2026 NBA Mock Draft: Wizards select Darryn Peterson at No. 1; Kings and Thunder make trades to move up

Peterson has been my No. 1 player since the start of the 2026 draft cycle last summer. Yes, there are concerns about Peterson after an up-and-down season at Kansas, but I'm still buying all the stock on him being the best player in the class. The Wizards can go in several directions with this pick -- including a trade with Utah -- but Peterson is the best option. If it were up to me, Peterson would be off the board first. He has legit superstar potential.

This would be Utah's dream scenario. Being able to draft a player who played his senior year of high school basketball at nearby Utah Prep and last season at BYU would make Dybantsa immediately the most popular man in the state of Utah. Dybantsa still has a very strong case to go No. 1. If somehow the Wizards decide to roll with Peterson, or even Boozer at No. 1, I have a hard time believing Dybantsa would fall past this pick. He was the best scorer in college basketball and has the upside to be one of the best scorers in the NBA by the end of this decade.

As we get deeper into the draft cycle, more people are underestimating Boozer. He produced one of the best statistical one-and-done seasons in college basketball history and has a history of winning everywhere he goes, yet he is the consensus No. 3 prospect among many. It's a testament to how good the top of the draft is. Boozer has an elite basketball IQ and rebounds and passes at a very high level. The frontcourt of Zach Edey and Boozer would be lethal on the glass.

The Bulls have the easiest decision to make on draft night. Whatever player between Dybantsa, Peterson, Boozer, or Wilson is available here, that's the pick. There's no need to overthink it. There's a clear tier break after this pick. Wilson would be a foundational building block for Chicago as the franchise enters a new era.

Pick No. 5 is where the draft starts. Wagler has been a player connected to the Clippers over the last few weeks and it's easy to see why. Wagler can play off the ball and would complement Darius Garland in the backcourt, if that's the direction Los Angeles wants to go in. It's also possible the Clippers shop this pick and let the highest bidder come up to No. 5. If the Clippers keep their pick, Wagler is the best fit.

We have a trade! It's the worst-kept draft secret that the Kings are big fans of Darius Acuff Jr. Although I think there's a real possibility Acuff falls to No. 7 and the Kings don't have to trade up, it's also possible another team equally values Acuff and jumps Sacramento for him. The price to move up one spot would likely be a handful of second-round picks or some combination of a protected first-round pick and/or pick swap, depending on the demand. I've been on record to say Acuff is a tier above the other guards in this range. He's an elite scorer, facilitator and shooter. He is exactly what Sacramento needs.

Brown has one of the highest upside potentials in the class. The raw shooting numbers (34.4% from 3) don't represent how good of a shooter he actually is. If Brown's medicals come back clean from a lingering back issue that limited him to 21 games at Louisville, he should be locked somewhere in the top 10.

In this scenario, the two players Atlanta should consider are Kingston Flemings and Aday Mara. If the Hawks opt for Flemings, he would provide scoring and defense to Atlanta. Flemings is an elite mid-range shooter and uses his speed to put pressure on the defense.

Another trade! Oklahoma City has a treasure chest of draft picks and only a few roster spots (pending any offseason moves). It would make sense for OKC to consolidate picks No. 12, 17 and another future pick to move up inside the top 10. If OKC does move up, Mara makes a ton of sense if the organization declines Isaiah Hartenstein's $28.5 million team option this summer. Mara was one of the best shot blockers in college basketball and was efficient around the rim.

Ament remains one of the most polarizing prospects in the class. He entered the year as a potential top-five pick, but his stock took a hit after an up-and-down season at Tennessee. His efficiency wasn't great at Tennessee. He shot under 40% from the field and 33.3% from 3. Still, someone will take a chance on him in the early/mid-first round.

