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Round 1 – Pick 1
 
AJ Dybantsa
BYU
• Fr • 6’9″ / 217 lbs
Dybantsa’s combination of athleticism, skill, upside and intangibles makes him an easy choice at No. 1 for Washington. Among the select few college players who have ever averaged 25+ points, 6+ rebounds and 3+ assists during a season are names like Larry Bird, Julius Erving, Pete Maravich, Oscar Robertson and Jerry West. To do it as a freshman in the Big 12 with a 55% effective field goal percentage? Yeah, Dybantsa is the real deal.
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Round 1 – Pick 2
 
Caleb Wilson
North Carolina
• Fr • 6’9″ / 210 lbs
With Keyonte George as its lead guard of the future and other promising young players on the perimeter, Utah passes on Darryn Peterson. Wilson’s defensive versatility and athleticism at the four sets him apart from the other towering presences on Utah’s roster. He’s also an A+ culture piece with loads of long-term upside, which makes him a great fit for a young franchise trying to find its identity.
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Round 1 – Pick 3
 
Darryn Peterson
Kansas
• Fr • 6’5″ / 200 lbs
With Peterson available at No. 3, Memphis would be silly to overthink it. As the Ja Morant era draws to a close, the Grizzlies need their lead guard of the future. Peterson is bigger than Morant, a better shooter than Morant and also projects as a more competent defender. All that is enough to persuade an injury-plagued Memphis franchise to look past the medical concerns from Peterson’s one-year college stint.
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Round 1 – Pick 4
 
Cameron Boozer
Duke
• Fr • 6’8″ / 250 lbs
This would be a gift for the Bulls, who are rebooting with an overhauled front office and coaching staff along with a ton of cap space and a couple of top 15 picks. Boozer would be the best available player at No. 4 and could serve as a high-floor cornerstone for a new iteration of the franchise.
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From
Indiana Pacers
Round 1 – Pick 5
 
Keaton Wagler
Illinois
• Fr • 6’5″ / 188 lbs
Wagler shot 40% from 3-point range and showed plenty of upside as an on-ball playmaker while leading Illinois to a surprising Final Four appearance during his freshman season. The formerly overlooked prospect brings great size to the point guard position and could be the bridge to a new era for a Clippers franchise that doesn’t have any clear long-term direction.
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Round 1 – Pick 6
 
Darius Acuff Jr.
Arkansas
• Fr • 6’2″ / 185 lbs
Though Brooklyn drafted another one-and-done lead guard at No. 8 last year in Egor Demin, snagging an offensive dynamo like Acuff at No. 6 would be a huge win. Acuff is absolutely elite with the basketball in his hands as a creator both for himself and for others. While he’s a bit undersized, he could play next to Demin who is 6-8 and be fine.
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Round 1 – Pick 7
 
Mikel Brown Jr.
Louisville
• Fr • 6’4″ / 190 lbs
Brown is a lead guard with unlimited range and zero conscience as a 3-point shooter. A nagging back injury during his freshman season at Louisville underscored concerns about the durability of his slender frame. But his combination of shot-making, athleticism and floor vision makes him a potential All-Star.
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From
New Orleans Pelicans
Round 1 – Pick 8
 
Kingston Flemings
Houston
• Fr • 6’3″ / 183 lbs
The run on guards continues as Atlanta seeks its point guard of the future from within a deep class of one-and-done floor generals. Flemings might be the grittiest of the bunch, and he’s got plenty of burst to pair with a crafty style that is not overly reliant on 3-pointers.
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Round 1 – Pick 9
 
Aday Mara
Michigan
• Jr • 7’3″ / 260 lbs
With Victor Wembanyama to the south and Chet Holmgren to the north, Dallas might cave to the pressure and snag this draft’s tallest tower. With a 7-foot-6 wingspan and a standing reach of nearly 10 feet, Mara is an elite rim protector and interior finisher.
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Round 1 – Pick 10
 
Nate Ament
Tennessee
• Fr • 6’10” / 211 lbs
Assuming the Bucks trade Giannis Antetokounmpo, they won’t realistically aspire to be competitive in the near-term. That frees them to take a swing on high-ceiling prospect with a long developmental runway. Ament’s archetype is a lite version of Kevin Durant in terms of the length and ability to get a shot from anywhere on the floor at any time.
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Round 1 – Pick 11
 
Brayden Burries
Arizona
• Fr • 6’4″ / 215 lbs
While it might be tempting for Golden State to maximize its fading competitive window with Stephen Curry by taking an older player like Yaxel Lendeborg, that would be short-sighted. Burries is a top-10 caliber talent whose effective field goal percentage of 57.2% surpassed that of every other guard ahead of him in this mock.
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From
Los Angeles Clippers
Round 1 – Pick 12
 
