Zak Drapeau's 2026 NBA Draft Top-20 Big Board

by Zak Drapeau

Sportz Nation - 5/8/2026

1. A.J. Dybantsa

Small Forward

BYU

6'9" - 210 lbs.

Archetype- Very Athletic, Mid Range Forward

Anytime I grade a propsect in any sport, it comes down to two things: Upside potential and their potential floor. In my eyes, Dybantsa has the best upside potential of anyone in this class.

With an elite frame of a Small Forward, great athleticism, good ball handling and a silky jump shot that could become even better from beyond the arc, Dybantsa has drawn long comparisons to Durant.

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2. Darryn Peterson

Shooting Guard

Kansas

6'6" - 205 lbs.

Archetype: All-Around Offensive Guard

Peterson is a dangerous Combo Guard who can score from all 3 levels and has the athleticism to do it. Peterson's only year in college was marred by Kansas and thus has scouts convinced he can be an even better scorer when healthy. Or should I say... if healthy.

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3. Cameron Boozer

Power Forward

Duke

6'9" - 250 lbs.

Archetype: Stretch Power Forward

If Dybantsa has the highest ceiling, Cam Boozer has the highest floor. A big bodied, good rebounding Power Forward with a solid jump shot and high IQ, no wonder he won Naismith Player of the Year. Boozer reminds me of Kevin Love at UCLA with slightly less rebounding instincts.

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4. Darius Acuff Jr.

Point Guard

Arkansas

6'3" - 190 lbs.

Archetype: Offensive Anchor and Scorer

I thought Acuff was maybe the best player of the entire 2026 tournament and John Calipari had a lot to do with it but his leadership was most of it. Acuff has an effortless jump shot from any range but his ability to create offense either by reading the defense or finding the open man makes me think he has a long future ahead of him.

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5. Caleb Wilson

Power Forward

North Carolina

6'10" - 215 lbs.

Archetype: Super Athletic Point Forward

Wilson is one of the most powerful dunkers I've seen since Zion but in a completely different way. Where Zion was large and powerful, Wilson is lengthy with springs. Wilson would regularly grab a rebound, run the entirety of the court then hit a dribble move and dunk over one or two defenders. He will need to add some size to his frame or I'm not sure he'll be able to bully NBA Centers as he did in college but his athleticism and ball handling still give him a lot of defensive potential too.

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6. Keaton Wagler

Point Guard

Illinois

6'6" - 180 lbs.

Archetype: Tall, Shooting Combo Guard

Wagler is a strong and athletic combo guard that has a rare "3-and-D" style most often seen with Forwards. Wagler's size give him the ability to score from all 3 levels as a point guard with a flare to him that shows a lot of confidence when running the offense.

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7. Mikel Brown Jr.

Point Guard

Louisville

6'5" - 190 lbs.

Archetype: Floor General Point Guard

Brown would be a little higher on my board if not for his back injuries towards the end of the 2026 season. Brown has one of the best three point jump shots in his class even if he relies too much on some "Curry Shots".

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8. Kingston Flemings

Point Guard

Houston

6'4" - 190 lbs.

Archetype: Slashing and Unselfish Point Guard

Being a part of Houston's backcourt, Flemings is automatically a defensive prospect but adds a slashing dynamic as well. At 6'4" with elite speed, Flemings' in-and-out ability through the paint while being a candidate to defend the 1-3 positions make him another very long-term future kind of guy.

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9. Brayden Burries

Point Guard

Arizona

6'4" - 205 lbs.

Archetype: Solid, 2-way Shooting Guard

Burries is a solid prospect and a year older at 20 than most prospects on this list. Burries is an all-around player with above-average shooting. Many scouts believe he has the make-up of a premier ball handler in the future as well.

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10. Labaron Philon Jr.

Point Guard

Alabama

6'4" - 185 lbs.

Archetype: Pure Scorer Combo Guard

Philon is a bucket-getter and dropped 35 points in a Sweet 16 loss to eventual champs Michigan. He doesn't have elite athleticism or speed which will limit his slashing ability in the NBA but should translate as a perimeter scoring Shooting Guard.

