2026 NBA Mock Draft: UNC's Caleb Wilson closing in on Darryn Peterson, AJ Dybantsa, Cameron Boozer
Peterson, Dybantsa and Boozer remain the clear prizes of the draft -- but plenty others have risen after strong starts this season
By
Kyle Boone
•
1 min read
The first full month of the college basketball season has given us plenty of actionable data on which to adjust our priors for the 2026 NBA Draft. Caleb Wilson has been exceptional at North Carolina. Thomas Haugh has picked up where he left off last season at Florida. And diaper dandies like Mikel Brown Jr. and Koa Peat, among others, have improved their stock.
But at the top of the draft very little, truthfully, has changed: Darryn Peterson, AJ Dybantsa and Cameron Boozer -- and perhaps, no, probably, in that order -- remain the clear upper class of what NBA teams believe can be one of the best classes of the decade.
My first in-season NBA mock draft reflects the static nature of the top-three -- and the changing landscape elsewhere. I've mocked Peterson, Dybantsa and Boozer at No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3, respectively, a reaction to how I think teams would select them if the draft were held today.
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This is a mock exercise, to be clear -- so the 30 picks below are not how I would rank the players. This is how I think teams would pick right now accounting for talent available and team need. All that can and probably will change in the coming months leading up to June's draft, but below should provide a current look at where the landscape is one month into the season.
Let's get to it.
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From
New Orleans Pelicans
Round 1 - Pick 1
A nagging hamstring injury has limited Peterson to just two appearances this season for Kansas and his time missed is approaching one full month. However, when healthy, Peterson's ability to dictate terms as a lead guard and elevate talent around him makes him the frontrunner to go No. 1.
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Round 1 - Pick 2
The idea of Dybantsa as a built-in-a-lab, scoring wing -- the archetype NBA teams so covet building around -- puts him in the mix to go No. 1. He's already established as the leading scorer and rebounder on a top-10 BYU team and passes the eye test with flying colors.
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Round 1 - Pick 3
No major conference player has scored more points this season thus far than Boozer. And it seems he's just getting started. The Duke rookie is averaging 23.6 points and 9.3 boards per game for a team that is 9-0 with three of those wins coming vs. ranked opponents. To say he'd be a huge prize if he falls to No. 3 would be an understatement. He's my No. 1-ranked player in the class.
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Round 1 - Pick 4
Watching Caleb Wilson play basketball is like watching Mozart compose music or Picasso paint a work of art. He's a night-in, night-out joy because of his relentless energy and it shows in the box score, too: He's averaging 19.3 points and 10.1 boards per game for UNC. His defensive impact, selfless style and boisterous personality are all traits I'd bet on making him a top-five pick.
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From
Los Angeles Clippers
Round 1 - Pick 5
My preseason read on Ament was that he was a big prospect whose production may not be reliable this season. I was wrong. He's averaging 17.1 points and 7.4 boards for the Vols. His big frame and feel for the game make him a jumbo-sized wing with game-changing defensive potential.
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Round 1 - Pick 6
This may be a situation where the best player available also winds up being the best roster fit for the Kings, who desperately need help at point guard. Brown's a do-it-all guard who can score from anywhere and plays with poise and pizazz with the ball in his hands.
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Round 1 - Pick 7
Peat has gotten off to a tremendous start as a freshman at Arizona, where he's averaging 15.6 points and 5.7 rebounds. He tallied 30 points and 7 boards vs. Florida in the season-opener and had a filthy 16-12-3 line and two blocks vs. UConn on Nov. 19. His athletic pop and energy is off the charts and his skill -- elite for his size, which is scary -- still feels in its early stages.
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Round 1 - Pick 8
There is increasing optimism about Cenac Jr.'s game and how it'll project to the next level. He plays to Houston's modus operandi as a crasher on the offensive glass and has shown additional versatility as a shot-blocker and floor-spacer to boot. Playing alongside Joseph Tugler he may not become a two-blocks-per-game weapon, but his timing and feel are remarkable for his age.
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From
Utah Jazz
Round 1 - Pick 9
Haugh has been -- quite clearly -- Florida's best player this season. He leads the team in scoring and has been a difference-maker with his scoring ability and size. At 22 years old, teams may give pause to taking him this high -- but OKC has never been shy of buying into production regardless of age.
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Round 1 - Pick 10
Returning to school has paid dividends for Philon commanding Alabama's high-octane offense while averaging 21.6 points and 5.4 assists. He's improved as a shooter and showcased his quickness in the open floor. He's also become an elite catch-and-shoot weapon (94th percentile this season vs. 41st percentile last season), displaying versatility as more than just an on-ball threat.
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Round 1 - Pick 11
We've still not seen Quaintance yet as he returns from a knee injury last season. But he played a full season of college as a 17-year-old at ASU and was a monster defensively. There's an element of mystery and excitement behind his ceiling as he awaits clearance at Kentucky.
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Round 1 - Pick 12
Cameron Carr's been Baylor's breakout star but Yessoufou is quietly having a tremendous season. He's a big and strong athlete who is showing improvement as a shooter and has the physical tools to be a dynamic defensive weapon on the wing.
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Round 1 - PIck 13
Adding weapons and floor-spacers to maximize the talents of Josh Giddey, Coby White and Matas Buzelis seems ideal. Mullins gives them a picture-perfect tool to do that as a shooter who can score from anywhere -- with an underrated ability to affect the game with his defense and length, too.
