Latest 2026 NBA Draft intel: AJ Dybantsa vs. Darryn Peterson, Mikel Brown Jr. rising, trade buzz

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Latest 2026 NBA Draft intel: AJ Dybantsa vs. Darryn Peterson, Mikel Brown Jr. rising, trade buzz

Brett Siegel, ClutchPoints

Wed, Jun 17, 2026 ·

7 min read

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Latest 2026 NBA Draft intel: AJ Dybantsa vs. Darryn Peterson, Mikel Brown Jr. rising, trade buzz appeared first on ClutchPoints . Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here .

Will it be AJ Dybantsa or Darryn Peterson at No. 1 for the Washington Wizards? Even at the very top of the draft board, there is a level of uncertainty among the top prospects as to who will hear their name called by Adam Silver at the 2026 NBA Draft on June 23 in Brooklyn at the Barclays Center.

We are now less than a week away from the NBA Draft, and rumors are flying around the league.

From the debate at the very top of the draft board to five guards all attempting to prove they are deserving of a top-10 pick in their final workouts this week to a plethora of teams attempting to jump around in the first round, we are in store for complete madness on Tuesday night.

Not to mention, the elephant in the room remains, with a Giannis Antetokounmpo trade looming and the Miami Heat ready to finally put an end to all of the rumors surrounding the two-time All-Star. This still appears to be the most likely scenario — the Bucks trading Giannis to the Heat for Tyler Herro, Kel'el Ware, the 13th pick, and other assets — even though Milwaukee continues to wait.

One piece of intel that isn't a secret to anyone around the league is that the Bucks are attempting to move Giannis and secure as many first-round picks as possible. Along with talking to Miami about this trade, Milwaukee has also been active in trade talks with other teams, exploring ways to possibly acquire a third, and maybe even a fourth, first-round pick for Tuesday's draft.

More on this in a little bit, but we start today's big draft intel column with the topic of the week: Dybantsa and Peterson both leaving their meetings and workouts with the Washington Wizards, believing they are the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.

AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, and the top 4

Since the Wizards received the first pick in the 2026 NBA Draft at the lottery during the combine, Dybantsa had been the overwhelming favorite to be the first overall pick. Between his pure-scoring abilities and athleticism on the wing, Dybantsa's fit alongside Trae Young, Anthony Davis, and the Wizards' young core speaks for itself.

But Peterson's skills can't be overlooked either, even if injury problems and availability clouded his freshman year at Kansas. Teams that spoke with and met with Peterson at the combine, including the Wizards, came away with the assurances they needed and with the understanding that none of these problems would carry over to the start of his NBA career.

Dybantsa and Peterson have both since worked out in our nation's capital for the Wizards' leadership, with the wrinkle of the week leading up to next week's draft being that Peterson has canned his workout and meetings with the Utah Jazz, who hold the No. 2 pick, according to ESPN. He is fully of the belief that he should be the first name called on June 23, which has been the talking point at the top of the draft this week.

If you recall back to a year ago, Ace Bailey did something similar in terms of reporting, suggesting that he didn't want to be selected by Utah. While this wasn't for the No. 1 pick, intel surrounding Bailey pointed in the direction of him wanting the Jazz to overlook him with the fifth pick so he could end up with none other than the Wizards with the No. 6 pick.

Ultimately, the Jazz didn't care, and they selected Bailey anyway, who had a terrific rookie year and is quite happy in Utah now. Oh, and he switched his representation after a ton of bad advice and decisions. All of a sudden, everyone wants to go to the Wizards now, huh?

Regardless of what Peterson and his camp may think or want, the Jazz do not seem to care one bit.

If Dybantsa goes first overall, as many are still expecting, the Jazz will have no issue taking Peterson with the second pick if they view him as a better overall prospect than Cameron Boozer . If Dybantsa doesn't go first, he will 100 percent be Utah's selection with the No. 2 pick, and there is no debate to be had there since the Jazz have been dreaming of such a scenario.

As of this moment, six days before the 2026 NBA Draft, Dybantsa is still viewed as the clear favorite to be the first pick, despite Peterson canceling his workout in Utah and making it clear he should be the No. 1 pick, sources told ClutchPoints.

Dybantsa recently worked out for the Wizards and met with the team's leadership at the end of last week, and everything went "perfect," according to one source close to the situation. The BYU forward and his camp got strong signals from his time with the Wizards that he would be the first pick in this year's draft.

