The Indiana Pacers , Brooklyn Nets , and Sacramento Kings will probably be in the running for the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, and while the new college basketball season just started a couple of weeks ago, a top NBA insider would be surprised if one specific player wasn't the choice for whoever lands the top pick.
We are a month into the new NBA season, and it is starting to become clearer which teams are the best of the best , and which are heading to being in the lottery this spring. Many assumed Indiana would struggle this season, but along with injuries to the key players, they have just one victory after 14 games.
Brooklyn chose to keep all their draft picks in June and not spend big in free agency. That strategy has not paid off, and they have a sad 2-12 record to begin the season. Sacramento has a pretty good roster on paper, and it features star talent like Zach LaVine and Domantas Sabonis . However, after 14 games, they own a 3-11 record and have been a huge disappointment.
If this trend continues, those three teams are sure to be in the lottery with the likes of the Washington Wizards , New Orleans Pelicans , and Charlotte Hornets next spring. But there is good news for those teams after the first few weeks of the season.
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According to NBA insider Jake Fischer , this is a good year to be bad because "Scouts are in love with the top tier of the 2026 NBA Draft class. It comes up in almost every phone call now that the college basketball season has gotten underway: This group of one-and-done prospects has the league's talent evaluators very, very excited."
With the 2026 draft looking like a very good one, it begs the question: which player seems to be the cream of this year's crop? Fischer admits it is still pretty early, and the pecking order among the top prospects is sure to change often in the months ahead. However, for whoever lands the No. 1 pick in June, Fischer would be stunned if AJ Dybantsa isn't their pick.
"I continue to believe that AJ Dybantsa's playmaking ability at such size — picture an even more imposing Paul George — will ultimately prove too much for most front offices to resist at No. 1."
The BYU freshman forward has only logged four games this season. However, he has looked outstanding. Posting 20 points and seven boards per game, and is shooting 40% from three.
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