2026 NBA Draft Predictions and Best Bets
The 2026 NBA Draft will begin on Tuesday, June 23, when we’ll see the first 30 players come off the board. The event spills over into Wednesday, June 24, with the league now giving the second round some shine. It goes without saying that the NBA Draft isn’t as much of a betting event as the NFL Draft, but we’ll have plenty of bets on the action. Last week, I dished out my 10 favorite prospects in the draft, some of my bolder overall draft takes, and listed some of the plays I already had action on. But if you keep reading, you’ll get some of the recent additions to my 2026 NBA Draft best bets portfolio. Also, if this type of content floats your boat, make sure you check out our Hardwood Handicappers NBA Draft Special, which will be airing on VSiN live at 7:00 pm ET right before the start of the first round.
MORE: Click here for all of the picks from our VSiN hosts and analysts!
Keaton Wagler To Go No. 5 Overall (+170 at bet365)
Mikel Brown Jr. To Go No. 6 Overall (+180 at bet365)
Darius Acuff Jr. To Go No. 7 Overall (+140 at bet365)
For the first time since the start of the pre-draft process, it feels like we might have some valuable intel surrounding picks 5-7 — which is precisely why they’re all bundled up in the header.
The run on electric on-ball creators should start with Wagler, who raised some eyebrows with some comments he made in an interview with ClutchPoints’ Erik Slater. Wagler said that the information he received from workouts and interviews with the Bulls and Clippers was enough for him to cancel meetings with the teams picking No. 6 and later. Well, with Chicago seemingly set to draft Caleb Wilson at No. 4, Wagler must feel pretty good about his chances of ending up in Los Angeles. That’s not that surprising either. The best players available at No. 5 will very likely be guards, and the Clippers already have Darius Garland at the point guard spot. That means that Los Angeles needs to take a guard with some size if the team is going to double down in the backcourt. At 6-foot-5, Wagler is big enough to play the two.
Things don’t seem as easy when trying to figure out who Brooklyn will take at No. 6, but Brown did disclose that he has had at least three meetings with the Nets in the draft process. Also, in his interview with Slater, he mentioned he has some pretty strong relationships with Jordi Fernandez and Sean Marks. That’s the type of information that simply can’t be ignored, and Brown would be an interesting fit in Brooklyn. The Nets have been loading up on ball-handlers, but they don’t currently have one that stands out. Brown has the potential to be a core piece, as he’s a microwave shooter and an elite playmaker. He also has some decent size, meaning Brooklyn would be able to trot out an intriguing lineup of Brown-Egor Demin-Michael Porter Jr.-Julius Randle-Day’Ron Sharpe next season.
The last one in this grouping is the one everyone has been talking about for months. Apparently, the Kings have been hot for Acuff since he started going nuclear for John Calipari’s Razorbacks, and the reports suggest the feeling is mutual. Acuff is said to be excited about the possibility of going to a franchise where he can be the alpha from Day 1. Acuff, who averaged 23.5 points and 6.4 assists per game last year, would be heading into a situation in which he wouldn’t have much competition for on-ball reps. The Kings have completely mishandled the point guard position in recent years, leaving them desperate for a good one. And they’re especially desperate for one with star power.
Aday Mara Under 9.5 Draft Position (+150 at Caesars)
While we’re likely going to see a run on guards after the first four picks, I like Mara to hear his name called before No. 10. The Hawks, who have the eighth pick in the draft, can really use a big man that can protect the rim and provide some toughness on the glass. Well, not only can Mara do that, the 7-foot-3 big man also has good touch, a developing three-ball, and the ability to make quick reads and sharp passes. He’d be an awesome fit for Quin Snyder, who has been missing the type of defensive anchor he had with Rudy Gobert in Utah.
If May doesn’t go eighth, perhaps he’ll end up in Dallas. The Mavericks just hired his college coach, as it was announced the team reached a deal with Dusty May on Monday. That has people speculating that a Michigan player will end up being selected at No. 9. And while I don’t necessarily think May will have that much say right away — or eat some hay, make things out of clay, and lay by the bay — I do think Mara is the type of prospect Mike Schmitz, Dallas’ new general manager, has proven to value.
Jack Kayil To Go First Round (+150 – 0.5 units)
I’m grabbing Kayil, a 20-year-old guard that has played for KK Mega Basket (the former home of Nikola Jokic) and Alba Berlin, to go in the first round. Kayil is a player that isn’t too far outside the Top 30 on my own personal draft board, which is important when thinking about some of the teams picking towards the end of the first round. Several playoff-caliber teams could be looking for potential draft-and-stash options as they look to avoid adding another player to their roster and putting more money on their cap sheet. That could make Kayil an option over some of the other players in his draft range. Also, Kayil’s perceived upside could also make him a little more enticing than one of the lesser college prospects in his draft range. The fact that some players are opting to go back to school for NIL money means the end of the first round isn’t as talented as it used to be, so taking more of an unknown could be more appealing.
Jayden Quaintance To Go First Round – NO (+170 – 0.5 units)
This a weird one for me. I have Quaintance as the 16th-ranked player on my personal board, and I’d easily have him as a top-10 prospect if I knew his knee was in better shape. However, the reports coming out about the knee aren’t great. Quaintance has long been viewed as a special defensive prospect, but a torn ACL he suffered in his freshman season at Arizona State ended up lingering longer than expected. He ended up playing in only four games after transferring to Kentucky, dealing with persistent knee swelling in his time in Lexington. It’ll now be interesting to see if teams remove him from their draft boards due to all of the uncertainty. It’s still entirely possible he ends up going in the first round, with his next team having him go under the knife again. A smart playoff team would be wise to see this as an opportunity to add a blue-chip prospect that can help in 2027-28. But the roster crunches and cap nightmares I mentioned with Kayil are real. It wouldn’t be too shocking if teams just don’t want to roster Quaintance without knowing what the future holds with his health.
In-Pocket Plays
(Plays I put in prior to Monday, June 22)
AJ Dybantsa To Go No. 1 (+135 – 3 units)
Brayden Burries To Go Top 10 (-175 – 1.5 units)
Darryn Peterson To Go No. 1 (+415)
Darius Acuff Jr. To Go No. 4 (20-1 – 0.1 units)
Nate Ament Draft Position Under 10.5 (-105 – 1.5 units)
