It was an interesting report that came down from ESPN on Monday, with Shams Charania and draft guru Jeremy Woo noting something that would ordinarily yield a big shake-up in the top positioning of prospects in a normal draft. But this is not a normal draft, not with three star-caliber players at the top of the board, and teams viewing all three nearly equally. So, the news had little impact on the NBA Mock Draft 2026.
The presumption has been that No. 1 will go to AJ Dybantsa from BYU, No. 2 will be Darryn Peterson to Utah and No. 3 will be Cameron Boozer of Duke. Peterson, though, seems to have other ideas.
As Charania wrote on Twitter/X: “Developments ahead of the June 23-24 NBA draft: BYU’s AJ Dybantsa has conducted formal visits with both the Washington Wizards (No. 1) and Utah Jazz (No. 2) while Kansas’ Darryn Peterson only visited the Wizards and does not plan to grant anyone else a meeting, sources tell me and @JeremyWoo. Both have believed in going No. 1 — and now teams in the lottery are taking note of Peterson’s decision to only give access to Washington.”
Why is that important? It probably isn’t. Peterson is signaling he feels he should be the No. 1 overall pick, and it’s entirely possible he will. But it’s also true that his decision to not meet with Utah or Memphis has no bearing on what the Wizards do at No. 1. Nor will it deter the Jazz or Grizzlies from taking him if he is on the board after that.
It’s a lot of sound anf fury but appears to signify nothing. With that in mind, here’s the latest NBA Mock Draft 2026 …
At the Top: Darryn Peterson Adds Some Drama
- Washington Wizards. AJ Dybantsa, SF, BYU. Again, this could be Peterson. This could be Cameron Boozer. A trade is not off the table, either, with the Jazz moving up for Dybantsa. Peterson would easily have been the pick over Dybantsa before the season–he got the better of him consistently when both were prep players–but obviously that changed with the kinds of years each had. So the likely outcome is Dybantsa to the Wiz or Jazz, depending on whether Washington wants a deal. Scout: “He checks every box and is going to come into the league with an All-Star’s game. He needs to get more consistent with his shooting and he needs to be better at understanding how to keep an offense moving because he can be a ball-stopper sometimes. But those are easy fixes. Everything else is an A.”
… - Utah Jazz. Darryn Peterson, SG, Kansas. He wants to be the No. 1 pick, and the fact that he continually sat out for games at Kansas because of cramping issues appears to not bother NBA teams from a medical standpoint, but no one loved the optics of it or the way Peterson handled his repeated absence. How about Boozer? Utah has three expensive bigs now and Boozer would be the pick here, only if Walker Kessler (sign-and-trade) or Lauri Markkanen were put on the block. Certainly, if the Wizards pick here, Boozer is in the running alongside Peterson. But most scouts have Peterson either No. 1 or 2 in this class, so we’re leaving him here. Also of note, though: The Jazz worked out Mikel Brown, which could indicate a Utah trade … but down the board, not up.
… - Memphis Grizzlies. Cameron Boozer, PF, Duke. Boozer is the no-drama guy in all of this. Here’s what one scout said on Boozer: “He has so much skill around the basket, he knows how to win, and he makes everyone around him better. He will score 25 points and still throw elbows, set screens, dive on the floor. He is a guy you want on your team.” We still don’t know where things will go with Ja Morant, but if the Grizzlies offload him as expected, they’re unlikely to get significant assets back in return. They’ve be thrilled if it is Dybantsa who falls to them, but starting to build around Boozer, Cedric Coward, a hopefully healthy Zach Edey, and whomever the Grizz can get at point guard is not a bad prospect.
NBA Mock Draft 2026: The Nets’ Big Swing
- Chicago Bulls. Caleb Wilson, PF, North Carolina. No changes here. We’re settling into a consensus that Wilson will, in fact, round out the Top 4 in this draft for Chicago. The Bulls need a star, and Wilson has that capability. He is a lot less polished than the guys going ahead of him, which is why he is slotted consistently at No. 4. Scout: “He reminds me of Chris Bosh, and Bosh was a Hall of Famer. But you’ve got to remember, Bosh put in a ton of work–he was way too skinny and could not shoot when he came in, but you could see the tools. Wilson, you can see the tools but he is skinny and he needs to learn to shoot better. So the question is, how much work is he going to put in?”
