NBA Mock Draft 7.0: The latest on every pick of the draft ahead of the NBA Finals

The NBA Finals are here between the Knicks and Spurs, which means 28 other teams across the league are solely focused on their offseasons. Workouts are happening every day across the country right now, as teams are figuring out what their priorities will be come draft night. Based on all the latest intel around the league, here’s my latest two-round mock draft:

AJ Dybantsa, 6-9, BYU freshman forward

BYU forward AJ Dybantsa and Kansas guard Darryn Peterson are the favorites to go first, though Duke’s Cam Boozer remains on the radar, per league sources. Wizards president Michael Winger has already said on the record that the front office will consider trading down to accumulate assets. Over the past 46 years, the team holding the No. 1 pick has traded down and stayed in the lottery only three times: in 1980, 1993, and 2017. It is a rarity and would take a lot of guts for Washington to make such a decision.

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For now, the most likely scenario is staying at the first pick and taking Dybantsa, who could become one of the NBA’s most unstoppable shot-creators. At 6-foot-9, he has a special blend of athletic tools with the way he bends, shifts, and explodes with the ball in his hands. He gets to the rim at will, cooks in the midrange, draws fouls at a high rate, and displays point-forward potential. In Washington, the pressure will be alleviated on him early in his career, now that he’s teammates with veterans Trae Young and Anthony Davis. In the longer term, Dybantsa fits: Alex Sarr already looks like an effective two-way big, while guards and wings like Kyshawn George, Tre Johnson, Will Riley, and Bilal Coulibaly have all shown flashes. But none of them project to be a superstar like Dybantsa, whose upside will be determined by whether he can become a knockdown 3-point shooter, as well as a more impactful defender to take full advantage of his physical tools. But even with those areas for improvement, Dybantsa has an MVP ceiling.

(Amy Monks/Yahoo Sports Illustration)

Darryn Peterson, 6-5, Kansas freshman guard

Ever since the Jazz moved up to the second pick, the talk became about whether the team would…

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Author : Kevin O'Connor

Publish date : 2026-06-03 19:07:00

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