2026 NBA Mock Draft: Wizards Project to Draft AJ Dybantsa No. 1, Pacers Take Cameron Boozer No. 2

2026 NBA Mock Draft: AJ Dybantsa goes No. 1 to Wizards, Cameron Boozer selected at No. 2 by the Pacers

The NBA Draft Lottery will take place on Sunday, which will determine the order of the top 14 picks

By Cameron Salerno

May 6, 2026 at 10:04 am ET • 1 min read

Welcome to NBA Draft Lottery week. In just a few days, the future of several NBA teams will be at stake when the lottery order is revealed on Sunday (3:00 p.m. ET).

It's no hyperbole to say this is the most consequential draft lottery in recent memory because of the looming changes to the lottery  starting as soon as next year. The teams that move up inside the top 4 will be in luck, while it could be a long, winding rebuild for others who miss out on the top prospects in the class.

The NBA Draft Combine next week in Chicago will be telling for several prospects, as the deadline (May 27, 11:59 p.m. ET) to stay in the draft or return to school is approaching. Since I did my first mock draft of the cycle last month , three players (Florida's Thomas Haugh, UConn's Braylon Mullins and Arizona's Motiejus Krivas) returned to school.

All three players will not only receive big paydays to return to their respective schools, but could also be lottery picks in a much weaker 2027 draft class.

With that out of the way, let's jump right into what people came here for, starting with the Washington Wizards at No. 1.

Mock Draft Round 1

Round 1 - Pick 1

AJ Dybantsa

SF

BYU

• Fr • 6'9" / 215 lbs

Projected Team

Washington

PROSPECT RNK

1st

POSITION RNK

1st

PPG

25.5

RPG

6.8

APG

3.7

3P%

33.1%

The consensus points toward Dybantsa going No. 1. I imagine at least 10 teams in the draft lottery would take him if they got the top pick. You can make the case for Peterson or Boozer at No. 1. For now, Dybantsa is the pick.

Round 1 - Pick 2

Cameron Boozer

PF

Duke

• Fr • 6'9" / 250 lbs

Projected Team

Indiana

PROSPECT RNK

3rd

POSITION RNK

1st

PPG

22.5

RPG

10.2

APG

4.1

3P%

39.1%

Boozer to Indiana would be a fun fit. If Dybantsa is off the board, the Pacers will have their pick of Boozer, Darryn Peterson … or even Caleb Wilson. There seems to be pushback on Boozer's NBA ceiling. For me, Boozer could be an All-NBA player one day. His elite basketball IQ is what stands out to me the most. He was the best and most consistent player in college basketball. That should carry weight.

Round 1 - Pick 3

Darryn Peterson

PG

Kansas

• Fr • 6'6" / 205 lbs

Projected Team

Brooklyn

PROSPECT RNK

2nd

POSITION RNK

1st

PPG

20.2

RPG

4.2

APG

1.6

3P%

38.2%

As I've said from the start of the draft cycle last summer, Peterson is the No. 1 player on my board. Some have questioned his durability after playing just 24 games at Kansas. Still, he's well worth the risk. He has the ceiling to be an NBA scoring champion one day. His shotmaking is second-to-none in this class.

Round 1 - Pick 4

Caleb Wilson

PF

North Carolina

• Fr • 6'10" / 215 lbs

Projected Team

Utah

PROSPECT RNK

4th

POSITION RNK

2nd

PPG

19.8

RPG

9.4

APG

2.7

3P%

25.9%

The team picking fourth (in this exercise, it's Utah) will have the easiest decision to make. Wilson is closer to being a Tier 1 prospect than being in the second tier. His blend of athleticism and size could make someone in the top 3 take him before this pick. Could a team prefer Wilson over Boozer? Maybe. For now, Wilson is slotted at No. 4 as he has been for the last several months.

Round 1 - Pick 5

Darius Acuff Jr.

PG

Arkansas

• Fr • 6'3" / 190 lbs

Projected Team

Sacramento

PROSPECT RNK

5th

POSITION RNK

2nd

PPG

23.5

RPG

3.1

APG

6.4

3P%

44%

Acuff is the most polished offensive guard prospect in this class. The defensive concerns are real, but so is the tape on the offensive end of the floor. He can score at all three levels and tends to generate open looks for his teammates. He had a 3-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio at Arkansas.

