The 2026 NBA Draft is shaping up to be one of the deepest and most talent-rich classes in recent memory, and now we finally know the order. After Sunday's NBA Draft Lottery, the Washington Wizards secured the No. 1 overall pick, setting the stage for a franchise-altering selection. The Utah Jazz will pick second, followed by the Memphis Grizzlies at No. 3, the Chicago Bulls at No. 4, and the Los Angeles Clippers rounding out the top five.
All signs point to AJ Dybantsa heading to Washington with the top pick. The former BYU star is a scoring machine, and returning to the East Coast to help rebuild the Wizards feels like the perfect fit for a team desperate for hope and a new identity.
But after the first pick, things get really interesting. This draft is loaded with franchise-altering talent throughout the top 10, and the intrigue only deepens from there.
Kansas' Darryn Peterson, who was ranked No. 1 coming out of high school, could easily be the best long-term prospect in this class. While there are some availability concerns, Peterson has already proven he can go toe-to-toe with Dybantsa, winning their head-to-head matchups in both grassroots basketball and college. If he's still on the board at No. 2, Utah will have a tough call.
Speaking of the Jazz, here's a fascinating wrinkle: former NBA All-Star Carlos Boozer, father of Duke standout Cameron Boozer, is a scout for Utah. The Jazz now hold the No. 2 pick, and they face a tough decision between selecting Boozer, Peterson, or North Carolina's Caleb Wilson, who might have the highest long-term ceiling of anyone in the draft. Family ties or future potential? That's the kind of drama that makes draft night so compelling.
The biggest loser of the lottery? That's the Indiana Pacers, who completely fell out of the lottery after a tough season. The biggest winners? The Clippers. L.A. acquired a uniquely protected pick from Indiana in the Ivica Zubac trade back in February. The pick was top-four protected, meaning it would only go to the Clippers if it landed between Nos. 5 and 9. It landed at No. 5—the absolute best-case scenario for L.A. The Pacers, who finished 19-63 while missing Tyrese Haliburton for much of the season, had a 14% chance at the No. 1 pick and a 52.1% chance of picking in the top four. They walk away from Sunday empty-handed in the lottery, while the Clippers celebrate a major win.
The NBA Draft Lottery marks another big step on the road to draft night. We now know the order, and the NBA Combine is just around the corner in Chicago. With so much talent and so many storylines in play, this is shaping up to be a draft you won't want to miss.