New ESPN 2026 NBA Mock Draft Reveals Dybantsa, Peterson, Boozer Landing Spots Ahead of March Madness
In the midst of conference championship week and going into the NCAA men's tournament reveal on Selection Sunday, ESPN's Jeremy Woo has dropped a new mock for the 2026 NBA draft.
Woo's projection has Darryn Peterson going No. 1 overall to the Sacramento Kings, followed by AJ Dybantsa to the Washington Wizards and Cameron Boozer to the Indiana Pacers.
Here are the top 10 picks in Woo's mock draft:
- Sacramento Kings: Darryn Peterson, G, Kansas
- Washington Wizards: AJ Dybantsa, F, BYU
- Indiana Pacers: Cameron Boozer, F/C, Duke
- Brooklyn Nets: Caleb Wilson, F/C, North Carolina
- Utah Jazz: Kingston Flemings, G, Houston
- Atlanta Hawks (via New Orleans Pelicans): Keaton Wagler, G, Illinois
- Dallas Mavericks: Darius Acuff Jr., G, Arkansas
- Memphis Grizzlies: Mikel Brown Jr., G, Louisville
- Chicago Bulls: Nate Ament, F, Tennessee
- Milwaukee Bucks: Brayden Burries, G, Arizona
The race to be the No. 1 overall pick appears to be extremely close between the top three players right now.
B/R's Jonathan Wasserman had Peterson going third after Dybantsa and Boozer in his most recent mock, but noted the Kansas star has "superior range, quicker defense and more off-ball skills" than Dybantsa that could make him the frontrunner to go No. 1.
Dybantsa's performance throughout this season at BYU has been nothing short of spectacular. He added to his resume on Tuesday with 40 points in a 105-91 win over Kansas State in the first round of the Big 12 tournament.
The Cougars star leads Division I in scoring average (25.2) and is shooting 52.0 percent from the field in 32 games.
Peterson wrapped up the regular season with a strong performance, scoring 27 points on 10-of-15 shooting in 29 minutes against Kansas State on Saturday. He had been going through an extended slump prior to that, shooting 36.4 percent from the field in eight games from Feb. 2 through March 3.
Overall, though, Peterson's numbers have been very good this season. He is averaging 19.9 points on 38.7 percent three-point shooting, 4.2 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game in 20 appearances so far.
Woo noted people in the NBA feel that the race between Peterson and Dybantsa to go No. 1 overall could ultimately just come down to which team is picking and what they want, as there is very little separating their talent levels.
Boozer could have even more on his plate for the top-ranked Blue Devils entering the tournament with starting point guard Caleb Foster potentially out for the rest of the season due to a foot injury.
The freshman sensation has more than lived up to his preseason hype. He is one of 15 players averaging a double-double (22.7 points and 10.2 rebounds). He has the best field-goal percentage (58.3) of the 35 Division I players who average at least 20 points per game.
Woo did point out that scouts have concerns about Boozer's ability to be the go-to option on a championship-caliber team in the NBA due to "average explosiveness" and some slow tendencies on defense.
If Boozer were to end up on the Pacers after they acquired Ivica Zubac prior to the trade deadline and will get Tyrese Haliburton back from a torn Achilles, the sky is the limit for that franchise going forward.
Playing alongside Haliburton and Zubac would make it so Boozer doesn't have to be the best player on a team for them to be incredibly successful. He would also have a point guard who is arguably the best facilitator in the NBA when healthy.
