2026 NBA Draft Rumors and Notes: Green Room Invites and Mikel Brown's Lottery Interest
Yaxel Lendeborg's omission, Christian Anderson's surprise inclusion, and the latest intel on Mikel Brown's busy pre draft workout tour.
With the 2026 NBA Draft now less than two weeks away, the excitement surrounding the event is beginning to reach its peak. Between mock drafts, rumors, private workouts, and front office discussions, draft season is officially in full swing.
One of the first major milestones arrived Tuesday night when the NBA sent out its initial round of Green Room invitations.
Traditionally, NBA teams vote on the 20-25 prospects they believe are most likely to be selected in the first round. While receiving a Green Room invitation is generally viewed as a strong indicator that a player is expected to hear his name called high on draft night, history has shown there are no guarantees.
Every year, a handful of invitees slide further than expected, and in rare cases, some have even fallen into the second round.
Below is the first wave of Green Room invitees, listed alphabetically by last name:
Darius Acuff Jr.
Christian Anderson Jr.
Nate Ament
Cam Boozer
Brayden Burries
AJ Dybantsa
Kingston Flemings
Karim Lopez
Aday Mara
Mikel Brown Jr.
Darryn Peterson
Labaron Philon
Keaton Wagler
Caleb Wilson
It’s important to note that this is only the first group of invitations. Additional prospects are expected to receive invites in the coming days.
The most notable omission from the initial list is Michigan forward Yaxel Lendeborg, whom I currently have projected at No. 12 in my latest mock draft. While I fully expect Lendeborg to eventually receive a Green Room invitation, his absence from the first wave sparked plenty of discussion across social media on Tuesday night.
The biggest surprise, in my opinion, was seeing Texas Tech guard Christian Anderson among the first players invited. I currently have Anderson landing with Denver at No. 26 in my latest mock draft. While my board differs from the consensus in several areas, I was still somewhat surprised to see him included in the opening group.
Karim Lopez’s inclusion in the first wave also caught my attention. Being among the first players invited doesn’t guarantee lottery status, but it is certainly an encouraging sign when teams view you as one of the draft’s safest first round bets.
As additional invitations are sent out, the Green Room list will continue to provide clues about how NBA teams view this class and which prospects are gaining momentum in the final stretch before draft night.
The 2026 NBA Draft will take place on June 23 and 24 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
Inside Mikel Brown's Busy Pre Draft Schedule
While much of the attention this yesterday centered around the NBA's first wave of Green Room invitations, another noteworthy development involves Mikel Brown Jr., who continues to attract interest from teams throughout the lottery.
A few days ago, I reported that Mikel Brown had worked out for the Brooklyn Nets and Milwaukee Bucks, and I’ve since received additional details from a very reliable source regarding his pre-draft process.
