One of the most anticipated NBA Drafts in recent memory has finally arrived, and the 2026 class carries the kind of promise that fuels years of debate. Several prospects in this group could eventually build Hall of Fame résumés. Others, inevitably, will fall short of expectations. That uncertainty is part of the intrigue. Finding a place in the NBA is difficult; becoming a star is incredibly rare. Even so, this draft has the makings of one that could be remembered among the best in league history.
For the sport, it is a night loaded with possibility. For those who have followed these players from high school gyms to college arenas, it is also a moment to appreciate how far they have come.
Over the past five days, I spoke with nearly a dozen league sources to get a sense of the conversations circulating around the NBA as teams prepare for what could be a historic night in Brooklyn. If you are just getting up to speed on the 2026 NBA Draft, here are the major storylines drawing attention around the league.
Will Washington surprise and take Darryn Peterson over AJ Dybantsa?
The biggest question remains at the very top, though the consensus is hard to ignore. Nearly every NBA source I contacted expects Dybantsa to go No. 1 to the Wizards. Betting markets have also strongly pointed toward Dybantsa landing in Washington on Tuesday night.
Still, draft history is a useful reminder that certainty can be misleading. In 2022, the top of the board seemed settled for weeks: Orlando was expected to take Jabari Smith Jr. first, Chet Holmgren was widely projected second to Oklahoma City, and Paolo Banchero appeared ticketed for Houston at No. 3. Instead, the Magic surprised the league by selecting Banchero with the first pick, while Smith slid to third. In hindsight, Orlando made the right call.
That is why a surprise involving Peterson going ahead of Dybantsa cannot be dismissed entirely. Washington has done extensive homework on Peterson, and not long ago, he was viewed by many as the most likely No. 1 pick. I would be surprised if the Wizards made that move, but not stunned.
“Washington always keeps thing close to the vest, posturing and thinking they’re smarter that everyone else,” one Eastern Conference general manager told CBS Sports.
There is also another possible wrinkle: Utah could try to trade up to No. 1 to secure Dybantsa. I spoke Tuesday morning with Dybantsa’s father, Ace, who made the family’s expectation clear. “I don’t know where it’s going to be, but AJ is going No. 1,” he said. He added, “He doesn’t care where he goes, he just wants Adam Silver to say his name first at 8:08 p.m. tonight.”
If the draft order is anything other than Dybantsa, then Peterson, then Boozer, the stories that emerge soon thereafter will be fun to dissect. I still think Boozer going second to Utah is very possible, and four NBA executives I spoke with said they’d go Boozer at No. 2 as well, with two of them predicting that’s exactly what Utah will do.
Caleb Wilson to Chicago is the lock of the 2026 Draft
For as big of a favorite as Dybantsa-to-Washington is, Wilson going to the Bulls is even more of a sure thing. The one-and-done UNC product could ultimately prove to have the best NBA career of anyone in this draft. Great athlete, great mindset, excellent teammate. The fact the Bulls have the fourth pick and should be getting someone with the sky-high upside like Wilson speaks to how great this draft is. It’s why the draft really begins with the Clippers at No. 5; no one knows what will happen there.
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Opinions split on the run of point guards in the top 12
There are five one-and-done point/lead guards who will be taken somewhere between No. 5 and No. 12 (if not No. 10): Darius Acuff Jr., Mikel Brown Jr., Brayden Burries, Kingston Flemings and Keaton Wagler.
I polled a variety of NBA scouts and general managers and asked them to rank out the prospects from best to worst. Acuff, Brown and Wagler all received first-place votes, while Acuff, Brown, Burries and Flemings all received bottom-place votes. The strength of the 2026 draft isn’t just because of the top four picks; it’s with these next five guards, all of whom are capable of growing into All-Stars down the road. All of them won’t, but all of them can.
“All of them are really good,” one Western Conference executive said. “Every team, if you went 1-30, everyone would have a different order. There’s not going to be this great consensus because it’s going to be what kind of player you like? Do you want the speed, the size, the shooting?”
In NBA circles, the slight edge on prediction is that the Clippers will take Wagler with the fifth pick. He’s got a great story: from unknown prospect to one-and-doner after just a year at Illinois, including a Final Four run.
