Cameron Boozer, AJ Dybantsa and Darryn Peterson discuss what it will be like to walk across the draft stage and more.
The countdown is almost over … welcome to NBA Draft Week.
The 2026 NBA Draft tips off tomorrow at Barclays Center, where the next generation of NBA talent will take center stage across two nights in Brooklyn.
- Tuesday: Round 1 (8 ET, ABC/ESPN)
- Wednesday: Round 2 (8 ET, ESPN)
5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀
2026 Draft In 2 Minutes: The order, format and storylines entering Tuesday night
Consensus Mock: Ben Couch compiles the projected top 10 picks from expert mock Drafts
Dybantsa At The Finals: What one of the top 2026 prospects learned from covering the NBA Finals
NBA Mailbag: Former Lottery pick & NBA vet Jamal Crawford answers your Draft-day questions
Combine Shine: Krysten Peek spotlights 10 prospects who showed out at the AWS NBA Draft Combine
1. GET READY FOR THE 2026 NBA DRAFT IN 2 MINUTES
Tomorrow night, dreams become reality.
The 2026 NBA Draft begins Tuesday from Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY, with Round 1 tipping off at 8 ET (ABC/ESPN), followed by Round 2 on Wednesday (8 ET, ESPN).
Before the next wave of NBA talent hears their names called, let’s get caught up on what you need to know.
- AWS Draft Combine Hub: The numbers are in, but what do they mean? The new 2026 AWS Draft Combine Data Hub turns measurements into insights, adding context and comparison to every drill and test
- Wizards On The Clock: Washington enters Draft week holding the No. 1 pick after winning this year’s Lottery with 14% odds. The franchise has selected No. 1 overall twice before, most recently taking John Wall in 2010
- Two Rounds, Two Nights: After debuting the format in 2024, the NBA Draft returns as a two-night event, with teams allotted five minutes between picks in Round 1 and four minutes in Round 2
- The Order: Want to know which teams pick where? See every pick from No. 1 to 60 here
- The Prospects: Check out the profiles for every 2026 Draft prospect here, and dive deeper into a few of their unique stories
Draft Buzz: From the debate over who will go No. 1 overall to the depth of talent throughout the class, this year’s Draft is loaded with intrigue. Dive into a few pre-Draft reads below.
- Class Hype: What has scouts and executives so excited about the 2026 Draft class? The Associated Press’ Tim Reynolds breaks it down
- Who Will Go First? The Associated Press’ Andrew Seligman examines four prospects drawing attention near the top of the board
- Father’s Perspective: Former NBA All-Star Carlos Boozer shares what it’s been like watching his son, Cameron Boozer, chase his NBA dream
- Proving Ground: After earning SEC Player of the Year as a freshman, Darius Acuff Jr. is still playing with a chip on his shoulder, writes NBA.com’s Krysten Peek
- Thirty Years Later: As excitement builds around the 2026 class, NBA.com’s Jeff Zillgitt looks back at the legendary 1996 Draft
2. CONSENSUS MOCK: BEN COUCH’S PROJECTED TOP 10
The 2026 Draft class is shaping up as one of the deepest in recent memory, but not everyone agrees on who will go where.
To forecast how the board could play out, NBA.com’s Ben Couch aggregated expert mock drafts from around the web into one consensus projection.
The Consensus Mock Draft projects the top 10 picks – and what sets each prospect apart.
No. 1 (Wizards): AJ Dybantsa
- Bio: Position: F | Height: 6-9 | School/Club: BYU (Freshman)
- A versatile two-way wing who pairs elite athleticism with a fierce competitive edge. Dybantsa earned first-team All-American honors as a freshman while leading Division I in scoring (25.5 ppg)
No. 2 (Jazz): Darryn Peterson
- Bio: G | 6-5 | Kansas (Freshman)
- A gifted shot-maker who can score from all three levels and create his own look. Peterson led Kansas with 20.2 ppg while shooting 38.2% from 3
No. 3 (Grizzlies): Cameron Boozer
- Bio: F-C | 6-8 | Duke (Freshman)
- A polished all-around big whose passing vision and basketball IQ set him apart. Boozer became just the fifth freshman named AP National Player of the Year after leading Duke in points, rebounds and assists
No. 4 (Bulls): Caleb Wilson
- Bio: F | 6-9 | North Carolina (Freshman)
- An explosive athlete who pops at both ends of the floor. Wilson thrives above the rim, attacks in transition and creates havoc defensively with his length and quickness
No. 5 (Clippers): Keaton Wagler
- Bio: G | 6-5 | Illinois (Freshman)
- A crafty combo guard with a unique blend of shooting touch and playmaking instincts. Wagler burst onto the scene as a freshman at Illinois, scoring 46 points against Purdue before leading the Illini to the Final Four
No. 6 (Nets): Darius Acuff Jr.