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From
Philadelphia 76ers
Round 1 - Pick 14
Stirtz's breakout at Drake last season was no fluke and he's shown as much at Iowa already, where he is nailing 44.2% of his 3s and is flirting close to a 30% assist rate while playing an ungodly amount of minutes. He's an ironman Iowa can't afford to let rest because of his smarts as a scorer and playmaker.
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Round 1 - Pick 15
Golden State's backcourt could stand to add more talent and Burries in this range could make sense. He's a 20-year-old who my colleague Adam Finkelstein tagged as a "three-level scoring threat." He's very polished as a scorer and can get buckets any way you need.
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Round 1 - Pick 16
The jump from UAB to Michigan has highlighted Lendeborg's ability to do a little of everything. His versatility as a passer, defensive disruptor and shooter at his size make him a jack-of-all-trades whose impact is undeniable.
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From
Atlanta Hawks
Round 1 - Pick 17
Tugler might've been the best defensive player in college basketball last season and he's improved his block rate from 12.4% to 13.3% and his steal rate from 2.8% to 4.3%. That's scary. There's still maturing to be done on offense, but his innate instincts on defense are top notch.
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From
Cleveland Cavaliers
Round 1 - Pick 18
It might be tough for Harwell to break through this season on a deep Houston team -- but NBA teams know the Cougars have a dog who could come out and be a potential lottery pick despite playing in a small role. He's a chiseled wing and bulldog defender who can shoot it.
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Round 1 - Pick 19
Flemings has made an instant impact for Houston starting every game and averaging 15.3 points and 5.0 assists while shooting 52.4% on 3-pointers. The hot start may cool but he's looked the part as a natural lead guard who plays with speed and has already adapted well to this level.
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Round 1 - Pick 20
This is a bit lower than where I had Acuff earlier this summer preseason but I think he's clearly looked the part as a lottery/early 20s type pick. He's averaging 17.4 points and 5.1 assists per game and up to 74th percentile on catch-and-shoot opportunities, per Synergy. You know his big body can bully its way to the basket, but he's adding skill to his game as well. Buying stock!
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From
Orlando Magic
Round 1 - Pick 21
 
Dash Daniels
SF
Australia
• 6'5"
/ 198 lbs
Getting Koa Peat early and then Dash Daniels falling to No. 21 would be a dream haul for the Hornets. Daniels, the brother of Hawks guard Dyson Daniels, is a 17-year-old who has a big frame and carries it well as a defensive stopper. His handle as a combo wing is advanced, too, though his shot may need some tweaking as he moves up to the NBA.
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Round 1 - Pick 22
In the background of the Cameron Boozer show in Durham is Isaiah Evans, who is quietly building off a great freshman season and showcasing his terrific shot in a bigger role. He's a bucket-getter who can score in bunches.
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Round 1 - Pick 23
This is the third year now I've been higher on Toppin than most. I assume you are used to it by now. He's built off a Big 12 Player of the Year campaign and so far putting up even more gaudy stats. He'd be an awesome 4-man next to Bam Adebayo.
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Round 1 - Pick 24
Sarr is still coming along at Duke after joining the program late in the summer but the tools are still there for him to be a lotto talent. He's a wing with a long wingspan and a defensive playmaker who is hitting a respectable 34.5% on 3-pointers this season.
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Round 1 - Pick 25
On a deep Houston team, Uzan broke through as one of its most consistent weapons as a transfer, hitting 40.8% on 3-pointers and adding 3.0 assists and 11.4 points per game. He's built off that campaign and been a steady presence for a top-10 Cougars club.
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From
San Antonio Spurs
Round 1 - Pick 26
Knox emerged late in the season for Arkansas as a two-way force, and he finished the season as a 35% 3-point shooter while rating out in the 96th percentile finishing on at-rim opportunities, per Synergy data. He's shown improvement this season, too, hitting 47.1% on 3-pointers.
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From
Houston Rockets
Round 1 - Pick 27
 
Karim Lopez
SF
Mexico
• 6'8"
/ 224 lbs
Lopez is an 18-year-old Mexican playing for the New Zealand Breakers in the NBL -- the same team that produced 2022 lottery pick Ousmane Dieng and from the same league that helped produce 2024 No. 2 pick Alex Sarr. He's a big wing who can shoot the leather off the ball and checks boxes both statistically and physically to become an impact defender at the next level.
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Round 1 - Pick 28
It's been nothing short of a breakout year for Ngongba playing in tandem with fellow big Cameron Boozer. He has a 7.7% block rate and a true shooting percentage of 72.8% -- top-20 nationally. He's also showcased an unusual feel as a passer in this Duke system that has allowed him at times to operate as a playmaking hub.
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Round 1 - Pick 29
Pettiford is one of my favorite draft prospects on planet Earth because of his ridiculous shot-making audacity combined with his competitive edge and attitude. He's a plus-athlete, too, though his 6-foot-1 frame could hinder him from rising much further than this. I also wonder if this front office thinks twice before taking a 6-foot-1 guard with a first-round pick after doing so with Marcus Sasser in 2023.
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Round 1 - Pick 30
Bittle's return to college was an underrated development this offseason; I had a second-round grade on him and thought he'd be an awesome target for teams looking to add frontcourt depth.
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