2026 NBA Mock Draft: Kansas’ Darryn Peterson ahead of BYU’s AJ Dybantsa in way-too-early look at next year

The NBA 2025 draft is now officially in books and it is therefore never too early to start thinking about next year.

And it is not only for draft fans. The first NBA offices are also providing future projects, not so much on players who project the spots, but more on the collective force of the total class, in order to help them better manage their long -term assets.

The early perception of 2026 is that it is a very strong class, not only at the top where the names like Dybantsa, Peterson and Boozer are already well known to the NBA decision -makers, but also with the total depth of the class, after several first -round fringes in the ranks of the college in Cecle because of the attraction of Nile.

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Here is an overview inspired by the lottery on 14 prospects that already have the attention of the NBA decision-makers with an overly early order using the latest projections of sports lines for the 2025-26 season.

Darryn Peterson, Kansas

Peterson finished as a leading prospect in high school basketball this season and will have the ball in his hands from the first day next season in Kansas. It is a big leader who measured more than 6 feet 5 inches with a scale of 6-10. He is an Alpha -type scorer and a playmaker with a natural instinct to go to his places, marking in the flow in various places on the ground, creating for others and even when he arrived at the Launarae francs.

We even saw his explosiveness continue to rise in the past year because he brought his fitness and his packaging to unprecedented levels. In short, among the three players at the top of the class, it was he who showed the most growth as a high school student.

AJ Dybantsa, byu

Choose acquired via trade with New Orleans Pélicans

Dybantsa is the most talented perspective in the class. A jumbo 6-9 wing with an elastic body type and an extreme courtyard cover, it is the prototype of a modern NBA wing. While the talent and prowess of score have been obvious since he was a subclass, he seemed to set a little during his last year of high school. More recently, he impressed by the USA Basketball U19 team who will now go to Switzerland to participate in the FIBA ​​World Cup next week.

The scouts will be in full strength and if he can convince them that he contributes again to the highest level and makes progress of his game, it is very possible that he is back in the driver’s seat as a rating favorite to be the first choice once the university season will take place.

Cameron Boozer, Duke

Cameron Boozer may not have the same blatant advantage as Peterson or Dybantsa, but it is a virtual cannot miss a prospect. He has just ended his career at the most successful high school in recent history, after winning each major competition in which he competed – including four Florida State Championships, three Nike Eybl championships, several gold medals with American basketball and the title of National Chipotle as non -official national champions.

At 6-9 with shoes and a wingspan of 7-1, it is powerful and fundamentally solid with a set of skills inside. His hands, rebound and his passage capacity are really exceptional. He is not yet an alpha type creator, but he may not need to be won in victory at the highest level for a long time.

Nately, Tennessee

There is a big late and qualified flowering striker who now measures above 6-10, has an incredibly soft natural touch and barely begins to draw from his advantage. He has shown extreme growth throughout his last year in high school, going from a player who barely obtained minutes in the USABAL U18 team to the one who has become one of the most indifferently gifted in the class.

His hands are as soft as his natural touch. It is a threat of versatile score with high release to mark above small defenders, graceful fluidity and enormous dexterity around painting. He still needs to build his body and continue to assert himself, but his transparent tools combined with his recent improvement rate are very convincing.

Darius Acuff, Arkansas

Acuff has been the most impressive leader of the high school basketball in the past two years. He burst into the national scene in the spring of 2023 by setting up a large number in the Nike Eybl. Since then, he has continued to sculpt his framework and assert his game prowess. He was undoubtedly as good as anyone in the country to put his team on his back and create an offense on demand last year at the IMG Academy.

At Arkansas, he looks like the next dynamic guard to play for John Calipari and although they refer Dj Wagner and add another five -star first -year guard to Meleled Thomas, the wait is that Cap will have every opportunity to stand out.

Mikel Brown, Louisville

Brown finished as n ° 6 of the high school basketball prospect in the country last year and probably the best pure leader. This month, however, he was clear during USA U19 USA tests that he had already brought his game to new levels. After pushing more than five inches in high school, Brown now shows a new explosiveness.

When you add this to his very advanced skills with the ball in his hands and now a good position of position for a pure leader and he looked extremely impressive. If he looks as well next week in Switzerland, expect extreme Draft Buzz to start his first year in Louisville.

