NBA Mock Draft: Losing Gets Punished! Mavericks Snag Another Top-3 Pick? ...Middle East

Another week, another NBA Mock Draft.

We’re nearing the end of January, and the league feels like it’s in a constant state of flux. The so-called “bad teams” — the Charlotte Hornets, Dallas Mavericks, Portland Trail Blazers and our Chicago Bulls — are suddenly playing out of their minds, while alleged “playoff teams” and “contenders” are dropping games left and right. It’s becoming almost impossible to predict where teams will end up in the standings, let alone where they’ll be drafting when the time comes. Every week, the picture changes.

Over the last 10 games, the Charlotte Hornets have the #1 net rating in the NBA. ?#2 Offense ?#6 Defense ? t.co/rzeMrIZ5AI

In this week’s NBA Mock Draft, Tankathon punished teams that have been losing too much, dropping them in the lottery simulator — a very real potential outcome with the league’s flattened odds. Teams like the Indiana Pacers, Washington Wizards, and Brooklyn Nets felt the sting.

Utah is another interesting case: if they fall far enough, they lose their pick entirely; their 2026 pick is top-eight protected. That’s something they’re clearly trying to avoid, even if it means benching Lauri Markkanen to control the outcome.

Dallas, meanwhile, jumped into the top three, potentially putting them in position to land another generational talent in back-to-back drafts. Call it the San Antonio Spurs method. With Anthony Davis reportedly both wanting and “not wanting” out at the same time, the Mavericks might actually lean into the chaos and tank just enough to turn that dream into reality.

As far as this NBA Mock Draft goes, the only real surprise would be Dallas picking in the top three and Peterson already being off the board. In that scenario, they’d likely lean toward Boozer rather than Dybantsa. That said, if a team ever finds itself drafting this high, it should always prioritize best player available over fit—every single time.

The order for this mock draft was determined by a Tankathon spin, and here’s where things stand in the NBA Draft world with a little more than one week left in January.

NBA Mock Draft — January 23, 2026

The Lottery

Mid-Round Picks

15. Miami Heat: Keaton Wagler, SG, Illinois 16. Memphis Grizzlies (from ORL): Thomas Haugh, PF, Florida17. Golden State Warriors: Cameron Carr, SF, Baylor 18. Atlanta Hawks (from CLE): Darius Acuff, Jr., PG, Arkansas19. Oklahoma City Thunder (from PHI):  Chris Cenac, Jr., C, Houston20. Toronto Raptors: Bennett Stirtz, PG, Iowa

Late First-Rounders

21. New York Knicks: Joshua Jefferson, F, Iowa State Cyclones22. Minnesota Timberwolves: Meleek Thomas, G, Arkansas23. Los Angeles Lakers: Patrick Ngongba, C, Duke24. Charlotte Hornets (from PHX): Christian Anderson, G, Texas Tech25. Oklahoma City Thunder (from HOU): Karim Lopez, F, New Zealand Breakers26. Boston Celtics: Henri Veesaar, C, UNC Tar Heels27. Denver Nuggets: Aday Mara, C, Michigan Wolverines 28. Cleveland Cavaliers (from SA): Dame Sarr, SF, Duke29. Detroit Pistons: Flory Bidunga, C, Kansas30. Washington Wizards (from OKC): Dash Daniels, SG, Melbourne United

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