2026 NBA Draft First Round Winners and Losers: Buy Bulls Stock?
The first round of the 2026 NBA Draft was one of the most anticipated drafts of the past decade given the superstar talent and tremendous depth. AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, and Cameron Boozer were all worthy of the first overall pick, while the late teens and early twenties oozed lottery talent. Now that it’s officially in the books, who are the biggest winners and losers from the first round?
Winner: Chicago Bulls
The Bulls cleaned house in April after years of mediocrity and hired Bryson Graham to be their new Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations. Graham has a reputation as an elite talent evaluator, and he did an excellent job in his inaugural draft as Chicago’s lead decision maker.
Caleb Wilson was the best player available at fourth overall given his defense, athleticism, and offensive upside. The North Carolina product should be a perennial threat to earn All-Defensive honors. Meanwhile, selecting Dailyn Swain at 15th overall added more size, athleticism, rim pressure and self-created scoring to the roster. The Bulls will be a hyper-elite transition team with Josh Giddey at the helm and Wilson, Swain, Matas Buzelis, and Nic Claxton running the break. The Bulls are finally on the rise.
Loser: Toronto Raptors
The Raptors entered the offseason with a clear need for more ball handling, playmaking, and half-court creation. They lost in the first round of the playoffs largely because the offense could not run its actions efficiently.
It was unfortunate for Toronto that the three picks before its selection were all guards, but the Raptors also chose to select Allen Graves instead of Labaron Philon Jr. at 19th overall. Graves brings more size, shooting, and defense to the mix. However, the 6-foot-9 forward overlaps positionally with Toronto’s best players and does not address the Raptors’ main needs. Philon could be a special scorer, too.
Winner: Milwaukee Bucks
What a first round for the Bucks! Brayden Burries fell into their lap at 10th overall and could be the steal of the draft. He’s a two-way stud who will make an immediate impact and has All-Star potential if his playmaking develops.
Milwaukee also acquired the 13th overall pick in the Giannis Antetokounmpo blockbuster and swung for the fences by selecting Nate Ament. The Tennessee product is a boom-or-bust prospect who moves and scores like a wing at 6-foot-10. Can the Bucks strike gold twice with another lanky, raw, high-upside prospect?
Loser: Western Conference Centers
San Antonio and Oklahoma City met in the Western Conference Finals largely because they both protected the paint at a very high level. Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren anchored their respective defenses, while Luke Kornet, Isaiah Hartenstein, and Jaylin Williams filled in the gaps.
Scoring against these interior defenses was already difficult enough for other centers in the West, so the conference must be terrified that both teams increased their arsenals in the 2026 NBA Draft.
Jayden Quaintance is a freak athlete who boasts a 7-foot-5 wingspan and special defensive tape. Tarris Reed Jr. is more of a bruiser who beefs up the frontcourt. Both big men add more layers to the Spurs’ frontcourt. On the flip side, Aday Mara brings elite rim protection and length at 7-foot-4 with a 7-foot-6 wingspan. Lineups with Holmgren and Mara are especially frightening for opposing offenses.
