Trending Topics: Which teams improved their rosters most in 2026 Draft?

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Steve Aschburner

Teams can get better in the Draft in several ways: quantity, quality or fit. My view of the Chicago Bulls was that their roster looked so threadbare after the previous regime’s misdirections that new boss Bryson Graham needed to nail his two first-round choices at No. 4 and No. 15. With Caleb Wilson and Dailyn Swain, respectively, he did just that. Wilson was part of the Consensus Four for reasons, and he lands with the Bulls without less pressure than Washington, Utah and Memphis face after sifting through and picking other prospects. He and Swain are long and athletic and instantly make Josh Giddey and Matas Buzelis look less lonely.

Memphis probably wanted Cam Boozer for weeks, if not months, and had him plop into its lap. The NBA-pedigreed forward fits nicely next to rim protector Zach Edey and burly Isaiah Stewart (acquired via draft picks from Detroit). If only Ja Morant could hit a reset button, the Grizzlies have enough to climb again in the West. Not that that will be easy, especially after Oklahoma City grabbed the Draft’s rich-getting-richer trophy by adding Michigan’s 7-foot-3 Aday Mara as a Victor Wembanyama counter.

Finally, it’s important to acknowledge New Orleans and Derik Queen as Draft winners, even if the roster isn’t much improved. All that pressure last season from trading up in 2025 to snag Queen, an All-Rookie honoree, is largely gone with Atlanta settling for Kingston Flemings plus Asa Newell as the final return. Flemings will be fighting uphill to get results, plus show potential, comparable to Queen.

Brian Martin

Memphis. In selecting Cameron Boozer, the Grizzlies get a polished, pro-ready forward who has won at every level he has played. He’s both versatile and efficient, averaging 22.5 points, 10.2 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game while shooting 55.6% overall and 39.1% on 3-pointers as a freshman at Duke. In addition to adding Boozer, the Grizzlies traded down twice in the first round before selecting Karim López at No. 21 and accumulating multiple future second-round picks. Lastly, the Grizzlies used three of those picks on Wednesday to acquire Isaiah Stewart from Detroit, adding frontline depth next to Zach Edey.

Sacramento. After watching two of their recent former point guards playing in the last two NBA Finals — Tyrese Haliburton in 2025, De’Aaron Fox in 2026 — the Kings may have landed their point guard of the future in Darius Acuff Jr., who fell to them at No. 7 after speculation that he could go as high as No. 5. Acuff Jr.’s dynamic play will make him an immediate fan favorite in Sacramento, which also traded up to add two-time NCAA champion Alex Karaban out of UConn, giving the Kings some much-needed outside shooting after they finished last in 3-pointers made in 2025-26.

Oklahoma City. Despite finishing with the top record in the league for the second straight season, the Thunder entered the draft with a pair of top-16 picks. After falling to Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs in the Western Conference Finals, the Thunder used the first of those picks to add 7-foot-3 center Aday Mara, who brings a high basketball IQ, rim protection, playmaking and a soft touch around the basket as a finisher. The pick comes as the Thunder must decide whether to pick up Isaiah Hartenstein’s team option for next season. Adding Mara gives OKC some insurance in case they lose Hartenstein.

Shaun Powell

These types of questions are always tricky in the immediate aftermath, if only because players haven’t suited up yet. That said, three teams are obvious answers to the question: Utah, Washington and Memphis because they nabbed Darryn Peterson, AJ Dybantsa and Cam Boozer, the most raved-about three in the entire draft. Time will tell on them, as well as what Oklahoma City did, in a more strategic way by comparison — getting 7-foot-3 Michigan center Aday Mara. Given that OKC’s biggest competition in the West is San Antonio, perhaps for years to come, this was such a transparent decision, getting a big man who right now can see eye to eye with Victor Wembanyama and, OKC hopes, will someday go toe to toe with the Spurs’ difference-making star.

Jeff Zillgitt

Charlotte. The Hornets took a versatile big in Washington’s Hannes Steinbach at No. 14 and four picks later, they drafted playmaking Texas Tech point guard Christian Anderson. They should help the improving Hornets (19 wins in 2024-25 to 44 wins last season) bolster their depth to supplement the core of LaMelo Ball, Kon Knueppel, Brandon Miller and Miles Bridges.

Memphis. The Grizzlies selected a potential multi-year All-Star in forward Cameron Boozer at No. 3, and they made Karim López at No. 21 the first Mexican-born player drafted in the first round. Boozer was an All-American at Duke in 2025-26, and Lopez has shown improvement in each of his three pro seasons internationally, including the past two seasons in Australia. The Grizzlies also selected Richie Saunders — a player with first-round potential — at No. 32 in the second round.