In his annual series for The Athletic, David Aldridge spoke to NBA scouts and executives as well as college coaches to get a better sense of how the top prospects in the 2026 draft are viewed.
Aldridge’s three articles focus on the players considered to be the best guards, wings and big men in the 2026 class. Each article is unlocked and free to read, as is the corresponding draft guide from The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie.
One Eastern Conference scout had the following view of Kansas guard Darryn Petersonwho’s viewed as a probable top-two pick.
“Darryn has the higher floor (over AJ Dybants). He’s going to be really good. Can he be a core player, a Steph (Curry) or Klay (Thompson)? I think he has the ability to be Klay-level. He’s really, really good. I went to a few practices, and he’s as good as any college player I’ve seen. It wasn’t like it was a bunch of first-round picks around him, like if he was at Duke. … His high school team was the same way — it wasn’t great.
“Teams try to take him out. I saw him shoot with his left hand on four straight possessions: a jumper, a layup off the glass. … There’s a lot of poise to him. I don’t like anybody doing the Kobe Bryant‘I’ve got Mamba Mentality.’ I don’t really like that. He’s a quiet kid. He’s not going to seek attention. I think he’s closer to Kawhi (Leonard) than Kobe in terms of personality.”
An anonymous East executive said he’d select Dybantsa, the top wing prospect, with the No. 1 overall pick.
“For me, I’m taking AJ No. 1. Wings who are close to 6’10” with an elite first step like that, high-level athlete, can play one through four, defend one through four, get to the foul line at will. He’s getting to the foul line because dudes can’t keep up with him. He does have a little of that Shai (Gilgeous-Alexander)like, pump fake and draw into you. But he can also jump off the rim and dunk it on somebody, one dribble to the rim. With the rules and the NBA space, how much ground you can use to operate, I think AJ’s going to be a real problem. Positional size, just someone you can really build an offense around. And he’s going to be a plus defender with more coaching and when the game slows down for him. The shooting needs to develop a little bit; that’s the one weakness in his game.
“(Defensively), I think you’re betting more on the tools than the feel. He doesn’t think the game defensively right now. He’s thinking, I’m the star of the team. If I can make a play with my athleticism defensively, I’ll do it. If not, I’m just gonna wait for the ball to go to the other end of the floor. I think it’s more maturity than anything else. But the physical tools, and the size, and the frame that can get stronger. … His floor is he’ll never be a liability defensively, just because of the physical baseline alone. Will he ever be a stopper? I don’t know. He’s so young, and his frame is just a ball of clay. The athleticism is so unique. It’s more so the game slowing down, where you’ll maybe see an uptick defensively. … Teams will hunt the bad defenders in the playoffs. AJ’s not going to be someone you hunt. You can’t. ‘Cause if you just hunt him, he’s just going to sit down and say ‘Beat me, then.’”
That same executive spoke highly of Duke big man Cameron Boozerwho’s considered likely to be drafted third overall.
“I’m taking Cam (over Caleb Wilson). He’s not flashy, he’s not as athletic as those guys, but I’m a big believer in basketball IQ, and processing, translating (to the NBA). And I think he’s at the top of the list with basketball IQ, processing and maturity. He’s a high-level passing forward. His ability to make reads at a standstill, low post, high post, middle of the floor, it’s pretty impressive. Can shoot the ball at 6’9″. Size and shooting is a premium in the league. I think he can play both frontcourt positions. He’s probably more of a four. I wouldn’t love him anchoring the paint at the five defensively. But he just knows where to be positionally. Lateral mobility isn’t great. But he’s strong, he’s mature, he can rebound the ball, finish defensive plays. Once he grabs a rebound he’s an elite outlet passer.
“He plays fast. He’s going to be able to advance the ball. Productive, smart, the size and shooting, the frontcourt value there, there’s a lot to like. High-motor player. Is he going to be a No. 1 option on a championship team? I’m not there with him to that extent. But I think he’s going to be an elite complementary player. I can see him being the second or third-best player. Maybe second-best player, but he can definitely be the third-best player on a contender. Going back to EYBL, they win. Peachtree championships, ACC championships, he had success in the NCAA tournament, even though their season was heartbreaking. I hear the skeptics about the finishing around the rim, he’s not going to be able to bully guys. I just think his processing is so high he’s going to figure it out.”
Each article features many more quotes on several other prospects aside from the top three, with Wilson viewed as the fourth player in the top tier. All the stories are worth checking out to get an unvarnished look at how the players are perceived before the first round begins on Tuesday evening.
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