Peterson and his camp are trying to make it a point that he is determined to be the No. 1 pick and wants to fight for the Wizards, something team president Michael Winger has been on record saying he wants from whichever prospects the team selects first. This is simply a tactic to try to apply pressure while also trying to get to a certain destination.

At the end of the day, this won't matter for the Jazz.

The Ainge's will have no problem taking Peterson second, but the noise of Boozer possibly going to the Jazz has gained some slight traction as a result of all this noise from Peterson. Drafting Boozer would create a massive logjam of frontcourt talents in Utah, assuming they bring back restricted free agent center Walker Kessler.

Negotiations between Kessler and the Jazz have stalled slightly, and other suitors are already preparing to submit bids for the 24-year-old big man when free agency begins. That is why the Jazz want to find common ground on a deal right now, and sources around the league still believe this will happen. Whether Kessler wants to take this into the open market is the decision that is unknown right now after overlooking a $140 million contract offer , according to ESPN's Tim MacMahon.

Regardless of whether the Jazz take Peterson or Boozer, one of them will be the very next pick by the Memphis Grizzlies, who have the luxury of simply waiting to see which high-level talent falls their way. Sources say the Grizzlies do not have a preference of which prospect falls to them with the No. 3 pick, although rival teams believe Memphis would rather have Peterson since he would be a long-term replacement at the point guard position for Ja Morant.

Either way, the Grizzlies will walk away happy with their pick at No. 3 overall. The same can be said with the Chicago Bulls, who also have the luxury of waiting to see which of the top-four prospects falls their way. This will either be Boozer or Caleb Wilson, barring an unforeseen Peterson slide in the draft, which is not expected.

Both forwards fit in with the Bulls' new philosophy, and they will be the center of attention for new head coach Tiago Splitter. The Bulls' directive is to focus on player development and tapping into their roster's long-term potential, which is why Wilson is viewed as the ideal fit.

Multiple teams have called the Bulls out of curiosity if they would consider trading the fourth pick, league sources said. So far, Bryson Graham and Chicago's new front office have been willing to hear out any discussion brought to them, although there have been zero signals that they will actually entertain the idea of trading said pick.

The Bulls, by no means, have taken the initiative to try to move down from this selection.

With less than a week before the NBA Draft, it still appears likely that the order of the top four will be: Dybantsa (WAS), Peterson (UTA), Boozer (MEM), and Wilson (CHI), with the only twist possibly being Boozer and Peterson flipping.

Mikel Brown Jr. rising, top 10 intel

As reported on Monday , Mikel Brown Jr. has gained serious momentum among the group of backcourt talents as the second-best guard in the class behind Peterson. Brown is drawing serious interest from both the LA Clippers and Brooklyn Nets, and as of last week, teams behind these two organizations are beginning to operate under the assumption that the Louisville guard won't be an option for them in the draft.

Although the Atlanta Hawks are viewed as another potential landing spot inside the top 10 for Brown, sources said it is looking like a "long shot" that he will be on the board then. Again, anything is possible, and it is smokescreen season after all. Still, interest from the Clippers and Nets in Brown is very real, with multiple sources from around the league briefing ClutchPoints on the matter.

"Watching him in the gym has been incredible," one front office executive, granted anonymity to speak freely, whose team owns a top-10 pick, told ClutchPoints. "His back problems are a thing of the past, and he looks every bit like the second-best guard in this class behind Darryn (Peterson). As soon as you watch him, you can see the star potentially immediately."

There is real momentum surrounding Brown and the Clippers with the fifth pick. With this said, multiple sources said the Clippers have yet to finalize any decision with the No. 5 pick, with Keaton Wagler also still very much in play.

While Kingston Flemings was a player sources told ClutchPoints that the Clippers held high interest in as well, it appears as if he's been surpassed by Brown and Wagler — the two names in play for LA with the fifth pick.

Teams have attempted to try and trade for this pick from the Clippers, but there have been no real conversations. The belief around the league right now is that the Clippers have determined who is at the top of their draft board.

If the Clippers do select Brown fifth overall, this would be much to the dismay of the Nets, who sources say hold high interest in Brown with the sixth pick. Last year, ClutchPoints pinpointed the Nets' longstanding interest in Egor Demin from the draft combine through the pre-draft process and being locked in with him. This season, four names have stood out for the Nets — Brown, Acuff, Wagler, and Nate Ament — with Brown leaving a very strong impression.

Ament is the name that has been hard to fully get a grasp on, as intel surrounding him seems to change daily. Multiple sources have said that the Nets' interest in Ament is real, while others have downplayed him actually being in play for them with the sixth pick, especially since he would be available in a possible trade-down scenario.

