Starting 5: Recapping second round of 2026 NBA Draft

When your son starts playing basketball at 16 … then gets selected in the NBA Draft at 23.

Tobi Lawal, the No. 48 overall pick to Dallas, was just one of many remarkable stories from Round 2, putting a fitting end to the 2026 NBA Draft.

5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀

Recapping Round 2: A flurry of trades to land the biggest names still on the board Wednesday

All-Access: Proud parents, Bundesliga to Brooklyn and the families that fueled the NBA journeys

Dreams Realized: Behind the scenes with the faces and stories that made this Draft special

Round 2 In Focus: Snapshots from the final night of the 2026 NBA Draft

What’s Next: Key dates over the next month, from free agency to Summer League

BUT FIRST … ⏰

Full Draft Board: The 2026 NBA Draft concluded Wednesday with a busy Round 2 and 30 more dreams realized. | Picks 1-60

The Next Step: The 2026 rookie class will see its first NBA action in the upcoming summer circuit, which begins with the California Classic (July 3-6) and Salt Lake City Summer League (July 4, 6-7), before all 30 teams take part in the NBA Summer League 2026 in Las Vegas (July 9-19).

Reports: Reaves, Lakers Reach Deal – Lakers guard Austin Reaves reportedly plans to sign a 4-year contract to remain in Los Angeles.

1. TRADES, RESHUFFLES AND MORE DREAMS MADE REAL IN ROUND 2

Night No. 2 of the 2026 NBA Draft got underway with the reigning-champion Knicks on the clock, in position to get even better.

After all, their Finals MVP, Jalen Brunson, was a second-round pick in 2018, a fact fresh on the minds of every team picking on Wednesday. | Jeff Zillgitt’s Round 2 Takeaways

• Round 2 Liftoff: New York continued to trade back, with Bruce Thornton, the first player to hear his name Wednesday night, becoming the Rockets’ first 2026 Draft selection
• “I’m just trying to be a winner, at the end of the day,” said Thornton, a four-year captain at Ohio State and the program’s all-time leading scorer (2,164 pts)
• Making Moves: AJ Dybantsa’s BYU teammate, Richie Saunders, went next at No. 32 to Memphis, while Brooklyn drafted Isaiah Evans at No. 33 but reportedly traded the pick to Minnesota
• “I was supposed to be [here] then, I’m supposed to be here now,” No. 34 pick Meleek Thomas (traded to Cleveland) said of being drafted at Barclays Center after playing there as a McDonald’s All-American
• Razorbacks Repeat: Thomas’ Arkansas teammate Trevon Brazile followed him at No. 35, a pick made by the Spurs but traded to the Nuggets

The trades to land college standouts like Thornton, Evans and the Arkansas duo signaled a trend that continued throughout Round 2, as teams repositioned for chances at difference-makers that remained in a highly-touted Draft class. | Trade Tracker | John Schuhmann On Player Movement

None bigger than a proven NBA paint-protector and six-year vet.

• Reports: Stewart To Memphis – Paint-protector Isaiah Stewart is linked to a Wednesday night deal between the Pistons and Grizzlies, with three future second-round picks headed back to Detroit
• Only One Original Pick: ESPN’s Round 2 roundup reported that 29 of Wednesday’s 30 picks were connected to a trade in some way – with 11 coming during the Draft. Toronto’s selection of Jaden Bradley at No. 50 was the only unaltered pick
• Standout Schools: Among the shuffling, five schools saw multiple players picked in Round 2, with two each for Duke, Arkansas, Purdue, St. John’s and Tennessee
• Duke, Arkansas and Tennessee joined Michigan, with its three Round-1 draftees, as the only schools to have three players drafted in 2026

The Second Round finished with three of the final five picks hailing from international origins, and nine overall. In some cases, these draftees were preparing to become teammates with the NBA stars who inspired their global basketball journeys.

• [Luka Dončić]’s just someone that I’ve always kinda looked up to,” said Clippers’ No. 36 pick Baba Miller, a Spanish native and product of the Real Madrid system, just like Dončić
• “Jalen Brunson, obviously,” Knicks’ pick Jack Kayil (No. 39) said of the teammate he’s most excited to learn from. The German guard, whose Draft profile described him as a broad-bodied finisher, made the connection between his and Brunson’s similar Draft position

After New York and Houston got on the board Wednesday, three more teams clocked in to make their first picks of the 2026 Draft.

• Orlando: With their lone pick at No. 46, the Magic took Tennessee’s Felix Okpara, who they reportedly traded to the Wizards for South Florida’s Izaiyah Nelson
• Phoenix: The Suns were first officially on the clock at No. 47, where Vanderbilt’s Tyler Nickel was selected. But that pick went to New York as part of Tuesday’s moves that brought Koa Peat to Phoenix
• New Orleans: The Pelicans had to wait until pick No. 58, but capitalized by selecting New Orleans native Jaron Pierre Jr. of SMU

2. ALL-ACCESS: A FAMILY AFFAIR IN BROOKLYN

As teams searched for Day 2 gems, Wednesday showcased the many paths that lead to the NBA – from NCAA record holders to international champions.

But regardless of the road taken, the first embraces often belonged to the family members who had been there every step of the way.