When it's all said and done, Lendeborg will comfortably be a top 10 prospect on my personal board. His combination of size, strength and athleticism is hard to pass on in the late lottery. Yes, his age is a question mark, but it won't be as big a deal if he joins a win-now team like Golden State. Lendeborg will slot into any NBA rotation immediately and make an impact.

In this scenario, the Mavericks take someone at 12 (Burries) that they should be considering at 9, too. Arizona wasn't a great 3-point shooting team last season, but Burries was by far its best shooter. He's an older freshman and will turn 21 before the start of the NBA season. Still, I'm a big believer in his talent, which is exactly what Dallas needs as it looks to build a roster around Cooper Flagg.

Philon is coming off a breakout season at Alabama in which he averaged 22 points and 5 assists while shooting just under 40% from the 3-point line. I can see Philon going higher than 13 on draft night, but in this mock, Miami doesn't let Philon fall past them.

Johnson has been one of the biggest risers throughout the last month. He's a versatile forward who can defend at a high level inside and outside the arc and also exploits mismatches on the offensive end. It's becoming a real possibility that Michigan's entire starting frontcourt gets selected in the lottery.

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 for Chicago. It also wouldn't be surprising if he went in the mid- to late teens.

Okorie made the right decision to remain in the NBA Draft. He is one player who will go higher than expected. He was one of the best scorers in college basketball and his ability to get to the rim as a guard is special. The Grizzlies don't necessarily need to take a point guard here, but I like the fit if it happens.

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. If the medicals come back clean, it's worth the swing for Dallas after trading back with Oklahoma City.

Stritz is an efficient point guard who plays at his own pace. He has had an incredible rise from Division II basketball to being a likely first-round pick. After taking Johnson with their first pick, Charlotte goes with a point guard at No. 18.

With so many players going back to school instead of staying in the draft, it's possible that Lopez won't be the only international prospect to crack the first round. However, in this mock draft – and the previous three I've done – Lopez is the only non-college player selected in the first round.

Steinbach has some of the best hands in college basketball and was a double-double machine during his time at Washington. The Spurs have a deep roster, but getting some big man depth behind Victor Wembanyama wouldn't hurt. I could also see Steinbach and Wemby co-existing in certain lineups.

Graves is an analytic darling. He didn't post eye-popping numbers at Santa Clara, but his advanced numbers told a different story. He could've returned to college basketball and cashed in on a huge NIL payday. Instead, he will capitalize on the hype and stay in the draft. Graves should join Jalen Williams and Brandin Podziemski as the latest first-round pick to come out of Santa Clara in the last five drafts.

Peat had the biggest stay-or-go decision to make of anybody. Time will tell if it was the right one, but it's hard to see Peat falling out of the first round after so many people in his draft range went back to school. My biggest concern about Peat is the jumper. It appears he has completely altered his jumper mechanically since the end of the season. Peat doesn't need to be a knockdown shooter to make an impact at the NBA level, but it definitely wouldn't hurt.

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. Swain was elite as an isolation player this season.

Anderson is a true point guard who doubles as a knockdown 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 25 pick.

One of the Lakers' biggest needs heading into the offseason is a center. Cenac has untapped potential because of his frame, athleticism and motor. Cenac is going to be a very impactful player in the league if he lands in the right situation.

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.

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. His floor is somewhere in the late 20s.

Thomas is one of my favorite players in the draft. The duo of Thomas and Acuff at Arkansas was reminiscent of a duo John Calipari had at Kentucky years before: Malik Monk and De'Aaron Fox. Monk isn't a perfect comp for Thomas, but I see him having that kind of impact in the NBA.

Reed had one of the most dominant NCAA Tournament runs of any big man in the modern era. He is a throwback big man who thrives in the post and causes havoc on the defensive end. He averaged a career-high 2.0 blocks per game in his final season of college basketball.

Ejiofor has a strong case to go at the end of the first round. He was one of the best defenders in college basketball this past season. If Ejiofor doesn't hear his name called at the end of the first, he will be one of the first five picks of the second round.