AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer: Who each NBA Draft Lottery team would take with the No. 1 pick

With the 2026 NBA Draft Lottery set for Sunday, May 10 at 3 p.m. ET in Chicago, there are a lot of desperate front offices and fanbases hoping to strike gold. This is the most talented prospect class in recent memory, especially at the top, with AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson and Cameron Boozer all offering generational upside.

Dybantsa is the consensus favorite to land No. 1 overall in June, but Boozer and Peterson are still in the mix. How the ping-pong balls roll on Sunday will directly impact which prospect claims pole position. Let's go through each team with a chance at the top pick and determine their most likely selection:

Charlotte Hornets: AJ Dybantsa

Charlotte offers by far the most optimal offensive ecosystem for any of the top prospects. LaMelo Ball, Kon Knueppel and Brandon Miller are such a synergistic core. The Hornets are able to ramp up the tempo, spread the floor and exploit lapses with sharp, purposeful decision-making.

There's a strong case here for Cameron Boozer, the local Duke product who feels like the correct "win-now" pick. Then again, there's a reason the odds so heavily favor Dybantsa. Charlotte could use a bit more athleticism and size on the wing. Dybantsa's rollicking downhill attacks would pair beautifully with the more malleable, connective qualities of Charlotte's current stars. This team would become a wagon overnight.

Miami Heat: AJ Dybantsa

Dybantsa's lax defense does not scream 'Heat Culture,' but he plays with such an edge and purpose offensively. In fact, Miami's strong developmental ecosystem is probably the ideal biome for Dybantsa to come up in. Erik Spoelstra squeezes the most out of every player and there's a strong culture of accountability, which could fuel Dybantsa to finally put his immense physical tools to full use on both ends of the court.

Miami is stuck in a distressing purgatory as a good-not-great team, built around a star in Bam Adebayo who's probably the No. 3 or No. 4 on an actual title contender. Dybantsa can serve as Miami's Jimmy Butler analog — a slippery downhill scorer with burgeoning playmaking skills and as much two-way potential as any non-Victor Wembanyama prospect over the last decade.

Oklahoma City Thunder: Cameron Boozer

Cameron Boozer is the most complete college basketball star in recent memory. He's also the most Thunder-y of the projected top picks, with a refined skill set and basketball mind that should allow him to contribute immediately, in deeply impactful ways, to an OKC squad that's prepared to compete for championships for the next decade.

Boozer checks the dribble-pass-shoot boxes OKC values in its wings and forwards, with razor-sharp processing skills, a buttery jumper and the blend of coordination and thudding physicality needed to punish mismatches inside. He doesn't let the ball stick unnecessarily. He can thrive on- or off-ball, with any defensive concerns mitigated by OKC's other impenetrable armor on that end. This outcome might break basketball.

Golden State Warriors: Darryn Peterson

Golden State's track record with high lottery picks is spotty, but it'll be hard to miss here. Darryn Peterson feels the most aligned with Steve Kerr, assuming he's still the head coach next season. He can help right away while also prepping for more responsibilities down the road — a bridge to the future beyond Steph, essentially.

There's a strong case for banking on Boozer's brain and versatility here, but Peterson is the premier off-ball scorer in this draft. He spent all season roping movement 3s and attacking in the flow of a Kansas offense that regularly needed Peterson to carry them on his back. The medicals will be an important data point with Peterson, but last time we saw him as full strength in high school, he was prolifically attacking the rim and setting up teammates out of the pick-and-roll. He can be whatever the Warriors need him to be.

Chicago Bulls: AJ Dybantsa

Bryson Graham was introduced as Chicago's top front office executive this week and he made special note of his SLAP philosophy — Size, Length, Athleticism, Physicality. Dybantsa most clearly fits that description as a nutty 6-foot-9 athlete with power, dexterity and explosiveness. He can absorb or evade contact. There are few spots on the court he can not access and score from, almost regardless of matchup.

Dybantsa's defensive woes could be exacerbated in the early going by Chicago's lack of frontline personnel, but this is the beginning of a potential years-long rebuild for the Bulls. Dybantsa can get out and run the floor with Josh Giddey, Matas Buzelis and Noa Essengue, all while giving Chicago a halfcourt scoring generator the roster so clearly lacks. It doesn't have to be perfect on day one.

Dallas Mavericks: Darryn Peterson

Cooper Flagg, Kyrie Irving and Dybantsa would create so many matchup advantages for Dallas. The Duke brigade with Boozer would be extremely fun. And yet, Darryn Peterson addresses a gaping void next to Irving in the backcourt. The Mavs need a guard with size and defensive chops who can help stimulate the halfcourt offense. Peterson checks all the right boxes.

How close Peterson is to himself — the explosive, three-level scoring beast we saw in high school — remains to be seen. But a healthy finish to the season at least gives reason for optimism. He's talented off-ball, so coexisting with Dallas' current stars wouldn't be a problem. In the long run, he can take over the offensive reins from Irving and form a fearsome one-two punch next to Flagg for the next decade-plus, hopefully.

