2026 NBA mock draft: Darryn Peterson, AJ Dybantsa and Cameron Boozer lead way

New York Times

18 hours ago

The 2025 NBA Draft has come and gone, which means it's time to introduce you to the new crop of NBA Draft prospects who have a chance to be selected in 2026.
The good news? This class is expected to be deeper than the 2025 class both at the top and throughout the middle and latter portion of the first round. Not only have name, image and likeness rights resulted in players returning to school for extra years, but the incoming freshman class is seen as quite strong, led by a trio at the top in Darryn Peterson, AJ Dybantsa and Cam Boozer. While I would rank Cooper Flagg over this trio right now, they all profile as potential Tier One talents depending on how their collegiate seasons go.
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So strap in and get excited for this upcoming group.
A few notes:
Peterson is my current pick for the No. 1 spot. He's a tremendous shot maker and scorer, developed beyond his years because of his handle and polish with the ball. He can play both on the ball or off it and projects as the kind of high-level backcourt shot maker in the Donovan Mitchell mold. He has an innate understanding of how to change pace and direction to get to the exact spots on the court that he wants. He projects to be a high-level shooter, and I also love his craft at getting to the foul line. Defensively, he's super competitive and tough on the ball, rebounds for his position, and is typically engaged away from the ball. The next course of action for Peterson will be continuing to develop as a primary on-ball weapon who can both create shots for himself as well as his teammates. He'll step in at Kansas and contend for an All-America berth as a freshman.
Boozer projects to be the best college basketball player out of the clear top trio of players in this class. The son of former NBA forward Carlos Boozer is the most polished of the three right now, capable of impacting the game all over the court. His post game in high school was tremendous, but what's most exciting for the next level is his improvement on the perimeter as a power forward. He handles the ball very well as a four man and can use pace and changes of direction to get past his man. He shoots it well from distance off the catch already, and I buy him as a 3-point shooter. Ultimately, the key for his upside will be how he develops as a pull-up shooter. But if that comes, he has an All-Star ceiling. He's a monster rebounder, a sharp defender who is always in the right spot and someone with elite feel for the game. Boozer will be a successful pro. It's just a determination on what the upside is at the end of the day.
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Dybantsa probably has the highest ceiling in the class if everything goes right. He's a big-time shot maker who can get to his midrange jumper seemingly at will. He can get there from mid-post sets, out of ball screens, or in isolation. He is a mismatch nightmare waiting to happen, as he can shoot over the top of guards or merely just blow by bigs. Defensively, there are moments when you can see the upside, when he covers ground all over the court and is switchable onto the toughest opposing players. I have seen Dybantsa disappear too often, and I'd like to see him fully engage this year at BYU consistently. But when he's at his best, his upside is better than anyone else as the kind of apex wing that every team wants.
You can see the outlines of an awesome player in Ament, and the consistency continues to improve every time he takes the court. Ament is a massive wing/forward hybrid who projects at the very least as a sharp 3-and-D player. He's a shot maker from the corners and wings, capable of hitting catch-and-shoot 3s with ease. We've also started to see some ballhandling potential, particularly in transition, although his lack of strength can hold him back from getting to his spots consistently. He also covers ground at a high level on defense, something that will assuredly endear him to Tennessee coach Rick Barnes as he enters a likely one-and-done year. Ament could enter the top-three discussion if he hits his ceiling, but he has a bit more of a floor than some of the other prospects.
The youngest player in the Australian NBL last season, the Mexico native has long been considered a potential top-10 pick with his ability to impact the game across the court. He started slowly as a 17-year-old in a high-level professional league last year but came on late and looked the part of a lottery pick. He averaged 11.8 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.2 assists while shooting 48 percent from the field, 37 percent from 3 and 77 percent from the line over his final 13 games last season, emerging into a clear starter and difference-maker on the wing. He moves around well on the wing and flies to contest shots defensively, and despite a real physical deficiency in strength last season, he crashed the glass well to try to end possessions. I'd bet he ends up as a lottery pick as long as the improvement on the jumper continues.
I am generally not the biggest fan of small guards who aren't particularly strong, but I'll make an exception for Brown. For my money, he's the best floor general in this class. His handle is superb, and he is unbothered by pressure. He's fast enough to get into the lane and polished enough to maintain advantages with his footwork to draw defenders toward him before spraying the ball in every direction. He's a live-dribble passer who can hit reads from a variety of angles with either hand and put them on a dime with velocity or touch. He's also improved immensely as a scorer, drilling shots off the catch or off pull-ups. He sinks his free throws and clearly has touch. I'm fascinated to see how the Louisville backcourt works out — he's not the only Cardinal here — but Brown is the most skilled of the bunch.
