NBA mock draft 12.0: First-round projections before 2026 lottery results
As basketball fans approach the 2026 NBA draft lottery in Chicago, there are plenty of reasons to get excited about the prospects in this class. Only 71 players , the fewest in more than 20 years , submitted their official applications as early entry candidates to declare for the 2026 NBA Draft by the April 24 deadline. Many of those players, as well as top seniors automatically eligible, will participate during the 2026 NBA Draft Combine beginning May 10 in Chicago.
Some of the players not included and who could go back to school after the combine include Amari Allen, Meleek Thomas, Milan Momcilovic, Rueben Chinyelu, Flory Bidunga, Billy Richmond III and Malachi Moreno. The deadline for early entry candidates to withdraw from the pre-draft process while maintaining collegiate eligibility is May 27. Others who are on the fringe who will also earn first-round consideration include Isaiah Evans, Tounde Yessoufou, Zuby Ejiofor, Alex Karaban, Sergio De Larrea, Ryan Conwell and Braden Smith.
Note that picks 15-60 are currently set, but fans won't know the official order of the 2026 NBA Draft until the lottery on May 10. The first 14 picks are based on lottery odds , including a tiebreaker process . The NBA Draft begins on June 23 at Barclays Center in New York.
1. Washington Wizards: AJ Dybantsa TEAM: BYU POSITION: Wing BORN: Massachusetts HEIGHT: 6-9 DRAFT AGE: 19 The Wizards finished with the worst record in the NBA and would benefit tremendously from a lottery win. They had the second-worst offense in the league and could instantly inject life into their offense by selecting AJ Dybantsa, the NCAA scoring champion and Julius Erving Award winner.
He emphasized that point during his one game for BYU in March Madness, putting up 35 points and 10 rebounds. The Big 12 Rookie of the Year led the nation in unassisted points scored (680) by a wide margin this season, per CBB Analytics . The emerging star also had 40 points against Kansas State in the Big 12 Tournament on March 10 and averaged a stellar 28.
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