Bucks Rookie Brayden Burries Voted Biggest Draft Steal in NBA's Annual GM Survey

The NBA's general managers have spoken, and they believe the Milwaukee Bucks may have found their next star. In the league's 25th annual GM survey released Thursday, Bucks rookie Brayden Burries was voted the biggest steal of the 2026 NBA draft, collecting 30 percent of the vote from the league's 30 top decision-makers — far ahead of Toronto's Allen Graves, Philadelphia's Labaron Philon Jr. and Cleveland's Meleek Thomas, who each drew 10 percent.

Burries, the No. 10 overall pick out of Arizona, earned the honor after a freshman season that brought first-team All-Big 12 honors and the program's first Final Four trip since 2001. In three preseason games he has averaged 14 points, four rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.7 steals, sitting tied for second on the team in scoring as Milwaukee rebuilds after the departure of Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Bucks' second first-rounder, Nate Ament — acquired from Miami in the Antetokounmpo deal — also received votes.

Elsewhere in the survey, the San Antonio Spurs were installed as title favorites with 50 percent of the vote ahead of Oklahoma City's 43 percent, and Victor Wembanyama dominated individually: 77 percent for MVP and 97 percent for best defensive player. Cameron Boozer topped the Rookie of the Year vote at 50 percent. The Philadelphia 76ers won best offseason with 73 percent after adding Jaylen Brown and LeBron James — but also led the most-difficult-to-project category at 27 percent, a reminder that a revamped roster still has to prove itself.