This is probably where I differ most from the consensus. Mullins was one of my favorite high school prospects in the 2025 recruiting class. He's a complete wing who profiles incredibly well toward the NBA. He's an obscenely high-level shooter, having hit 42 percent of his 3s on the AAU circuit on high volume last year, per Synergy. If you leave him in transition, you're dead. If you struggle to chase around screens, you're in deep trouble. Mullins was also one of the best defensive guards I saw in the class, with an incredibly aggressive and disruptive mindset on that end of the court. As a driver, he picks his spots well and is an excellent finisher on the interior with real timing as a cutter. He makes quick decisions. Mullins is this year's Kon Knueppel: a player who many have off their preseason draft boards because of his perceived weaknesses but one who will ultimately prove worthy of being a one-and-done.
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Wilson is a bit inconsistent on offense because his skill level isn't as developed as some of his peers. He often seems to get by on his physical tools and athleticism, something that's been easy for him because he's enormous at nearly 6-foot-9 with long arms. He moves remarkably well across the court. But there's probably not a wing in this class with more defensive upside than Wilson, a switchable athlete with all sorts of disruption talent. He consistently racks up deflections and can rise to get a weak-side block if you're not paying close enough attention. I haven't loved what I've seen developmentally from Hubert Davis in his time at North Carolina, so I'm skeptical that Wilson is going to explode in the way that some expect. But his ceiling is quite high if the offensive skill set continues to improve.
Yessoufou is already built like an NBA player, a scoring wing who looks like Anthony Edwards out there physically. What I like most about Yessoufou, though, is that he already plays with an unceasing motor across the court. He flies around on both ends and is constantly moving. There is something to the fact that he was able to just overpower everyone he played at the high school level, but his blend of power, explosiveness and motor played up during Hoop Summit practices this year against elite competition from around the world. The next steps for him at Baylor — which has a long track record of developing guards — will be to improve his overall handle and poise, as well as work on his pull-up game.
Philon was the latest withdrawal of any college player in the 2025 NBA Draft, and I think he made the right call. I love his basketball IQ both with and without the ball. He seems to have a tremendous amount of spatial awareness, and he's a tough defender who figures to only get better as he gets stronger. But the frame is quite thin, and he needs to add a significant amount of strength before he can play NBA minutes effectively. Next year, he'll get to man the lead guard role for Alabama without Mark Sears around, and I'd expect a big leap. If he can add even 10 pounds, it would go a long way. The next step skill-wise is for him to knock down shots from distance, as well, something he struggled a bit with this season. But he has some history of making 3s in high school.
Peat was one of the best prospects in high school basketball over his first few prep years, a physically impressive wing/forward who dominated the game inside of 15 feet with his ability to get to his spots by putting his shoulder down and establishing position. But as he's gotten older, it feels like the rest of the class has caught up with him, and he hasn't developed the perimeter game to match it. He has clear touch, but he's never been a particularly high-level shooter from distance, which is what he'll need to succeed at the NBA level. He'll need to be careful and intentional about his frame long-term, too, as he comes from a family of offensive linemen. His father, Todd, played in the NFL for nine years. His uncle, Andrus, is a former Pro Bowler at offensive tackle for the New Orleans Saints. Two of his older brothers, Cassius and Keona, also played as linemen in college.
Stirtz was the player whom NBA scouts were most disappointed to see not even declare for the 2025 NBA Draft after he burst onto the scene at Drake after transferring up from Northwest Missouri State with his coach Ben McCollum. McCollum departed Drake after a year to go coach Iowa, and Stirtz went with him. He'll try his luck against Big Ten competition, and I'm betting that we see something very similar to what we saw against Missouri Valley competition this past season. Stirtz has some of the best feel for the game I've seen for his age in a while and is an extension of McCollum on the floor. He also has the skill to match it, averaging 19.2 points, 4.3 rebounds and 5.7 assists while shooting 50/40/79 and playing at one of the country's slowest paces. Teams are excited to learn more about him throughout the year.
Quaintance was one of the best defensive freshmen in college basketball last season, making the All-Defense team in the Big 12 while averaging 2.6 blocks and 1.1 steals per game. He's listed at 6-foot-9 but has a massive 7-foot-5 or so wingspan that more than makes up for it and allows him to play above his height. But scouts were not that impressed by what they saw offensively and wonder what his role will be at the NBA level given how poorly he shot the ball; he made only 19 percent of his 3s and 48 percent of his free throws. He also tore his ACL late in the season and is hoping to be ready for the start of the 2025-26 season. I'm skeptical that the formula here — new school and scheme to adjust to at Kentucky, coming off of an injury and offensive questions — leads to draft status as highly as he's projected in some corners. Undeniably, though, Quaintance is an exciting prospect.