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11. Yaxel Lendeborg

Power Forward

Michigan

6'9" - 240 lbs.

Archetype: Pro-Ready, Scoring Combo Forward

Lendeborg was the best player of this year's tournament and is the most pro-ready prospect of his class. This is also due to his age at 23 years old after 5 years of college ball. Lendeborg is athletic enough to play Small Forward at the next level and should produce minutes and scoring to a team immediately.

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12. Aday Mara

Center

Michigan

7'3" - 255 lbs.

Archetype: Tall, Playmaking Center

The consensus, top Center of this class is National Champion Aday Mara. A good scorer in college, Mara's playmaking and footwork at 7'3" is very good but may not translate immediately when he comes against other pro Centers. His upside is around the top of the class but it might take him a few years to reach it.

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13. Jayden Quaintance

Power Forward

Kentucky

6'10" - 255 lbs.

Archetype: Athletic, 2-way Power Forward

Similar to Mikel Brown, Quaintance would be a lot higher if not for injuries that plagued and almost had him sit out the entirety of the 2026 season. Quaintance is a big-bodied big man that just has the feel of being a 12 and 10 guy for the next decade but he needs to fully rehab his ACL which was torn over a year ago now.

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14. Dailyn Swain

Small Forward

Texas

6'8" - 220 lbs.

Archetype: Athletic, Slashing, 2-way Small Forward

One of my favorite prospects of the class, Swain is a high-potential but low-floor guy for his athleticism and scoring. He sometimes makes head-scratching shots that question if he can ever be a team's #1 offensive option but he's my pick to make the most flashy plays at the next level and a future 20 ppg scorer.

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15. Karim Lopez

Power Forward

New Zealand

6'9" - 220 lbs.

Archetype: Athletic and Tough, Defensive Power Forward

Our first and only international player on the list, Lopez is big, tough and fluid in his defense and even sometimes in his offensive footwork. Likely to take a year or two to adjust to the NBA game, I'm not sure he'll ever become a 15 ppg scorer but should be a 10-and-10 guy at some point in the future.

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16. Cameron Carr

Shooting Guard

Baylor

6'5" - 190 lbs.

Archetype: Pure Scorer Shooting Guard

Carr could become one of the better players in this class if he can become more than a jump shooter because right now, he probably has my favorite jump shot outside of the Top-5. Kind of a one trick pony, Carr has the size and speed to become a playmaker or defender even if he hasn't flashed those traits yet.

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17. Morez Johnson Jr.

Power Forward

Michigan

6'9" - 250 lbs.

Archetype: Defensive-Minded Power Forward

Johnson is an old school, defensive beast. Between Lendeborg, Mara and Johnson I can see why Michigan was so dominant. With Mara and Lendeborg doing most of the scoring, Johnson wasn't tasked with too much offensive output and thus is a question mark for him. If he shows some above average post work at the combine, watch for him to rise a lot in the draft process.

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18. Nate Ament

Power Forward

Tennessee

6'10" - 207 lbs.

Archetype: High-Potential, Perimeter Small Forward

Nate Ament was the hardest prospect to place and is the best example of "high-potential, low-floor". Ament has an elite frame and athleticism with a pretty good jump shot. However, he's also had a few injuries and kept playing below his believed skill level even as Tennessee advanced through the tournament. If he puts it all together he could be nasty in the NBA but I'm not sure that happens at least right away.

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19. Bennett Stirtz

Point Guard

Iowa

6'4" - 190 lbs.

Archetype: Floor General Point Guard

Stirtz was Iowa's captain as they made the Elite 8. Playing almost every minute and orchestrating their offense the entire time, Stirtz can be counted on as a leader and in crunch time but has an obvious explosiveness and athletic ceiling which may make him more of a 6-man in the NBA.

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20. Chris Cenac Jr.

Power Forward

Houston

6'11" - 240 lbs.

Archetype: Defensive-Minded Center/Power Forward

Cenac is a good and young defender who has a bunch of upside but didn't show enough to put him in lottery conversations at Houston. As a tough and consistent player with great work ethic, Cenac will be most appealing to any NBA team who is okay being very patient for him to turn into a starter.

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