The No 1 overall pick will be …
AJ Dybantsa looked like a pro among college kids in his lone season at BYU, becoming just the fifth Division I player in the last 40 years to average more than 25 points per game while shooting better than 51%. Even beyond the numbers, Dybantsa’s natural length and ability to create his own shot make him look more like a future All-Star than Kansas’s Darryn Peterson, whose load-management habits stand in stark contrast to Dybantsa’s workhorse approach. Andrew Lawrence
AJ Dybantsa. Let’s not overthink this: yes, Peterson has shown flashes of the highest ceiling, and Cameron Boozer likely has the highest floor. But it’s been clear for months now that Dybantsa, who has real superstar upside, will be going first overall. We’ve just had too long to examine the choices, and are making it more complicated than it really is. Claire de Lune
AJ Dybantsa. Washington anoint the BYU freshman the best franchise cornerstone 1A since Earl “The Pearl” Monroe. He led Division I in scoring at 25.5 points per game on 51% shooting. We are living in the greatest era of basketball talent. Consider yourself blessed. Lee Escobedo
This will be a good draft for …
The one-and-done college star. This year’s draft could see those players dominate the top 10, a major validation of the pay-for-play era in college sports. Gone are the days when elite prospects felt compelled to bypass campus altogether in order to maximize their earning potential. Thanks to NIL, they can earn millions, develop against high-level competition and arrive in the NBA better prepared than ever. AL
Faces of the franchise. In stark contrast to a draft like 2024, which contained very few blue-chip prospects, this year’s is littered with them. Beyond just the obvious of the clear top four in Dybantsa, Peterson, Boozer and Caleb Wilson in some order, there’s also players such as Darius Acuff Jr and Brayden Burries with tremendous upside. CDL
So-called Victor Wembanyama stoppers. This class is loaded with physical, switchable bigs. Of course, Wemby is sui generis. Don’t be duped by a dollar-store double. To stop him, smart franchises will stockpile mass and mobility to beat the Alien and win the war of the worlds. LE
Related: The end of the NBA’s American empire: how the 1986 draft changed basketball for ever
Which international player is worth keeping an eye on?
Sergio De Larrea has to intrigue more than a few NBA GMs. The Valencia guard was eligible for last year’s draft but withdrew to continue polishing his game in Spain. Scouts have long been enamored with his basketball IQ and feel in the pick-and-roll, traits that could earn him rotation minutes early in his career while he works to improve his strength and perimeter shooting. AL
Karim López, a promising Mexican prospect who played for the New Zealand Breakers this past year, isn’t one of the biggest names in this draft. While he’s a little bit of an unpolished gem, he held his own among much older and more experienced players in the National Basketball League. CDL
Jack Kayil. This 20-year-old German combo guard has done everything right and has still gone unrecognized. He led Alba Berlin to the German title as their starting point guard. Word is spreading on his talent, although it took long enough. First-round talent. LE
Which team drafted best last year?
With apologies to the Dallas Mavericks – who, some may loudly argue, never should have been in the No 1 position – I’ll go with the Hornets. Charlotte not only landed a bona fide star in Kon Knueppel to complement franchise man LaMelo Ball, but also a pair of solid two-way players in Liam McNeeley and Ryan Kalkbrenner. AL
While Cooper Flagg was a no-brainer No 1 overall pick, and Knueppel had a historically impressive rookie season, the Spurs yet again showed their drafting prowess when they took guard Dylan Harper second overall. He didn’t have the same opportunities to showcase his gifts in the regular season as others at the top of the draft, but he looked solidly like San Antonio’s most confident and composed player in the NBA finals, which, as a rookie, is absolutely unfathomable. CDL
The Knicks. The Spurs made the obvious pick with Harper. But nobody’s talking about Mohamed Diawara. He’ll be in New York’s rotation next season – OG Anunoby-lite, a strange blend of size, skill and joy. Voilà, he finally broke the Knicks’ tradition of whiffing on French bums. LE
Unheralded prospect to watch
Allen Graves isn’t a household name, largely because he played at Santa Clara. Yet there’s no question he has the size (6ft 8in, 226lbs) and lunch-pail traits – diving for loose balls, crashing the boards and scoring with his back to the basket – that will make GMs of a certain generation fall in love. In an era obsessed with versatility and upside, Graves feels like a back-to-the-future prospect. AL
I loved watching Arizona at this year’s NCAA Tournament, and Koa Peat, who isn’t projected to go until late first-round or early in the second, was a standout. He still needs to develop a jumpshot, but he has good size and solid ball-handling skills, and is a willing passer. He looked right at home in the big moments in the big dance. CDL
Karim López. The Mexican forward is built like an enforcer but dances like a wing. He averaged nearly 12 points against grown-ass men in the NBL. He scores in the paint, passes out the pocket, does it again. He doesn’t play like someone still figuring it out. Draft him! LE
The top 10 will be* …
1) Washington Wizards – AJ Dybantsa, forward, BYU
2) Utah Jazz – Darryn Peterson, guard, Kansas
3) Memphis Grizzlies – Cameron Boozer, forward, Duke
4) Chicago Bulls – Caleb Wilson, forward, North Carolina
5) Los Angeles Clippers – Brayden Burries, guard, Arizona
6) Brooklyn Nets – Mikel Brown Jr, guard, Louisville
7) Sacramento Kings – Kingston Flemings, guard, Houston
8) Atlanta Hawks – Keaton Wagler, guard, Illinois
9) Dallas Mavericks – Darius Acuff Jr, guard, Arkansas
10) Milwaukee Bucks – Nate Ament, forward, Tennessee. AL
—
1) Washington Wizards – AJ Dybantsa, forward, BYU
2) Utah Jazz – Cam Boozer, forward, Duke
3) Memphis Grizzlies – Darryn Peterson, guard, Kansas
4) Chicago Bulls – Caleb Wilson, forward, North Carolina
5) Los Angeles Clippers – Keaton Wagler, guard, Illinois
6) Brooklyn Nets – Mikel Brown Jr, guard, Louisville
7) Sacramento Kings – Darius Acuff Jr, guard, Arkansas
8) Atlanta Hawks – Brayden Burries, guard, Arizona
9) Dallas Mavericks – Kingston Flemings, guard, Houston
10) Milwaukee Bucks – Nate Ament, forward, Tennessee. CDL
—
1) Washington Wizards – AJ Dybantsa, wing, BYU
2) Utah Jazz – Darryn Peterson, guard, Kansas
3) Memphis Grizzlies – Cameron Boozer, forward, Duke
4) Chicago Bulls – Caleb Wilson, forward, North Carolina
5) Los Angeles Clippers – Keaton Wagler, guard, Illinois
6) Brooklyn Nets – Kingston Flemings, guard, Houston
7) Sacramento Kings – Darius Acuff Jr, guard, Arkansas
8) Atlanta Hawks – Mikel Brown Jr, guard, Louisville
9) Dallas Mavericks – Aday Mara, center, Michigan
10) Milwaukee Bucks – Nate Ament, forward, Tennessee. LE
* This is what our writers think the order will be, not what they think it should be.
Read the full article here
