Who rises to No. 1 in our 2026 NBA mock draft? Peterson, Dybantsa, Boozer and Ament are all in the mix

With Cooper Flagg, Dylan Harper, VJ Edgecombe and the remainder of the 2025 people disconnected to the NBA, we tin displacement our attraction to the 2026 draft.

We've been scouting these players for rather immoderate time, publishing our archetypal mock draught successful February. And there's sizeable excitement astir the apical of the 2026 class, with immoderate league executives saying that the apical 5 has historical prima power. Darryn Peterson, A.J. Dybantsa, Cameron Boozer and Nate Ament are imaginable franchise-caliber players.

Over the past fewer years, we've watched the champion prospects of the people mature, and we typically person a beauteous close knowing of the apical of the class; our June 2024 prediction of the 2025 draught accurately identified 4 of the apical 5 players drafted and six of the archetypal eight, a inclination that has historically held true.

The fig of 2025 assemblage and planetary prospects who did not participate the draft, oregon withdrew astatine the deadline -- up to 2 twelve prospects connected our apical 100 large committee -- has created antithetic extent successful our aboriginal first- and second-round projections for the 2026 draft.

Teams inactive person a batch to larn astir the remainder of the lottery and archetypal circular -- this is not considered a heavy precocious schoolhouse elder people enrolling successful assemblage -- and this is not the astir breathtaking 2007-born radical of planetary players who are astir to go NBA draft-eligible for the archetypal time.

Every year, we spot plentifulness of lesser-known players emergence during the assemblage play -- for example, Cedric Coward, Nique Clifford, Walter Clayton Jr. oregon Danny Wolf successful this past draught cycle.

That's the amusive portion of draught projections. No 1 genuinely knows erstwhile oregon wherever players volition emerge, keeping NBA scouts connected their toes.

Who's No. 1 successful 2026 and why?

There are 4 beardown No. 1 prime candidates -- Peterson, Dybantsa, Boozer and Ament -- though astir NBA teams deliberation it would beryllium difficult, but not impossible, to usurp Peterson and Dybantsa arsenic the apical 2 players, barring a large surprise.

We got a agelong look astatine each of these 4 and others astatine the Chipotle Nationals, Nike Hoop Summit and McDonald's All-American events successful April, arsenic good arsenic the USA Basketball U19 grooming campy successful Colorado Springs, Colorado, successful June.

Peterson earned his spot astatine No. 1 done a phenomenal last play of precocious schoolhouse hoops astatine Prolific Prep successful Napa, California, wherever helium proved hard to defender successful the unfastened court. He tin alteration speeds retired of the pick-and-roll, emergence up for heavy pull-up 3-pointers and decorativeness with explosiveness astir the basket.

He is besides showing important advancement arsenic a passer and defender, and Kansas manager Bill Self volition apt manus the 6-foot-6 Peterson the keys to the offense, giving him an perfect level to solidify his lasting atop the draught successful the highly competitory Big 12.

Dybantsa, erstwhile considered a fastener astatine No. 1 earlier a somewhat disappointing precocious schoolhouse elder season, had a stunning show astatine the USA Basketball U19 grooming campy a fewer weeks agone successful Colorado Springs. Looking arsenic keen to make discourtesy for others arsenic we've seen successful immoderate time, Dybantsa was a devastating unit successful modulation and locking down constituent guards done powerfulness forwards with a operation of physicality and strength seldom seen from an 18-year-old.

He scored astatine volition and besides made a plethora of high-level reads successful the pick-and-roll, with pouch passes oregon lobs that exemplify important betterment with his decision-making and unselfishness.

This mentation of Dybantsa is astir a fastener to look arsenic the No. 1 pick, truthful a akin show astatine the FIBA U19 World Cup and arsenic a freshman astatine BYU volition origin america to rethink our projected order, depending besides connected however Peterson looks.

Boozer can't beryllium ruled retired astatine the apical of this draught either, aft his exceptional show astatine the Nike Hoop Summit successful April. He carried USA Basketball to a pugnacious overtime triumph against the World Team with 22 points, 16 rebounds and 6 assists, anchoring his team's defence and showing his phenomenal consciousness for the game. Still, NBA executives knock Boozer arsenic an aboriginal bloomer physically who isn't blessed with large explosiveness and relies excessively heavy connected bully-ball plays inside.

He'll person to support making shots consistently, and show his passing and antiaircraft versatility to soundlessness those critics. We're expecting a Cooper Flagg-type play from him astatine Duke that volition astonishment his naysayers.

Ament is simply a precocious summation to the No. 1 prime speech and the furthest distant of the 4 from reaching his imaginable -- successful nary tiny portion due to the fact that helium weighs 186 pounds. But ultra-talented 6-foot-11 wings with his fluidity, shotmaking prowess, antiaircraft versatility and scoring quality are often deemed franchise-type prospects.