Do not rule out the Nets hopping back a few spots if Brown is off the board and they truly want Ament, especially with multiple teams interested in Wagler. Along with previous reporting of the Bulls being a team with trade-up interest from the 15th pick and targeting Wagler inside the top 10 in such a scenario , ClutchPoints has learned that the Kings, Atlanta Hawks, and Oklahoma City Thunder also have interest in Wagler.

The Nets are said to have interest in Thunder wing Aaron Wiggins, so perhaps there could be a deal worked out where Oklahoma City moves up to No. 6 in exchange for Wiggins, the No. 12 pick, and the No. 17 pick. Would Brooklyn actually do this and move out of the top 10? That is unknown, and it would surely revolve around whether Brown is available or not.

Unless he is off the board at No. 5 to the Clippers (which is unlikely) or No. 6 to the Nets (or someone else who could trade up), Acuff will be the Kings' pick at seventh overall. Sources say Acuff has generated interest from the Kings, Jazz, Dallas Mavericks, and Milwaukee Bucks. If the Grizzlies were somehow able to hop into the top eight, they would also be doing so with the intention of targeting Acuff.

But all of these teams don't truly have a chance at drafting Acuff, as if he's on the board for the Kings, that pick will be submitted to the league office within seconds.

So, could that mean Wagler possibly falls from being the presumed fifth pick to being available at No. 8 for the Hawks? This is definitely a possibility being discussed around the league. The Hawks have long been said to be targeting their point guard of the future in this year's draft, with Wagler, Brown, and Flemings all previously reported as real options by ClutchPoints. These three guards, along with Michigan center Aday Mara, are in play for the No. 8 pick.

As of late, multiple sources have pointed to Mara being the likely selection for the Hawks if it's between him and Flemings.

Speaking of Mara, he is another prospect generating a lot of buzz from lottery teams, and he is expected to be the first Michigan prospect picked over Yaxel Lendeborg and Morez Johnson Jr. In addition to Atlanta, Mara is a real option for the Golden State Warriors with the 11th pick, and his floor is the OKC Thunder at 12th overall.

Should the Hawks pass on Mara at No. 8, multiple teams will be calling the Dallas Mavericks to trade the 9th pick. Nobody knows what the Mavs are thinking right now. Would they pass on Flemings if he were available? Could Dallas take a chance on a prospect like Cameron Carr? What about all the noise surrounding Brayden Burries?

The draft really starts with the fifth and sixth picks by the Clippers and Nets, respectively, but the rest of the lottery and first round as a whole will be shaped by the Mavs' decision at No. 9, especially if there is a trade here. And that is the perfect transition into our next batch of intel on trade discussions.

Plenty of trade buzz

We are going to bounce around from a lot of different teams here, so pay attention. While we are on the topic of the Mavs and the ninth pick, we'll start with them.

This is viewed as a prime trade spot inside the top 10 with less than a week before the NBA Draft. Multiple teams have been in conversations with the Mavericks about trading this pick, and Dallas has signaled that it is very open to moving down. While their asking price is unknown at this time, the Mavs are said to be open to the idea of acquiring multiple first-round picks in this draft.

Dallas does own the 30th pick at the end of the first round as well.

Along with this being a trade-up opportunity for a guard like Flemings, should he fall to the Mavs, this is also a spot in the draft that a team like the Thunder could jump the Warriors to grab Mara, assuming he isn't taken by Atlanta the pick before. If Ament is on the board, he will certainly be in play for trade-up scenarios as well.

The other trade-up spot inside the top 10 teams that are actively pointing to is the Kings at No. 7, which seems a little odd given that Sacramento could take Brown, Wagler, or Acuff — whoever is still on the board. In the event that Brown and Acuff are taken by the Clippers and Nets, there is a possibility the Kings could trade down since they have a known interest in Flemings.

This idea of the Kings obtaining another first-round pick has already been presented to them by the Thunder, sources said. Oklahoma City's interest in moving into the top 10 is real, with Mara, Wagler, and Ament brought up in connection to them. Ament's stock is all over the place lately, and another team he's being heavily linked to is the Milwaukee Bucks, who currently only have the 10th pick.

That will change between now and Tuesday.

Not only are the Bucks expected to trade Giannis and obtain at least one first-round pick in this year's draft from such a deal, but sources say Milwaukee has been attempting to acquire other draft assets in additional trades. The idea of trading down from No. 10 and adding an additional first-round pick would be advantageous to the Bucks, who plan to reshape their roster quickly in the post-Giannis era.

