With the 2026 NBA Draft kicking off with the first round TONIGHT, let’s break down the projected top 10 picks. This will also serve as our consensus mock draft:

1. Washington Wizards – AJ Dybantsa (BYU)

The top 3 picks in this draft are already decided. It’s just a matter of the order in which they come off the board. Reportedly, the Wizards still haven’t made up their mind about whose name they will be calling with the first pick, but the choice seems pretty clear to me.

All of the mock drafts I’ve looked at with the exception of CBS Sports, have the Wizards taking AJ Dybantsa number 1. Dybantsa has been on the radar as a potential top pick well before he set foot on BYU’s campus. Even though I would’ve loved to see Dybantsa take BYU further in the NCAA tournament, we saw the 6’9 freshman’s ability to take over games, averaging 25.5 points and nearly 7 rebounds a game.

Dybantsa to the Wizards makes PERFECT sense. Even though it was recently reported that Trae Young would opt out of his current contract and become a free agent, it is widely believed that he will re-sign a long-term deal with the team. Additionally, Alex Sarr recently had foot surgery, but it’s believed he’ll be ready in time for next season. This makes the Dybantsa pick a no-brainer. The combination of Young, Dybantsa and Sarr at the 1-3-5 respectively gives Washington a good framework for years to come. The team does need to address their frontcourt depth in the event that Sarr suffers a setback, but with a draft that is backcourt heavy, Washington would be better suited to take the best player, then address that particular need in free agency.

2. Utah Jazz – Darryn Peterson (Kansas)

It makes sense for Utah to take Peterson number two. Utah is loaded in the front court, and Ace Bailey has enough height at 6’9 to move to the 3. Peterson can play either backcourt position easily, but the Jazz were impressed by Keyonte George’s performance at the point last season, so Peterson slides in obviously at the shooting guard position, and give Utah a pretty solid starting lineup…on paper.

I’m not particularly enthused with Peterson, personally. Yes, he can put up 20 points a game, but the major questions that surround his health and desire to play on a nightly basis,
that would be enough to put me off of drafting him if I was an NBA GM. Plus, for being a guy that’s capable of playing the point, he only averaged 1.6 assists a game at Kansas. Additionally, I’d love the story of Cameron Boozer getting drafted by the team where his father spent six seasons, made two All-Star appearances, and currently works in the front office. The ONLY reason I have the Jazz taking Peterson instead of Boozer is roster construction. As I said, they are set in the front court and need a scoring guard. Enter Peterson.

3. Memphis Grizzlies – Cameron Boozer (Duke)

If Boozer isn’t selected by his father’s team, the next best story would be if he fell to his father’s other most notable organization in Chicago, who happen to sit at number four, but unfortunately, this draft has three premium prospects, then drops off a bit from there, so I don’t see Memphis passing on Boozer. Plus they could use a player like Boozer, who can score like Desmond Bane and Rebound like Jaren Jackson, two players they’ve recently parted with via trade.

If the Grizzles aren’t going to move on from Ja Morant and fully commit to the rebuild, then they need to build around him. Boozer being a top-notch playmaker and rebounder is the best way to do that.

4. Chicago Bulls – Caleb Wilson (UNC)

The draft truly begins at 4. With Dybantsa, Peterson and Boozer off the board, the draft field levels off and truly becomes about fit. All of the mock drafts I’ve seen had the same players coming of the board in the first five picks, and all of them were unanimous on what the Chicago Bulls should do with the #4 pick. Chicago seems set in the backcourt with a bevy of guards. Caleb Wilson seems like an easy choice. Most analysts have Wilson just a “quarter-step” behind the three prospects ahead of him, so Chicago would be thrilled to land him.

Wilson is a solid defender with a high motor and good athleticism. He has untapped potential at the offensive end, and Chicago could use his size near the basket after sending Nikola Vucevic to the Celtics last season. Chicago showed flashes of potential last season, and I believe selecting Caleb Wilson would allow the, to take the next step in realizing that potential.

5. Los Angeles Clippers (from Indiana) – Keaton Wagler (Illinois)

The Clippers would ideally probably look to trade down, as they don’t list guard as a particular area of need, but there are plenty of guards on the board after the big four above that could swing the draft. If they stay in this spot, taking Keaton Wagler makes sense. Wagler led Illinois to the Final Four a year ago, averaging almost 18 points and shooting 40% from 3.

Los Angeles is said to be looking for a taller backcourt partner for the smaller Darius Garland long-term. It is believed that they are ideally targeting Brayden Burries out of Arizona but could be weighing the risk of Burries being off the board if they trade back. In the event they use the pick, the 6’6 Wagler could give them what they’re looking for.

6. Brooklyn Nets – Mikel Brown Jr. (Louisville)

When it comes to this point in the draft, I find it hard to choose between a couple of different prospects in this spot. Both Mikel Brown Jr and Darius Acuff Jr. are both point guards with high ceilings.