… - LA Clippers (from Indiana Pacers). Mikel Brown, Jr., PG, Louisville. There is a considerable chance that the Clippers will trade this pick, which they had about a 50-50 chance of winning as part of the Ivica Zubac trade. They could stretch for a big man, or more likely, trade down. We like Keaton Wagler here, but Brown has been really good in workouts and his stock is on the rise. He should be a Top 10 pick, with No. 5 as his ceiling. So, beware a deal at No. 5, beware Wagler, but Brown makes sense, too.
… - Brooklyn Nets. Aday Mara, C, Michigan. There are a few disparate outlooks on Mara that will decide where he lands. Some see him as a good, not great, center prospect, who will go in the late lottery (no later than 12) because of his size and potential. Others see a young and very tall player in a league that now has a Victor Wembanyama problem, and project that a team in the Top 10 will stretch for him. We’re going with the stretch, and that the Nets will be the team that makes that stretch–unless they deal this pick, with the Hawks known to have keen interest in Mara at No. 8 and being willing to move up for him. The Hawks could offer No. 8 and 23, with the Nets sending back No. 6 and 33, the third pick of the second round. Again, Mara is a reach, for sure, but the interest is there.
… - Sacramento Kings. Darius Acuff Jr., PG, Arkansas. We’re skeptical on Acuff, but teams do seem to love his scoring ability despite his deficiencies. Acuff is a very tough and versatile scorer, and that is undeniable. But as one scout said, “He is not just a bad defender, he is an awful defender. You will need to work on him to get him up to average.” Now, having looked at how poor defenders in the backcourt have been so problematic for playoff teams, that should knock him down the draft board. But the rumors about the Kings having interest are out there, and it would be very on brand for Sacramento to take him.
Hawks Get Their PG
- Atlanta Hawks (from New Orleans Pelicans). Keaton Wagler, G, Illinois. We’re bumping Wagler back down to No. 8, which should suit the Hawks well because they will like his size alongside CJ McCollum, in an offense in which both could alternate point-guard duties. Wagler would be the point guard of the future, of course, but learning by playing alongside a respected vet will only help him. The Hawks liked what they saw from their team to close the season last year, though, and there is talk that they could get aggressive with a trade.
… - Dallas Mavericks. Brayden Burries, G, Arizona. CBS Sports reported that the Mavs are angling to get Burries and that Burries’s team at Klutch Sports is angling to get him to the Mavs. We’ve heard nothing to refute that, though the Mavericks have looked at other prospects, at least signaling they’re not locked in. Besides, there might not be that much angling required–the Hawks may be the only other team ahead of Dallas interested in Burries. The concerns about Burries are obvious ones–he is older as an outgoing freshman (he will be 21 in September) and he is a 6-foot-4 combo guard. He is an excellent two-way guard, though, and while he can’t carry a team offensively, he can be a winning player.
… - Milwaukee Bucks. Kingston Flemings, PG, Houston. The Bucks may wind up with multiple picks in this draft, and they’d be wise to try to lock down a top-tier point guard in a point-guard heavy draft. There will be questions about whether Flemings’ 6-foot-3 measurement on his wingspan–small compared to other guards in the draft–will do serious damage to his draft position. Surely, it won’t help. But he is a proven two-way guard who plays with intelligence. He is a good shooter who can develop his 3-ball. He shot 38.7% on 3s at Houston, though he took only 2.9 per game. Scout: “Teams will fall in love with him as they talk with him and see how he thinks the game. There are more raw talented players, but he is a worker and a thinker, and he is going to get everything out of his talent.”
NBA Mock Draft 2026: Will the Heat Make Their Pick?
