NBA mock draft 2026: Generational ‘big 3’ lead a class worth tanking for

The 2025 NBA Draft is in the books. As the basketball world turns the page to free agency, trade season, and summer league, it’s already time to start looking ahead to next year’s draft class.

The 2026 NBA Draft should already be at the top of mind for teams around the league. This is a rare class with three potential No. 1 overall prospects who are all worth tanking for. I’ve been covering the NBA Draft here since 2014, and I can confidently say the 2026 class has the strongest preseason top-three I’ve evaluated in BYU forward AJ Dybantsa, Kansas guard Darryn Peterson, and Duke big man Cameron Boozer. Getting the No. 2 or No. 3 pick in 2026 is way more valuable than it usually is. Getting the No. 4 pick could feel like a huge letdown depending the development of the rest of the class.

Predicting next year’s NBA draft is an annual tradition for me. You can go back and read my early boards for a fun trip down memory lane from 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025 here.

Here’s a way-too-early 2026 NBA mock draft, with more analysis on this class after the table.

Let’s dive in to some of the big storylines in this class.

Cameron Boozer, Darryn Peterson, and AJ Dybantsa vie for No. 1 in historically strong top-3 of 2026 NBA Draft

A stud big man with an unbreakable pedigree of winning at every level. A guard with incredible two-way physicality and shot-making ability from anywhere on the floor. A wing with prototypical length, strength, explosiveness, and shot-making. Who are you taking No. 1 overall?

At the moment, I’d say there’s no wrong answer. Boozer, Peterson, and Dybantsa enter the 2026 draft cycle with what feels like an equal share of No. 1 overall equity. The season will determine how this big three shakes out, but I feel confident all of them will end the year as excellent prospects who project as franchise players for the teams lucky enough to get them.

I went with Boozer as my preseason No. 1. Here’s a long breakdown on everything that makes him special from last year. In short, I’m betting on Boozer for his elite IQ and mentality, his size and power, and his rising skill level. Boozer just feels like he thinks the game two steps ahead of everyone else on the floor. His ability to play with brains and brawn will work at the highest levels of the game even when he’s not the biggest player on the floor. Boozer’s passing will be an automatic plus at the next level with fantastic outlet passing and the ability to be a hub in the halfcourt. The way he gets his team running in transition reminds me of player with a totally different body type: Tyrese Haliburton. He’s going to be a very good scorer off the dribble, too, especially now that he’s showing pull-up three-point shooting to complement his bully-ball driving and skilled interior finishing. Maybe you think Boozer is a little too short for a center and not quite quick enough to be a four. I get it. I wouldn’t be shocked if Boozer goes third in the 2026 draft for those reasons, but I still think he’s the best prospect in this class for his ability to impact winning.

Peterson is an elite prospect, too, and he was briefly No. 1 on my earliest 2026 draft list a few months ago. The 6’5 guard had a senior year for the ages, detonating every blue-chip prospect in his path with an absurd combination of three-level scoring, playmaking, and defensive intensity. Peterson is a relentless scorer with a deep bag of tricks who somehow rarely feels like he’s forcing the action. His physicality is top-notch for a guard in terms of length/strength/explosiveness, and he’s also extremely well-conditioned to play hard as hell on every possession. There aren’t many elite offensive guards who are this disruptive on defense. Peterson is a killer on the basketball floor in every sense, and he’s going to be a day one star for Bill Self at Kansas next season.

Dybantsa is the most highly-touted of the big-three, and probably the most likely to eventually be drafted No. 1 overall. He has an ideal mix of length (7’1), explosiveness, and shooting touch for an NBA wing, and unlike Ace Bailey, he already has a developed handle that allows him to pressure the rim, plus the strength to finish through contact. Dybantsa is a monster prospect in every sense, I just like Boozer and Peterson’s game a little bit more.

Who are some other impact freshmen in the 2026 draft?

• Nate Ament, F, Tennessee: A long wing with flashes of handle and shooting development. Picking Tennessee for college — traditionally one of the sport’s best defensive programs — is a fascinating choice that could pay major dividends if he develops on that end.
• Mikel Brown Jr., G, Louisville: A quick and shifty guard with an advanced handle and speed to burn. He’s going to be at the controls for a loaded Louisville team next season, where he should be able to show off his playmaking and down scoring.
• Chris Cenac, C, Houston: A stretch big who can fire from deep with flashes of rim protection. A year under Kelvin Sampson should make him tougher and more disciplined on the defensive end.
• Caleb Wilson, F, North Carolina: Athletic forward with a 7-foot wingspan and an understanding of how to use it defensively. He’s more of a connective piece on offense right now, but UNC will give him everything he can handle next season.
• Brayden Burries, G, Arizona: Bucket-getting guard who is really old for his class, turning 20 in Sept. His pull-up shooting and downhill scoring should have an instant impact at Arizona.

Who are the top college returners in the 2026 draft?

• Bennett Stirtz, G, Iowa: Stirtz had a breakout year Drake to lead his team to an NCAA tournament win and emerge as potentially the country’s best mid-major player. He had the talent to be drafted in 2025, but chose to follow his coach from D2 to the MVC to Iowa. He impacts the game in so many areas as a scorer, playmaker, developing shooter (39 percent from deep last year), and defensive thief who posted a huge steal rate. He’s primed for a monster season.
• Yaxel Lendeborg, F/C, Michigan: Point-forward style big man who also won Defensive Player of the Year in the AAC and then took a huge NIL bag from Michigan rather than enter the draft. He’s a really good playmaker who will capably fill Danny Wolf’s shoes in that area, he’s a skilled interior scorer, and he’ll be a shutdown defender. I think he has a chance to be the best player in college basketball next year (though I’d still pick Boozer).
• Miles Byrd, G/F, San Diego State: 6’7 wing who put up comically huge block and steal rates for San Diego State. He absolutely would have been drafted in 2025, but another year in school to help continue his shooting development and improve his creation ability could pay off.