Yaxel Lendeborg
Michigan
• Sr • 6’9″ / 241 lbs
If Lendeborg is available, he would make a ton of sense as a ready-made role player for a title-contending franchise. With the bills coming due on Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams, landing a dynamic forward to play under team control into his late 20s would be a home run.
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Round 1 – Pick 13
 
Cameron Carr
Baylor
• Soph • 6’5″ / 184 lbs
Carr averaged 18.9 points at Baylor while filling it up efficiently and in a variety of ways. His nearly 7-1 wingspan exceeds that of both AJ Dybantsa and Caleb Wilson. Throw in the second-best standing vertical leap of anyone at the combine and you get a rare combination of skill and tools that has Carr coming off the board earlier than expected.
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Round 1 – Pick 14
 
Hannes Steinbach
Washington
• Fr • 6’10” / 248 lbs
As an international prospect who toiled in relative anonymity for a 16-17 Washington team in his only college season, Steinbach is easily overlooked. Don’t fall into the trap. He’s a double-double machine with elite hands who can stretch the floor and convert at the free-throw line. The combination of skill and size in a still-developing package would make a lot of sense for Charlotte.
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From
Portland Trail Blazers
Round 1 – Pick 15
Labaron Philon
Alabama
• Fr • 6’3″ / 175 lbs
Philon gets slotted a rung lower than the one-and-done guards in this class after playing two seasons at Alabama. But he showed his lottery-level upside while averaging 22 points and five assists on 40% 3-point shooting this past season. Though he’s not an elite athlete or physically imposing player, Philon converted an impressive 66.7% of his attempts at the rim last season, per Synergy.
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From
Phoenix Suns
Round 1 – Pick 16
Morez Johnson Jr.
Michigan
• Soph • 6’9″ / 250 lbs
The term “tweener” doesn’t get thrown around much anymore in an era when teams pursue positional versatility rather than devaluing players who are somewhere between a four and a five. Johnson fits the “tweener” bill and would be a wise choice for Memphis, which is dealing with an injury-plagued start to Zach Edey’s pro career and a general lack of size. He is both rugged and athletic and has shown glimpses of floor-spacing ability.
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From
Philadelphia 76ers
Round 1 – Pick 17
Jayden Quaintance
Kentucky
• Soph • 6’9″ / 255 lbs
Oklahoma City has stockpiled enough young talent and draft capital to take a calculated risk on Quaintance. A knee injury limited him to just 28 games over two college seasons, but he showed tantalizing upside as a rim protector during his freshman season at Arizona State. Only two players in this draft — Aday Mara and Luigi Suigo — registered better wingspans at the combine.
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From
Orlando Magic
Round 1 – Pick 18
Mexico
• 6’8″ / 222 lbs
Lopez profiles as a physical glue guy who could develop into something more if his 3-point shot comes in. For now, he’s adept at putting his head down and getting to the lane off of catches on the wing. If nothing else, he’ll be useful defensively and on the glass and slot in as a down ballot offensive option.
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Round 1 – Pick 19
 
Dailyn Swain
Texas
• Jr • 6’7″ / 211 lbs
Swain is a true utility player who can fit in a variety of systems and with a variety of personnel. He took significant strides as a 3-point shooter at Texas this season, but his strength lies in his ability to reach the rim.
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From
Atlanta Hawks
Round 1 – Pick 20
 
Henri Veesaar
North Carolina
• Jr • 6’11” / 227 lbs
San Antonio could use another big body and preferably one that won’t need years of development before contributing. After four years of college basketball (including a redshirt season at Arizona in 2023-24), Veesaar checks the box. He thrived in post-ups and as the roll guy at North Carolina while standing out as one of the best interior finishers in college basketball.
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From
Minnesota Timberwolves
Round 1 – Pick 21
 
Isaiah Evans
Duke
• Soph • 6’6″ / 186 lbs
Detroit needs more 3-point shooting, and Evans is one of the best shooters in this draft class after hitting 38% of his triples over two seasons with Duke. He is streaky and can disappear for stretches, but he thrives on spot ups and is worth a flyer for a franchise in win-now mode.
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From
Houston Rockets
Round 1 – Pick 22
 
Koa Peat
Arizona
• Fr • 6’7″ / 245 lbs
Peat is a relentlessly physical forward whose stock is hindered by a 3-point shot that was MIA during his lone college season at Arizona. But Peat will be able to hold his own against nearly anyone defensively from day one. If the outside shot comes along, Peat will be an NBA starter.
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From
Cleveland Cavaliers
Round 1 – Pick 23
Chris Cenac Jr.
Houston
• Fr • 6’10” / 240 lbs
The functionality of his game is still a work in progress, but Cenac’s 7-foot-5 wingspan catches the eye, and a franchise with the appetite to develop him could wind up getting a good return on its investment. There were enough flashes of a 3-point shot at Houston (33.3% in his lone season) to believe in a positive long-term outcome.
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Round 1 – Pick 24
 
