2026 NBA Mock Draft: AJ Dybantsa goes No. 1 to Wizards, Cameron Boozer selected at No. 2 by the Pacers
The NBA Draft Lottery will take place on Sunday, which will determine the order of the top 14 picks
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Welcome to NBA Draft Lottery week. In just a few days, the future of several NBA teams will be at stake when the lottery order is revealed on Sunday (3:00 p.m. ET).
It's no hyperbole to say this is the most consequential draft lottery in recent memory because of the looming changes to the lottery starting as soon as next year. The teams that move up inside the top 4 will be in luck, while it could be a long, winding rebuild for others who miss out on the top prospects in the class.
The NBA Draft Combine next week in Chicago will be telling for several prospects, as the deadline (May 27, 11:59 p.m. ET) to stay in the draft or return to school is approaching. Since I did my first mock draft of the cycle last month, three players (Florida's Thomas Haugh, UConn's Braylon Mullins and Arizona's Motiejus Krivas) returned to school.
All three players will not only receive big paydays to return to their respective schools, but could also be lottery picks in a much weaker 2027 draft class.
With that out of the way, let's jump right into what people came here for, starting with the Washington Wizards at No. 1.
Mock Draft
Round 1
Round 1 - Pick 1
The consensus points toward Dybantsa going No. 1. I imagine at least 10 teams in the draft lottery would take him if they got the top pick. You can make the case for Peterson or Boozer at No. 1. For now, Dybantsa is the pick.
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Round 1 - Pick 2
Boozer to Indiana would be a fun fit. If Dybantsa is off the board, the Pacers will have their pick of Boozer, Darryn Peterson … or even Caleb Wilson. There seems to be pushback on Boozer's NBA ceiling. For me, Boozer could be an All-NBA player one day. His elite basketball IQ is what stands out to me the most. He was the best and most consistent player in college basketball. That should carry weight.
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Round 1 - Pick 3
As I've said from the start of the draft cycle last summer, Peterson is the No. 1 player on my board. Some have questioned his durability after playing just 24 games at Kansas. Still, he's well worth the risk. He has the ceiling to be an NBA scoring champion one day. His shotmaking is second-to-none in this class.
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Round 1 - Pick 4
The team picking fourth (in this exercise, it's Utah) will have the easiest decision to make. Wilson is closer to being a Tier 1 prospect than being in the second tier. His blend of athleticism and size could make someone in the top 3 take him before this pick. Could a team prefer Wilson over Boozer? Maybe. For now, Wilson is slotted at No. 4 as he has been for the last several months.
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Round 1 - Pick 5
Acuff is the most polished offensive guard prospect in this class. The defensive concerns are real, but so is the tape on the offensive end of the floor. He can score at all three levels and tends to generate open looks for his teammates. He had a 3-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio at Arkansas.
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Round 1 - Pick 6
Wagler has drawn some (maximum ceiling) comparisons to Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton. The way Wagler plays on the offensive end of the floor is very methodical. He doesn't have top-end speed and won't overwhelm you with his strength, but he does play in control and can score at all three levels. The Grizzlies are heading toward a divorce with Ja Morant, so selecting a point guard with a high ceiling should absolutely be on the table.
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From
New Orleans Pelicans
Round 1 - Pick 7
One of Flemings' greatest strengths is his ability to get to his spots. That and his speed are why he has drawn comparisons to All-Star guard De'Aaron Fox. Outside of the top four players, Flemings has a chance to go off the board as soon as pick No. 5.
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Round 1 - Pick 8
If you asked me today who is going to be the player who goes higher than expected on draft night, it's Lendeborg. The knock on Lendeborg is that he is an older prospect. That shouldn't matter because at this point, he might be the best overall player available. The Mavs need a point guard, but taking Lendeborg would be worth the swing.
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Round 1 - Pick 9
Mara has been a serious draft riser since the NCAA Tournament. Mara was as good a rim protector as anyone in college basketball and is also very efficient on the offensive end. Of his 305 shot attempts, 213 were at the rim. He converted 76.8% of his attempts at the rim, which is very impressive. His passing as a 7-foot-3 big man also stands out.
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Round 1 - Pick 10
I would imagine around pick No. 10 is where Brown's floor is on draft night. He may be selected ahead of one of Flemings, Acuff, or Wagler if the medicals come back clean. Notably, Brown played in just 21 games due to injury, which included a lower back issue that forced him to miss the NCAA Tournament.
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Round 1 - Pick 11
Philon is a twitchy guard who took significant strides from his freshman season at Alabama to this past year. Philon did an excellent job at touching paint, as he converted 66.7% of his 117 shot attempts at the rim. Philon's gamble to bypass the draft last year will likely see him get picked inside the lottery.
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From
Los Angeles Clippers
Round 1 - Pick 12
Quaintance is one of the most unique prospects in this year's class. His defensive tape from his freshman season at Arizona State was unbelievable. However, he played in just four games due to knee swelling from a torn ACL suffered last season. He needs to go to a team where there's no pressure to play significant minutes right away. An ideal fit would be OKC, a team with the depth to let him sit back and develop.
