2026 NBA Mock Draft: Projecting the next wave of college stars

With the 2025 NBA Draft behind us, it's never too early to look ahead to the 2026 NBA Draft. This was a great lottery class, but the 2026 draft offers an even greater concentration of potential All-Stars near the top of the board. It's far too early to write our evaluations in stone, but there will be a lot of upside cycling through college basketball next season.

Cooper Flagg was once part of this recruiting class, which is a fun thought. He reclassified and went to Duke as a 17-year-old, establishing himself as one of the top prospects of his generation. Another fun thought: I'm not 100 percent sure Flagg would have been the No. 1 pick in 2026. He put together a genuinely unbelievable freshman season at Duke, but there is justifiably extreme hype around Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer and AJ Dybantsa as a three-headed monster atop the 2026 draft.

As the college basketball landscape continues to shift due to NIL, there will be plenty of storylines to follow next season, from which transfers succeed to which transfers end up regretting their decision to pass on a guaranteed selection in the 2025 draft.

Here is how the 2026 board shapes up in this extremely early stages.

2026 NBA Mock Draft: Way-too-early projections for the top 30 picks

Darryn Peterson separates himself as favorite to go No. 1 next June

It is waaaaay too early to know which prospect comes off the board No. 1 a year from now. We don't know which team will be picking, nor how the upcoming season will transpire. A lot can change with an evaluation between high school and college. Peterson didn't exactly make his job easy either, joining a Kansas program that is digging itself out of a rut.

That said, one can't help but see the parallels between Peterson's ascent and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's rise with the world champion OKC Thunder. We don't need to saddle him with such a high bar, but Peterson is a 6-foot-6 scoring guard with incredible dexterity and creativity as a ball-handler. His ability to change speeds, create separation and sustain advantages is elite. There is immense two-way potential here.

Cameron Boozer will look to fill Cooper Flagg's shoe at Duke

Cameron Boozer has the unenviable task of more or less replacing Cooper Flagg at Duke, but the 18-year-old forward has what it takes to get the job done. As expected, Jon Scheyer has dominated high school recruiting and the transfer portal to amass the best top-to-bottom roster in college basketball. Boozer, at 6-foot-9 with a mature frame and incredibly high feel, will look to tie it all together as a playmaking hub and lead scorer.

Boozer needs to iron out his 3-point shot a bit, but he's equally fluid and forceful scoring from mid-range or in the post. Boozer roasts mismatches, processes the floor at light speed, and continually makes the effort plays necessary to impact winning. There's a good chance he can lead Duke on another deep NCAA Tournament run.

AJ Dybantsa is a walking highlight reel at BYU

BYU continues to doll out the NIL dollars, with second-year head coach Kevin Young attracting a wide array of talent to Provo. The headliner is AJ Dybantsa, who has been a mixtape favorite on the internet for years. Listed at 6-foot-9 with elite athleticism, Dybantsa looks the part of an NBA star. He's too strong and too fast for most high school defenders, an advantage that will translate to the college level.

Dybantsa is a dynamic shot-maker from all areas of the floor, especially in the mid-range. His quick first step, combined with unbelievable power and coordination as a finisher at the rim, makes him a potent slasher. He will need to work on shot selection and involving his teammates at the next level, but Dybantsa will put up the longest highlight reel in college hoops and probably win a ton of games with the Cougars.

Returners to watch in the 2026 NBA Draft

Alabama sophomore Labaron Philon withdrew from the 2025 draft at the very last second. He should garner lottery buzz in 2026, with a compelling blend of downhill scoring, high-feel passing and defensive activity. Philon needs to add strength and get more consistent from 3-point lane, but it's hard to find guards who can slither through the defense and read the floor like him. His incredible touch on floaters leads me to believe he will shoot 3s well enough in the NBA.

Bennett Stritz became a mid-major sensation at Drake. Now he's following head coach Ben McCollum to Iowa, where he gets a chance to showcase his incredible skill level and advanced feel on a Big Ten stage. Stirtz' lack of strength complicates his defensive projection at the next level, but he's an elite pick-and-roll operator with unique ball-handling cadences and a pure jump shot.

Yaxel Lendeborg was another late withdrawal from the 2025 draft. After a dominant all-around campaign at UAB, he goes to Michigan, where he can step into a high-usage frontcourt role vacated by Danny Wolf. Lendeborg stuffs the stat sheet with strong connective playmaking, nifty interior scoring and an insatiable appetite on the glass.

JT Toppin was a potential first-round pick in 2025, but he decided early on a return to Texas Tech. He was one of college basketball's most impactful two-way stars as a sophomore, which shouldn't change as a junior. He needs to get more consistent from 3-point range, but Toppin's interior finishing is elite. He boasts polished footwork and a strong feel for manipulating mismatches and exploiting advantages. He will crass the glass, defend with a passion and put up plenty of points.

Tahaad Pettiford faced a tought stay-or-go decision, but returning to Auburn for his sophomore campaign was probably the right choice. He will face skeptics at the next level due to his slight frame, but Pettiford is an extremely efficient three-level shot-maker who will occupy a far more robust role in his second season under Bruce Pearl. Johni Broome is gone. Auburn needs a new leader. Pettiford is ready to step to the plate.