New NBA Mock Draft 2026 Drops from Kevin O'Connor, What's Changed with Days to Go Before Round 1?

Yahoo Sports' Kevin O'Connor remains confident in BYU forward AJ Dybantsa going first overall in the 2026 NBA draft despite the late curveball thrown by Kansas guard Darryn Peterson.

ESPN's Shams Charania and Jeremy Woo reported this week that Peterson won't work out with the Utah Jazz, who have the No. 2 pick. In addition, both Peterson and Dybantsa believe the Washington Wizards will take them at No. 1.

In his mock draft 9.0, O'Connor led off with Dybantsa and then had Duke forward Cameron Boozer next before Peterson wound up on the Memphis Grizzlies.

Here's his top 10:

Pick	Player
1. Wizards	AJ Dybantsa, F, BYU
2. Jazz	Cameron Boozer, F, Duke
3. Grizzlies	Darryn Peterson, G, Kansas
4. Bulls	Caleb Wilson, F, North Carolina
5. Clippers	Darius Acuff Jr., G, Alabama
6. Nets	Mikel Brown Jr., G, Louisville
7. Kings	Keaton Wagler, G, Illinois
8. Hawks	Brayden Burries, G, Arizona
9. Mavericks	Karim López, F, New Zealand Breakers
10. Bucks	Kingston Flemings, G, Houston

O'Connor seems to be in the minority as experts generally have Boozer and Peterson flipped. Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman opted for Peterson at No. 2.

At the very least, the quartet of Dybantsa, Peterson, Boozer and Caleb Wilson have separated themselves from the pack. It will be a big surprise if anybody different sneaks into the top four.

With the draft less than a week away, O'Connor's newest mock isn't dramatically different from his last predictions.

Dynamic guards Darius Acuff Jr. and Mikel Brown Jr. switched spots. Acuff is now the No. 5 pick for the Los Angeles Clippers, with Brown at No. 6 to the Brooklyn Nets.

Darius Acuff Jr. Highlights

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Michigan big man Aday Mara lost some ground. O'Connor has him on the Golden State Warriors at No. 11 compared to No. 8 a week ago. Mexican forward Karim López did the opposite, climbing from the 12th selection to the Dallas Mavericks at No. 9.

Wolverines star Yaxel Lendeborg was a big mover. He was a mid-first-rounder in O'Connor's mock 8.0 and now resides in the lottery (No. 12, Oklahoma City Thunder). Lendeborg would provide some depth to a frontcourt that may undergo a big change or two as the Thunder manage their payroll.

The draft is a crapshoot every single year, and the depth of talent makes this class even tougher to read. Sure, there's an upper tier made up of Dybantsa, Peterson, Boozer and Wilson, but teams will find a lot of value further down the lottery and into the middle stages of Round 1.

Peterson's gambit throws uncertainty around what had looked like a safe bet, too.