With the first round of the 2026 NBA Draft only hours away, the Cleveland Cavaliers are listening to proposals for the No. 29 overall selection, according to Cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor. Team officials are open to sliding into the second round—or exiting the draft completely—if presented with the right package.
Front-office decision-makers have struggled to bring some late first-round prospects to Cleveland for workouts. North Carolina center Henri Veesaar made a visit, but forward Zuby Ejiofor declined, with representatives indicating they expect him to be drafted before No. 29. The Cavaliers would draft a player who skipped an in-house workout, yet executives must weigh luxury-tax concerns after spending 2025-26 as the league’s lone second-apron club. A second-round slot would allow the franchise to sign a rookie at the minimum salary.
Bucks zero in on Philon
The Milwaukee Bucks, holders of picks No. 10 and 13, are enamored with Alabama guard Labaron Philon, sources told Jake Fischer of The Stein Line. Philon confirmed he worked out twice for Milwaukee—his only multiple audition during the pre-draft circuit.
Potential movement in the 20s
Fischer identifies the Spurs (20), Hawks (23), Knicks (24), and Nuggets (26) as teams inclined to trade down or out of the first round, fueling expectations of heavy activity between picks 20 and 30. By contrast, most executives doubt any top-10 selection will change hands, though multiple sources tell Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman that Atlanta is still engaged in talks regarding the No. 8 choice.
Suns eye second-round options
Arizona Sports 98.7’s John Gambadoro reports that Phoenix’s second-round wish list includes Baba Miller, Trevon Brazile, Tyler Bilodeau, JaKobi Gillespie, Joshua Jefferson, and Dillon Mitchell. The Suns own pick No. 47 and may need to move up to secure several of those prospects. Meanwhile, league insiders believe Dallas will give serious consideration to Cincinnati forward Miller at No. 30 if the Mavericks hold the pick.
Additional workout notes
Mexican forward Karim Lopez auditioned for the Bucks (10, 13), Warriors (11), and Hornets (14, 18), as well as the Heat. Miami’s No. 13 selection was shipped to Milwaukee in the Giannis Antetokounmpo blockbuster, eliminating the Heat as a likely landing spot.
Flemings’ open letter and late mock drafts
Houston guard Kingston Flemings published an open letter in The Players’ Tribune describing how being struck by a car at age four shapes his determination to become a Hall of Famer. In the final countdown to the draft, fresh mock drafts were released by ESPN’s Jeremy Woo, Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman, Yahoo Sports’ Kevin O’Connor, and The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie.
The first round begins tonight.
Source: Hoops Rumors
