2026 NBA Draft Lottery Memphis Grizzlies Big Board

1. Cameron Boozer | Forward | Duke

#1 on any big board for me, Boozer is a generational prospect with elite instincts as a rebounder, steal enforcer, and outlet passer with incredibly efficient scoring versatility as a shot creator and play-finisher for his team. Boozer does all the little things, moves the ball the right way, takes makes and helps his team find good shots, is versatile enough to fill any role such as operating a pick-and-roll or setting the pick to roll, and generally tends to win basketball games while scoring efficiently and filling up the box score. He is one of the most versatile offensive prospects to enter the draft, with the highest NCAA BPM ever, with multiple outlier skills, making him one of the best bets to carry an NBA offense in a long time. There are not many talents in the history of the game with Boozer's size who can process as quickly, execute on and off the ball as efficiently, or make the right play as often as Boozer in a long time.

2. Darryn Peterson | Guard | Kansas

An electric scorer, dunker, shooter, and defender with decision making feel to become a #1 offense and defensive option for a team one day, Peterson is one of the most talented guards in recent memory.

While he may not choose to pass as often, he can make incredible dimes reading and reacting to defenses when he wants to, normally drawing multiple defenders as an unguardable shotmaker, driver, and scorer. Becoming one of the most elite defenders and scorers in the sport, let alone among guards, is an all but likely path for Peterson, if the basketball gods can help him stay healthy.

3. AJ Dybantsa | Forward | BYU

A high-flying tough shot making walking ESPN Top-10 highlight, Dybantsa shows all the potential fans want to see when building a basketball archetype from scratch. If he can fine-tune his development as a team-first decision-maker, he can take his already high floor of likely high-end starter two-way impact to potentially become an All-Star scorer with versatile defense.

His shooting, scoring, and defense can be elite, his downhill athleticism can be next-level, he's as talented as they come; being good enough to take and make any shot is why he's top tier, but he's remained 3rd for me after years of scouting this class due to never quite leveling up his team-first decision-making balance of when to take turnaround fades and when to move the ball, drive and kick, and play team basketball instead of hero ball.

While he'll likely create most of the same advantages at the next level, NBA defenders will hold their own, so processing matters more. His elite skills are clear, but he is a riskier bet than Boozer, and not quite as lethal of a quick-processing electric playmaking advantage creator as Peterson, putting him 3rd her; but in Dybantsa's defense, he'd be the #1 pick most years, and likely will be in this one. His development as a playmaker at BYU and shot creation potential gives him the edge for this Grizzlies situation over Wilson.

4. Caleb Wilson | Forward | UNC

One of the most impactful defenders and efficient one-on-one scorers in the class, Wilson projects to be a big wing who can go shot for shot with any opposing star; a lack of natural playmaking may limit his shot creation for others, but his scoring gravity alone should more than make up for it.

Wilson's rare blend of athletic talent, tough shot making scoring touch, and defensive instincts are just too elite of a combination and safe of a bet for long-term two-way impact with potential star upside to turn down for any team in the Top-5, and could return as high of winning impact as any prospect here when it is all said and done.

Tier 2 - Likely High-End Starter & Potential All-Star

5. Kingston Flemings | Guard | Houston

Flemings brings toughness and two-way upside that separates him among top guard creators.

On top of his scoring prowess, natural pick-and-roll running point guard playmaking instincts, and start-stop body control allowing him to get to the rim and with ease, refining his go-to pull-up three and turning defensive instincts into positive impact are ways to keep upgrading his game. Flemings might just walk into the NBA and smartly run offenses overnight, and his P&R maestro conducting skills pair perfectly with Edey to find each other mismatches to exploit.

6. Labaron Philon | Guard | Alabama

From Year 1 to Year 2 at Alabama, Philon has improved from a walking hustle play to a walking bucket. There's little Philon can't do on the court now, scoring, creating, dribbling to any spot he wants with ease, becoming one of the most efficient one-on-one ISO scorers has been impressive. A cerebral guard with two-way feel, off the charts scoring and shot creation efficiency in a variety of playtypes and touch indicator situations, Philon is a complete basketball player and good bet to a high-end starter with real two-way impact star potential.

7. Ebuka Okorie | Guard | Stanford

Possessing outlier traits, skills, instincts, and feel for the game make one a great in the Draft, and Okorie brings them all. Efficient scoring versatility across the board combined with elite quick first step burst, decelerating body control, masterful handle to get to any spot on the floor, with next-level feel for the game to score, draw fouls, find teammates with ease; Okorie's flashed one-of-one traits as a finesse finishing tough-shot maker, a quick-processing team-first decision maker, and a rare blend of burst, touch, and master of his craft that should make evaluators take another look.

8. Dailyn Swain | Forward | Texas

One of the best downhill scorers and ball-handlers, Swain offers real high-end two-way impact as a turnover-forcing 6'8" guard/wing who defends 1-3, racks up steals and deflections, and gets north-south and to his spots to stop and pop with ease. The lack of playmaking juice lowers him here, but the potential two-way impact is too high to drop any further.

