From AJ Dybantsa to Koa Peat, rewind through the entire First Round of the 2026 NBA Draft at Barclays Center.
AJ to D.C.
Dreams to reality.
With the first pick of the 2026 NBA Draft, the Wizards selected AJ Dybantsa, opening a busy Round 1 in Brooklyn.
Up next? Round 2 tonight (8 ET, ESPN).
5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀
Round 1 Rewind: Dybantsa leads an emotional and freshman-filled First Round
First Look: The drive that fueled Dybantsa’s rise to the No. 1 overall pick
All-Access In Brooklyn: The sights, sounds and memories from Draft Night
Round 2 Preview: A sampling of the strong options still on the board for tonight’s 30 picks
Photoshoot Fresh: Draft Night portraits from some of this year’s top picks
BUT FIRST … ⏰
The 2026 NBA Draft concludes tonight at Barclays Center as Round 2 tips off at 8 ET on ESPN.
See the full Draft board, including the Round 1 results and tonight’s Round 2 order, here.
Blazers Hire Nori: The Trail Blazers have hired longtime NBA assistant Micah Nori as coach. Nori spent the past five seasons with the Timberwolves and will take on his first NBA head-coaching role.
1. DYBANTSA GOES NO. 1, FAMILY & FRESHMEN SHINE IN ROUND 1
With those three words, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver welcomed the NBA’s newest generation of talent, beginning with the Wizards’ selection of AJ Dybantsa at No. 1 overall. | Jeff Zillgitt’s Round 1 Takeaways
- What AJ Brings To D.C.: A dynamic two-way wing, the Wizards add an athletic three-level scorer with a competitive edge who has spent years atop recruiting rankings and Draft boards alike (more on Dybantsa’s road to No. 1 in Sec. 2 ⬇️)
- A Tribute To Dad: At AJ’s request, Silver announced his full name in honor of Dybantsa’s father, who was in attendance for the milestone moment
- “Everything I do is for him,” said Dybantsa. “This is the name he gave me, and it’s really his name, because he’s senior, so I wanted to honor him on this day too.”
The father-son connection continued with the next two selections.
Utah’s No. 2 pick, Darryn Peterson, shared an emotional embrace with his dad, who helped shape his basketball journey. Then Memphis’ No. 3 pick, Cameron Boozer, heard his name called alongside his father, former NBA All-Star Carlos Boozer. | Jazz Hit High Note | Grizzlies Add A Winner
- 2. Darryn Peterson (Kansas ➡️ Jazz): “Honestly, I didn’t,” said Peterson on whether he thought he could make the NBA as a boy. “But my pops always knew.”
- 3. Cameron Boozer (Duke ➡️ Grizzlies): “I don’t even know how to describe it, honestly,” said Boozer on being drafted, with Carlos by his side. “Instant happiness. Just a joy. Basically, my whole life in a couple seconds.”
The top-5 rounded out as many projected, matching the Consensus Mock Draft, though that did little to lessen the joy in the green room.
- 4. Caleb Wilson (North Carolina ➡️ Bulls): Wilson was all smiles after getting the call from Chicago, bringing a favorite childhood hoodie full circle
- 5. Keaton Wagler (Illinois ➡️ Clippers): At this time last year, Wagler was an unranked recruit preparing for his freshman season at Illinois. Twelve months later, he is a top-5 pick
Guards Galore: Wagler’s selection at No. 5 sparked a run of four guards in the next five picks: Mikel Brown Jr. (No. 6, Nets), Darius Acuff Jr. (No. 7, Kings), Kingston Flemings (No. 8, Hawks) and Brayden Burries (No. 10, Bucks).
- Youth Is Served: The first eight selections, from Dybantsa through Flemings, were all college freshman – tying last year’s record for the longest such streak to begin an NBA Draft
- College Pipeline: The first 20 selections all played college basketball, marking the first time since 1994 that the first 20 picks came from the collegiate ranks
The 2026 NCAA champion Michigan Wolverines had their moment after the run of guards, with all three of their declared prospects going as Lottery picks.