• “I’m just so grateful, man,” said Bruce Thornton (No. 31 overall, HOU) after being selected. “Just to hug my mom. Just to say, ‘We made it, we finally did it.’ All the sacrifices – it was definitely worth it.”
• Proud Parents: Three picks later, Meleek Thomas (No. 34, CLE) shared a long embrace with his mother and father after hearing his name called
• “The sacrifices, dedication, everything my parents did for me, everything my siblings did for me … it’s just all one big emotion built into this moment.”

Behind each celebration was a unique story. One pick after Purdue’s Braden Smith – the NCAA’s all-time assist leader – went No. 38 overall (staying in Indiana with the Pacers via trade), Germany’s Jack Kayil landed with the Knicks.

• Where Was Kayil Four Days Ago? In Munich, helping Alba Berlin erase a 20-point deficit against Bayern Munich to win the Basketball Bundesliga Championship
• Never Too Late: At pick No. 48, Tobi Lawal, a London native and four-year college player, was taken by Dallas. The remarkable part? He didn’t start playing basketball until age 16
• All The Feels: Lawal’s mother was brought to tears in the green room as her son took the stage at Barclays Center as an NBA Draft pick

Family wasn’t just a Round 2 storyline – it helped define both nights of the Draft, with our all-access cameras capturing what makes the event so special.

• Inner Circle: Go behind the scenes with No. 2 pick Darryn Peterson, from the green room to portraits with his younger sister, as he shares the moment with those closest to him
• “Those people are the reason I’m here today,” said Peterson of his family. “It was great to share this moment with them.”
• Role Reversal: Sixteen years ago, a young Cameron Boozer joined his father and then-Jazz star Carlos Boozer at the podium during the 2010 Playoffs. On Tuesday, it was Carlos who joined Cam after Memphis took him No. 3 overall

Then & Now: That wasn’t the only blast from the past, as Boozer and other first-rounders looked back at childhood photos and reflected on their journeys to the NBA.

• “I always knew,” said the Kings’ No. 7 overall pick, Darius Acuff Jr., on his NBA dream becoming reality. “A lot of tough moments, but it all paid off for this day.”
• “He dreamed,” said the Nets’ No. 6 pick, Mikel Brown Jr., reflecting on his younger self. “And he dreamed big.”
• “You did it,” said AJ Dybantsa – the Wizards’ No. 1 overall pick – imagining what he’d tell his younger self. “But you still got a lot more work to do.”

3. FULL NAMES, FULL CIRCLES & FUN STORIES FROM THE 2026 DRAFT

“You guys can still call me AJ.”

Top pick AJ Dybantsa turned heads on Night 1 with his special request to be announced by his full name, Anicet Dybantsa Jr., in honor of his father, Anicet Sr.

Chris Cenac Jr. (No. 27, Celtics) reflected on being at Barclays Center eight years prior for the 2018 NBA Draft, where Luka Dončić (No. 3), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (No. 11) and other current stars realized the same dream Cenac Jr. did Tuesday.

NBA.com’s Krysten Peek has more on these and other behind-the-scenes stories from the Draft:

“The Charlotte Hornets selected Washington forward Hannes Steinbach with the 14th overall pick and then drafted his German national compatriot, Christian Anderson, with the 18th …

“‘That’s my guy and I can’t wait to play with him,’ Anderson said … ‘He was the best rebounder in college basketball this season (DI-best 11.8 rpg)…’

“Steinbach’s family was thrilled when the pick was made, and both families were seen hugging in disbelief that their boys would be reunited in Charlotte.” | Read More

4. ROUND 2 IN FOCUS: DRAFT NIGHT SNAPSHOTS

The picks came quickly, but the moments last much longer.

From proud parents to emotional embraces, Round 2 of the NBA Draft was a celebration of hard work, dedication and dreams realized.

Check out some of our favorite snapshots from Round 2.

5. WHAT’S NEXT: KEY DATES TO KNOW

The 2026 NBA Draft is over, but the offseason is just getting started, with free agency and NBA Summer League just around the corner – plus some marquee WNBA events on deck.

Below are some key dates to circle on your calendar over the next month:

• June 30: Each NBA team may begin negotiating with all other upcoming free agents, beginning at 6 p.m. ET
• June 30: WNBA Commissioner’s Cup Championship: Aces at Liberty (7 ET, Prime)
• July 3-6: California Classic Summer League in San Francisco (Chase Center) and Sacramento (Golden 1 Center) – featuring the Warriors, Lakers, Heat and Spurs
• July 4, 6-7: Salt Lake City Summer League at Jon M. Huntsman Center in Utah – featuring the Jazz, Hawks, Grizzlies and Thunder
• July 6: Each NBA team may begin signing free agents to contracts, beginning at 12:01 p.m. ET
• July 9: NBA Summer League 2026 tips off in Las Vegas, with all 30 teams competing at UNLV’s Thomas & Mack Center and The Pavilion (full schedule TBA)
• July 9: The PlayStation NBA Creator Cup in Las Vegas at The Pavilion at UNLV (YouTube/NBA App, Time TBA)
• July 19: NBA Summer League 2026 concludes in Las Vegas with the championship game (Time & TV TBA)
• July 25: WNBA All-Star Game at the United Center in Chicago (8:30 ET, ABC)

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