Cenac is about as perfect a Houston big man as you'll find, and he should pair with another player on this mock draft in JoJo Tugler to form maybe the best defensive frontcourt in college basketball this season. Cenac is a terrific athlete at his size with long arms. He's physically developed at about 230 pounds as a teenager and moves incredibly well for a big man. He's going to have few issues running the kind of versatile defensive schemes that Houston wants to run, at times playing in drop, at others aggressively blitzing ballhandlers to make opponents uncomfortable. The offensive end will be the key for Cenac. He's not overly developed there yet, with most of his production coming on the interior with cuts, rolls and offensive rebounds. But we're seeing more flashes of skill and comfort, as he is stepping out to 3 and making plays as a passer.
By the end of Florida's national title campaign, Haugh was the Gators player that NBA scouts were most intrigued by. Walter Clayton Jr. rightfully got the accolades, but Haugh's all-around game at his size is impressive. He averaged 12.5 points, six rebounds and three assists over Florida's final 18 games, shooting 51 percent from the field, 37 percent from 3 and 77 percent from the line. He's versatile on defense and a serious athlete who can get up and down in transition as well as guard a bit on the perimeter. He was the matchup nightmare that allowed Florida to go supersized in lineups, or allowed them to stay big while going skilled with him at the four. Per CBB Analytics, he had the biggest impact in on-court net ratings last year for Florida. When Haugh was on the court, they beat their opponent by nearly 28 points per 100. When he was off, the team won by only about 12.5 points. When Haugh played, Florida dominated on its way to a title. I'm expecting a leap this year for him.
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Lendeborg was one of the most productive players in the country last season, averaging 18 points, 11 rebounds and four assists while shooting 52 percent from the field, 36 percent from 3 and 76 percent from the line at UAB. He was a dominant inside-out, mismatch force who got exactly where he needed to go at that level. He hit the transfer portal and declared for the draft after the season, and the read from sources across college basketball was that the financial package Michigan offered was too enticing for Lendeborg to pass up. I would have had Lendeborg as a late first-rounder in the 2025 class if he'd declared, and he has a chance to consolidate that status with the Wolverines in a similar role to what Danny Wolf had this past season.
The whole idea with Khamenia is a dribble/pass/shoot wing who is tremendously skilled and can play off the ball. Khamenia moved the needle for me at Nike Hoop Summit this spring, as he showed how he can deal with physicality and athleticism around him while also drilling shots, making timely cuts and consistently moving without the basketball. His feel for the game is terrific, and he has shown before that he can pass the ball, too. He always knows where he's supposed to be on defense and makes the right rotations. I'd expect him to have a big season at Duke.
Knox was one of the more exciting late-season breakouts in college basketball last season as Arkansas made a bit of a late run under John Calipari despite myriad injuries. The former five-star prospect averaged 11.5 points and three rebounds while shooting 56 percent from the field, 42 percent from 3 and 80 percent from the line in his final 12 games. The brother of former New York Knicks' first-round pick Kevin Knox, Karter is more athletic and flexible than Kevin was, with a strong slashing game and a burgeoning ability to shoot the ball off the catch. If the shooting holds up next year, look for him to be a serious impact player at Arkansas and work his way into a potential first-round slot.
Harwell has always been one of my favorites in this class, a big, physical guard who has skills to match his power game. He missed a year with a torn ACL injury but came back with a vengeance and affirmed his status as one of the best guards in the class. He doesn't have an enormous bag of tricks or any particularly impressive shiftiness, but he is efficient and methodical in how he gets to his spots and understands how to be a real three-level threat. He accepts contact well, can stop and pop from the midrange and has improved his range beyond the 3-point line. Defensively, Harwell is tough and will certainly be able to play within Houston's scheme.
Daniels is Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels' brother, and he brings a similar intensity on the defensive end of the court as his brother. He was the defensive MVP of Basketball Without Borders in 2025, a monster on that end who attacks ballhandlers by crawling into their space and disrupting their rhythm. Offensively, he's more of a work-in-progress, continuing to develop his jumper as well as his polish in ball screens. Dyson was a bit ahead of Dash on that end because of his ability to run an offense and make plays for his teammates out of screens. But Daniels is a jumper away from being a killer role player in the NBA, much like his brother.
