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We are a little over a month away from the NBA Draft, and rumors are starting to fly around. Here are some of the latest — and also check out the latest NBC Sports Mock Draft.
AJ Dybantsa not lock to go No. 1
AJ Dybantsa helped his cause at the NBA Draft Combine — he was everything teams expected, and his 42-inch vertical leap solidified him as one of the best pure athletes in the draft. Which is why most teams have the BYU wing on top of their draft boards, projected to go No. 1.
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But it’s not a lock that Dybantsa goes first, reports Jeremy Woo at ESPN.
Rival teams don’t view Dybantsa as a lock to go first, however, as there has been no true consensus No. 1 among scouts all season. Darryn Peterson, Cam Boozer and Caleb Wilson are all expected to receive consideration as the Wizards go through their process.
With all due respect to Boozer and Wilson, if it’s not Dybantsa at No. 1, it will be Darryn Peterson out of Kansas — he was the guy on top of draft boards before the season, and scouts have told NBC Sports he still has the highest ceiling of the group. What has dropped Peterson’s stock in the eyes of most teams is health concerns in a season where he yo-yoed in and out of the Jayhawks’ lineup due to cramping and other injuries. Scouts and front office people have told NBC Sports they want to see Peterson’s medical reports, and ESPN’s Woo echoes that, also reporting Peterson did well in his combine interviews with teams.
NBA teams are still awaiting the results of Peterson’s medical evaluation, which is viewed around the league as the most important off-court piece after he dealt with serious cramping concerns, which he attributed to high dosages of creatine. According to team sources, Peterson came across as quiet but serious in interviews last week and handled that part of the process well, addressing questions about his strange season.
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One thing is clear out of the Combine: Those top four — Dybantsa, Peterson, Boozer and Wilson — are considered by teams in their own tier, something Woo and others at the combine report.
Other draft notes
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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/2026-nba-draft-rumors-aj-211515133.html
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Publish date : 2026-05-19 21:15:00
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