2026 NBA Mock Draft: Gary Parrish predicts all 30 first-round picks ahead of Sunday’s lottery

Partly because he had an incredible freshman year, partly because Peterson did not, Dybantsa, again, has emerged as the favorite in the betting markets to be selected first next month. He’s a jumbo-sized wing and natural scorer who led the EYBL in points per game after his freshman season of high school and the entire nation in points per game during his freshman year at BYU. Based on that trajectory, and Dybantsa’s awesome physical tools, it should surprise nobody if he also someday leads the NBA in scoring.

Peterson’s talent is undeniable, but there are obvious questions among front office members about his competitiveness and ability to maximize his gifts because of the way his one season at Kansas unfolded. He was special in spots, clearly. But Peterson was also in and out of the lineup a lot — sometimes by his own choice — and that fact has raised concerns in some corners that the electric playmaker will need to alleviate in the pre-draft process to ensure he remains an option at No. 1 and solidifies a spot in the top two.

Brooklyn needs a star and Wilson has the tools to become one if the perimeter shooting improves — and maybe even if it doesn’t. His season ended prematurely because of multiple injuries, the first of which happened Feb. 10 in a loss at Miami. It was an awful development for North Carolina (that might’ve cost Hubert Davis his job), but it shouldn’t negatively impact Wilson’s stock much, if at all, other than how it robbed him of the chance to enhance his reputation and leave a real mark in Chapel Hill. The Atlanta native is an elite athlete with a top-shelf motor who shined in matchups against Duke, Kansas and Ohio State. His range seems to be second at best, fourth at worst.

Boozer, the reigning CBS Sports National Player of the Year, has very low bust-potential given how he’s simply never not been awesome in a way that impacts winning at any level at which he’s played. That said, some do worry that his star potential is also low in part because he’s mostly a below-the-rim forward who can struggle with the type of size and athleticism he’ll consistently face in the NBA. My guess is that Boozer will be good and even make All-Star teams — but I’m less sure he’ll ultimately be a top-three player from this loaded draft, which is among the reasons I could see him falling to this spot where the Jazz could snatch him up and add him to a frontcourt that’s already talented with Lauri Markkanen and Jaren Jackson Jr.

Acuff just became the first player to lead the SEC in both points and assists since Pete Maravich did it at LSU in 1970. Special talent. Fun player. Do I wish he were taller? Yes. Do I wish he weren’t a negative-defender? Also yes. But the offensive skill-set and reliable jumper are too much to pass on at this point in this draft, and that’s why I expect Acuff to become the 12th player in history to become a top-five pick after a season with John Calipari.

The Grizzlies seem determined, one way or another, to finally move on from the Ja Morant era that lasted seven years and mostly just resulted in some cool highlights and unfortunate controversies. Given the number of high-level lead guards in this draft, it would shock nobody if Memphis, after remaining in this range, selects Morant’s replacement with their first of two first-round picks — and Wagler is the pick here. He went from a sub-100 prospect in the Class of 2025 to a definite top-10 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft — all in less than a year — thanks to his great positional size, ability to process things and reliable perimeter jumper.

Flemings wasn’t the highest-rated recruit in Houston’s freshman class — but he emerged as the program’s best prospect and player while helping the Cougars win 30 games and advance to the Sweet 16. He’s the rare 19-year-old who is both a top-tier athlete and a reliable shooter. It’s not difficult to envision Flemings as a big part of what could be a bright future in Atlanta, sparked by the exit of Trae Young.

This is where the draft breaks, at least in my mind, but perhaps only because Brown played just 21 games in his one season at Louisville. His back was an issue. Will it be moving forward? That’s for the doctors to determine. But, if not, Brown is a top-five talent available outside of the top five.

Koa Peat was the talk of Arizona’s freshman class early — especially after he got 30 points in that season-opening win over Florida. But it was Burries, also a first-year player, who emerged as the leading scorer for a team that won the Big 12’s regular-season title and advanced to the Final Four. He’s a physical guard who can shoot and rebound. Burries would make sense for a Chicago franchise rebuilding.

Lendeborg transferred from UAB to Michigan and was the best player on a team that won the 2026 NCAA Tournament one year after he didn’t even win Player of the Year honors in the sport’s 11th-best conference (American). Just an awesome story. That he’s already 23 years old will turn some franchises off — but if Milwaukee decides to keep Giannis Antetokounmpo, adding somebody who is plug-and-play should be the priority, at which point Lendeborg’s age should be mostly irrelevant to the decision-making process.

Johnson has left the door open to return to Michigan, but is expected to remain in the draft as an assumed lottery pick. He’s one of three projected top-15 prospects who helped the Wolverines win the 2026 NCAA Tournament. The 6-9 forward shot above 60% from the field as one of the Big Ten’s best players — but his real value is on the other end, where Johnson anchored college basketball’s best defense in his first year at Michigan after transferring from Illinois.

Mara transferred to Michigan after two years at UCLA and was among the biggest reasons the Wolverines won the Big Ten regular-season title outright and then also the national championship. At a time when being big is back in style in the NBA, Mara has great positional size and is constantly altering shots. On offense, he’s a high-end passer and efficient scorer. With Isaiah Hartenstein’s future unclear in OKC, Mara could be an inexpensive replacement if the Thunder don’t want to exercise the $28.5 million team option on their starting center.

