The 2026 NBA Draft has produced one of the most intriguing first-round classes in recent years, blending elite athletic wings, polished guards, and skilled bigs with immediate and long-term upside. With the selections now complete, attention turns to how these rookies will translate in NBA 2K27.
The projections below represent informed estimates of each player’s starting overall rating in NBA 2K27. They are grounded in pre-draft scouting reports, college and international performance, physical tools, basketball IQ, and comparable player trajectories. These are not official 2K ratings, they reflect realistic expectations for rookies entering their first NBA season.
Pick-by-Pick Projections
1. Washington Wizards – AJ Dybantsa (SF, BYU)
Projected OVR: 84
Dybantsa arrives with elite athleticism, length, scoring versatility, and two-way tools. His combination of explosiveness, perimeter creation, and defensive instincts gives him clear All-Star upside and immediate starter potential.
2. Utah Jazz – Darryn Peterson (SG/PG, Kansas)
Projected OVR: 83
An elite shooter and dynamic scorer with excellent size for the position. Peterson’s shooting stroke, creation ability, and basketball IQ project him as a high-efficiency guard who can contribute immediately in multiple offensive roles.
3. Memphis Grizzlies – Cameron Boozer (PF, Duke)
Projected OVR: 82
Boozer offers rare versatility for a forward: playmaking vision, floor-spacing ability, and solid defensive feel. His size, skill, and feel for the game position him as a plug-and-play modern power forward.
4. Chicago Bulls – Caleb Wilson (SF/PF, North Carolina)
Projected OVR: 80
Wilson brings explosive athleticism, length, and scoring versatility around the rim and on the perimeter. His high motor and defensive tools give him significant long-term upside as a two-way forward.
5. Los Angeles Clippers (via Indiana) – Keaton Wagler (SG/PG, Illinois)
Projected OVR: 78
A polished, efficient combo guard with elite shooting and decision-making. Wagler projects as a ready-made rotation player who can space the floor and facilitate without many mistakes.
6. Brooklyn Nets – Mikel Brown Jr. (PG, Louisville)
Projected OVR: 77
Explosive scoring point guard with quickness, finishing ability, and playmaking flair. Brown’s burst and creation skills should translate into instant bench scoring and transition play.
7. Sacramento Kings – Darius Acuff Jr. (PG, Arkansas)
Projected OVR: 76
Proven high-volume scorer and facilitator with craftiness and clutch pedigree. Acuff’s college production and size give him a solid foundation as a starting-caliber guard.
8. Atlanta Hawks (via New Orleans) – Kingston Flemings (PG, Houston)
Projected OVR: 75
Long, athletic guard with scoring burst and defensive upside. Flemings remains somewhat raw but possesses the tools to develop into a versatile backcourt piece.
9. Dallas Mavericks – Morez Johnson Jr. (PF/C, Michigan)
Projected OVR: 74
Physical, rebounding-oriented big with rim protection and developing post skills. Johnson projects as a reliable energy big and defensive anchor off the bench.
10. Milwaukee Bucks – Brayden Burries (SG/PG, Arizona)
Projected OVR: 76
Smooth scorer with good size, shooting touch, and athleticism. Burries offers positional versatility and shot-creation ability that should earn him early rotation minutes.
11. Golden State Warriors – Yaxel Lendeborg (PF, Michigan)
Projected OVR: 75
Athletic, versatile forward with strong defensive tools and developing offensive skill. Lendeborg’s length and motor fit modern NBA frontcourt demands.
12. Oklahoma City Thunder (via LA Clippers) – Aday Mara (C, Michigan)
Projected OVR: 74
Skilled international big with size, touch, and basketball IQ. Mara brings European refinement and projects as a developmental center with starter upside.
13. Miami Heat (traded to Milwaukee Bucks) – Nate Ament (SF, Tennessee)
Projected OVR: 75
Athletic wing with shooting ability and defensive versatility. Ament’s tools and motor give him a clear path to a meaningful role as a 3-and-D contributor.
14. Charlotte Hornets – Hannes Steinbach (PF, Washington)
Projected OVR: 73
Developmental international forward with size and physical tools. Steinbach projects as a long-term project with upside as a stretch big or versatile defender.