- Golden State Warriors. Yaxel Lendeborg, PF, Michigan. Lendeborg’s workout went well for the Dubs, and though Morez Johnson is getting some buzz here, too, Lendeborg’s mix of versatility and maturity makes him such a good fit. It’s possible someone is going to reach for Lendeborg in the Top 10, and it’s not hard to imagine the Nets at No. 6 or the Hawks at No. 8 making that leap. But is 23, and that narrows the list of teams willing to take him. Scout: “He’s going to be 24 in September, and that’s the big thing with him—he is ready to play in the NBA but you’d expect him to be more of a versatile, dirty-work kind of role player. That’s not a bad thing, but he fits best with a contender. Some teams might be looking for a bigger swing.”
… - Oklahoma City Thunder (from LA Clippers). Nate Ament, SF, Tennessee. Ament did work out for the Thunder, and though they could be required to trade up to get him, there’s a chance he could simply fall to this spot. There is skepticism about Ament, as he was not great as a freshman at Tennessee, but he is a 6-foot-10 wing with shooting ability. He just did not show it with the Vols (16.7 points, 39.9% shooting). But the Bucks need to rebuild and it makes sense to rebuild with big wings. Scout: “Up and down year for him. It was good he came back after getting hurt (ankle injury in late February), but there’s a lot of question marks there. He’s a shooter at 6-foot-10, though. … You just have to trust that you can develop him.”
…
- Miami Heat. Labaron Philon, PG, Alabama. We will see what the Heat do with this pick as they hunt for big game on the trade market, and No. 13 is one of their better chips. Philon has been considered a Top-10 pick at times, but he is probably sliding a bit heading into draft day. Again, the Heat very well might trade this pick, but if they keep it, Hannes Steinbach would be another name to watch. Scout: “He is all over the board. I think where he lands will depend on whether he gets a team who sees him as a starting point guard—and the way he played to close the season and into the tournament, I think his stock is up.”
… - Charlotte Hornets. Morez Johnson, PF, Michigan. Johnson has been good in workouts and has likely earned a lottery spot, with No. 18 (the Hornets’ second pick) being the floor. The Hornets made strides, but they want to improve their size and defense, and Johnson fits the bill there. Johnson is excellent in his role as a defensive star who can chip in offensively, though is not much of a shooter. His measurements (9-foot standing reach, 7-foot-3 wingspan) in Chicago were impressive. He’s a rim-runner first and foremost, but he can defend, score out of dribble handoffs and has excelled in the double-big lineups.
…
Raptors Take a Big Gamble on a Big
- Chicago Bulls (from Portland Trail Blazers). Karim Lopez, F, New Zealand Breakers. Lopez is under consideration as a Top-10 pick, but he is still something of an unknown, and despite interest in his upside, teams that are looking for more of a sure thing would be willing to pass on him. But the Bulls are in position to bet on upside. His measurements in Chicago were not overwhelming (6-foot-8.25 height, 6-foot-11.5 wingspan) and he didn’t quite put it together in his NBL season this year, averaging 11.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 49% shooting. He probably is a 12-to-18 prospect. Scout: “You want to play him as a big wing and he has the build for that but he is more of a straight-ahead slasher now and you can’t be sure if he is going to develop the shooting, and the court vision you want to see there. But he is young and he is physical, he is not afraid to mix it up. That’s a good starting point.”
… - Memphis Grizzlies (from Phoenix Suns). Christian Anderson, G, Texas Tech. There will be a point guard who falls to the Grizzlies here, assuming they stay put and take Boozer at No. 3. Anderson has been very good in workouts, and has shown he can shoot, run a team and play some defense. He shot well in college (41.5% from the 3-point line this year) and can play both on and off the ball. Labaron Philon or Kingston Flemings could fall to them, too, which would create even more choice. Or, there’s the Bennett Stirtz-Ebuka Okorie tier. But a point guard would be welcome in Memphis.
…
- Oklahoma City Thunder (from Philadelphia Sixers). Cameron Carr, SF, Baylor. It is doubtful that the Thunder, already with a packed roster, wind up making this pick. More likely, they’re move for future picks and allow another team into this spot. If Carr is still on the board, he’d probably be the best bet. Scouts are split on Carr, but many believe his off-ball ability will translate to the NBA. He is 6-foot-5 with a 7-foot-1 wingspan and good shooting ability–he has the raw tools teams are looking for, and has noticeably improved over time. “I think he is moving up the more NBA people get a closer look at him,” one personnel man said. “He’s not your No. 1 option but he can be a really good No. 3 as a rookie, and a No. 2 in time.”
