AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson's Top Potential 2026 Landing Spots After 2025 NBA Draft
With the first round of the NBA draft now behind us, it's time to take a look ahead... to next year's NBA draft.
One full year in advance. Who doesn't love projections?
While there is a full college season to go and plenty of scouting to be done, AJ Dybantsa and Darryn Peterson look like the top two players in the 2026 draft. Below, we'll break down some of their top potential landing spots (with an emphasis on more realistic possibilities).
Utah Jazz
1 of 4
When the Utah Jazz dropped to fifth in the lottery this year, taking them completely out of the running for players like Cooper Flagg or Dylan Harper, it was clear that the 2026 draft was going to be key for their rebuild.
Keeping the BYU-bound Dybantsa in Utah would be quite the story, giving the team a future star to pair with rookie first-rounders Ace Bailey and Walter Clayton Jr. and current star Lauri Markkanen (assuming he isn't traded).
Cody Williams didn't exactly flash in his rookie campaign, while Taylor Hendricks had his moments two years ago but only played three games last season after breaking his leg and dislocating his ankle.
Either Dybantsa or Peterson would be a huge coup for a Jazz team looking to rebuild (with a ton of draft capital going forward to aid in that effort), and either would immediately be the face of the franchise and cornerstone for years to come.
Charlotte Hornets
2 of 4
The Hornets already have one star in place in LaMelo Ball and intriguing younger players in Brandon Miller, Tidjane Salaün and first-rounder Kon Knueppel. Dybantsa would slot in pretty easily into the frontcourt, while Peterson would be a nice backcourt complement to Ball (and could perhaps handle some point-guard duties while Ball rests).
The Hornets have the potential to be a very fun team, but Ball needs a true running mate. Both Dybantsa and Peterson would fit the bill.
Washington Wizards
3 of 4
The benefit to going to the Wizards for either Dybantsa or Peterson is that they would immediately be the guy. The downside is that the young core currently in place is very much a work in progress.
Alex Sarr had a promising rookie season, Bilal Coulibaly has had his moments and we obviously have yet to see how 2025 first-rounders, Tre Johnson and Will Riley, will fare in Washington. Bub Carrington is also only 19 years old and showed some upside as a rookie.
But this isn't a team with obvious, future superstars on the roster. Dybantsa or Peterson would be the first players with that level of can't-miss upside, and much of their experience in Washington would hinge on some of the team's younger players eventually showcasing similar ceilings (or the Wizards finding a way to acquire more players with that level of potential).
Brooklyn Nets
4 of 4
The Nets have a roster comprised of solid role players and no stars. They need a franchise cornerstone, desperately, though they'll be hoping at least a few of the five (!) first-rounders they selected on Wednesday—Egor Demin, Nolan Traoré, Drake Powell, Ben Saraf and Danny Wolf—can become that type of player.
They'll potentially have two cracks at the lottery next year, owning their own pick and Atlanta's first-rounder, though the Hawks' addition of Kristaps Porziņģis may keep them out of the lottery. Landing Dybantsa or Peterson would be a franchise-changing moment and finally offer their rebuild an obvious direction.
