. Darius Acuff Jr., Sacramento Kings
Grade: A-
Darius Acuff Jr. is easily in the most unique position among rookies in this class. He is currently second in the NBA in shot attempts per game (23.6), with a sky-high 33.6 percent usage rate. Acuff is averaging 25.6 points and 7.0 assists — preposterous numbers for a rookie in his first couple weeks — but he's shooting only 39.7 percent from the field and 30.8 percent from deep.
There is a clear, concerted effort to let Acuff run the show for the Sacramento Kings, which is smart. He could do more to get off the ball and promote movement — something Domantas Sabonis has quibbled about openly — but regardless of the shooting splits, it's impressive how comfortable and confident Acuff looks getting to his spots and shouldering the primary load. He's not turning the ball over like you'd expect from a teenage point guard with so much responsbility. The defense is a mess and Acuff will need to vary his approach eventually, but the seeds of a future All-Star point guard are already beginning to sprout.
6. Mikel Brown Jr., Brooklyn Nets
Grade: B-
Mikel Brown Jr. started the season on a minutes restriction, but he has gradually worked his way into a more involved role offensively, even if the Brooklyn Nets can get a bit sidetracked by "The Julius Randle and Michael Porter Jr. Show." Brown still has not found his shot — he's shooting 33.6 percent from the field and 29.7 percent from deep. That will need to change, of course. And it will. In the meantime, Brown has still found ways to make a positive early impression for the Nets.
It's not uncommon for rookies, especially rookie point guards, to struggle with scoring efficiency. Brown has made up ground with his playmaking. He keeps the ball on a string; he can already manipulate the defense and exploit the subsequent breakdowns with his incredible vision and creativity as a passer. He's crashing the defensive glass and kickstarting transition offense. When the shot does start falling — and Brown can heat up quickly — folks will pay attention.
5. Keaton Wagler, LA Clippers
Grade: B
The rub on Keaton Wagler coming out of Illinois was that he can't really finish at the rim. That has proven true, but he deserves credit for relentlessly attacking all the same, which forces the defense into compromised positions. He has been fouled on 18.9 percent of his shot attempts, in the NBA's 100th percentile. One of the key star indicators nowadays is a player's ability to get to the free-throw line.
Wagler has some bulking up to do, but his appetite for physicality — which also shows up in strong defensive rebounding numbers — is palpable. He's competing hard on defense, and it's only a matter of time before the shots start falling in waves. He hasn't looked the most comfortable as a table-setter and initiator, but that's also not his job with Darius Garland and Kris Dunn involved. The early indicators are great, even if Wagler has yet to fully earn Ty Lue's trust in the L.A. Clippers' rotation.
4. Caleb Wilson, Chicago Bulls
Grade: A
Caleb Wilson has the most freedom of any rookie besides Darius Acuff Jr., and the Chicago Bulls forward is taking full advantage. He is launching pull-up 3s and breaking down defenders off the dribble; clearly he feels more empowered with the Bulls than he ever did at North Carolina. Wilson's 3-point volume (7.9 attempts per game) is a huge green flag, even if he's not the most consistent shot-maker yet. Chicago should, in time, help him get easier looks from out there, which will help.
Wilson is a high-volume and low-efficiency offensive engine at this stage, but the fact that he's generating so much pressure and opportunity from scratch is a huge development. It proves Wilson is far ahead of schedule. It's rare to find a wing with his mix of size, quickness and explosiveness; once he adds a bit of core strength, Wilson will be incredibly difficult to contain. The Bulls defense is a mess and Wilson is still learning the ropes on that end, but his engagement and activity level are highly encouraging. Bulls fans should be over the moon with excitement.
3. Cameron Boozer, Memphis Grizzlies
Grade: A-
We are grading on a curve here. If the season ended today, Cameron Boozer would get a healthy share of votes for Rookie of the Year. He's so clearly a positive influence on the floor. His split-second processing speeds, his ability to screen, facilitate, handle, shot-make and wear different hats offensively — it's all very encouraging. The Memphis Grizzlies also started the campaign 6-0, although two straight losses have since diminished the excitement a bit.
Boozer is right at home. He looks like he belongs, perhaps more than any non-Lendeborg rookie out there. His rebounding and assist numbers are remarkable, and he's averaging a hearty 15.8 points on 52.4 percent true shooting. If there's a nitpick, however, it's Boozer's 2-point scoring. He's shooting 50 percent at the rim and 29 percent from mid-range. There's every reason to believe those numbers will improve in due time, but there's a massive hole in his repertoire right now.
2. Darryn Peterson, Utah Jazz
Grade: B-
Darryn Peterson is in a tough spot with the Utah Jazz, who are in total free fall to begin the year. Injuries have nuked the Jazz frontcourt and not much has gone right elsewhere. Utah ranks 29th in offensive efficiency and 24th in defensive efficiency, which leaves them 27th (-11.3) in total net rating. The easy knock on Peterson right now is efficiency; he's shooting 35.4 percent from the field, with considerable struggles at the rim.
Frankly, it's much of the same narrative from his truncated season at Kansas. Peterson hasn't been able to consistently gain a step on his defender or create clean looks from scratch. He's really struggling to finish in traffic. That said, it's unwise to get caught up on scoring efficiency from a rookie guard this early in the campaign. Peterson looks like a willing and able passer; he has 13 assists to three turnovers in his last two games. He's rebounding at a high level and competing on defense. The foundation is solid.
1. AJ Dybantsa, Washington Wizards
Grade: B+
AJ Dybantsa has logged four appearances since returning from a preseason ankle injury. The No. 1 overall pick stepped into an immediate featured role for the Washington Wizards, although it will be interesting to monitor how Dybantsa plays off of Trae Young and Anthony Davis. The Wiz are very much playing through their veteran co-stars right now.
Dybantsa's 3-point shot was a concern coming out of BYU, and he hasn't made many here at the start, but the rest of his game has come along nicely. Dybantsa is playing within the offensive flow, applying constant pressure on the rim and avoiding turnovers, with some excellent passing flashes, to boot. Even if he's not finishing at the rim as often as you'd like, Dybantsa is forcing contact and creating good looks for himself. Trust that he will start to convert those looks more consistently. His activity level on defense has perked up. He's a presence on the glass. Washington looks good, and Dybantsa is already an effective cog in the machine.
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