We’re still about four months away from the 2025 NBA draft, but Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo of ESPN.com (Insider link) are already taking a look ahead to the 2026 draft, having published their first brief (10-player) mock draft for next year’s event.
According to Givony and Woo, NBA talent evaluators are bullish on the prospects at the very top of the 2026 draft class, with Darryn Peterson, A.J. Dybantsa, Cameron Boozer, and Nate Ament all considered legitimate candidates to become the No. 1 overall pick next year.
Peterson, a 6’6″ combo guard playing for Prolific Prep in California, is considered the current frontrunner for the No. 1 spot by ESPN’s draft experts, who say that the Kansas commit has established himself as the best player in high school basketball this season. Peterson helped cement his spot as the top player on ESPN’s 2026 board with his head-to-head performances against Dybantsa and Utah Prep, including a 61-point showing in the second game between the two.
Givony refers to Peterson as the best shot creator in the 2026 draft class, lauding his ball-handling, his ability to change speeds, his outside shooting, and his size and strength. The 18-year-old is viewed by some NBA scouts as a bigger version of Damian Lillard, Givony adds.
Givony and Woo have Dybantsa at No. 2, suggesting that’s more about Peterson’s emergence than anything Dybantsa has done wrong. The 6’9″ guard/forward, a BYU commit, has shown an ability to score from anywhere on the floor and is one of the best on-ball defenders in his class, Givony writes, noting that every NBA team is seeking wings in Dybantsa’s mold.
Boozer, ESPN’s No. 3 prospect, also has a strong case for consideration at No. 1, according to Givony, who says the son of former NBA big man Carlos Boozer has an “elite” feel for the game and has a chance to be the best player in the college basketball next season at Duke.
A 6’9″ forward, Boozer has earned comparisons to former top pick Paolo Banchero due to his varied offensive game and defensive versatility. The 17-year-old also has “a winning résumé unmatched by any prospect in recent memory,” Givony writes. He has earned a pair of gold medals in U-16 and U-17 FIBA tournaments and is a Florida state champion.
Ament, the No. 4 player on ESPN’s board, remains uncommitted for next season, with Duke, Kentucky, and Louisville among the programs in the mix to land him. The 6’11” big man is the furthest of these four prospects from reaching his long-term ceiling, but has shown intriguing potential as a shot-maker, passer, and defender, Givony writes.
Big man Jayden Quaintance, currently a freshman at Arizona State and one of the best shot blockers in the NCAA, is the No. 5 prospect in ESPN’s first mock draft for 2026.
Don’t buy into the A.J. Dybantsa hype unless you think R.J. Barrett is a franchise player. He is a slightly bigger version of R.J. Right now, he is dominating just by being physically superior to the other players. The United States is just not producing elite level talent.
Cameron Boozer is way overrated. He will not be a major factor in the NBA. USA is in a bad place in terms of developing basketball talent right now.
There is a reason why the last 7 NBA MVP’s have been International players, and not from USA. It doesn’t appear any American player will be MVP again anytime soon. We develop hype and not talent.
I will again remind you that Jeremy Woo is completely fraudulent. He became friends with Givony, and got ESPN to hire him. He will be gone in the next round of job cuts. Woo used to hang around the basketball scene in Chicago. I was half convinced he didn’t even like basketball. Never had any opinions of his own. Has no idea how to evaluate basketball talent. Never played. Never coached. Completely fraudulent. Givony is legit, but he has been compromised by a couple of agents.
You gotta chill, man
‘ll give you the fact that the next MVP will be either Canadian or Serbian but as of right now it’s only been the last 6 MVPs that are international players. James Harden was born in Los Angeles. The reason it’s been the last 6 isn’t because Americans don’t develop talent. It’s because 2 of the MVP are multiple award winners and the fact that Jokic and Giannis are the best basketball players in the world. There is only one MVP any given season so it would make sense that if the same guys win it, it’s because they happen to be one of the best players in the league, not because of a dearth of talent from American born players.
A better way to look at it would be All-NBA. Outside of Jokic, Luka, Shai and Giannis the rest of last year’s All-NBA players were American born.
Look at the top 15 players under or who have just turned 25. Outside of Wembanyama, Wagner and Sengun the the rest are all American born. Barring injury Wembanyama will win a few MVPs but I could see the combination of either/or Banchero, Edwards, Mobley and perhaps Cunningham getting a couple over the next 10 years.
Player development in the US (pre-professional) has been a bad place for the past couple decades. Now, as NIL and the Transfer Portal have achieved full dominance over the college game, it’s in a no place. Without some sea change, I imagine that 5 years from now most college programs will scarely remember a time when the word development was used as part of their mission.
I’d like to see something happen which might save college basketball, but that could only come to pass by sidestepping the existing PTB, always tough. The NBA should be prepared to act on its own behalf, but they don’t have a real commissioner, so I’m not expecting anything soon.
It affects, and will continue to affect, all levels, but I’m least concerned about the superstar/MVP level.
Lol y’all are clowns. AJ is a whole 2 inches taller than RJ Barrett and RJ right now in the NBA is not the shooter that AJ is as a high schooler.
Grown man lying and hating on high school kids to prop up his world view. Cam Boozer and AJ Dybantsa dominated the rest of the world in all youth tournaments and at all age groups. They averaged more than 50 points leads per game. The US is and will always be better than Canada and Serbia you’ll just have to cope with that.
All you have to do is watch 5 minutes of Darryn Peterson highlights to understand that A.J. Dybantsa is NOT on his level. Peterson has all the traits to be a franchise player in the NBA. Size. Athletic. Can score on All levels. Peterson also is highly fluid with his movements, and has a body that still hasn’t developed. Peterson has a chance.
So first you rip on the guys doing the mock draft and then agree with their choice of Peterson being the current projected top pick in the next draft.
Are you OK?
Out of the things you listed what does AJ not have? Lol. Y’all just talk. I need you to list the things since you’ve watched both. I’ve watched entire games and I don’t know what you’re talking about.
This coming draft has Cooper then about 4/5 good talents, this next draft has 3 top tier talents AJ, Peterson and Boozer then drops off again.
Doesn’t look good for those teams that miss the play in abut are too cool/idiotic to tank.