Not every prospect who returns to college actually enhances his draft stock — but Philon definitely did. The sophomore guard played more on-the-ball for Alabama than he did in the previous season, and the result was better assist numbers and a 3-point percentage that jumped to 39.9. The unusual number of top-shelf lead guard prospects available this year will push Philon down further than he’d go in most drafts, but that just makes him a steal at this point.

Mark Pope might be less on the hot seat at Kentucky if Quaintance had played more than four games this season. He cost a lot of money and did little. Regardless, I saw him up close in the CBS Sports Classic, and he made an obvious impact in that game. Unless the medicals are scary, Quaintance should not fall much further than this.

Ament had an up-and-down freshman season for the Vols — but the talent is undeniable. Less than a year ago, the 2025 McDonald’s All-American was considered a possible top-five pick. So getting Ament here would be nice for a Bulls franchise clearly in rebuild-mode after more than a decade of mostly being stuck in the bottom half of the Eastern Conference.

You might’ve noticed this mock draft is light on prospects currently playing overseas, and that’s because lots of the top international names have been lured stateside via big NIL/revenue-share payments. Steinbach was one such player. The 20-year-old German proved to be an elite rebounder on both ends in his one season at Washington. The Grizzlies need help everywhere in a “moving forward” phase for the franchise after both Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr. were traded. Getting Wagler and Steinbach in the top 16, which is what this mock is projecting, could expedite the rebuild.

Carr emerged as a real first-round option after transferring from Tennessee to Baylor and having one of the biggest breakout years in the sport while averaging 14.1 more points per game with the Bears than he averaged with the Vols. The 21-year-old has long arms and a solid-enough jumpshot. He’d fit in well with OKC’s possible dynasty.

Lopez should be the first non-college player off the board. He’s a physical wing with lots of positives. If the 3-point shot comes around, and he doesn’t prove to be a liability on defense, Lopez would be a terrific snag here.

It’s rare for somebody to end up as a first-round pick after starting a college career at the Division II level, but Stirtz has a real chance to do it. Concerns about how he’ll be able to guard his position in the NBA are valid. But Stirtz is a lead guard with a good assist-to-turnover ratio and a reliable jumper. If I were running a franchise, I wouldn’t overthink this one. He can play.

Cenac will not be selected in this draft in a way that correlates with where he was ranked coming out of high school — but he’s still a possible top-20 pick after starting for a Houston team that finished 30-7. Some have argued he should’ve done another year at Houston, and I get that. But there’s little risk of Cenac falling out of the first round, and a future in San Antonio alongside Victor Wembanyama sounds appealing.

Anderson went from an intriguing freshman at Texas Tech to one of the Big 12’s stars and best prospects. The sophomore from Atlanta kept the Red Raiders relevant even after JT Toppin, the reigning Big 12 Player of the Year, went down with a torn ACL in February. Anderson has been described as the best shooter in this class. He made 41.5% of the 7.9 3-pointers he attempted this season.

Peat impacts winning in a variety of ways and was among the reasons Arizona won the Big 12’s regular-season championship before advancing to the Final Four. Good size. Good body. Intriguing prospect. The issue is that he’s a 6-8 wing who doesn’t really shoot, evidence being that Peat only took 20 3-pointers in 36 games with the Wildcats. That’s not ideal for the modern NBA, and why Peat’s draft range seems vast.

If Mara helped himself more than any other prospect in the NCAA Tournament, Reed isn’t far below on the list. The UConn big averaged 19.5 points and 13.2 rebounds in the Big Dance while helping the Huskies reach the championship game. He could add depth to an Atlanta frontcourt that needs reinforcements.

Seemingly every year now there’s an off-the-radar prospect who generates attention largely because of an interesting statistical profile. Graves is that player in this draft. The 6-9 forward was a zero-star prospect in the Class of 2025 but is now a 19-year-old with options. He could return to college at a new school for lots of money or remain in the draft, where his ability to make shots and rebound with a good body should secure him a guaranteed contract.

Evans is a high-volume 3-point shooter with good positional size who shot 38% from beyond the arc in two seasons with one of the best brands and teams in college basketball. That’s a good place to start his evaluation. The 20-year-old wing could be a nice piece for a Lakers franchise building around Luka Doncic.

Jefferson spent four years in college going from a role player at Saint Mary’s to a star at Iowa State, where he was an All-American this season while helping the Cyclones win 29 games. He’s a big forward who just gets things done and projects as a versatile option that could theoretically fit in any rotation.

Michael Malone’s first year at UNC would’ve been a lot simpler if he could’ve kept Veesaar in school, but the talented big man decided to forgo his final year of eligibility in favor of a professional career. Did Veesaar leave money on the table with this move? Perhaps. But it’s a move that made the draft deeper after other first-round prospects like Braylon Mullins and Thomas Haugh decided to remain in college.

Swain followed his coach, Sean Miller, from Xavier to Texas and emerged as the Longhorns’ leading scorer. The 20-year-old from Ohio is more of a driver than a shooter — and he probably needs to become a better shooter to justify a first-round grade. But there’s definitely stuff here for Minnesota to work with, starting with the idea that Swain is an explosive athlete who can impact the game on both ends.