9. Yaxel Lendeborg | Forward | Michigan

One of the highest-impact players in college basketball, Lendeborg has led his Michigan squad to the Elite Eight after a big win over Alabama in the Sweet 16. Not only does Lendeborg rate off the charts in BPM, he is a true switch army knife on the court, a big wing two-way playmaker destructive force on the defensive end and powerful play-finisher on the offensive end, making passes that catch your eye for someone his size who flashes just enough dribble and shooting to see realistic longterm development if he keeps up the hard work. Elite defensive forward who can playmake, score at the rim, finish plays created by others gravity, and help set up open shooters and dunkers, Lendeborg projects to be a good to great pro for a long time.

10. Christian Anderson | Guard | Texas Tech

A sneaky all-around guard in this class, Anderson showed lights out skills as a scoring creator and potential offensive engine between his processing, scoring, shooting, and playmaking. With loads of high-level experience succeeding with and without the ball, Anderson's ability to run an offense, shoot on and off the ball, make quick team-first decisions, score in a variety of ways with positive touch indicators make him one of the best bets to run an NBA offense. A 43% 3P% on 246 3PA and a 60% 3PT rate, 80% FT% on 112 FTA, 64% TS%, 230 AST/105 TOV are all good shooting, scoring, playmaking indicators; there is some hope for his ability to force steals to be a pathway to defensive impact.

11. Keaton Wagler | Guard/Forward | Illinois

One of the most exciting stories in college basketball, Wagler has flown up NBA consensus boards and mock drafts for good reason, still alive entering the Elite Eight after knocking out Houston in an epic matchup. Wagler's pull-up three, decelerating body control, soft touch finishing and natural point guard instincts make him an intriguing grab-and-go point forward to every NBA front office. The lack of traditional athletic bounce will hurt more on defense, where he may need to be flanked in a lineup, but the offensive engine scoring creation between his own downhill decelerating drives, pull-up 3pt threat, and drive-and-kick playmaking prowess could be enough to inspire such an offense, the defense won't need to get as many stops.

12. Darius Acuff | Guard | Arkansas

One of the biggest stories of college basketball, Acuff has made scoring look easy his whole development path, bringing an incredible offensive skill-set to the table. He will likely get buckets, shoot on and off the ball, and score in some way with relative ease at the next level. Despite bringing strength, toughness, and athletic size, he's been a big negative defensively; that is near impossible to overcome to be an NBA starter, but in terms of two-way impact, can be done if the offensive firepower is explosive enough. Acuff might not create the same advantages against NBA athletes with similar strength, so relying on outlier traits in shooting, handle, tough shot making is a bit of a higher risk than others ahead of him on this list, but there is a high-reward outcome if he becomes a true star, and a pretty safe floor to at least be a rotation-level bucket-getter for the foreseeable future.

13. Brayden Burries | Guard | Arizona

One of the most complete guards and players in the draft class, Burries shows an all-around skill-set that can plug and play into any team, especially one in need of a super connector. Burries can dribble, pass, shoot, and defend multiple guard positions, with indicators projecting potential lights-out shooting, connective playmaking, and solid capable scoring at the next level. Being one of the best defensive guards, scoring guards, and shooting guards, who makes team-first decisions with the ball, builds an enticing complete draft profile.

14. Chris Cenac Jr. | Forward/Center | Houston

One of the more modern big men in the class, Cenac's skill at his size stands out. Rebounding is his super power, the best instincts in the class, a phenomenal indicator for his feel for the game. Being a confident midrange jump shooter who is stretching out to three, a play-finisher off the ball from deep and at the rim, and a fundamental footwork post-up scorer, he shows enough scoring versatility to bet on development as an inside-out floor-spacing scorer. His skills could offer scalability in shots and usage while maintaining postive impact between his shooting, rebounding, and mismatch scoring. Developing his two-way feel and promising instincts into more consistent two-way impact could take his game from good to great, and he's got the talent and work ethic to do it.

15. Mikel Brown Jr. | Guard | Louisville

One of the best perimeter shooters in the class, Brown is a 3pt sniper with natural point guard instincts. Defensive concerns and lack of efficiency as a scorer and creator lower him on this list, but he's still in this tier for his star upside with 3pt shooting, even if he may project to be more of a rotation-level sparkplug guard at the next level.

16. Patrick Ngongba | Forward/Center | Duke

A potentially elite defender, Ngongba offers defensive versatility to the frontcourt that would make Memphis one of the strongest defensive young cores in the league. The lack of clear offensive role outside of playfinishing near the rim lowers him on this list, but the defensive versatility alone is worth considering, and he could be elevated as a dunker spot/rim-rolling play-finisher if Memphis add point guard playmaking earlier with their first pick in this loaded draft.