Round 1 - Pick 6

Keaton Wagler

PG

Illinois

• Fr • 6'6" / 185 lbs

Projected Team

Memphis

PROSPECT RNK

7th

POSITION RNK

4th

PPG

17.9

RPG

5.1

APG

4.2

3P%

39.7%

Wagler has drawn some (maximum ceiling) comparisons to Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton. The way Wagler plays on the offensive end of the floor is very methodical. He doesn't have top-end speed and won't overwhelm you with his strength, but he does play in control and can score at all three levels. The Grizzlies are heading toward a divorce with Ja Morant, so selecting a point guard with a high ceiling should absolutely be on the table.

From New Orleans Pelicans Round 1 - Pick 7

Kingston Flemings

PG

Houston

• Fr • 6'4" / 190 lbs

Projected Team

Atlanta

PROSPECT RNK

6th

POSITION RNK

3rd

PPG

16.1

RPG

4.1

APG

5.2

3P%

38.7%

One of Flemings' greatest strengths is his ability to get to his spots. That and his speed are why he has drawn comparisons to All-Star guard De'Aaron Fox. Outside of the top four players, Flemings has a chance to go off the board as soon as pick No. 5.

Round 1 - Pick 8

Yaxel Lendeborg

PF

Michigan

• Sr • 6'9" / 235 lbs

Projected Team

Dallas

PROSPECT RNK

12th

POSITION RNK

5th

PPG

15.1

RPG

6.8

APG

3.2

3P%

37.2%

If you asked me today who is going to be the player who goes higher than expected on draft night, it's Lendeborg. The knock on Lendeborg is that he is an older prospect. That shouldn't matter because at this point, he might be the best overall player available. The Mavs need a point guard, but taking Lendeborg would be worth the swing.

Round 1 - Pick 9

Aday Mara

C

Michigan

• Jr • 7'3" / 255 lbs

Projected Team

Chicago

PROSPECT RNK

14th

POSITION RNK

2nd

PPG

12.1

RPG

6.8

APG

2.4

3P%

30%

Mara has been a serious draft riser since the NCAA Tournament. Mara was as good a rim protector as anyone in college basketball and is also very efficient on the offensive end. Of his 305 shot attempts, 213 were at the rim. He converted 76.8% of his attempts at the rim, which is very impressive. His passing as a 7-foot-3 big man also stands out.

Round 1 - Pick 10

Mikel Brown Jr.

PG

Louisville

• Fr • 6'5" / 190 lbs

Projected Team

Milwaukee

PROSPECT RNK

8th

POSITION RNK

5th

PPG

18.2

RPG

3.3

APG

4.7

3P%

34.4%

I would imagine around pick No. 10 is where Brown's floor is on draft night. He may be selected ahead of one of Flemings, Acuff, or Wagler if the medicals come back clean. Notably, Brown played in just 21 games due to injury, which included a lower back issue that forced him to miss the NCAA Tournament.

Round 1 - Pick 11

Labaron Philon

PG

Alabama

• Fr • 6'3" / 175 lbs

Projected Team

Golden St.

PROSPECT RNK

15th

POSITION RNK

6th

PPG

22

RPG

3.5

APG

5

3P%

39.9%

Philon is a twitchy guard who took significant strides from his freshman season at Alabama to this past year. Philon did an excellent job at touching paint, as he converted 66.7% of his 117 shot attempts at the rim. Philon's gamble to bypass the draft last year will likely see him get picked inside the lottery.

From Los Angeles Clippers Round 1 - Pick 12

Jayden Quaintance

C

Kentucky

• Soph • 6'10" / 255 lbs

Projected Team

Oklahoma City

PROSPECT RNK

13th

POSITION RNK

1st

PPG

5

RPG

5

APG

0.5

3P%

0

Quaintance is one of the most unique prospects in this year's class. His defensive tape from his freshman season at Arizona State was unbelievable. However, he played in just four games due to knee swelling from a torn ACL suffered last season. He needs to go to a team where there's no pressure to play significant minutes right away. An ideal fit would be OKC, a team with the depth to let him sit back and develop.

