First Round Mock Draft

On the 2026 Underdog NBA Mock Draft Show, Draftmaster Chris Horwedel leads a full first-round NBA Draft special featuring Underdog Podcasts’ basketball crew making every pick from No. 1 through No. 30. Rather than simply reading a mock draft board, the episode breaks down each team’s roster situation, recent season performance, positional needs, draft strategy, prospect upside, market movement, and how different player types could fit into each organization.Chris opens by explaining the format of the show and why the 2026 NBA Draft class is especially interesting, with a cleaner top tier before the board becomes much more unpredictable. Throughout the episode, he uses draft odds, pick markets, top-five markets, and top-ten markets to compare how the mock draft lines up with how the betting market views the board.The show covers every major storyline across the first round, including the Washington Wizards searching for a true franchise centerpiece, the Utah Jazz needing a primary creator, the Memphis Grizzlies looking to stabilize after a lost season, the Chicago Bulls continuing a rebuild with multiple first-round picks, and the Los Angeles Clippers trying to balance present-day competitiveness with long-term youth.The episode also dives into rebuilding situations for the Brooklyn Nets, Sacramento Kings, Dallas Mavericks, Milwaukee Bucks, Charlotte Hornets, Toronto Raptors, and Philadelphia 76ers, while also examining how playoff and title-level teams like the Oklahoma City Thunder, Golden State Warriors, Miami Heat, San Antonio Spurs, Detroit Pistons, New York Knicks, Los Angeles Lakers, Denver Nuggets, Boston Celtics, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Cleveland Cavaliers approach late-lottery and back-half first-round selections.Along the way, Chris discusses prospect archetypes, including lead guards, scoring wings, big forwards, rim-protecting centers, international prospects, older win-now contributors, developmental upside swings, and role players who could become valuable playoff rotation pieces. He also highlights how teams should think about fit versus ceiling, when bad teams should swing for star upside, and why good teams often draft for specific jobs instead of dreams.The episode closes with a full first-round board in place, plenty of draft-night chaos still ahead, and Chris reminding listeners that mock drafts are as much about understanding team-building logic as they are about trying to be right. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The NBA Mock Draft Show opens its 2026 draft coverage with Chris Horwedel hosting a full first-round mock, featuring team-by-team analysis, prospect fit discussions, trade possibilities, and championship odds.1:43 – Washington Wizards, No. 1 selection4:18 – Utah Jazz, No. 2 selection6:44 – Memphis Grizzlies, No. 3 selection8:49 – Chicago Bulls, No. 4 selection11:39 – LA Clippers, No. 5 selection13:54 – Brooklyn Nets, No. 6 selection16:38 – Sacramento Kings, No. 7 selection18:36 – Atlanta Hawks, No. 8 selection21:24 – Dallas Mavericks, No. 9 selection22:58 – Milwaukee Bucks, No. 10 selection25:44 – Golden State Warriors, No. 11 selection27:31 – Oklahoma City Thunder, No. 12 selection30:31 – Miami Heat, No. 13 selection32:24 – Charlotte Hornets, No. 14 selection34:45 – Chicago Bulls, No. 15 selection35:43 – Memphis Grizzlies, No. 16 selection36:42 – Oklahoma City Thunder, No. 17 selection38:48 – Charlotte Hornets, No. 18 selection40:14 – Toronto Raptors, No. 19 selection42:48 – San Antonio Spurs, No. 20 selection44:54 – Detroit Pistons, No. 21 selection47:04 – Philadelphia 76ers, No. 22 selection52:17 – Atlanta Hawks, No. 23 selection52:56 – New York Knicks, No. 24 selection53:36 – Los Angeles Lakers, No. 25 selection54:40 – Denver Nuggets, No. 26 selection55:35 – Boston Celtics, No. 27 selection56:43 – Minnesota Timberwolves, No. 28 selection57:51 – Cleveland Cavaliers, No. 29 selection59:17 – Dallas Mavericks, No. 30 selection Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, The Underdog hosts a live 2025 NBA mock draft using Sportskeeda’s simulator and integrates current sportsbook odds. He navigates trades, evaluates team fits, and dives deep into player analysis for each lottery selection and beyond. Key prospects like Cooper Flagg, Dylan Harper, and Tre Johnson are discussed in detail, alongside intriguing trade scenarios and team strategies. Also explored are betting angles, player comparisons, and potential future moves across the league. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's episode of the Underdog NBA Mock Draft Show, we start to get our bearings in regard to next month's NBA Draft.  We go pick-by-pick through the first round of the 2023 NBA draft making our choices for each selection using the fanspo.com mock draft simulator for our mock.  Along the way we talk over a few major trades and look at a huge number of prop bets. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the latest of this year's live Mock Draft specials in advance of the 2023 selection show, DRAFT DAY IS FINALLY HERE and your host Chris Horwedel goes through the first round pick-by-pick giving you his thoughts and makes his selections for every team. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.