Overview
- Four rebuilding teams now hold the top of the board after Sunday’s lottery set Washington at No. 1, Utah at No. 2, Memphis at No. 3 and Chicago at No. 4, shifting draft leverage away from win-now buyers.
- Reporting from team insiders and the combine indicates Washington prefers BYU scorer AJ Dybantsa at No. 1 and is expected to keep the pick unless a rare red flag or exceptional offer appears.
- The Bucks are taking calls on Giannis Antetokounmpo, with multiple outlets describing a strong market and league expectations of action before the June 23–24 draft, though any deal still depends on his extension plans.
- The Grizzlies are pursuing a Ja Morant trade regardless of their move up to No. 3, a push complicated by his two years of high salary and recent injuries but buoyed by his age and star talent.
- The Clippers landed No. 5 via Indiana’s protections, yet an ongoing probe into alleged salary-cap circumvention tied to Kawhi Leonard introduces risk of fines or pick penalties as teams eye mid-first picks (Warriors No. 11, Thunder Nos. 12 and 17, Heat No. 13, Hornets Nos. 14 and 18) for trade talks heading into the combine and draft.