Let's check in on another NBA mock draft because why not

NBA mock drafts. We can’t quit them. They seem to be part of the internet’s daily routine since the draft lottery nearly two weeks ago. Today, we pass along the update to the mock over at CBS Sports.

In this one, Malachi Moreno is the last pick of the first round, going 30th to the Dallas Mavericks. That’s an organization without a head coach at the moment, but general manager Mike Schmitz (formerly of ESPN) has the patience for longer-term projects, writes Adam Finkelstein.

“Schmitz is an executive who has shown he’s not only willing to be patient but also values size and feel, two things that Moreno has plenty of. I think this is a stretch, but if you believe Moreno’s first-round buzz is real, then Dallas could be a likely suitor.”

[2026 NBA Mock Draft: Adam Finkelstein’s first post-combine mock]

Jayden Quaintance just outside the lottery

Kentucky’s other first-round NBA hopeful, Jayden Quaintance, lands at No. 15 in the new CBS Sports mock draft. That’s one spot outside of the lottery, sending him to Chicago to play for the Bulls, another team without a head coach. Again, Finkelstein mentions the front office in his explanation, this time, the brand new Bulls Executive Vice President, Bryson Graham.

“Graham is known to covet size, length, athleticism, and physicality (or SLAP for short), and no player left on the board checks those boxes better than Quaintance.”