2026 NBA Draft Roundtable: Best lead guard in the class? Second round sleepers? Our experts weigh in
Cameron Salerno
Clippers, Hawks, Thunder most likely teams to trade their lottery slots
Based on the people I surveyed, these three are viewed as the most active (and I’m not including Milwaukee and Miami, as they were always at the top of the list due to the Giannis trade stakes). Hard to see the Clippers actually moving down from No. 5, but they’ve definitely made calls. I have Mikel Brown Jr. mocked to LA.
Atlanta has worked out seemingly a hundred prospects over the past month-plus. Two sources described the Hawks as ultra active on the phones as of late. But given the talent with all of those guards, they won’t move. I can’t see it. (I also wonder if they draft Aday Mara at No. 8). As for the Thunder, it’s widely believed that Sam Presti will not draft and keep two rookies at picks 12 and 17. The roster is already loaded, even after trading away Aaron Wiggins earlier in the week. Will a team do OKC a solid and take one of those picks off their hands?
Nate Ament to the Bucks?
The 19-year-old who averaged 16.7 points and 6.3 rebounds in 35 games for Tennessee seems to be the hardest likely prospect prospect to forecast. The team with the highest draft slot he’s worked out for is Brooklyn, which owns the sixth pick. I can’t see that. I also don’t see him taken anywhere in the top eight. There’s been some noise around him falling outside of the top 15 that I also can’t get behind. I think 9-14 is his range, but who takes the swing?
Ament didn’t have a bad year at Tennessee; he just didn’t pop the way some thought he would. The problem was Ament’s shooting, in addition to an ankle injury that held him back at the end of the season. With Milwaukee now owning the 10th and 13th picks, it would make plenty of sense for Milwaukee to bring in the 6-10 Ament and see if he can hit. Maybe Dallas jumps the line and takes him at No. 9, but that feels like it could be Brayden Burries out of Arizona.
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Tidbits on five more prospects
Morez Johnson Jr. (Michigan): I’ve been told his floor is Charlotte at 14. He doesn’t have the dynamic offensive upside to justify going in the top 10, but his physical nature and glue-guy attributes after being a linchpin on a national championship team have seemingly solidified his lottery status. Worked out for Brooklyn recently, but the Nets are doing everything they can to smokescreen their pick.
Christian Anderson (Texas Tech): Not projected to go in the lottery, but I wonder if Milwaukee at 13 or Charlotte at 14 take a swing on him. Was college basketball’s best shooting + passing combo as a point guard last season. Has been terrific in the interview process and seems to be rising, reputation-wise, in these closing hours. I think Memphis at 16 is highly probable if he’s still available. Can’t see him lasting past 18 with that second Charlotte pick. Toronto (19th) and Detroit (21st) don’t seem to believe he’ll still be there.
Labaron Philon (Alabama): Stock is all over the place. Some teams like him, others seem to have him well into the 20s on their board. I happen to think he’ll be one of the 12-or-so best players from this draft 10 years from now. Milwaukee has apparently shown a lot of interest. Could he possibly go to them at 13? If he doesn’t, some think he’s vulnerable to plunge into the 20s.
Koa Peat (Arizona): Sounds like the bad shooting performance at the combine has spooked every team in the top 15. I don’t buy the idea he’s falling to 25th or worse. There’s been a lot of speculation with Philadephia at 22. I think the discussion around him has been totally overblown and he’ll easily last 10 years in the NBA. Should be gone in the top 20 with room to spare, but we’ll see if any of those teams in that range have the fortitude to do it.
Jayden Quaintance (Kentucky): Unfortunately for him, his stock has taken a hit. The medical is not clean (he tore his ACL in early 2025) and it’s basically pushed him into the mid-20s, it seems. There’s a chance he falls to Day 2 as a result. He didn’t even play 100 minutes last season. One GM with a pick in the 20s told me, “I have no idea how good he actually is, or can be.” Not an encouraging sign.
In general, I think the draft is too loaded not to have a couple of wow moments awaiting us on Tuesday night. Washington is on the clock, and the drama will immediately unfold soon thereafter.
