Analysts Crown Memphis, Chicago and Miami as Top Draft Winners
The NBA held its 2026 draft in Brooklyn, where the Washington Wizards selected forward A. J. Dybantsa with the first overall pick, according to Yahoo Sports. Earlier mock drafts released by USA Today and SB Nation had projected Dybantsa to go first and highlighted a reshuffled lottery order that placed the Wizards at the top. CBS Sports analyst Gary Parrish later confirmed the Wizards’ position and noted that a proposed trade would send Giannis Antetokounmpo to Miami, reshaping Milwaukee’s draft strategy. League sources cited by CBS Sports also reported Utah moving up to target Cam Boozer at No.
2, while Chicago was projected to add point guard Caleb Wilson in the mid-first round. After the selections were announced, NBC Sports listed the full first- and second-round picks, and CBS Sports graded each first-round choice, praising the top tier led by Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson and Cameron Boozer. NBA. com observed that college freshmen dominated the opening selections, and SB Nation later evaluated each team’s draft class, assigning grades from A to C. Finally, USA Today highlighted Memphis, Chicago and Miami as the draft’s biggest beneficiaries, whereas the Pacers, Knicks and Mavericks were identified as having missed out.
