Former Michigan standouts highlight best picks from Round 1 of the NBA Draft
Yahoo Sports' Draft Live discuss their choices for the best selections from the 1st Round of the 2026 NBA Draft.
Video Transcript
Best pick of the night, I'm going to have to go with OKC and Idi Mara.
Yeah.
Yeah, it's- Yeah, Idi Mara was a good one.
I, I, I think that- Yeah the fact that we allowed Presti to get away with this- At 12 at 12, is massive.
Tom thought Idi Mara could've been top five.
Five, yeah.
And I, and I, I was with you, actually.
Yeah.
I thought somebody could sneak in there and see the potential, for sure.
Yes.
I think, Kev, you're right.
Marcus saw player comp is, is, is right.
Oof.
Defensive player of the year- Yes potential if everything hits, and just the passing.
and the upside, of course, with the shooting, that's gonna be the, the swing piece for him, is if he can hit those free throws and the three-point shot.
The wing span's there.
OKC gets their guy at 12.
I'll just go, I- Cam Boozer at three I feel like is Luka Doni 2.0, where he falls- to three slash four, in a draft that people were expecting, you know, more, from, from Deandre Ayton, more from Margan- Marvin Bagley.
I think Luka Doni falling all the way down to four, what, I guess, in, in the Trae Young trade there with, with Dallas and, and Atlanta.
I feel like Cam Boozer, we're gonna look back at this and say, "How the heck did he fall to three?"
Yeah, yeah.
Yeah.
But, you know what?
Mara is also a- Yeah a strong pick there.
I'm gonna go with Marez Johnson, number nine- Yep to Dallas.
I just love Marez Johnson.
I think that dude is gonna be an absolute stud defensive player, one of the true star defensive players in the NBA, I think, at quin- like, every year in all defensive team conversations.
And offensively, I just imagine him long-term with Cooper Flagg being a real supportive piece as a screener, spot-up shooter, cutter, just does all the dirty work on your team.
A winner through and through.
And for Dallas to take Marez Johnson with Idi Mara and, of course, Jaksa Lenaborg on the board- when Marez Johnson wasn't the star- Yeah, yeah there at Michigan, he was the role-player, I just think it speaks to the Dusty May influence with Mike Schmitz and Masai Ujiri.
This new regime and the turnaround we've seen from not too long ago- Yep the shock and horror of Luka Doni being traded to the Los Angeles Lakers, Nico Harrison, Bella, lucking out getting Cooper Flagg, being fired.
Now it's a whole new story in Dallas.
And I think with Marez Johnson going there, and then Koepke at number 30, potential steal and still another guy who used to be a lottery pick.
I love what Dallas did, especially with Marez at nine.
Yep.
Me as well.
Couldn't agree with you more, partner.
if I had to pick one, I'm just going to hometown hero, Jaksa Lenaborg, to the Warriors.
Yeah.
I like that they're getting someone that's mature, that's ready to hoop, that knows how to win.
I think he'll have a good time there in Golden State.
