Where Experts Predict Top 2026 NBA Draft Prospects Are Headed Post-Lottery

The Washington Wizards drew the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NBA draft, which is considered to be one of the deeper drafts in recent memory.

Washington is on the inside track to land BYU's AJ Dybantsa, Kansas' Darryn Peterson or Duke's Cameron Boozer.

Dybantsa appears to be as close to a consensus No. 1 pick as you can find in the draft class. He averaged 25.5 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game in his lone season at BYU.

The good news for the rest of the teams near the top of the draft order is that the class is so deep.

Peterson, who averaged 20.2 points per game at Kansas, was projected as the No. 2 pick in the early post-lottery mock draft from ESPN's Jeremy Woo.

The true debate over prospects might not start until the Memphis Grizzlies at No. 3. They will likely have to choose between Boozer and North Carolina's Caleb Wilson.

Boozer averaged 22.5 points and 10.2 rebounds per game at Duke. Wilson wasn't too far behind at 19.8 points and 9.4 rebounds per contest.

SB Nation's Ricky O'Donnell placed Boozer with the Grizzlies and Wilson with the Bulls.

There were a few losers of the lottery process as well. The Brooklyn Nets and Sacramento Kings both dropped in the order.