The Bucks are expected to be one of the most aggressive teams when it comes to trade talks in this year's draft, with Ryan Rollins appearing to be the only player they do not want to trade.

Where else could trades be made in the first round of this year's draft?

As previously reported on June 8 in our Mock Draft 3.0 , rival teams have signaled that the Bulls have been attempting to trade up from their No. 15 pick. So far, this has been met with little luck, especially with Chicago valuing their future draft picks. While it's still possible they could deal this pick, there will be plenty of high-level talent available at 15th overall for the Bulls to consider.

A wide range of prospects like Hannes Steinbach, Karim Lopez, Labaron Philon, Bennett Stirtz, Carr, Lendeborg, and Johnson could all be available for the Bulls in this spot.

Then there's the Grizzlies, who hold the 16th pick in the draft. Zach Kleiman has always been aggressive when it comes to moving up and down the draft board, as Memphis did a year ago when they moved up from 16th to 11th to select Cedric Coward. A similar move may very well be explored this season, with the Grizzlies wanting to find a key backcourt contributor for years to come in the first round.

If Flemings were to fall past the Hawks with the eighth pick, the Grizzlies would be one of the many teams interested in moving up for him. Christian Anderson Jr., Philon, and Ebuka Okorie are all guards with strong ties to the Grizzlies throughout the pre-draft process with the 16th pick.

In addition to Memphis exploring the possibility of moving up, teams around the league are also looking at the Grizzlies' second top-20 pick as a spot for them to jump in the draft.

The Denver Nuggets (26th pick) and Boston Celtics (27th pick) are said to have a level of interest in moving up in the draft, along with the New Orleans Pelicans, who are searching for a top-20 pick after trading their 2026 first-round pick a year ago for Derik Queen. Michael Scotto of HoopsHype recently reported that New Orleans has explored ways to possibly jump into the lottery.

At the center of all the talk for the Pelicans is Trey Murphy III, who the Pelicans still hold in very high regard.

Their asking price for the 25-year-old wing has not changed, and the Pels would not move Murphy solely to jump into the top 15. The only way Murphy isn't with the Pelicans to begin the 2026-27 season is if they receive a valuable first-round pick this year, on top of other highly valued assets. Rumors suggesting that they would trade Murphy for salary and a first-round pick in this draft are inaccurate.

The Pelicans would like to take a major step forward this upcoming year and possibly make the play-in tournament.

As for the Nuggets, they are determined to cut salary heading into free agency in order to have the funds needed to keep Peyton Watson, a restricted free agent, as reported by ClutchPoints in May. Watson will have numerous suitors on the open market and is expected to see his price rise well above $25 million in annual average value from rival teams.

That is why the Nuggets have discussed Cam Johnson and Christian Braun with teams as viable trade candidates. Although more interest exists in Aaron Gordon, Denver has been hesitant to engage in conversations centered around the valued forward. Braun has generated no market whatsoever.

The Nuggets have been exploring what packaging Johnson with the 26th pick could get them, especially in terms of moving into the top 20 of the draft. It is hard to envision a scenario where any team in this region would want to trade their pick for Johnson and No. 26. Still, Johnson remains the likeliest player to be on the move from Denver in the coming weeks.

Behind the Nuggets with the 28th overall pick is the Minnesota Timberwolves, who have been gauging the market to see what Donte DiVincenzo's expiring $12.5 million contract and this selection at the end of the first round could get them. Minnesota is said to be in the market for a ball-handling guard who can play on or off the ball alongside Anthony Edwards in the draft.

Some type of big change is coming in Minnesota this offseason, one that won't involve Edwards or rising forward Jaden McDaniels.

Many rival scouts have pointed to Julius Randle being packaged with DiVincenzo and the 28th pick for an established All-Star-like talent to pair with Edwards, but the Wolves' primary targets like Giannis, Kawhi Leonard, and Kyrie Irving don't appear to be plausible options at the moment, seeing as the Wolves aren't in the Antetokounmpo sweepstakes anymore, and both Leonard and Irving aren't on the trade block.

Two last, quick notes on possible trades in the 2026 NBA Draft:

The Atlanta Hawks are very much open to trade discussions with the No. 23 pick for future draft picks.
The San Antonio Spurs are said to have interest in packaging their second-round picks (35, 42, 44) to move up into either the late first-round or early second-round for the 31st or 32nd picks, depending on who is available. Zuby Ejiofor, Joshua Jefferson, and Alex Karaban are viewed as the likeliest early-second-round targets for San Antonio if they do trade up from 42 and 44.