Bennett Stirtz
Iowa
• Sr • 6’3″ / 190 lbs
Stirtz will likely have to reinvent himself to a certain degree in order to carve out a long NBA career after he was a pick-and-roll maestro in a slow-paced college system under Ben McCollum. But he’s proven himself at the Division II, mid-major and high-major levels. If he can hold up defensively in the NBA, he could find rotation minutes as a flame-throwing floor general.
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Round 1 – Pick 25
 
Christian Anderson
Texas Tech
• Soph • 6’1″ / 180 lbs
The first thing any scout will note on Anderson is that he’s undersized. But once you get past that obvious truth and dive into the game, there is a lot to like. He’s a good athlete, a great 3-point shooter (both off the dribble and off the catch) and an elite facilitator. Sometimes the eye test is worth more than the measuring tape, and that could prove to be true with Anderson.
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Round 1 – Pick 26
 
Meleek Thomas
Arkansas
• Fr • 6’3″ / 190 lbs
Thomas must be feeling good about his chances of going in the first round. Otherwise, a big-time college basketball payday and another year of seasoning ahead of a weaker 2027 NBA Draft would have been the smarter option. Ultimately, as one of the top 3-point shooters in the class, he’s worth a first-round pick. Thomas is a truly elite spot-up threat.
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Round 1 – Pick 27
 
Ebuka Okorie
Stanford
• Fr • 6’1″ / 185 lbs
If you pop in the film of Okorie’s 36-point outburst from Stanford’s Jan. 14 win over North Carolina, you’ll wonder why he slipped this far. He followed it up with three more 30+ point showings during one of the most unexpectedly dominant freshman seasons in college basketball. The margins are slim for making it in the league as an undersized scoring guard. But if nothing else, perhaps he can sustain an NBA bench unit.
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From
Detroit Pistons
Round 1 – Pick 28
 
Allen Graves
Santa Clara
• Fr • 6’8″ / 225 lbs
After doing a little bit of everything for an NCAA Tournament team at Santa Clara, Graves is this year’s NBA Draft analytics darling. Good size? Check. Impactful defender? Check. Proficient 3-point shooter? Yes (41.3%). Does he rebound? Yes. He’ll need to show he’s got the athleticism to chase NBA forwards around, but the building blocks of a solid player are in place.
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From
San Antonio Spurs
Round 1 – Pick 29
 
Joshua Jefferson
Iowa State
• Sr • 6’8″ / 246 lbs
What Jefferson may lack in pop and pizazz, he makes up for with a sturdy frame and complete skill set. He upped his 3-point shooting to a career-best 34.5%. At minimum, he’s a ready-made NBA role player.
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From
Oklahoma City Thunder
Round 1 – Pick 30
Tarris Reed Jr.
Connecticut
• Sr • 6’10” / 265 lbs
Bigs are back in the NBA — at least to a certain extent — and that’s good news for Reed, who measured just a fraction under 6-foot-10 without shoes at the combine. Throw in a wingspan of longer than 7-foot-4 with a feathery interior touch and you get a player who is worth a shot. Reed doesn’t have All-Star potential, but it’s easy to envision him playing a role in the league for a decade.
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Since the Jazz already have Lauri Markkanen, Jaren Jackson Jr., Walker Kessler and Kyle Filipowski under team control, it’s widely assumed there is no room for another big-time frontcourt prospect in Utah.
Following that logic, the franchise will wind up taking Kansas guard Darryn Peterson with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft on June 23. After all, if AJ Dybantsa is the first pick, Peterson will be the best prospect available at No. 2.
But given the red flags Peterson showed during his lone season with the Jayhawks and given the fact that Utah also has plenty of young perimeter talent in the fold, there could be another route for the Jazz.
While Utah has a towering presence on its roster with the aforementioned group of players who are at or near 7-feet tall, the group lacks high-end NBA athleticism and quickness. Caleb Wilson brings plenty of it along with ample longterm upside.
With recent first-round picks like Ace Bailey, Cody Williams, Keyonte George, Brice Sensabaugh and Isaiah Collier also under team control, Utah would have a lot of mouths to feed if it selected Peterson. That’s another reason why Wilson could make sense. He isn’t going to demand 15 shots a game as a rookie, and he could grow into his All-Star potential at a gradual pace.
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In the meantime, he will fill a player archetype that Utah doesn’t currently have as an explosive four with elite defensive versatility and transition scoring ability.
Mock Draft
Round 1
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Originally published on www.cbssports.com — View original