There were plentifulness of NBA executives who walked retired of the McDonald's All-American crippled successful April and said Ament has All-Star potential. After starting signifier astatine Tennessee connected June 17, Ament appears to beryllium adding value and volition beryllium successful a featured relation successful the SEC, giving him each accidental to marque his lawsuit arsenic a astonishment No. 1 candidate. -- Givony

Who are the apical returning prospects to watch?

Though the bulk of our aboriginal projected first-rounders are rising freshmen oregon international-based players, 11 of the apical 30 are returning to the NCAA -- astir of whom went done the predraft process this outpouring and stayed successful college. Here are highlights of immoderate of the apical players NBA teams are evaluating:

Jayden Quaintance, C, Kentucky

Quaintance was 17 years aged for each of his freshman play astatine Arizona State, and ineligible to participate this year's draft. NBA teams were paying adjacent attraction throughout, drawn to his fantabulous carnal illustration and flashes of endowment arsenic a dunker and interior finisher. Considering helium could person been a inferior successful precocious school, his immense shot-blocking numbers (2.6 per game) were peculiarly eye-popping.

While Quaintaince is rather earthy from a accomplishment perspective, peculiarly his leap shot, and has a batch to larn with his wide method and quality to process the floor, his utmost younker for the assemblage level earns him payment of the doubt, and NBA scouts volition beryllium anxious to spot whether helium tin instrumentality different measurement guardant aft transferring to Kentucky. He'll person a large level determination to effort and solidify himself arsenic a lottery talent, but there's a batch of refinement that has to hap earlier he's NBA-ready.

How rapidly helium returns aft his ACL country successful March volition beryllium a origin to watch. -- Woo

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Jayden Quaintance throws down a large dunk

Jayden Quaintance gets the shot and finishes with a two-handed slam

Yaxel Lendeborg, PF/C, Michigan

Lendeborg broke retired past play astatine UAB and volition transportation to Michigan, wherever a immense relation and lucrative NIL woody await aft helium considered entering the 2025 draft. He had affirmative flashes astatine the combine, but it wasn't capable to gain him a first-round assurance. The Wolverines person mislaid rather a spot of frontcourt production, with first-rounder Danny Wolf (No. 27) and Vladislav Goldin disconnected to the pros, allowing Lendeborg to assistance himself successful the aforesaid way.

A late-blooming imaginable with a premix of violative skill, antiaircraft playmaking and fantabulous length, expect Lendeborg to fig prominently for Michigan. -- Woo

Bennett Stirtz, PG, Iowa

Stirtz had begun trending upward successful a existent mode with NBA scouts successful March, wherever helium played good successful the NCAA tourney and drew first-round buzz. Considering the momentum helium built, it was a astonishment to spot him wholly forgo the predraft process this spring.

Instead, Stirtz volition travel Ben McCollum, his manager astatine Drake and Division II Northwest Missouri State earlier that, to Iowa, wherever helium volition person the keys to the discourtesy and a level to further beryllium himself successful the Big Ten. He's a terrific playmaker who figures to beryllium among the apical guards successful the country. -- Woo

Isaiah Evans, SG, Duke

Evans was a five-star enlistee who ne'er afloat broke done astatine Duke past season, playing a tiny relation connected a precise bully squad and deciding to return. A perimeter sharpshooter with a slender build, Evans volition presumably measurement into much shots connected a new-look Blue Devils squad and person an accidental to springiness NBA teams a overmuch amended look astatine what helium tin do.

His limitations arsenic a decision-maker and defender made it hard to gain accordant playing clip past season, and Evans has to amended successful some areas to solidify himself arsenic a first-rounder a twelvemonth from now. His shotmaking quality is simply a legit NBA calling card, but he'll person enactment to bash to triumph implicit scouts. -- Woo

Tahaad Pettiford, PG, Auburn

Pettiford stood retired connected the archetypal time of the NBA combine, and though helium didn't bash capable to unafraid the first-round stableness helium sought, helium reminded scouts of his endowment arsenic helium returns to Auburn. He should person the state to run adjacent season, with the Tigers vacating a sizable chunk of backcourt minutes.

Pettiford's scoring quality and explosiveness springiness him a accidental to win arsenic an undersized guard, but NBA teams privation him to grow his playmaking and amended defensively. His size -- 6-foot-1, 175 pounds -- projects him arsenic a spark disconnected the bench. Still, if Pettiford tin assistance reframe the speech astir his upside, helium could onshore successful the archetypal round. -- Woo

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Duke perpetrate Cameron Boozer and BYU perpetrate A.J. Dybantsa commercialized buckets successful the 2nd quarter.

Duke perpetrate Cameron Boozer and BYU perpetrate A.J. Dybantsa commercialized buckets successful the 2nd quarter.

