The 2026 NBA draft will take place June 23-24 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, with coverage on ESPN, ABC and the ESPN App. ESPN draft analyst Jeremy Woo provides high- and low-end player comparisons for the top 12 prospects in the class, while senior writer Tim Bontemps reports what league executives are saying, according to ESPN.
AJ Dybantsa, a small forward from BYU projected as the No. 1 pick to the Washington Wizards in many mocks and ranked No. 1 in ESPN’s Top 100, is compared on the high end to a supercharged Jaylen Brown and on the low end to a supercharged RJ Barrett, according to Woo. Dybantsa led Division I scoring at 25.5 points per game and profiles as a downhill, power-wing scorer who attacks the paint despite an inconsistent 3-point shot.
Woo notes Dybantsa’s uncommon physical traits for a perimeter player: he measured 6-foot-8 1/2 barefoot with a 7-foot-0 1/2 wingspan, can operate on the perimeter with power-forward tools and is an exceptionally coordinated driver at that size. His college production was described as far ahead of Brown’s at the same stage. Woo also said Dybantsa must improve his shooting, floor reading and defensive consistency to reach the highest outcomes.
Tim Bontemps reports multiple scouts and executives have likened Dybantsa to a bigger, longer Jaylen Brown, a comparison that would be a favorable outcome because of Brown’s All-Star and All-NBA credentials. One scout also mentioned Kawhi Leonard as a high-end reference, a nod to Dybantsa’s size and physicality on the wing, according to Bontemps.
Darryn Peterson, a guard from Kansas projected as the No. 2 pick to the Utah Jazz in many mocks and ranked No. 2 in ESPN’s Top 100, has a high-end comparison to Damian Lillard with better tools and a low-end comparison to Jamal Murray with better defense, per Woo. Much of the in-season conversation around Peterson involved off-court matters, which Woo said should be set aside when making player comparisons. Assuming good health, Woo wrote, Peterson’s combination of elite 3-point shooting and scoring ease gives him one of the highest ceilings in the draft. His on-ball usage is difficult to project because he did not handle the ball often at Kansas and was not at full health; he ran significant pick-and-roll in high school and could reach his highest outcome as a primary playmaker. Peterson was also described as a willing, positive defender in reports cited by ESPN.
