On Monday, April 20, the NBA drew tiebreakers for multiple picks in the 2026 NBA Draft.
Phoenix, Orlando and Philadelphia were tied after each finishing the regular season with a 45-37 record, with Phoenix winning the tiebreaker and getting the No. 16 overall pick. That selection will go to Memphis this summer, and Philadelphia, who received the No. 17 pick in the tiebreaker drawing, will send its pick to Oklahoma City.
Utah also won a tiebreaker with the Sacramento to earn the No. 4 odds in the NBA Draft lottery, meaning the the Jazz’s pick can’t fall below No. 8 overall. Utah could have also sent a first-round pick to the Thunder, but the selection was top-8 protected, meaning the Jazz will keep its pick.
Oklahoma City also owns the Clippers first-round pick this summer, which sits at No. 12 in lottery odds.
With a few more 2026 draft positions solidified and multiple potential first-round prospects announcing that they will return to school, Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report released an updated mock draft.
At No. 12, Wasserman slotted Michigan forward Yaxel Lendeborg to the Thunder.
Lendeborg was one of the most productive players in college basketball during the 2025-26 season, but is projected outside the top 10 likely due to his age. The 23-year-old averaged 15.1 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.2 blocks and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 51.5% from the field and 37.2% from 3-point range.
Lendeborg earned Big Ten Player of the Year and consensus All-American honors for his efforts while helping Michigan to a national title.
The former Arizona Western College and UAB standout tested the NBA Draft waters in 2025, and measured at 6-foot-8 and half an inch without shoes while notching a 7-foot-4 wingspan.
At No. 17 overall, Wasserman paired Washington’s Hannes Steinbach with OKC.
As a freshman, the 6-foot-11 big man averaged 18.5 points, 11.8 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.2 blocks and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 57.7% from the field and 34% from beyond the arc. At the 2025 FIBA U19 World Cup, Steinbach averaged 17.4 points, 13.0 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game while helping Team Germany to a silver medal.
Finally, at No. 37 overall, Wasserman slotted Connecticut’s Alex Karaban to Oklahoma City.
Karaban, a two-time national champion with the Huskies, averaged 13.2 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game while shooting 46.4% from the field and 37.4% from deep as a fifth-year senior. The 6-foot-8 forward helped UConn to its third championship appearance in four seasons in 2026.
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