The 2026 NBA Draft is shaping up to be one of the deepest classes in years, and the top of the board is already being described as generational.
AJ Dybantsa headlines the top four, joined by Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer and Caleb Wilson. All four are expected to go early in the first round, and all four have real cases to be a top-three pick.
AJ Dybantsa Is the Presumed No. 1
Dybantsa is committed to BYU and enters his freshman year as the consensus top prospect in the class. He is 6-foot-9, plays every position on the floor, and combines the physical tools of a modern wing with an advanced offensive skill set.
He was the No. 1 recruit in the country before he committed. BYU getting him was a coup, and Dybantsa is going to be must-watch television in the West Coast Conference all season.
The comparisons are already flying. Some scouts see a Paul George-style scoring wing. Others see a bigger, more athletic version of Cade Cunningham. Whatever the ceiling is, Dybantsa is the pick to be No. 1 overall for now.
Darryn Peterson Might Push Him
Peterson is a shooting guard at Kansas with elite scoring instincts and a real playoff-caliber offensive skill set. He gets buckets from anywhere on the floor and plays with the kind of pace that translates directly to the NBA.
If Peterson dominates Big 12 play the way scouts think he can, he could very easily unseat Dybantsa at the top of the board by March. This is a two-horse race for No. 1 through the college season.
Cameron Boozer at Duke
Boozer, the son of former NBA All-Star Carlos Boozer, is another top-five lock. He is at Duke playing under Jon Scheyer and is going to be the anchor of what should be another loaded Blue Devils roster.
Boozer is a big man in a modern mold. He can score inside, step out and hit shots, and he has better passing vision than most bigs coming out of college. He is going to look like a Duke legend by the end of his freshman season.
Caleb Wilson Rounds Out the Top Four
Wilson is another wing prospect who has consistently ranked at the top of scouting boards. He has legitimate two-way tools and a smoother offensive game than his peers.
Wilson could end up as the sleeper of the top four if the ball skills develop the way scouts think they will.
Why This Class Matters
The 2025 class was headlined by Cooper Flagg, who won Rookie of the Year and immediately became a foundational piece for the Dallas Mavericks. The 2026 class is deeper than that one at the top, and NBA teams tanking this season have a real reason to do it.
There are four players who could be franchise cornerstones. That is rare. Most drafts have one, sometimes two. Having four means the top of the lottery is going to be must-watch, and teams like the Wizards, Nets and Jazz should be in on the fun.
What to Watch This Season
The head-to-head matchups between Dybantsa, Peterson, Boozer and Wilson are going to define the college season. Duke plays BYU in a marquee non-conference matchup, and any Kansas-Duke matchup would be appointment television.
NBA scouts are going to be in every arena all season. The lottery order matters more this year than most.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