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Round 1 - Pick 13
Burries was Arizona's best 3-point shooter on a team that didn't take a lot of attempts from beyond the arc. He developed into arguably Arizona's best player throughout the course of the season. When watching the tape, two high-outcome names come to mind: Derrick White and Jamal Murray.
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Round 1 - Pick 14
Steinbach has some of the best hands in college basketball and was a double-double machine during his time at Washington. If Aday Mara is off the board when the Hornets pick, Steinbach would be a fun fit in Charlotte.
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Round 1 - Pick 15
Ament appears to be all-in on the draft process, which makes sense considering he's a projected top 20 pick. Although his shooting efficiency (39.9% from the floor) wasn't great at Tennessee, he did shoot 79% on 7.1 attempts per game from the free-throw line. That's a positive sign for his long-term development as a shooter.
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From
Phoenix Suns
Round 1 - Pick 16
Peat to the Grizzlies is exactly where I had the Arizona star forward in my last mock. Again, I think Peat would benefit more than anyone else picked outside of the lottery in returning to school to develop his shot from outside the paint, but you can't blame him for staying in the draft if he can get a "promise" inside the top 20. Peat's return to school would make him (in my opinion) a projected top-five pick next summer.
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From
Philadelphia 76ers
Round 1 - Pick 17
Stritz is an efficient point guard who plays at his own pace. The Thunder have an abundance of riches in their rotation, so taking an experienced player with their second pick makes sense. Stritz has had an incredible rise from Division II basketball to being a likely first-round pick.
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From
Orlando Magic
Round 1 - Pick 18
Anderson is a true point guard who doubles as a knock-down shooter. Sixty-five of Anderson's 108 3-point shots were non-catch-and-shoot makes, which showcases his ability to create his own shot. He will be a top 20 pick.
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Round 1 - Pick 19
Okorie has a very interesting stay or go decision to make. Personally, he is better off staying in the draft than returning to Stanford. I'm higher on Okorie than consensus and think he will be a top 20 pick if he stays in the draft.
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From
Atlanta Hawks
Round 1 - Pick 20
Cenac needs to go to an organization where he can continue to develop. He is one of the more raw prospects in this class, but his two-way potential down the line is worth the swing in the 20s. The Spurs would be a perfect fit for those reasons.
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Round 1 - Pick 21
 
Karim Lopez
PF
Mexico
• 6'8"
/ 224 lbs
In my first mock, Lopez was the only international player selected in the first round. That's the case once again. This year's international class just isn't as deep as it was in 2024, when it had four lottery picks.
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From
Houston Rockets
Round 1 - Pick 22
Swain was really good during his lone season at Texas. Still, he's going to be an even better NBA player, in my opinion. Every NBA decision maker covets his archetype as a 6-foot-8 wing.
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From
Cleveland Cavaliers
Round 1 - Pick 23
Johnson is a versatile forward who exploits mismatches against smaller defenders on offense. On defense, he's capable of guarding out on the perimeter against smalls. He's a great fit almost anywhere.
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Round 1 - Pick 24
After playing just 41 minutes total last season at Tennessee, Carr transferred to Baylor, where he blossomed into the Bears' leading scorer. He averaged 18.9 points on 49.4/37.4/80.1 shooting splits. His offensive upside is worth the swing here.
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Round 1 - Pick 25
I was surprised that Veesaar entered the draft instead of returning to North Carolina or even entering the portal. However, with several centers (Motiejus Krivas, Patrick Ngongba II, Alex Condon, etc.) going back to school, it helps his case to be a first-rounder. The Lakers make sense, if Veesaar is there at No. 25.
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Round 1 - Pick 26
Evans went from almost strictly a pure catch-and-shoot 3-point specialist at Duke during his freshman year to a legit No. 2 scoring option on the No. 1 overall seed in college basketball. Evans almost doubled the amount of 3-pointers he took from this year to last and still knocked them down at a 36.1% clip. He will be a Day 1 pick somewhere in the 20s.
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Round 1 - Pick 27
Allen has a chance to be a serious riser this week at the NBA Draft Combine, which would put a potential return to Alabama on the back burner. Allen is one of maybe three players with a true 50/50 decision. The 6-foot-8 forward showed signs of growth throughout his freshman year with the Crimson Tide.
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From
Detroit Pistons
Round 1 - Pick 28
Graves is an analytic darling. He didn't post eye-popping numbers at Santa Clara, but his advanced numbers told a different story. Graves is also in the transfer portal, so a return to school is on the table. There are people in the draft community who have Graves way higher than this. I can't get there yet, but I see why the hype is real.
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From
San Antonio Spurs
Round 1 - Pick 29
Thomas is one of my favorite players in this year's class. However, a return to Arkansas should absolutely be on the table for him. If he stays in the draft, he will likely be a late first-rounder.
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Round 1 - Pick 30
Yessoufou was a late entry into the transfer portal, days after appearing to be all-in on the draft process. Yessoufou was one of my favorite prospects entering the season, but I'm not 100% sure what his role would look like at the NBA level. He is essentially a 6-foot-5 power forward. Still, someone will take a chance near the end of Day 1 of the draft on him if he stays in.
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