NBA News NBA News, Match Reports and Updates
The fireworks for the 2026 NBA Draft seemed to go off a day early. The Giannis Antetokounmpo trade to Miami stole the headlines in the morning, and when the NBA Draft itself got underway… it largely followed the chalk and stayed to form. There were no shocking trades, no wildly unexpected picks, just a lot of smart choices.
That’s reflected in the grades for the first round. Let’s break it down by team.
Advertisement
AJ Dybantsa (1)
This was not a no-brainer — there were three players legitimately worthy of being the No. 1 at the top of the draft. Washington, however, made the best choice for them. Dybantsa is a 6’9″ wing who can score from all three levels and lit up college basketball last season. When I saw him play in person, what stood out was that he is a tough shotmaker, a skill needed by elite players in the league. Dybantsa seems a natural fit between Trae Young at the point and Anthony Davis and Alex Sarr on the front line. Washington nailed this.
Darryn Peterson (2)
Advertisement
Utah got the best fit for its roster out of the top four picks in this draft — and there are plenty of people around the league who would argue they may have drafted the best player. Going into last season, Darryn Peterson was the guy on top of everyone’s draft board — he was seen as the most explosive athlete in the class and the player with the highest upside. His one season at Kansas did not play out like he or the Jayhawks envisioned, but multiple NBA teams talked to him, looked at his league medical evaluation, and came away largely unconcerned about his future. Pairing Peterson with Keyonte George in the backcourt — and Lauri Markkanen, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Walker Kessler along the front line — makes a very good starting five.
Cameron Boozer (3), Karim Lopez (21, via OKC and Detroit)
Memphis has a vision for how it’s retooling this roster, and Boozer is a perfect fit and crown jewel for it. The Memphis front line is now Cedric Coward, Boozer and Zach Edey, with Lopez coming off the bench — that is a foundation you can build around. Boozer just does everything well: Can score inside and out, has elite footwork,…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/2026-nba-draft-grades-every-062236965.html
Author :
Publish date : 2026-06-24 06:22:00
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.