Atlanta Hawks: Darryn Peterson

The Trae Young trade clearly benefitted the Hawks, addition-by-subtraction style. But it also left them with a noticeable lack of perimeter shot creation, which became their undoing in what became a lopsided first-round playoff loss to New York. CJ McCollum was magical at times, but he's a free agent and he's not really on Atlanta's competitive timeline anyway.

Dybantsa and Boozer would both rock in a competitive environment like this, but Peterson is the cleanest fit. Atlanta could use his 3-point volume and malleable skill set. Hopefully he becomes more comfortable attacking the rim and setting up the halfcourt offense, becoming the yin to Jalen Johnson's transition-oriented, power-slashing yang. Also: a backcourt of Peterson, Dyson Daniels and Nickeil Alexander-Walker can guard.

Memphis Grizzlies: Cameron Boozer

In a league that increasingly favors the size and physicality advantage, there's something tantalizing to the concept of a Zach Edey-Cameron Boozer frontcourt. Memphis would need to prove it can defend out in space well enough, but this Grizzlies front office tends to embrace an analytics bend and think outside the box, at least relative to other teams.

There's a strong case for Dybantsa as the source of rim pressure and shot creation Memphis needs for a post-Ja Morant future. Peterson as a direct Morant replacement in the backcourt would also check out. That said, the unique intersection of size, skill and brain between Edey and Boozer, with Memphis' collection of lengthy, two-way wings led by Cedric Coward, is easy to get excited about.

Sacramento Kings: AJ Dybantsa

Sacramento is basketball purgatory — a chronically mismanaged roster overburdened with expensive veterans who don't fit together in a remotely successful fashion. It feels like Domantas Sabonis, Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan could all be on the trade block this summer, if there are even any takers.

That probably means the Kings will focus on pure upside, and Dybantsa is the clear upside swing. The ceiling bet. His scoring tools on the wing are borderline supernatural. The Kings can plant their flag on Dybantsa, hoping he becomes the bell cow offensive weapon of Sacramento's future once the front office sifts through all the other noise. How successfully the Kings can pull that transition off, of course, is another question entirely.

Utah Jazz: AJ Dybantsa

Utah pushed its chips in at the trade deadline unexpectedly, acquiring Jaren Jackson Jr. before engaging in the most blatant tank job of any NBA team. The goal is clearly to start winning games next season, especially with the lottery odds expected to flatten out. The Jazz's unique roster construction makes this an especially interesting decision at No. 1.

Utah has a massive frontcourt with Walker Kessler, Lauri Markkanen and Jackson, all of whom feel like core pieces. Not to mention Ace Bailey, whose overlap with Dybantsa is hard to ignore. Even so, Dybantsa moved to Utah in high school and attended BYU. There has been an undercurrent of Dybantsa-Jazz buzz for ages now. That is so clearly their dude. He's also the closest analog to Jayson Tatum or Jaylen Brown, if we want to psychologize the Ainges.

Brooklyn Nets: AJ Dybantsa

Brooklyn probably deserves some lottery luck, especially with their 2027 first-round pick owed to Houston and the league's anti-tanking efforts about to take effect. Dybantsa feels like a big-market star and there isn't a bigger market in this range than New York City. The Nets also desperately need another scorer next to Michael Porter Jr., which Dybantsa provides (and then some).

The Nets loaded up on big, connective guards in the 2025 draft. Porter is an awesome off-ball weapon who was stretched thin as last season progressed. Dybantsa can generate buckets from scratch and provide Brooklyn with a legitimate 1A star to build around — with extra money to burn and picks to trade in the offseason, too.

Indiana Pacers: Cameron Boozer

The Pacers should contend next season if all goes well with Tyrese Haliburton's recovery. This was a timely gap year, with Indiana boldly attempting to thread the needle by trading their top-four protected pick to L.A. for Ivica Zubac. If the Pacers can come into 2026-27 with Zubac and a marquee talent from this draft class, Indy might be favorites to win the East.

Few front offices put more of an emphasis on feel and processing speed than Indiana. The Pacers crunch the numbers and typically focus on adding skilled, smart, synergistic players. This is the most obvious Cameron Boozer-at-No. 1 team, if such a team exists. Boozer's shooting, connective passing and inside-out skill set would meld beautifully with Indiana's core.

Washington Wizards: AJ Dybantsa

Washington's front office has historically spammed versatile, athletic two-way wings and forwards. The team is moving in a new direction after the Anthony Davis and Trae Young trades, but Dybantsa still feels like the obvious pick here. Washington will hope to become too fast, too big, too explosive for opponents.

Dybantsa will feast on easy setups from Young, able to attack the lane and score against a tilted defense. Washington has an elite off-ball shooter in Tre Johnson, a strong defensive backbone in Davis and Alex Sarr, and a collection of moldable, high-variance wings like Will Riley, Bilal Coulibaly and Kyshawn George. There's a lot of upside here, with Dybantsa getting a chance to drive winning sooner than later.

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