The second half of the first round of the 2026 NBA Draft turned into a trading frenzy. Almost every pick brought another deal, and one of the more interesting ones involved the Dallas Mavericks, the Phoenix Suns, and the New York Knicks.
The Mavericks sent the No. 30 pick to Phoenix. In return, they moved up to No. 25 and grabbed Spanish guard Sergio De Larrea. The Suns used that 30th pick to take Koa Peat, the Arizona forward who had been a question mark for some teams leading up to the night. New York got involved as a third team and picked up five second-round picks plus some cash considerations for their trouble.
All three teams seemed to walk away with something they wanted. But let’s break down the grades for the two main parties.
Mavericks Go Guard Shopping With De Larrea
Dallas had a busy week before the draft even started. They hired Dusty May as their new head coach the day before. Then with the No. 9 pick they reunited May with his former Michigan forward Morez Johnson Jr. That was the big headline. But the front office wasn’t done.
They moved back into the first round to grab De Larrea, a guard who has been playing overseas for a few seasons now. He’s not a name most casual fans know, but the scouting reports like his size and playmaking. It’s not entirely clear yet what Dallas plans to do with him — whether he comes over immediately or stays overseas for another year. The team hasn’t confirmed those details. They’ll probably leak out once the trade is officially filed. But for now, the Mavs added a young guard without giving up anything from their current rotation. That’s solid work.
Mavericks trade grade: B-
Suns Get Peat, a Forward Who Sort of Fell to Them
Phoenix only had one first-round pick, and they used it on Peat. That is not a bad outcome. The Arizona product had some draft buzz earlier in the season, then it faded a bit. There were whispers he might pull his name out of the pool at one point. He stayed in, and he made the right call.
Peat averaged 14.5 points and 5.9 rebounds for the Wildcats this past season. He’s a physical forward who should fit into the Suns’ frontcourt rotation. Phoenix needs bodies up front, especially guys who can play defense and clean the glass. Peat does both. He’s not a star prospect, but he’s a solid rotation piece on a team that needs exactly that. For a pick at the very end of the first round, that’s a win.
Suns trade grade: B
The NBA is weird sometimes. The Mavericks traded down, traded up, and walked away with a young guard and a potential stash. The Suns got a local college product who might actually help them next season. And the Knicks collected picks like they were trading cards. Everyone gets a trophy.
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