The 2026 NBA Draft has been the talk of the league for years, and now that the lottery order is set, the buzz is louder than ever. Washington Wizards General Manager Will Dawkins recently shared his thoughts from the NBA Draft Scouting Combine in Chicago, offering a rare behind-the-scenes look at how top prospects are tracked from a young age.

Dawkins recalls first hearing about AJ Dybantsa when the future star was just 14 years old—a fellow Massachusetts native whose talent was impossible to ignore. He saw Cameron Boozer at 15 during the NBPA Top 100 camp, and Darryn Peterson was on the Wizards' radar by age 16 through Team USA practices and Nike's EYBL circuit. "We knew we wanted to go on an intentional rebuild," Dawkins explained, "so we loaded up on the grassroots spaces and made sure we were in those gyms watching these guys." His verdict? "Pound-for-pound, it's one of the best drafts I've seen in a long time."

The Wizards landed the No. 1 pick, and all eyes are on AJ Dybantsa, a 6-foot-9 wing from BYU. As the NCAA scoring champion and Julius Erving Award winner, Dybantsa averaged 28.8 points per game over his final 17 appearances, including a 35-point, 10-rebound explosion in March Madness. He led the nation in unassisted points (680) by a wide margin, making him the ultimate offensive weapon for a Wizards team with the league's second-worst offense.

At No. 2, the Indiana Pacers are projected to select Duke freshman Cameron Boozer. The 6-foot-9 forward dominated in his first NCAA season, showcasing the versatility and basketball IQ that made him a household name since high school. With the draft class widely considered one of the deepest in recent memory, teams across the league are eager to see how these young stars will reshape the NBA landscape.