Other draft intel

There is a lot of smoke out there regarding the NBA Draft and where certain prospects could go.

Teams and agents put out information all the time regarding certain players to get a grasp of value around the league, as well as to try and create trade buzz. For example, some are wondering whether the Nets would truly draft Darius Acuff sixth overall or whether this is a scare tactic by the Nets to force the Kings, who have known interest, to trade up.

Again, this is not to say that the Nets wouldn't consider taking Acuff to be a star of the future, but teams, scouts, agents, etc., always talk about these rumors the week before the draft to try and decipher what's real and what's not.

So, here is some of the latest smoke we are hearing up and down the draft board:

Boston Celtics: It is not a secret to anyone that the Celtics are eyeing frontcourt help in this year's draft. If Brad Stevens can find a way to move up in the draft, Allen Graves and Hannes Steinbach have been mentioned by multiple sources as targets for Boston. Should they remain at 2tth overall, Tarris Reed Jr. (UConn), Henri Veesaar (UNC), and Zuby Ejiofor (St. John's) will be potential options on the board. The Celtics also own the 40th pick in the second round, where plenty of frontcourt options will be available. Who knows what Brad Stevens will do? Maybe the Celtics are fooling everyone, and they'll go for a veteran guard like Bennett Stirtz if they move up. After all, drafting an experienced collegiate guard in Payton Pritchard worked for Boston in the past.

Golden State Warriors: With the 11th pick, the Warriors have the luxury of waiting to see how the top 10 plays out and if any prospects fall their way, which a few should. All three of the Michigan guys (Lendeborg, Mara, Johnson), Ament, and Brayden Burries are on the Warriors' radar with this pick. Lendeborg and Johnson have already worked out for the Dubs , and both Hannes Steinbach and Labaron Philon are two other prospects who will work out for the team later this week. Both Steinbach and Philon were mentioned on ClutchPoints early in the draft process as targets for Golden State. There are some around the league who are still pointing to Karim Lopez drawing interest from the Warriors as well. At this point, the Warriors are doing their homework on all the prospects who could be available in this spot simply because of how important it is to find a player for the future and someone who can help the team win right now. From what I have gathered, and there is still time for this to change, Burries' floor may very well be the Warriors at No. 11 overall. If he's off the board, the three Michigan boys will be next in line.

New York Knicks: There is reason to believe that the Knicks would seek to package the 24th and 31st picks in the draft to potentially move up. So far, there isn't much noise on this front, and it's a scenario some teams are keeping an eye on for a potential draft-night trade.

Toronto Raptors: Virtually every guard in the second tier of backcourt talent — Christian Anderson Jr., Ebuka Okorie, Meleek Thomas, Bennett Stirtz, Labaron Philon — have all been linked to the Toronto Raptors in some capacity. Chris Cenac is another name to have come up in conversations as of late. There has even been talk of the Raptors being viewed as Allen Graves' floor with the 19th pick, although that is certainly contingent on what guards could fall to Toronto. Graves has also drawn interest from the Spurs (No. 20) and 76ers (No. 22) past the 19th pick. As far as the Raptors' offseason plans go, their priority is said to be freeing up some cap space. Gradey Dick is widely viewed as a trade candidate, along with Immanuel Quickley, although he would likely be a trade deadline candidate during the 2026-27 season rather than right now before free agency.

Karim Lopezis viewed as having the widest range out of any top-20 prospects, as he could truly go as high as 10th in the lottery and as low as early 20s. It is likely that there will be a team that looks to make a trade to acquire Lopez during the draft, especially if he falls out of the lottery.

One of the top-10-rated guards will likely fall, and many are pointing to Kingston Flemings being available in the 8-to-11 range of this year's draft. If Flemings is available when Dallas is on the clock at No. 9, Masai Ujiri will have a very interesting decision to make, as many scouts believe the Houston guard would be a top-five pick in virtually any other draft.

Sergio De Larrea has seen his stock rise in the last few weeks, and he is now viewed as a lock for the first round, sources said. Multiple teams in the 20-to-30 region are showing interest in De Larrea, with the Mavs at 30 viewed as his backstop.

There is always one player who falls in the draft every year due to some type of concern, and this year, that player appears to be Jayden Quaintance due to his knee health. Sources say some teams have taken Quaintance off their board completely because of his long-term availability and health , which is why there is a real possibility he falls into the 20s. At some point, a team will take a chance on Quaintance because of his potential when healthy. Right now, it's hard to pinpoint who that would be.

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