Jayden Quaintance, Kentucky

The Parance reclassified to go to college a year at the beginning of last year, even if it meant that it would be too young to be eligible for the draft of the NBA. He achieved an average of 9 points and 8 rebounds per game for Arizona State, while recording 2.6 blocks and 1.1 interceptions per game. Although its athletics, a wingspan of almost 7 feet 5 inches, a powerful framework and offensive tools are intriguing, it is these defensive instincts that were blatant.

If we see these offensive tools transforming into a more coherent production this year in Kentucky, in particular beyond the finish that he has already proven, he should be one of the best names in the front area on the field.

Koa Peat, Arizona

Peat finished as a perspective No. 11 in the country last year and had one of the most productive four -year careers of anyone in the classroom. He also plays in the USA Basketball U19 team which will participate in the FIBA ​​World Cup from next week and if what we have seen in the trials continues in Switzerland, his stock will increase.

Coming from a family of football players, the peat was always powerful and physically mature in high school. Now however, he looks sculpted and more explosive than ever. With the notation capacity of the inadequate type, if it can use these defensively physical gains and answer questions about his shooting, it is a name to look at.

Karim Lopez, Mexico

Lopez is undoubtedly the best international prospect that will not play university basketball next season. The 6 -inch 9 -inch striker from Mexico spent last year participating in the NBL Next Star program with New Zealand Breakers. It is known to be physically strong, qualified for its size and have a great engine.

It is physical, aggressive and full of competitive energy. Although the long -term shooting is always a work in progress and an important variable to monitor the scouts this year, it puts the ball on the ground well on both sides, is a hard pilot and has a good touch around the edge.

10. Atlanta Hawks

Dame Sarr, Duke

Sarr has just been 19 years old and he was therefore old enough to declare for the draft of the NBA this year. Instead, he will go to university basketball in the hope of making a way to the lottery in Duke. A jumbo wing in preparation, it is 6-8 and has a wingspan of almost 7 feet, but will have to work to fulfill its framework during the next year. Beyond his physical tools, he is known for his defensive potential, his past flashes and his high energy, but must work to become more coherent with his view and his overall decision with the ball.

YAXEL LENDEBORG, Michigan

Of all the players who have chosen to return to university basketball this year, Lendeborg may have had the best chance of being in the first round. Instead, it will become a focal point for Michigan, apparently for a steep package. He will enter the role canceled by Danny Wolf, allowing him to show his versatility and his creation of games to his size, which could catapult him with the lottery if everything goes well.

Lendeborg will be 23 years old next September, so his age is relevant, but at 6-9 with a scope of 7-4 and an almost unique combination of tools, many people in the NBA are extremely high.

Caleb Wilson, North Carolina

Wilson will be a very interesting perspective to watch this season in North Carolina. On the one hand, it may be unlikely that he will become the offensive alpha that he publicly said he would be. On the other hand, it is not his best way to the league. If he buys an ultra-inverse defender, a defensive playmaker and plays in himself offensively in four hybrids, it is a very translatable role that should draw the attention of the NBA assessors. It has 6-9 with a 7-foot scale, very mobile and inflatable.

Chris Cenac, Houston

Cenac finished as a global perspective n ° 6 in secondary basketball last year, largely based on its unexploited advantage. He is over 6-10 years old with shoes, has a better than 7-4 in the go, a good athlete and has the skills bases upside down. However, he has not yet assembled all the parts and this recently watched the USA Basketball U19 tests, where he was finally cut off from the team. Now, if that means that it can spend more time in Houston, it can be a disguised blessing because there is an optimism that a year with Kelvin Sampson could be the thing to do it on the right trajectory.

Bennett Stittz, iowa

The former leader of Division II will follow the coach Ben McCollum in his third school next year and it is very possible that Stittz is established as a pre-eminent leader of university basketball in the process. He will not win any combination competitions and he will be 22 years old at the opening of next season, but Stitz has a size of NBA caliber position, an exceptionally advanced set of skills and an equally lively spirit for the game.

He comes from a year to Drake in which he collected on average 19 points, 6 assists and 4 rebounds per match on the shooting 50/40/79 and there is optimism that he could produce at a similar level next season in the Big Ten.