Bleacher Report's post-combine 2026 NBA mock draft has dropped, and the top of the board still belongs to AJ Dybantsa. The Washington Wizards, who shocked the basketball world by winning the lottery — the first time since the new lottery odds were introduced in 2019 that the worst team in the league actually landed the No. 1 pick — are projected to keep Dybantsa locked in as their franchise cornerstone after the combine confirmed his physical profile.
Analyst Jonathan Wasserman pointed to Dybantsa's measurements as the closing argument for Washington.
"He measured out extremely well for somebody that you want at the modern-day NBA size at the wing position. He's an athletic freak kid, one of the highest max vertical jumps at the combine as well. And this is just what Washington needs. They need that young franchise star to build this team around," Wasserman said.
The order behind Dybantsa, however, has shifted. The Utah Jazz, picking second, are projected to land Kansas guard Darryn Peterson — a fit the analyst believes might be cleaner than Dybantsa given Utah's existing back court of Reed Bollendar and a breakout Keonte George.
"You need somebody that can help him out defensively at the two-guard spot, and that's exactly where Darryn Peterson fits in. Darryn Peterson can also be somebody with All-Star, maybe All-NBA potential at the next level," Wasserman said.
At No. 3, the Memphis Grizzlies — Bleacher Report's analytical-organisation archetype — get the data darling of the class.
"Cam Boozer was the best player in all of college basketball. He was more productive this past season than AJ Dybantsa and Darryn Peterson on the surface level. When we're talking about upside and potential and who could beat that alpha in a playoff series, I like the aforementioned AJ and Peterson a little bit more than Boozer. But Boozer measures out extremely well at his size, he moves extremely well, and he also has great court vision and great basketball IQ," Wasserman said.
The Chicago Bulls, who jumped into the top four on lottery night, are projected to take Kale Wilson at No. 4, pairing him with Matas Buzelis as a long-term wing duo. Wilson's combine numbers — a 39.5-inch max vertical, a seven-foot-plus wingspan and a measurement of 6-foot-9¼ without shoes — confirmed the athletic profile teams had circled.
The Los Angeles Clippers, picking fifth, are tagged with Arkansas freshman Darius Acuff, with the analyst arguing the Clippers cannot pass on talent at this stage of their roster cycle.
"It was one of coach Cal's greatest seasons from a freshman guard, which has an unreal lineage of guys like Devin Booker, John Wall, Derrick Rose, even Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. A Cuff performed just as well, if not better, than those guys leading Arkansas to an SEC championship game and title," Wasserman said.
The most aggressive combine-driven move came at No. 8, where Atlanta is projected to take seven-foot-three Cameroonian centre Eday Mara — a player whose pre-combine stock was much lower.
"He was seven-foot-three without shoes, somebody that had a 9-foot-9 standing reach, which was actually tied with Mark Williams and Tacko Fall for the longest standing reach in NBA combine measurement history. 260 pounds, a 7-foot-6 wingspan — this is somebody you want anchoring your paint in the modern game. We saw Atlanta kind of struggle with their rim protection in the playoffs," Wasserman said.
Other notable selections include Sacramento taking Mikel Brown Jr. at No. 7 — a slide attributed to a nagging back issue at Louisville that depressed his freshman production — and the Dallas Mavericks landing Kingston Flemings of Houston at No. 9, a back-court running mate the analyst believes can play immediately next to Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving.
Milwaukee, picking 10th, is projected to gamble on Tennessee's Nate Amine, a 6-foot-10 prospect described as the kind of high-risk, high-reward swing GM Jon Horst has historically embraced.
Two combine winners then shape the back of the lottery. Braden Burrows lands at No. 11 with Golden State as a long-term running mate for Brandin Podziemski, and Cam Carr — one of the most-talked-about scrimmage performers — projects to Oklahoma City at No. 12.
"I actually sat next to Sam Presti during the first combine scrimmage game, where Cam Carr ended up exploding for about 30 points. He looked just so calm, cool and collective out there. He was able to create space, create separation," Wasserman said.
The 2026 NBA Draft is scheduled for late June. With the combine in the books and pre-draft workouts now ramping, the top four feel locked, but the wing- and centre-heavy middle of the first round is still very much in motion.
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*Originally published on [NBA News Global](https://nbanews.global/article/post-combine-2026-nba-mock-draft-dybantsa-wizards-peterson-jazz-boozer-grizzlies-edey-mara-may-2026). Visit for full coverage.*