2026 NBA mock draft: Top 10 picks

1. Washington Wizards

Darryn Peterson, PG/SG, 6-6, Age: 18.4
Freshman, Kansas

Peterson was the champion subordinate successful precocious schoolhouse past season, possessing a coveted operation of size, length, explosiveness and changeable creation. He's a susceptible passer with beardown antiaircraft playmaking ability, and scoring talent.

Headed to play for Self, Peterson volition beryllium the centerpiece of a Kansas roster built astir his dynamic offense, giving him each accidental to solidify his lasting arsenic the No. 1 imaginable successful adjacent year's draft. -- Givony

Note: Top-8 protected, volition spell to the New York Knicks if the prime is 9 done 30.

2. Utah Jazz

A.J. Dybantsa, SG/SF, 6-9, Age: 18.4
Freshman, BYU

Dybantsa has filled up the stat expanse everyplace helium has played, but helium didn't person a large play past twelvemonth astatine Utah Prep.

He looked amended astatine the USA Basketball U19 World Cup successful June, wherever helium played much efficiently and dominated some ends. Every NBA squad is searching for 6-9 wings successful Dybantsa's mold who tin people from anywhere, walk connected the determination and support aggregate positions.

He's already enrolled astatine BYU, wherever he'll person the keys to the discourtesy and the accidental to amusement he's worthy of being the No. 1 prime -- a process that mightiness statesman this upcoming week astatine the FIBA U19 World Cup. -- Givony

3. Brooklyn Nets

Cameron Boozer, PF, 6-9, Age: 17.9
Freshman, Duke

Boozer is 1 of the astir productive precocious schoolhouse players we've ever seen, with a winning résumé unmatched by immoderate imaginable successful caller memory. He has an elite consciousness for the game, and tin handle, pass, sprout and defender each position.

He brings relentless physicality, crashes the solid and takes pridefulness successful dominating his matchups inside. His extracurricular shooting has importantly improved successful the past year, arsenic well. Boozer's first-year accumulation could rival Cooper Flagg's, which would intelligibly acceptable him up arsenic a morganatic campaigner for National Player of the Year honors, adjacent if immoderate NBA executives question his semipermanent upside. -- Givony

Note: Top-8 protected, volition spell to the Oklahoma City Thunder if the prime is 9 done 30.

4. Charlotte Hornets

Nate Ament, SF, 6-11, Age: 18.5
Freshman, Tennessee

A precocious bloomer, Ament has grown importantly successful the past year, filling retired his framework astatine 6-foot-11.

He's a tremendous shotmaker, has improved his passing and antiaircraft versatility, and his quality to get a changeable disconnected astir astatine volition gives him possibly the highest upside of immoderate imaginable successful this class. He'll beryllium a focal constituent astatine Tennessee, allowing NBA teams to measure whether helium tin look arsenic a consistently efficient, winning subordinate successful a challenging SEC. -- Givony

5. Sacramento Kings

Mikel Brown Jr., PG, 6-4, Age: 18.8
Committed to Louisville

Growing from 5-foot-10 to 6-foot-4 passim his precocious schoolhouse career, Brown has shown dynamic scoring instincts and endowment arsenic a shot handler, passer and extracurricular shooter.

Brown, who is 176 pounds, is inconsistent arsenic a finisher, defender and decision-maker, but his quality to grip the physicality of the assemblage crippled connected some ends of the level volition play a important relation successful his productivity arsenic a freshman astatine Louisville. -- Givony

6. Memphis Grizzlies (via Phoenix)

Jayden Quaintance, PF/C, 6-10, Age: 17.9
Sophomore, Kentucky

Younger than respective highly touted rising precocious schoolhouse seniors, Quaintance had a highly productive freshman play astatine Arizona State, ranking arsenic 1 of the champion changeable blockers successful assemblage basketball.

He has a chiseled frame, immense hands, a 7-foot-5 wingspan and is exceptionally mobile. NBA teams volition beryllium monitoring however helium bounces backmost from the ACL country helium had successful March, and that mightiness necessitate a slower commencement astatine Kentucky. -- Givony

7. Chicago Bulls

Karim Lopez, SF/PF, 6-9, Age: 18.2
New Zealand Breakers (NBL)

Lopez had an outstanding play with the New Zealand Breakers arsenic portion of the NBL Next Star program, showing important betterment with his extracurricular shooting. At 6-foot-9, helium has defender skills, and the physicality and centrifugal needed to support large men.

Scouts are excited to spot his imaginable advancement successful his 2nd play successful the Australian league, wherever he'll apt beryllium asked to measurement into a bigger role. -- Givony

8. Atlanta Hawks (via New Orleans)

Caleb Wilson, PF, 6-9, Age: 18.9
Freshman, North Carolina

At 6-foot-9, Wilson looks the portion with an outstanding frame, magnitude and processing two-way versatility that could beryllium harnessed into a precise intriguing bundle agelong term. He tin propulsion disconnected the antiaircraft solid and walk connected the move.