- “Michigan Mavs”: With the No. 9 pick, Dallas reunited Morez Johnson Jr. with new coach Dusty May, who officially took the job on Tuesday
- Wolverines’ World: Yaxel Lendeborg (No. 11, Warriors) and Aday Mara (No. 12, Thunder) went next, marking the first time three players from the same school were selected within a four-pick span
- “This means the world to me.” An emotional Lendeborg shared the special moment of his selection with his mom, whom he credited for starting his path to the NBA
Joining Mara in OKC was Iowa’s Bennett Stirtz, taken 16th overall after a reported trade with Memphis.
The Grizzlies were Round 1’s biggest movers and shakers, acquiring five total 2nd-round picks from the Thunder and Pistons to drop back from No. 16 to 21, where they made an international splash. | See all reported Draft Night trades here
- International History: Memphis ultimately landed No. 21 pick Karim López, the first-ever Mexican-born player drafted in Round 1, who played two seasons in Australia’s NBL
- “This is super special, honestly, to be here. I’m blessed,” López said, proudly representing his heritage with the Mexican flag at his Draft table
- Stocking Talent: With López and Boozer, the Grizzlies became one of seven teams with multiple picks in Round 1. | Full Draft Board
2. FIRST LOOK: AJ DYBANTSA’S ROAD TO NO. 1 OVERALL
AJ Dybantsa’s physical gifts have always been obvious.
They were obvious when he emerged as the nation’s No. 1 recruit.
They were obvious when he scored 25 points against No. 3 UConn in just his fourth collegiate game.
They were obvious when he led the nation in scoring as a freshman.
But those who know Dybantsa best say what separates him isn’t just his physical talent. It’s his mindset.
- “The first time I saw AJ … he was a freshman,” said Keith Smart, Dybantsa’s high school coach at Utah Prep. “We couldn’t recruit him, but we could look at him … he already had instincts like a Kobe. He played hard.”
- “But when you’re with him every day, you travel with him, you watch him perform and play, you started seeing this guy was different.”
Things became different for Dybantsa at age 13.
As much of the world slowed down during the COVID-19 pandemic, Dybantsa and his father made the hour-and-20-minute drive from Brockton, Mass., to Rhode Island each day for workouts.
- “Leading up to that, I kind of just played for fun and when COVID hit and everyone was inside, that’s when things changed for me,” Dybantsa told NBA.com
- “I just ended up loving the workouts, and when we came back from COVID and was allowed back in the gym, I had a growth spurt, and I kind of knew I was better than everyone. And that triggered everything.”
The basketball world soon noticed.
- The Breakout: After shining on the national AAU circuit, Dybantsa earned Massachusetts Gatorade Player of the Year honors as a freshman
- National Dominance: He then won three gold medals with Team USA, earning MVP honors at the 2025 FIBA U19 World Cup as he finished his high school career at Utah Prep
- The Next Step: All of college basketball’s biggest programs came calling, but Dybantsa chose BYU, believing coach Kevin Young’s NBA background would best prepare him for the next level
- “After they hired Kevin Young, they hired a strength coach from the Milwaukee Bucks, a dietitian from the Suns, analytics from the Suns,” Dybantsa said
- “[Young] just started stacking prototypes around us, and I wanted to learn in the best environment to prepare for the league.”
The preparation paid off. Dybantsa didn’t just shine under college hoops’ brightest lights – he got better as the season wore on.
- In December’s Jimmy V Classic, he scored 22 2nd-half points to erase a 21-point deficit against Clemson at Madison Square Garden. Weeks later, he poured in 43 points to beat rival Utah
- By March, Dybantsa was at his best, breaking Kevin Durant’s Big 12 Tournament scoring record with 93 points across three games, before dropping 35 against Texas in the NCAA Tournament
- “I thought his game really matured over the season,” Young said. “The game slowed down for him. He figured out how to attack all different kinds of defensive coverages … and just carve teams up.”
