The 2026 NBA Draft is less than ten days away and there’s been a lot of chatter about players projected in the lottery. The top tier of AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer and Caleb Wilson has remained consistent all season long and with so many teams targeting this draft class for years, it’s doubtful that any team will be able to trade inside the top four.
Things start to get interesting at pick No. 5 with the Los Angeles Clippers. Will they look to add another lead guard alongside Darius Garland, or trade back for some size and target either Aday Mara or Nate Ament? The Clippers have plenty of options and no team has had more success getting players to come in for pre-draft workouts since the draft combine.
Who’s worked out where and which teams are starting to prioritize certain players? Here’s all the latest buzz leading up to the NBA Draft on June 23-24.
AJ Dybantsa will visit Washington and Utah next week
Up until a week ago, Dybantsa and his camp hadn’t heard anything from the Washington Wizards, who have the No. 1 pick, or the Utah Jazz at No. 2. Dybantsa has been very busy since the combine week in May. He was in Boston for his older sister’s graduation from Boston College, then Dybantsa and his father, Ace, flew to Paris for the French Open and continued training sessions with Zack Gonzales (the same trainer who went through the pre-draft process with Brooklyn Nets guard Egor Denim last year).
Dybantsa then flew back to the states and was the player correspondent for the NBA during Game 3 and Game 4 of the NBA Finals in New York City. He was seen interviewing Spurs players Dylan Harper and Victor Wembanyama and even got an on-court reaction from Kiyan Anthony after the Knicks edged out the Spurs at Madison Square Garden.
Dybantsa is the projected No. 1 pick and will visit both the Wizards and Jazz next week. Typically, teams bring in their top option as close to the draft as possible to leave a lasting good impression and to prevent leaks from within the organization or on the player’s side. Dybantsa will only meet with the top two teams and will not travel to Memphis (third pick) or Chicago (fourth pick).
In the Gym With AJ Dybantsa
Dybantsa’s college career is over but his education is not. “You gotta love those growing pains.”
The Jazz have options at No. 2. Who has worked out or met with the Jazz?
Danny and Austin Ainge built a championship-caliber team during their time in Boston and were instrumental in trading down in the 2017 NBA Draft when they selected Jayson Tatum. Last year, the Jazz selected Ace Bailey with the fifth overall pick, even when he refused to workout or meet with the organization ahead of time.
If Dybantsa is off the board with the first pick, Peterson is the next-best available prospect on the board and many believe he can complement Keyonte George well in the backcourt. The Jazz are holding their cards close to their chest and bringing in a myriad of different players. Boozer met with the Jazz last week and he likely felt comfortable when meeting the front office since his dad, Carlos, is on staff in Utah. Dybantsa and Peterson are expected to be in Salt Lake City next week and the Jazz have also worked out Darius Acuff Jr. Mikel Brown Jr., (projected top 10 picks) and projected second-round prospects Zuby Ejiofor and Keba Keita.
The latest with the Clippers and the draft truly starting at pick No. 5
After the top four players, the draft takes another shift with the Clippers at pick five. There are several talented lead guards in the lottery and if the Clippers are going for the best available prospect, it would be someone like Acuff or Brown. But they could be looking for fit, and Keaton Wagler could slide in alongside Garland and add some size and shot creation with his 6-foot-6 frame. Wagler has worked out for the Bulls and Clippers and plans on meeting with the Hawks and Mavericks prior to the draft. Rumors started swirling that the Clippers weren’t completely sold on Wagler at pick No. 5, but it’s officially smoke season and that could either be the Clippers trying to spread that rumor themselves so no other team brings him in or Wagler didn’t workout well during his time in LA.
The Clippers have also worked out Acuff, Flemings and Burries at the guard position and will meet with Brown next week. Brown was one of the buzziest names coming out of the draft combine and has worked out with Nets and Jazz so far and will workout for the Hawks and Mavericks next week.
If the Clippers wanted to move down and get some size instead (Aday Mara, Nate Ament, Yaxel Lendeborg), conversations with the Kings at seven and Mavericks at nine have been entertained, with the Kings looking for their franchise point guard after moving on from De’Aaron Fox and Tyrese Haliburton and the Mavericks wanting a young guard to build around Cooper Flagg.
Trade talks to get inside the lottery
The Charlotte Hornets have picks 14 and 18 and there will still be a lot of value in the mid-first round. If the Hornets wanted to make a play for a lottery spot, they could package both picks to move up. The question is, how far could they climb? Discussions with the Kings at seven is on the table with Labaron Philon, Christian Anderson and Ebuka Okorie projected to still be on the board as a lead guard option. If the Hornets stay where they are, look for the organization to target talent in the post like Morez Johnson Jr., Hannes Steinbach and Yaxel Lendeborg or size on the wing if Karim Lopez is still on the board.
The Oklahoma City Thunder also have two early first round picks at 12 and 17. General Sam Presti has drafted exceptionally well the last six years and if he has an eye on one specific player, the Thunder have leverage to move up with these two picks, future first round picks and current assets on the team. It’s doubtful the Thunder can crack the top five, but there is room to move inside the top 10.
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