If it were me, I would take Acuff at 6. Acuff had a higher PPG average than Brown, more assists per game, and shot a much better percentage from behind the arc. Plus, Cameron Salerno at CBS Sports believes Acuff is the best point guard in the draft. So why would I have Brown going to the Nets and not Acuff? Simple – the Nets. Sacramento covets Acuff more than Brooklyn does, and the Nets don’t explicitly need a point guard.

Brooklyn needs talent. Brown Jr. is two inches taller and five pounds heavier than Acuff and has been described as having a ceiling with “skyscraper-level height”. He has a powerful scoring punch and can hit the deep three on the level with guys like Curry, Lillard and Young. Additionally, he has the passing ability to be a floor general in the making. His potential may be too enticing for the prospect-collecting Nets to pass up.

7. Sacramento Kings – Darius Acuff Jr. (Arkansas)

This is simple: the Kings desperately need to replace De’Aaron Fox. Additionally, it adds insult to injury when you consider that the Kings have had to watch two former draft picks play in the NBA Finals in back-to-back years in Fox and Haliburton.

The Kings can’t afford to get it wrong again. They covet Acuff. If Acuff is there at #7, it’s open and shut.

8. Atlanta Hawks (from New Orleans) – Aday Mara (Michigan)

It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that the Hawks overperformed after the team traded away superstar Trae Young. They got CJ McCollum in return, and McCollum rewarded that faith, averaging 18.7 points. Atlanta rewarded that with a one-year, $21 million contract extension.

Several mock drafts have Atlanta taking Kingston Flemings, the point guard out of Houston, but now that they have reunited with McCollum, they have a more pressing need. The Atlanta frontcourt lacks size. Like, bad. Aday Mara is 7’3 with an absurd 9’9 standing reach. He is an elite shot blocker and could cause serious problems for opposing offenses in the paint. The Hawks selecting Mara could result in Kingston Flemings sliding to the middle of the first round, potentially in the 17-19 range to the Mavericks, T’Wolves or Raptors respectively.

That said, I can’t see Atlanta passing on Mara, given how undersized they are.

9. Dallas Mavericks – Brayden Burries (Arizona)

Like I mentioned above, the LA Clippers covet Brayden Burries. IF the Clippers were to trade down, I’d expect it would be to the same range of teams in need of a guard that I mentioned above (17-19). Like I said, trading down would risk them missing out on Burries entirely. I predict that’s exactly what would happen.

Dallas had a backcourt of Kyrie Irving and Klay Thompson a year ago. Both are aging fast. Kyrie, however, probably has a couple of good years left, so a two-guard like Burries with room to grow would be perfect to pair with (and learn from) Irving. Put those two on the floor with a solid frontcourt of Flagg and Lively, and you’re really starting to move the needle in Dallas.

10. Milwaukee Bucks – Nate Ament (Tennessee)

Bleacher Report projects PG Kingston Flemings to fall to the Bucks at #10. He is a two-way player who can make an immediate impact for any team. IF the Bucks decide to not move on from Giannis before tonight’s draft, Flemmings make a ton of sense. However, it’s been reported that a potential trade that would send Giannis to the Miami Heat is “gaining momentum” as of Sunday.

The deal, which also includes the Detroit Pistons, would reportedly send Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis to the Heat, Tyler Herro from Miami to the Pistons, and the Bucks would receive the 13th pick and a “package of young players, believed at the moment to be 7-footer Kel’el Ware and Nikola Jovic.

If the Bucks are expected to lose both Giannis and Bobby Portis, their frontcourt would need addressing, even if they receive Ware and Jovic in return. If I were Milwaukee, I would use the 10th pick on Tennessee’s Nate Ament, a 6’10” power forward who may be called upon to fill the humongous gap left by Giannis. Do I think he can do that alone? No. They don’t call Giannis the Greek Freak for nothing.

However, I’d still make the pick of Ament at #10, because the interesting part of this trade is that 13th pick. Even if the Bucks like Flemings, choosing Ament just makes sense. THEN, at 13, they can still nab Flemings as, unless there is a trade, Golden State at 11 and OKC at 12 aren’t expected to take point guards, so if Flemings makes it past Atlanta at 8, he should still be there for Milwaukee’s second pick at 13. The Bucks could have their cake and eat it too.

***UPDATE: After this post was originally written, it was announced that the Milwaukee Bucks were trading Giannis and Bobby Portis to the Miami Heat that includes much of the return we mentioned above. Tyler Herro, Jaimie Jaquez, and Kel’el Ware are going back to Milwaukee. There ARE also several pick swaps that includes the Bucks getting the 13th pick in tonight’s draft. That beings said, I still think taking Ament at 10 and Kingston Flemings at 13 is the best move for the Bucks

Those are my projections for the first 10 picks of Tuesday’s first round of the NBA Draft, but as we know from any draft, a lot can change between now and when the names are actually called on the draft stage. Let me know ii the comments if you have any differing expectations of the first round.