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Live 2026 NBA Draft Grades: Round 2
2027 NBA Mock Draft
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16.
Oklahoma City Thunder: Bennett Stirtz, PG, Iowa – B+ Grade
The Grizzlies drafted a big with their first selection. It’s nice to see them pair Cameron Boozer with a guard. This is another big need, and Bennett Stirtz was someone I had at No. 18, so the value makes sense.
Update: Stirtz will be traded to the Thunder. This is a logical selection for the Thunder to improve their guard depth.
Follow @walterfootball for updates.
Also, if you haven’t visited the site in a while, you may have noticed the new look. Yes, after nearly two decades, we’ve finally re-designed our site to be more modern. This was not done on a whim, but rather out of necessity because of what occurred during the 2023 NFL Draft. Our site crashed during the entire first day of the draft, which was disastrous for our revenue stream because we make more money during the draft than any other time. The site crashed because a line of code conflicted with the old format of the site, so we had to transition to this new look.
Because we lost so much money during the draft, I want to point out that you can really help support the site by paying for the ad-free version of it. It’s $7.99 per month, but you’ll get a super-fast site with no ads. My developer will be adding new features to paid subscribers as well, so look for that in the near future. If you don’t want to pay, please spread the word about the site through word of mouth. That would also be a big help!
17.
Detroit Pistons: Ebuka Okorie, PG, Stanford – MILLEN Grade
OK, what? The Pistons moved up to this pick, which was dealt to Memphis, and yet they grabbed a player who was barely a first-round prospect? Is Matt Millen still a general manager in Detroit!?
18.
Charlotte Hornets: Christian Anderson, PG, Texas Tech – B+ Grade
The Hornets don’t need a guard, but they don’t need much because of the talent they’ve accumulated. I had Hans Christian Anderson going one pick later, so the value makes sense to me.
19.
Toronto Raptors: Allen Graves, PF, Santa Clara – B+ Grade
The Raptors have nothing but wings, so a guard or a big made the most sense. They went with the latter. I had Allen Graves going one selection later, so this is a logical pick for Toronto.
20.
San Antonio Spurs: Jayden Quaintance, PF, Kentucky – B+ Grade
Jayden Quaintance makes sense as a player to be chosen at No. 20. He also fills the one need the Spurs have, which is more size to have around Victor Wembanyama, who could be a risk to be suspended for his violent play.
21.
Memphis Grizzlies: Karim Lopez, SF, Mexico – A Grade
This is good value for the Grizzlies. They moved down four spots to draft Karim Lopez to fill a need, and yet I had Lopez going four selections earlier, where Memphis was picking after the deal with the Thunder.
22.
Philadelphia 76ers: Labaron Philon, PG, Alabama – A- Grade
The 76ers don’t need a guard, but Labaron Philon is too good to pass up at this juncture. I had him going near the lottery, so this is a steal.
23.
Atlanta Hawks: Zuby Ejiofor, C, St. John’s – B- Grade
Front-court depth makes sense for the Hawks after they used their initial pick on a guard. However, Zuby Ejiofor is someone I had going five picks later, so I’m not in love with the value. This is an OK pick; nothing more.
24.
Los Angeles Lakers: Cameron Carr, SG, Baylor – A+ Grade
What a steal! Cameron Carr was a borderline lottery prospect I had at No. 15 in my mock draft. The Lakers needed a guard because Austin Reaves may not be on the team much longer, so this is a great pick.
25.
New York Knicks: Sergio De Larrea, G, Spain – C- Grade
The Knicks should have just remained at No. 24 to draft Cameron Carr. Sergio De Larrea is not nearly as good of a prospect. The Knicks gave up Carr for cash. I didn’t think they were desperate for money, but there are tough times in this economy.
26.
San Antonio Spurs: Tarris Reed, C, Connecticut – B+ Grade
This is a solid pick by the Nuggets. I had Tarris Reed going in this range, so the value makes sense. The Nuggets needed a backup for Nikola Jokic because Jonas Valanciunas is a million years old and could be gone soon.
Update: The Spurs acquired this pick. I can understand San Antonio wanting better depth behind Victor Wembanyama. The Spurs were so much worse when he wasn’t on the court.
27.
Boston Celtics: Chris Cenac, C, Houston – A- Grade
The Celtics had to address their underwhelming front court. They did that with this pick, doing so with a fine value at this juncture. Chris Cenac could have gone a couple of picks earlier than this, so Boston made a solid choice.
28.
Brooklyn Nets: Joshua Jefferson, F, Iowa State – B+ Grade
The Nets screwed up their first pick, but this one isn’t so bad. Joshua Jefferson was slotted at No. 24 in my mock draft, so the value makes sense. And I’d tell you that the Nets needed a wing, but they need everything, so this could potentially fill a void on their roster.
29.
Sacramento Kings: Alex Karaban, SF, Connecticut – B Grade
I had Alex Karaban going four picks later than this. This value makes sense for the Kings at this juncture. Sacramento acquired this selection from the Cavaliers, so we can say that this could help fill a need.
30.
Phoenix Suns: Koa Peat, PF, Arizona – A+ Grade
We finish the first round with a steal! Koa Peat could have easily been chosen in the early 20s. I consistently had him going to the 76ers. The Mavericks needed more front-court help, so this potentially fills a need as well.
Update: The Suns acquired this pick. I guess we should’ve known it would be traded because Koa Peat is not from Michigan. At any rate, the Suns are getting a steal, as they potentially fill one of their many needs.
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2027 NBA Mock Draft
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