"With college basketball entering the thick of conference play and the NBA standings taking shape at midseason, it's a good juncture for a mock draft update. The 2026 draft lottery is still five months out, but it will bring with it seismic consequences for the landscape of the league, with three strong No. 1 pick contenders -- Darryn Peterson, AJ Dybantsa and Cam Boozer -- all performing at impressively high levels in college, fueling closed-door conversations as teams continue putting together their boards."
"There's a real difference of opinion around the NBA surrounding the depth and quality of the draft at this point in the process, beginning in the middle part of the lottery and on. Considering the availability of major NIL money, coupled with what NBA teams view as a wide-open 2027 draft class, the expectation remains that a significant number of prospects will ultimately remain in college to improve their stock if they are not entrenched in the first round."
"This mock serves to project what things might look like if NBA teams drafted today. These projections are not a ranking of the top prospects -- for that, consult ESPN's Top 100. They are informed by ongoing conversations with NBA executives and scouts, as well as my own evaluation process from time spent on the road at games and watching film."
College basketball is entering conference play while NBA standings reach midseason, creating a natural update point for draft evaluations. Three prospects — Darryn Peterson, AJ Dybantsa and Cam Boozer — stand out as strong No. 1 contenders after impressive college performances. Caleb Wilson and Kingston Flemings round out a soft top five, while uncertainty grows regarding depth after the middle of the lottery. Major NIL payouts and a perceived wide-open 2027 draft are expected to encourage many borderline prospects to remain in school, likely thinning the 20-40 range and opening opportunities for others to rise.
Read at ESPN.com
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