Dash Daniels was huge in Sandringham's win over Casey in the NBL1 South 💪
The @MelbUnited Next Star finished with 25 points in just 25 minutes 🤩 pic.twitter.com/2yPIAzLOMw
— NBL Next Stars (@NBLNextStars) June 6, 2025
Pettiford was one of the final players to decide to withdraw from the draft after a robust pre-draft process in which he impressed NBA scouts with his speed, shot-making ability, energy and competitiveness. There might not have been a freshman who made more big shots this past season, including 21 points against Houston, 20 against Duke, 18 against Purdue, 21 against Kentucky, 19 against Alabama, and then back-to-back 20-point games against Creighton and Michigan in the NCAA Tournament. The key for Pettiford will be ironing out the consistency and doing this every night. He'll get the chance to start at Auburn this year after mostly coming off the bench last year, and I'd bet we see it night in, night out from him. His stock is probably limited by his size, but he has a shot to be a first-rounder despite it.
PETTIFORD AGAIN ARE YOU KIDDING 😱#MarchMadness @AuburnMBB pic.twitter.com/ssmxCq4hot
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 29, 2025
I thought Tugler was one of the three best defensive players in college basketball last season. There are things that truly only he can do on that end of the court among all college players. He'll make remarkably long scramble rotations, blitz ballhandlers and attack the ball in ball screens, make wildly impressive weak-side rim rotations and swat long closeouts. He averaged 1.9 blocks and one steal per game in just 22 minutes per game on his way to the Big 12's Defensive Player of the Year award. The question is what you do with him on offense. At some point, he's going to have to develop some skill on that end that hopefully involves him improving his jumper. But the defensive upside is truly remarkable and could allow him to stick in the NBA.
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The entire appeal for Evans is that he's a monster shooter off action. He struggled to open last season before a strong stretch in February when he had 16-plus points over four straight games. The former five-star prospect still needs to develop as a ballhandler and defender. More than anything, he needs to get stronger and more physical. He might still be one more year away in that respect. But the shooting ability is lethal and could give him a chance to stick in the NBA after he drilled 41.4 percent of his 149 3s this past season.
By the end of the regular season, maybe only Walter Clayton Jr. was playing better than Uzan. He averaged 14 points, three rebounds and 3.8 assists over his final 17 games before the NCAA Tournament, dictating seemingly everything with confidence and poise for Houston. He never felt out of control as Houston won 16 of those 17 games. His NCAA Tournament wasn't quite as impressive; he scored in single figures in four of the six games as teams scouted heavily to slow him down. But with another offseason of physical development, Uzan could be even better and lead Houston back to the Final Four.
Byrd pulled out of the draft late after some impressive workouts and a good combine performance that put him on the borderline of staying in. He chose to go back to San Diego State, where the Aztecs are set to have an excellent team returning with another potential draft pick (at some point) in Magoon Gwath, Reese Waters, and a terrific point guard in Sean Newman Jr. Byrd was one of the best defensive playmakers in this class, averaging 2.1 steals and 1.1 blocks per game. He's also a sharp passer and decision-maker who processes the game around him quickly. He's a very confident shooter who just needs to see the ball go in the hoop more. He's a career 30 percent 3-point shooter despite taking six attempts per game last season and hitting 83 percent of his free throws. My bet is the shot comes around and Byrd proves himself.
Avdalas was an international prospect in the 2025 NBA Draft class who withdrew late to attend Virginia Tech. Had he stayed in, he likely would have been selected in the top 40. He's a big, skilled wing who can play both with and without the ball in his hands, and I'd expect him to do a bit of both this season with the Hokies. In the NBA, though, he profiles well as an off-ball wing because he can shoot, having hit 36 percent from 3 this past season, and is also a sharp decision-maker. He processes the game well and moves without the ball, cutting and relocating to find open shots. He's also a sharp passer who makes quick decisions. I'm a believer in his game, for sure, and thought this was a massive steal for Virginia Tech to end up with him.
Karaban didn't even go through the pre-draft process before returning to Connecticut. He had a rough season as UConn lacked a point guard to get its players involved in the offense. Much like Liam McNeeley, his shooting percentage from 3 slipped to 35 percent because he wasn't getting nearly as many open looks as he received in the previous two years when he was a starter on back-to-back national title teams. This year will be different. With Silas Demary and Malachi Smith entering the fold, the Huskies will have strong point guard play that allows them to get paint touches and create kickouts to open shooters off movement. Karaban is also a high-level defender who uses his length and instincts exceedingly well in help situations as he rotates around.