…
- Charlotte Hornets (from Orlando Magic). Hannes Steinbach, C/PF, Washington. It is possible that Steinbach goes in the lottery, as he is a big rebounding machine who can play either frontcourt spot after leading the nation in college with 11.8 boards per game. He is a known commodity, and some teams want that. If he is here, he’d be a welcome addition to the Hornets’ backcourt-laden team. We’ve got the Hornets grabbing Morez Johnson already, and doubling down with another frontcourt pick here. This is a team that has promising young pieces on the perimeter, but needs to add talent up front. Coming away with Johnson and Steinbach would be a win.
… - Toronto Raptors. Jayden Quaintance, PF/C, Kentucky. Quaintance could either shoot up if his medicals are good, or slide back if there is uncertainty about his surgically repaired ACL. The Raps have eyed point guards, but could take a swing here at a center like Quaintance or Houston’s Chris Cenac. Quaintance is an athletic 6-foot-10 but struggled to come back from his injury, an unfortunate bit of punctuation on a frustrating year. If healthy, he is a big win. Scout: “You see some Jalen Duren in him because he plays with that same kind of intensity. The injury is there but it is an ACL, and guys his age usually bounce back from that without a lot of added worry as long as the rest of the medicals are clean. That’s the big test.”
…
Jayden Quaintance #21 of the Kentucky Wildcats
NBA Mock Draft 2026: Sixers Land a Young Big
- San Antonio Spurs (from Atlanta Hawks). Allen Graves, PF, Santa Clara. The Spurs worked out Graves early in the process (in early May), and are said to have had eyes on him since. They need depth in the frontcourt and could trade up with an eye on Steinbach. But if Graves is on the board, send him to the West champs. Graves is the kind of do-it-all contributor that the analytics folks will love, and a glue-type guy for an organization that knows how to use them. Scout: “He is so efficient, he makes winning plays, he is young and he got better as the year went on. Get him in workouts and interviews and he is the kind of kid someone is going to fall in love with.”
… - Detroit Pistons (from Minnesota Timberwolves). Dailyn Swain, G/F, Texas. There is an assumption out there that the Pistons will draft a point guard, and they very well could. But there’s also chatter that while the front office was thrilled with the improvement of the record this year, they know there needs to be a general talent upgrade across the board. So don’t assume point guard. Swain is good value here. a risk-reward type, a potential-laden pick for the second half of the first round. He averaged 17.3 points and 7.5 rebounds after transferring from Xavier, and was a key to Texas’ Sweet 16 run. Scout: “He is 6-foot-8 and he has always been sort of a question mark. But the more this season has gone on, and now the NCAA tournament, you see him converting potential into performance. He is passing better, he is shooting better, he is making better decisions. And he’s just scratching the surface.”
… - Philadelphia Sixers (from Houston Rockets). Chris Cenac Jr., PF/C, Houston. Cenac is an intriguing prospect. He has a 7-foot-4 wingspan and could do well with good NBA development, too, having failed to live up to his pre-college billing. Scout: “He is a risk, all the big guys in this draft are a risk. You’d like to see more rim protection, you’d like to see more consistency. But he can develop into a stretch big guy, and that’s at a premium, so he probably winds up in the lottery. There’s a lot of untapped potential.
… - Atlanta Hawks (from Cleveland Cavaliers). Koa Peat, PF, Arizona. Peat decided to stay in the draft despite questions about his shooting, but this is a good spot for the Hawks to take a swing on him. He is a fringe first-rounder, a 6-foot-8 forward who plays with some power. But Peat is probably the highest upside guy on the board here. How a team views him is probably based on whether it thinks he can develop a 3-pointer (6-for-19 in his college career). He might have been better off doing that in the NCAA, but now he’ll do it in the G League.
