NBA Draft 2026: Wizards likely to pick AJ Dybantsa first, Utah eyeing Cam Boozer at No. 2
League sources expect Washington to select AJ Dybantsa with the No. 1 pick, while Utah is projected to move up for Cam Boozer at No. 2; other top prospects include Caleb Wilson for Chicago and several point guards slated for the mid-first round.
Washington is widely expected to take AJ Dybantsa with the No. 1 overall selection in the 2026 NBA Draft, according to multiple league insiders and betting markets. The Wizards have reportedly evaluated Darryn Peterson closely, and a surprise pick of Peterson remains a possibility, though most sources see Dybantsa as the lock.
"Washington always keeps things close to the vest, posturing and thinking they're smarter than everyone else," said an Eastern Conference general manager.
Utah is rumored to be positioning itself to move up and secure Cam Boozer at No. 2, a move supported by four executives who indicated they would select Boozer at that spot.
Caleb Wilson, a one-and-donе forward from North Carolina, is considered a near-certainty to join the Chicago Bulls with the fourth pick, and scouts view him as a potential franchise cornerstone.
The draft’s point-guard tier, projected between the fifth and twelfth picks, includes Darius Acuff Jr., Mikel Brown Jr., Brayden Burries, Kingston Flemings and Keaton Wagler. Opinions vary on their ranking, with a Western Conference executive noting the lack of consensus due to differing team preferences.
"All of them are really good. Every team, if you went 1-30, would have a different order. There's not going to be a great consensus because it’s what kind of player you like—speed, size, shooting?"
The Los Angeles Clippers are favored to select Keaton Wagler at No. 5, while the Atlanta Hawks and Oklahoma City Thunder are expected to be active in trading their lottery slots.
Other prospects receiving attention include Nate Ament, a forward from Tennessee projected to go in the mid-first round, and several players projected for the second round or later, such as Morez Johnson Jr., Christian Anderson, Labaron Philon, Koa Peat and Jayden Quaintance.
The draft is anticipated to produce several notable moments, beginning with Washington’s selection and followed by the decisions of the remaining lottery teams.
