Three Realistic NBA Draft Day Mock Trades

Charlie Zschau Updated: May 13 2026 21:22

Trade rumors and shocking deals keep conversations going in the NBA even after the finals have ended, and the NBA Draft is one busiest times for offseason trades.

The 2026 NBA Draft will be held on June 23-24, 2026 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

The 2026 draft class projects to be one of the deepest drafts in recent memory with multiple potential stars and key contributors up-and-down the draft, meaning that teams will surely be jockeying for position to ensure that they get their guy.

AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer, and Caleb Wilson are the cream of the crop in this class, but major talents Cameron Carr, Koa Peat, Morez Johnson Jr., and Christian Anderson Jr. might not even be selected in the top half of the draft.

With this depth of talent, we're sure to see teams trading up and down to build a roster that GMs have dreamt up.

Take a look at three possible trades that could go through on draft day.

Utah Trades Up to No. 1 to Get Their Guy

Utah Jazz Receive:
2026 1st Round Pick (#1)
Bilal Coulibaly ($7,200,000)

Washington Wizards Receive:
2026 1st Round Pick (#2)
Ace Bailey ($9,000,000)

The Utah Jazz have been had interest in the projected #1 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft (AJ Dybantsa) since high school, recruiting him to Utah Prep Academy. He then received a massive NIL offer to stay in Utah and play college basketball at BYU, a school for which Jazz owner Ryan Smith is prominent donor.

On the other side, the Washington Wizards were huge fans of Ace Bailey in the 2025 NBA Draft, but he was taken by the Jazz one spot ahead of the Wizards.

This trade allows each franchise to get their guy, without giving up too much. Utah will get another promising young wing in Bilal Coulibaly, and Washington gets the second pick in what is a very top-heavy draft, with names like Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer, and Caleb Wilson elevated above the rest of the field.

Clippers Trade Back to #9 & Add Thompson from Mavericks

LA Clippers Receive:
2026 1st Round Pick (#9)
2026 1st Round Pick (#30)
Klay Thompson ($16,600,000)

Dallas Mavericks Receive:
2026 1st Round Pick (#5)
Kris Dunn ($5,400,000)

The LA Clippers are in a strange spot with their current roster and could be convinced to add more depth to their roster in order to maximize the final few years of Kawhi Leonard's career by trading the fifth overall pick.

Klay Thompson would be a nice fit next to Leonard and Darius Garland, but LA would also get two picks in this years draft compared to one.

The Dallas Mavericks are starting a new rebuild around Cooper Flag, so they do not have much of a use for Thompson, especially since Kyrie Irving is still on the roster. At #5, They'll have their pick of players that should pair the best with Flagg and the other pieces on the roster.

Hawks Trade Into Top-3 & Send Three First Round Picks to Memphis

Atlanta Hawks Receive:
2026 1st Round Pick (#3)
Ja Morant ($39,400,000)

Memphis Grizzlies Receive:
2026 1st Round Pick (#8)
2026 1st Round Pick (#23)
2027 1st Round Pick (Bucks Pick)
Jonathan Kuminga ($23,800,000)
Zaccharie Risacher ($13,200,000)

The Memphis Grizzlies are starring down a long rebuild, and this deal would help them kickstart that process. They would receive young players in Kuminga & Risaccher, and add two extra first round picks in this years draft.

Memphis would then have the eighth, 16th, 23rd, and 32nd pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, and have three 2027 first round picks (Bucks, Grizzlies, Jazz).

The Atlanta Hawks are much closer to competing for an NBA Championship, and have a real need for Cameron Boozer or Caleb Wilson on the roster as it's currently constructed.

Ja Morant would be a nice pairing next to the maturity of C.J. McCollum, and give the Hawks a potential starting lineup of Morant, McCollum, Jalen Johnson, Cameron Boozer, and Onyeka Okongwu, with Nickeil Alexander-Walker off the bench.