… - New York Knicks. Isaiah Evans, SF, Duke. We’re backing off the notion of the champs picking a big man, as the momentum seems to be in place for Mitchell Robinson to return. Also, don’t rule out the Knicks packaging this pick and No. 31 to move up. At the combine, Evans measured in at 6-foot-5.5 with a 6-foot-8.75 wingspan and a 8-foot-8.5 standing reach, good measurements for a perimeter scorer teams will want to see be able to defend at an NBA level, too. He does not have much heft, though, at just 186 pounds. Scout: “There is a lot to like because he is such a good offensive weapon and he has so much natural talent. But you will need to do two things with him–rein him in a bit, get him out of that habit of taking bad shots just because he knows he can make them. That’s the first thing. Then, you’ve got to beef him up a little bit, he can’t be on an NBA floor without more muscle. He added weight by the combine, so maybe that is a good sign.”
… - LA Lakers. Tarris Reed, C, UConn. The Lakers are badly in need of a young big man to develop, and while Reed is not a big upside guy, he is a tough-minded defensive presence in the middle, and L.A. could use an injection of that. Offensively, he has a pretty well-refined game around the rim, works well in pick-and-rolls and is a strong screener. He is not a jaw-dropping athlete, though. The big question, then, is: Does he do enough rim-running to suit Luka Doncic?
…
NBA Mock Draft 2026: Wolves Land a PG
- Denver Nuggets. Ebuka Okorie, PG, Stanford. Playing for the Cardinal meant that Okorie has been largely overlooked, but he is a candidate to rise up some boards in the coming weeks. The 6-foot-8 wingspan he registered at the combine will help. He averaged 23.2 points in the ACC last year, though there are questions about how his game translates to the NBA. If he slips to the Nuggets, it’s a good opportunity to take a player who has high upside at point guard.
… - Boston Celtics. Zuby Ejiofor, F/C, St. John’s. We’re expecting the Celtics to go big. There will be some good choices on the board (Henri Veesaar, perhaps Tarris Reed, Alex Karaban) and there just aren’t many other ways to add size for this team. Ejiofor came in with a 7-foot-2 wingspan at the combine, and an 8-foot-11 standing reach, offsetting his 6-foot-7.5 height measurement. He finished last year strong. Ejiofor is a fast-riser who needs offensive work but plays with energy and physicality. He averaged 16.3 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.1 blocks last year. Important to note, he did not shoot much many 3s in his college career (31 for 112) but there is a belief he can eventually stretch his range to the 3-point line. He did shoot 33.3% on 3s over his final 25 games.
… - Minnesota Timberwolves (from Detroit Pistons). Bennett Stirtz, PG, Iowa. Stirtz an attractive piece for a team with hopes of being a contender, because he is certainly polished–he turns 23 years old in the fall, in a draft deep with point guards. He could get on the floor for the Wolves next season. Stirtz will need to add strength and physicality, but he is a polished playmaker who can shoot from deep. “He is a guy who probably could have come out earlier, but he stayed around because of NIL and it could help him in the long run,” one scout said. “He needs to play for a good team where he can set up your offense and knock down shots when he needs to. He is not going to score 20 points a game, but everybody needs guys like that.”
… - Cleveland Cavaliers (from San Antonio Spurs). Alex Karaban, PF, UConn. Karaban is a polished veteran with a winning track record (two NCAA championships and another NCAA championship game appearance), who has worked out for just about every team in the lower part of the draft. Karaban will be 24 in November, and that is not a huge negative for the Cavs, who would welcome a polished, tough, floor-stretching big man who made 37.4% of his 3s in college. If he can hold his own defensively, he could be a rotation player from the jump.
… - Dallas Mavericks (from Oklahoma City Thunder). Meleek Thomas, SG, Arkansas. The Mavericks certainly could go with some size here, but Thomas has some upside and can give the team another scoring threat. Thomas is a solid floor-stretcher who can play good perimeter defense as well. He will need tog et stronger, which is true of a lot of players at this age, of course. “I think he can get stronger, I think he has the frame for it,” one scout said. “He can get knocked off his line when he penetrates, and he might have trouble finishing early in his NBA career. But the talent is there.”
Like HEAVY’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post NBA Mock Draft 2026: All 30 1st-Round Picks With Turmoil in the Top 3 appeared first on HEAVY.