Dybantsa earned unanimous first-team All-American honors, becoming just the second freshman in the last 20 years to lead Division I in scoring.
The other? Trae Young – now his teammate in Washington.
And the rookie can’t wait to get back to work.
“This is just a stepping stone,” Dybantsa said last night. “I still have a lot of work to do.”
3. ALL-ACCESS: ON THE GROUND IN BROOKLYN
“We did it. All the sacrifices that we made … we finally accomplished it.”
Yaxel Lendeborg’s mother, Yissel Raposo, said those words to her son after his name was called Tuesday night.
Draft Night in New York featured no shortage of emotions, and all sorts of memories made for the faces and families behind picks No. 1-30.
- No Sleep Till Brooklyn: AJ Dybantsa began getting ready for “gametime” almost 12 hours beforehand, pairing a fresh haircut with his flower-embroidered suit
- Lifetime Memories: When Washington selected him with the No. 1 overall pick, Dybantsa shared a moment with his father before hopping on the phone with the Wizards GM Will Dawkins
- Special Message: Germany’s Hannes Steinbach, the final Lottery pick who went No. 14 to the Hornets, received congratulations from Dirk Nowitzki after being selected
- Worth The Wait: Alabama guard Labaron Philon Jr., who endured the Draft process last year before returning to school, was visibly emotional after hearing Philly take him at No. 22
Cedric Coward was in the green room for the occasion, but unlike last year, not as a prospective pick. He took up the role of Player Correspondent to chat with the stars of tomorrow.
- That Looks Familiar: He ran into Darius Acuff Jr. before the Kings selected the Arkansas product, quickly noticing they had the same shirt
- Teammate To Come: The Grizzlies guard also snagged some pics with No. 3 pick Cam Boozer, whom he’ll soon team up with in Memphis
Before the festivities formally began, excitement surrounded Barclays Center as draftees soaked in every second of the day they had long awaited.
- Fashionable Fellows: Each of the night’s stars stepped off the bus in Brooklyn for arrival, and that made for a sweet line of suits
- Tradition Continues: The night’s draftees also hit the stage – as one – for the annual Draft Class photo
4. WHAT’S NEXT: DIFFERENCE-MAKERS REMAIN FOR ROUND 2
While night 1 belonged to Tuesday’s top picks, championship difference-makers are still out there in Round 2 tonight (8 ET, ESPN).
Two of the last four NBA Finals MVPs – Denver’s Nikola Jokić (2023) and New York’s Jalen Brunson (2026) – were second-round picks.
Brunson’s climb to the basketball summit started with the 33rd pick in the 2018 Draft. Here are a few notable players still available as the Knicks tip off Round 2 tonight with pick No. 31:
Meleek Thomas (G/F, Arkansas): A strong shooter and defender who can share the backcourt and still produce, looking to follow his teammate, No. 7 pick Darius Acuff Jr.
Isaiah Evans (G, Duke): Microwave wing who can pile up points from the outside and can hold his own defensively.
Henri Veesaar (C, North Carolina): A floor-spacing 5 who can play the NBA’s inside-out style with mobility and athleticism.
Baba Miller (F, Cincinnati): Playmaking big who can serve as a high-post hub, defend multiple spots and push in transition.
Richie Saunders (G, BYU): Efficient movement shooter who can drive off closeouts and finish through contact.
Ryan Conwell (G, Louisville): High-motor shooter and crasher who could impact a team’s rotation.
Jack Kayil (G, Germany): High IQ, versatile combo guard with big-stage experience and honors from Bundesliga, EuroBasket and FIBA Champions League.
5. DRAFT DAY FRAMES
Thirty NBA careers officially began last night.
And NBA photographers were there to capture the moment.
From the green room to the players’ Draft Night portraits, check out a few of our favorites from this year’s top 5 picks.
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