15. Chicago Bulls (via Portland) – Dailyn Swain (SG/SF, Texas)
Projected OVR: 74
Versatile two-way wing with athleticism and defensive intensity. Swain’s length and motor should translate into a solid rotation piece on both ends.
16. Memphis Grizzlies (via Phoenix/Orlando) – Bennett Stirtz (PG, Iowa)
Projected OVR: 72
Experienced, steady point guard with good decision-making and leadership. Stirtz offers high-floor backup guard production.
17. Oklahoma City Thunder (via Philadelphia) – Ebuka Okorie (PG, Stanford)
Projected OVR: 73
Quick, playmaking guard with strong vision and defensive potential. Okorie’s college production supports a rotational role with growth upside.
18. Charlotte Hornets (via Orlando/Phoenix) – Christian Anderson (PG, Texas Tech)
Projected OVR: 72
Defensively oriented guard with size and competitiveness. Anderson projects as a reliable backup who can defend multiple positions.
19. Toronto Raptors – Allen Graves (PF, Santa Clara)
Projected OVR: 71
Skilled forward with shooting touch and basketball feel. Graves offers developmental upside as a stretch forward or versatile bench piece.
20. San Antonio Spurs (via Atlanta) – Jayden Quaintance (PF/C, Kentucky)
Projected OVR: 73
Athletic big with Kentucky pedigree and developing skill set. Quaintance’s tools and motor give him a realistic path to rotation minutes.
21. Detroit Pistons (via Minnesota) – Karim López (SF, New Zealand Breakers)
Projected OVR: 72
Internationally seasoned wing with skill, size, and basketball IQ. López brings pro experience that should accelerate his adjustment to the NBA.
22. Philadelphia 76ers (via Houston/OKC) – Labaron Philon Jr. (PG, Alabama)
Projected OVR: 74
Scoring guard with quickness and creation ability. Philon’s college production supports an immediate bench scoring role.
23. Atlanta Hawks (via Cleveland) – Zuby Ejiofor (PF, St. John’s)
Projected OVR: 72
Physical, experienced forward with rebounding and defensive presence. Ejiofor offers high-floor energy and veteran college production.
24. New York Knicks – Cameron Carr (SG, Baylor)
Projected OVR: 71
Shooter with size and positional versatility. Carr projects as a specialist who can space the floor in limited minutes.
25. Los Angeles Lakers – Sergio de Larrea (PG/SG, Valencia)
Projected OVR: 73
European guard with pro experience, playmaking, and shooting touch. De Larrea’s seasoning should help him contribute earlier than most rookies.
26. Denver Nuggets – Tarris Reed Jr. (C, UConn)
Projected OVR: 73
Experienced, physical college big with rim protection and rebounding. Reed offers immediate frontcourt depth and veteran presence.
27. Boston Celtics – Chris Cenac Jr. (PF/C, Houston)
Projected OVR: 72
Young, athletic big with developing skill and high motor. Cenac represents a long-term developmental prospect with upside.
28. Minnesota Timberwolves (via Detroit) – Joshua Jefferson (PF/SF, Iowa State)
Projected OVR: 71
Multi-positional forward with size and defensive tools. Jefferson projects as a versatile bench piece with growth potential.
29. Cleveland Cavaliers (via San Antonio/Atlanta) – Alex Karaban (SF/PF, UConn)
Projected OVR: 72
Experienced stretch forward with shooting and basketball IQ. Karaban brings college production and floor-spacing ability.
30. Dallas Mavericks (via Oklahoma City/Washington/Philadelphia) – Koa Peat (PF, Arizona)
Projected OVR: 70
Raw, athletic forward with tools and upside. Peat is a developmental prospect whose rating reflects significant long-term potential.
The 2026 draft class is loaded with wing and guard talent. Prospects like Peterson, Boozer, and Wagler project as immediate contributors, while Dybantsa, Wilson, and Lendeborg offer significant star-level upside.
In NBA 2K27, expect many of these rookies to make an early impact across MyTEAM. Initial ratings are projections and will evolve after Summer League and throughout the season.
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