2026 NBA Mock Draft: Jazz Select Caleb Wilson at No. 2, Darryn Peterson Falls to Grizzlies

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

Round 1 - Pick 1

AJ Dybantsa

SF

BYU

• Fr • 6'9" / 217 lbs

Projected Team

Washington

PROSPECT RNK

1st

POSITION RNK

1st

PPG

25.5

RPG

6.8

APG

3.7

3P%

33.1%

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.

Round 1 - Pick 2

Caleb Wilson

PF

North Carolina

• Fr • 6'9" / 210 lbs

Projected Team

Utah

PROSPECT RNK

4th

POSITION RNK

2nd

PPG

19.8

RPG

9.4

APG

2.7

3P%

25.9%

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.

Round 1 - Pick 3

Darryn Peterson

PG

Kansas

• Fr • 6'5" / 200 lbs

Projected Team

Memphis

PROSPECT RNK

2nd

POSITION RNK

1st

PPG

20.2

RPG

4.2

APG

1.6

3P%

38.2%

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.

Round 1 - Pick 4

Cameron Boozer

PF

Duke

• Fr • 6'8" / 250 lbs

Projected Team

Chicago

PROSPECT RNK

3rd

POSITION RNK

1st

PPG

22.5

RPG

10.2

APG

4.1

3P%

39.1%

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.

From Indiana Pacers Round 1 - Pick 5

Keaton Wagler

PG

Illinois

• Fr • 6'5" / 188 lbs

Projected Team

L.A. Clippers

PROSPECT RNK

5th

POSITION RNK

2nd

PPG

17.9

RPG

5.1

APG

4.2

3P%

39.7%

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.

Round 1 - Pick 6

Darius Acuff Jr.

PG

Arkansas

• Fr • 6'2" / 185 lbs

Projected Team

Brooklyn

PROSPECT RNK

6th

POSITION RNK

3rd

PPG

23.5

RPG

3.1

APG

6.4

3P%

44%

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.

Round 1 - Pick 7

Mikel Brown Jr.

PG

Louisville

• Fr • 6'4" / 190 lbs

Projected Team

Sacramento

PROSPECT RNK

8th

POSITION RNK

5th

PPG

18.2

RPG

3.3

APG

4.7

3P%

34.4%

Brown is a lead guard with unlimited range and zero consciousness 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.

From New Orleans Pelicans Round 1 - Pick 8

Kingston Flemings

PG

Houston

• Fr • 6'3" / 183 lbs

Projected Team

Atlanta

PROSPECT RNK

7th

POSITION RNK

4th

PPG

16.1

RPG

4.1

APG

5.2

3P%

38.7%

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, but he's still got plenty of burst to pair with a crafty style that is not overly reliant on 3-pointers.

Round 1 - Pick 9

Aday Mara

C

Michigan

• Jr • 7'3" / 260 lbs

Projected Team

Dallas

PROSPECT RNK

11th

POSITION RNK

1st

PPG

12.1

RPG

6.8

APG

2.4

3P%

30%

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

Round 1 - Pick 10

Nate Ament

PF

Tennessee

• Fr • 6'10" / 211 lbs

Projected Team

Milwaukee

PROSPECT RNK

10th

POSITION RNK

3rd

PPG

16.7

RPG

6.3

APG

2.3

3P%

33.3%

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.

Round 1 - Pick 11

Brayden Burries

SG

Arizona

• Fr • 6'4" / 215 lbs

Projected Team

Golden St.

PROSPECT RNK

9th

POSITION RNK

1st

PPG

16.1

RPG

4.9

APG

2.4

3P%

39.1%

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.

From Los Angeles Clippers Round 1 - Pick 12

Yaxel Lendeborg

PF

Michigan

• Sr • 6'9" / 241 lbs

Projected Team

Oklahoma City

PROSPECT RNK

12th

POSITION RNK

4th

PPG

15.1

RPG

6.8

APG

3.2

3P%

37.2%

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.

Round 1 - Pick 13

Cameron Carr

SG

Baylor

• Soph • 6'5" / 184 lbs

Projected Team

Miami

PROSPECT RNK

20th

POSITION RNK

2nd

PPG

18.9

RPG

5.8

APG

2.6

3P%

37.4%

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.

Round 1 - Pick 14

Hannes Steinbach

PF

Washington

• Fr • 6'10" / 248 lbs

Projected Team

Charlotte

PROSPECT RNK

16th

POSITION RNK

6th

PPG

18.5

RPG

11.8

APG

1.6

3P%

34%

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.

From Portland Trail Blazers Round 1 - Pick 15

Labaron Philon

PG

Alabama

• Fr • 6'3" / 175 lbs

Projected Team

Chicago

PROSPECT RNK

14th

POSITION RNK

6th

PPG

22

RPG

3.5

APG

5

3P%

39.9%

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.

From Phoenix Suns Round 1 - Pick 16

Morez Johnson Jr.

PF

Michigan

• Soph • 6'9" / 250 lbs

Projected Team

Memphis

PROSPECT RNK

17th

POSITION RNK

7th

PPG

13.1

RPG

7.3

APG

1.2

3P%

34.3%

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.

From Philadelphia 76ers Round 1 - Pick 17

Jayden Quaintance

C

Kentucky

• Soph • 6'9" / 255 lbs

Projected Team

Oklahoma City

PROSPECT RNK

13th

POSITION RNK

2nd

PPG

5

RPG

5

APG

0.5

3P%

0

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.

From Orlando Magic Round 1 - Pick 18

Karim Lopez

PF

Mexico

• 6'8" / 222 lbs

Projected Team

Charlotte

PROSPECT RNK

15th

POSITION RNK

5th

PPG

11.9

RPG

6.1

APG

1.9

3P%

32.2%

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 offensiv

_Originally reported by [CBS Sports](https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/2026-nba-mock-draft-caleb-wilson-darryn-peterson/)._