Wilson's strength level and extracurricular shooting request work, but helium has attributes you can't thatch and is loaded with semipermanent upside. -- Givony

9. Memphis Grizzlies

Dame Sarr, SG/SF, 19.0
Freshman, Duke

Sarr is looking to travel successful the footsteps of Kasparas Jakucionis and Egor Demin arsenic highly touted planetary prospects, departing the Spanish improvement strategy to prosecute assemblage hoops connected a revamped Duke squad.

The 6-foot-8 helping is simply a versatile defender who has shown intriguing flashes arsenic a perimeter shooter, passer and changeable creator successful the Euroleague and ACB past year, but is inactive unpolished successful respective areas, including his decision-making. -- Givony

10. Miami Heat

Dash Daniels, SG, 6-6, Age: 17.5
Melbourne United (NBL)

Daniels volition apt beryllium the youngest imaginable successful the 2026 draught people -- turning 18 successful mid-December -- making it hard to task however he'll grip the rigors of the Australian NBL adjacent season. He brings galore of the aforesaid strengths and weaknesses arsenic his member Dyson (Hawks guard), but is bigger, stronger and longer astatine the aforesaid age, which won't wounded his NBA projection.

Similar to his brother, he's an outstanding defender and a enactment successful advancement arsenic a shot handler, shooter and scorer, but helium has a beardown consciousness for the game, and plays with gait and unselfishness. He appears to beryllium making strides with his shooting, too, based connected what helium has shown this summertime successful the NBL1 league with the Sandringham Sabres. -- Givony

Remaining large committee for the people of 2026

11. Chris Cenac Jr., PF/C, Houston, freshman
12. Darius Acuff, PG, Arkansas, freshman
13. Nikolas Khamenia, SF/PF, Duke, freshman
14. Yaxel Lendeborg, PF/C, Michigan, ace senior
15. Bennett Stirtz, PG, Iowa, senior
16. Isaiah Evans, SG/SF, Duke, sophomore
17. Sergio De Larrea, PG/SG, Valencia (Spain)
18. Koa Peat, PF, Arizona, freshman
19. Braylon Mullins, SG, UConn, freshman
20. Tahaad Pettiford, PG, Auburn, sophomore
21. Joseph Tugler, PF/C, Houston, junior
22. Aday Mara, C, Michigan, junior
23. Tounde Yessoufou, SF/PF, Baylor, freshman
24. Andrej Kostic, SG, Kansas State, freshman
25. Ognjen Srzentic, SG/SF, Mega Superbet (Serbia)
26. Hannes Steinbach, PF/C, Washington, freshman
27. Motiejus Krivas, C, Arizona, junior
28. Labaron Philon, PG, Alabama, sophomore
29. Alex Condon, C, Florida, junior
30. Braden Smith, PG, Purdue, senior
31. Boogie Fland, PG, Florida, sophomore
32. Karter Knox, SG/SF, Arkansas, sophomore
33. Morez Johnson Jr., PF/C, Michigan, sophomore
34. Zuby Ejiofor, C, St. John's, senior
35. Alex Karaban, PF, Connecticut, senior
36. Dailyn Swain, SG/SF, Texas, junior
37. JT Toppin, PF, Texas Tech, junior
38. Patrick Ngongba II, C, Duke, sophomore
39. Miles Byrd, SG, San Diego St, junior
40. Thomas Haugh, SF/PF, Florida, junior
41. Darrion Williams, SF/PF, NC State, senior
42. Derrion Reid, SF/PF, Oklahoma, sophomore
43. Moustapha Thiam, C, Cincinnati, sophomore
44. Henri Veesaar, C, North Carolina, junior
45. Andrej Stojakovic, SG/SF, Illinois, junior
46. Kam Williams, SF/PF, Kentucky, sophomore
47. Ian Jackson, SG, St. John's, sophomore
48. Tomislav Ivisic, C, Illinois, junior
49. Mackenzie Mgbako, PF, Texas A&M, junior
50. Milos Uzan, PG, Houston, senior
51. Wesley Yates III, SG, Washington, junior
52. Ryan Conwell, SG, Louisville, senior
53. Nolan Winter, C, Wisconsin, junior
54. Magoon Gwath, C, San Diego St, sophomore
55. Donnie Freeman, PF, Syracuse, sophomore
56. Flory Bidunga, C, Kansas, sophomore
57. Kwame Evans Jr., PF, Oregon, junior
58. Tobi Lawal, PF, Virginia Tech, senior
59. Richie Saunders, SG, BYU, senior
60. Zvonimir Ivisic, PF/C, Illinois, junior