I'm a believer in Smith figuring it out as a backup in the NBA. I wouldn't take him in the top 20 because of his lack of size, but I'm betting that he continues his growth over the last two years and turns into a guy that scouts just can't deny. He was a first-team All-American this past season while averaging 8.7 assists per game to pair with his 16 points. He also has drilled 39 percent of his 3s over his career and is tougher defensively than he gets credit for, owing to a plus-five wingspan that helps him contest better than you'd think. I'm betting on his feel for the game shining through as he leads Purdue to what could be a special season.
🚂 24 PTS
🚂 10 AST
🚂 7 REB
🚂 4 STL
🚂 4-4 FT
Braden Smith was ROLLING against No. 21 Michigan, notching his 8th double-double of the season 👏#B1GMBBall x @BoilerBall pic.twitter.com/Gykgltsiav
— Big Ten Men's Basketball (@B1GMBBall) January 25, 2025
I've always viewed Condon as a potential NBA player, but I didn't get behind the push that he seemed to get this season as a potential first-round pick. I talked to very few scouts who had him in that range this year. Still, what makes him so interesting is that he's a balanced, polished big man at 6-foot-11 who can handle the ball at his size, pass it, potentially shoot at some point and who has tremendous coordination. He made the All-SEC team last year while averaging 11 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.3 blocks, but what's most impressive is his hand-eye coordination. He catches almost everything in his area, can be disruptive with how he uses his hands and has good touch around the rim. There are tools for him to build upon.
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This is probably my shot in the dark, one I don't think anyone else in the public sphere of draft coverage will have in their first round. By the end of last season at Arizona, Veesaar was awesome. Over his final 17 games, he averaged 11.5 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1.2 blocks and 0.8 steals in 25 minutes per game while shooting 62 percent from the field and drilling 36 percent from 3 on nearly two attempts per game. More than anything, it's the movement he brings to the table. Veesaar can move around the court in a variety of screen coverages and has an NBA-caliber frame that should continue to put on good weight as he ages. He needs to improve as a defensive rebounder, but this should be a perfect fit in North Carolina's scheme. I'm buying into the two-way play here of a skilled big with polished footwork and touch.
31. Sergio De Larrea | 6-5 wing | 20 years old | Valencia
32. Dame Sarr | 6-7 wing | 20 years old | Duke
33. Darrion Williams | 6-6 wing | 22 years old | NC State
34. Nate Bittle | 7-0 big | 23 years old | Oregon
35. Tomislav Ivisic | 6-11 big | 22 years old | Illinois
36. Ian Jackson | 6-3 guard | 21 years old | St. John's
37. Johann Grunloh | 6-10 big | 21 years old | Virginia
38. Dailyn Swain | 6-7 wing | 21 years old | Texas
39. Flory Bidunga | 6-7 big | 20 years old | Kansas
40. Anthony Robinson | 6-3 guard | 21 years old | Missouri
41. Boogie Fland | 6-2 guard | 20 years old| Florida
42. Adrian Wooley | 6-5 wing | 20 years old | Louisville
43. Ryan Conwell | 6-4 guard | 22 years old | Louisville
44. Josh Dix | 6-5 wing | 22 years old | Creighton
45. Silas Demary | 6-5 guard | 21 years old | Connecticut
46. JT Toppin | 6-7 big | 22 years old | Texas Tech
47. Donovan Dent | 6-2 guard | 22 years old | UCLA
48. Richie Saunders | 6-5 wing | 23 years old | BYU
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49. Jaland Lowe | 6-2 guard | 21 years old | Kentucky
50. Hugo Facorat | 6-10 big | 19 years old | France
51. Ben Henshall | 6-4 guard | 22 years old | Australia
52. PJ Haggerty | 6-2 guard | 22 years old | Kansas State
53. Donnie Freeman | 6-9 big | 20 years old | Syracuse
54. Tucker DeVries | 6-7 wing | 23 years old | Indiana
55. Joshua Jefferson | 6-8 wing | 22 years old | Iowa State
56. Jaron Pierre Jr. | 6-6 wing | 23 years old | SMU
57. Mackenzie Mgbako | 6-7 wing | 21 years old | Texas A&M
58. Momo Faye | 6-10 big | 21 years old | Senegal
59. KJ Lewis | 6-4 guard | 21 years old | Georgetown
60. Trey Kaufman-Renn | 6-9 forward | 22 years old | Purdue
(Illustration: Will Tullos / The Athletic; photos of, from left, A.J. Dybantsa, Cameron Boozer and Darryn Peterson: Brian Spurlock / Getty Images)