Round 1 - Pick 13

Brayden Burries

SG

Arizona

• Fr • 6'4" / 205 lbs

Projected Team

Miami

PROSPECT RNK

10th

POSITION RNK

1st

PPG

16.1

RPG

4.9

APG

2.4

3P%

39.1%

Burries was Arizona's best 3-point shooter on a team that didn't take a lot of attempts from beyond the arc. He developed into arguably Arizona's best player throughout the course of the season. When watching the tape, two high-outcome names come to mind: Derrick White and Jamal Murray.

Round 1 - Pick 14

Hannes Steinbach

PF

Washington

• Fr • 6'11" / 229 lbs

Projected Team

Charlotte

PROSPECT RNK

17th

POSITION RNK

7th

PPG

18.5

RPG

11.8

APG

1.6

3P%

34%

Steinbach has some of the best hands in college basketball and was a double-double machine during his time at Washington. If Aday Mara is off the board when the Hornets pick, Steinbach would be a fun fit in Charlotte.

From Portland Trail Blazers Round 1 - Pick 15

Nate Ament

PF

Tennessee

• Fr • 6'10" / 207 lbs

Projected Team

Chicago

PROSPECT RNK

9th

POSITION RNK

3rd

PPG

16.7

RPG

6.3

APG

2.3

3P%

33.3%

Ament appears to be all-in on the draft process, which makes sense considering he's a projected top 20 pick. Although his shooting efficiency (39.9% from the floor) wasn't great at Tennessee, he did shoot 79% on 7.1 attempts per game from the free-throw line. That's a positive sign for his long-term development as a shooter.

From Phoenix Suns Round 1 - Pick 16

Koa Peat

PF

Arizona

• Fr • 6'8" / 235 lbs

Projected Team

Memphis

PROSPECT RNK

11th

POSITION RNK

4th

PPG

14.1

RPG

5.6

APG

2.6

3P%

35%

Peat to the Grizzlies is exactly where I had the Arizona star forward in my last mock. Again, I think Peat would benefit more than anyone else picked outside of the lottery in returning to school to develop his shot from outside the paint, but you can't blame him for staying in the draft if he can get a "promise" inside the top 20. Peat's return to school would make him (in my opinion) a projected top-five pick next summer.

From Philadelphia 76ers Round 1 - Pick 17

Bennett Stirtz

PG

Iowa

• Sr • 6'4" / 190 lbs

Projected Team

Oklahoma City

PROSPECT RNK

19th

POSITION RNK

7th

PPG

19.8

RPG

2.6

APG

4.4

3P%

35.8%

Stritz is an efficient point guard who plays at his own pace. The Thunder have an abundance of riches in their rotation, so taking an experienced player with their second pick makes sense. Stritz has had an incredible rise from Division II basketball to being a likely first-round pick.

From Orlando Magic Round 1 - Pick 18

Christian Anderson

PG

Texas Tech

• Soph • 6'3" / 178 lbs

Projected Team

Charlotte

PROSPECT RNK

22nd

POSITION RNK

8th

PPG

18.5

RPG

3.6

APG

7.4

3P%

41.5%

Anderson is a true point guard who doubles as a knock-down shooter. Sixty-five of Anderson's 108 3-point shots were non-catch-and-shoot makes, which showcases his ability to create his own shot. He will be a top 20 pick.

Round 1 - Pick 19

Ebuka Okorie

PG

Stanford

• Fr • 6'2" / 185 lbs

Projected Team

Toronto

PROSPECT RNK

29th

POSITION RNK

9th

PPG

23.2

RPG

3.6

APG

3.6

3P%

35.4%

Okorie has a very interesting stay or go decision to make. Personally, he is better off staying in the draft than returning to Stanford. I'm higher on Okorie than consensus and think he will be a top 20 pick if he stays in the draft.

From Atlanta Hawks Round 1 - Pick 20

Chris Cenac Jr.

PF

Houston

• Fr • 6'11" / 240 lbs

Projected Team

San Antonio

PROSPECT RNK

18th

POSITION RNK

8th

PPG

9.5

RPG

7.9

APG

0.7

3P%

33.3

_Originally reported by [CBS Sports](https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/2026-nba-mock-draft-aj-dybantsa-cameron-boozer/)._