Looking ahead to the 2026 NBA Draft: Peterson Diban Sabzer competes for No. 1

With Cooper Flagg, Dylan Harper, VJ Edgecombe and other players from the 2025 NBA Draft entering the NBA, it's time to turn our attention to next year's draft.

2026 draft

is 12 months away from the 2026 NBA draft, and it will never be too early to look forward to the next year's NBA draft.

The 2026 NBA Draft is exciting, with some NBA executives saying that the top five picks have star influence, Darryn Peterson, AJ Dybantsa, Cameron Boozer and Nate Ament are all potential privileged players, and these four are also No. 1 candidates. Although most NBA teams believe it is difficult to replace Peterson and Dibansa as the top two picks unless there is a major accident, it is not impossible. The number of college and international players who did not participate in the 2025 NBA Draft or withdraw from the 2025 NBA Draft is as many as 24 out of the top 100 ESPN official website, which gives the 2026 NBA Draft a high depth.

2026 Draft

Every year, we see many lesser-known players rising in college, such as Cedric Coward, Nick Clifford, Cedric Coward Jr., and Danny Wolf in the 2025 Draft.

This is an interesting part of the simulation predictions, because people never know when and where players will appear, which keeps NBA scouts alert all the time. Here is ESPN's prediction for the 2026 NBA Draft:

Darryn Peterson

No. 1: Darryn Peterson, University of Kansas 6-6 (1.98), from Ohio, Peterson performed well in the senior season of Prolific Prep, California, and won the Naismith Award for High School Player of the Year, which helped him win the No. 1 spot.

Peterson has a coveted body, height, explosiveness and shooting creativity. He is a capable passer with strong defensive organization and scoring talent, which reminds people of the young Kobe, who once said in an interview that he took Devin Booker and Bradley Bill as role models.

Hall of Fame head coach Bill Self may hand him the Kansas offense next season, and Peterson will be the squad's central figure, giving him a chance to consolidate his No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.

AJ Dybantsa

No. 2: AJ Dybantsa, Brigham Young University

6-9 (2.06 meters), is from Massachusetts. After a disappointing senior season at Utah College, Dibantsa, who was once considered firmly in the first place, has been questioned by the outside world, but at the recent U19 Men's Basketball Camp, Dibantsa has an amazing performance, where he plays more efficiently and controls both ends of the offense and defense. He is the winger every NBA team is looking for, able to score, pass, defend multiple positions anywhere on the field and bring uninterrupted adversity intensity and competitiveness to each game.

Dibanta has arrived at Brigham Young University, where he will have the keys and opportunities to prove that he deserves to be the No. 1 pick, a process that may begin in the U19 Men's Basketball World Cup, which will kick off this week.

Cameron Boozer

Tanhua: Cameron Boozer, Duke University

from Miami, Florida, 6-9 (2.06 meters), Boozer's high school victory resume is incomparable to any prospect, and he has the attributes of a winner. NBA executives criticized Boozer for being a precocious player who did not have excellent explosive power and was too dependent on the inside.

Bozer must maintain a steady shot, showing his passing and defense versatility to calm those criticisms. We look forward to him playing a Cooper Fla-like freshman season at Duke and becoming a candidate for the All-American player.

Nate Ament

No. 4: Nate Ament, the University of Tennessee, was born in Rwanda and lived in Italy. His father is an American and currently lives in Virginia. The late-stage Arment has grown significantly in his senior year, reaching 6-11 (2.11 meters). He is the latecomer in the No. 1 pick and is also the person who is the farthest from realizing his potential among the four players, largely because he weighs only 186 pounds.

Armenter appears to be gaining weight to accommodate the college basketball confrontation after arriving at the University of Tennessee and will play a major role at the University of Tennessee, which gives him the opportunity to challenge the No. 1 pick.

Mikel Brown Jr

No. 5: Mikel Brown Jr, University of Louisville, is from Orlando, Florida. Brown is a late-stage player. His high school career has grown from 5-10 (1.78) to 6-4 (1.93). Brown has shown his dynamic scoring instinct and talent as a ball handler, passer and outside shooter, but weighs only 176 pounds. As a finisher, defender and decision maker seem unstable enough.