- Bio: G | 6-2 | Arkansas (Freshman)
- An electrifying playmaker who led the SEC in scoring (23.5 ppg) and assists (6.4 apg) as a freshman. Acuff Jr. is a fearless floor general who can take over a game in an instant
No. 7 (Kings): Mikel Brown Jr.
- Bio: G | 6-5 | Louisville (Freshman)
- Another dynamic lead guard who can heat up in a hurry. Brown has a smooth handle and thrives in the pick-and-roll. His 45 points against NC State set both the Louisville and ACC freshman scoring record
No. 8 (Hawks): Kingston Flemings
- Bio: G | 6-3 | Houston (Freshman)
- A two-way playmaker who is a blur in transition and a menace defensively. Flemings pairs elite athleticism with the defensive intensity that has become a hallmark of Kelvin Sampson’s squads at Houston
No. 9 (Mavericks): Brayden Burries
- Bio: G | 6-4 | Arizona (Freshman)
- A physical scorer who combines strength and shooting with defensive versatility. Burries led Arizona in scoring (16.1 ppg) and helped guide the Wildcats to their first Final Four since 2001
No. 10 (Bucks): Aday Mara
- Bio: C | 7-3 | Michigan (Junior)
- A towering rim protector whose mobility and instincts make him one of the Draft’s most intriguing big men. Mara earned Big Ten DPOY honors while anchoring Michigan’s defense en route to a national title
See the rest of the Consensus Mock Draft here.
3. WHAT DYBANTSA LEARNED ON THE GROUND AT THE NBA FINALS
Victor Wembanyama. Stephon Castle. Dylan Harper.
All top-5 picks over the last three Drafts, all impacting a Spurs team that made a Finals run earlier than expected.
Projected to be among the first names called Tuesday, 2026 prospect AJ Dybantsa recently got an up-close look at San Antonio as a Player Correspondent at the NBA Finals.
What did Dybantsa learn from seeing the Spurs’ young core on the ultimate stage? The Associated Press’ Brian Mahoney explains:
“Dybantsa is watching a young San Antonio Spurs team built by high Draft picks in the 2026 NBA Finals and sees a similar chance to have quick success as a pro …
‘It won’t take that long, especially with my adaptability and my work ethic,’ Dybantsa said. ‘I think that will be, I’m not going to say easy, but pretty similar to what these guys do in terms of the forecast …’” | Read More
4. JAMAL CRAWFORD’S MAILBAG: WHAT’S DRAFT NIGHT LIKE FOR PROSPECTS?
Selected No. 8 overall in the 2000 NBA Draft by Cleveland and then traded that night to Chicago, Jamal Crawford knows all about Draft day emotions.
In this edition of NBA Mailbag, the 20-year NBA vet and current NBC analyst answers your questions on the Draft:
What’s it like waiting to hear your name called during the Draft? – from Ty in Paw Paw, MI
“… There’s a ton of speculation, but nobody truly knows where they will go until right before the pick or when you hear your name called …
I didn’t know until I saw the cameras pull up to me right before Cleveland. I was like, “What are they doing? I didn’t even work out for Cleveland.” Then they traded me to Chicago. So you never know what will happen …”
Are there any players in this Draft class that you’re particularly excited to see join the league? — from Harris in Hartford, CT
“Obviously, [AJ] Dybantsa and [Darryn] Peterson. Beyond them, I’m excited to see Darius Acuff, Mikel Brown, Nate Ament, Cam Boozer, especially after playing against his dad …
“A lot of the guys in this class I took out to eat at Nike Hoop Summit and got the chance to get to know them off the court …” | Read More
5. PEEK’S 10 AWS NBA DRAFT COMBINE STANDOUTS
Top speeds, wingspans, shooting drills and scrimmages.
May’s AWS NBA Draft Combine in Chicago featured numerous ways for the 73 participating players to improve their stock for Tuesday and Wednesday.
NBA.com’s Krysten Peek profiled 10 standout performers from that week of showcases and testing:
Cameron Carr | G | Baylor
“Carr played in the first day of 5-on-5 scrimmages and came in with something to prove. Baylor came up short this season and Carr carried a lot of the offensive load …
During scrimmage play, he shot lights out from behind the arc, connecting on six 3s and finishing with 30 points and 7 rebounds …”
Morez Johnson Jr. | F | Michigan
“The sophomore Michigan forward is coming off an NCAA championship and looked incredible during the agility testing …”
Mikel Brown Jr. | G | Louisville
“During the combine [Brown] shot the ball well with splits including 15-for-25 in the star shooting drill and 18-for-25 in spot-up shooting …” | Read More
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