Throughout the college basketball season, the debate over who should be selected No. 1 overall in the NBA Draft between BYU’s AJ DiBuntsa and Kansas’ Darrin Peterson has occupied the minds of draft experts. But according to ESPN’s Jeremy Wu, the choice between the two new stars could depend on which team actually wins the 2026 NBA Draft lottery.
During Wu’s latest NBA mock draft and lottery simulation, he had the Sacramento Kings take the top pick and select Darrin Peterson. He has the Washington Wizards coming in at No. 2 and selecting Darin Peterson in the NBA Draft.
These selections make sense considering the current rosters of both teams. The Kings’ need for a long-term solution at point guard is no surprise, and Peterson would give them a potential franchise cornerstone. The Wizards made a blockbuster trade at the deadline for a star point guard in Trae Young, and a young wing like DiBantsa who can feed Young the ball is probably more of a necessity.
As Wu reports, “The battle for No. 1 is a close one between Peterson and AJ DiBuntsa, with league sources largely seeing it as a matter of which team will ultimately be picked. Cameron Boozer’s impressive season has also kept him in the debate.”
A few days ago, a scenario was revealed where the Thunder ended up with the No. 1 pick. This will ensure that Cameron Boozer will be in the game in place of both DiBantsa and Peterson.
In any case, this is shaping up to be a very deep and talented draft class, and a prime time to pick a lottery pick, even if the NBA is threatening to crack down on ‘tanking’ in the near future.
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