Draft Notes: Dybantsa, Peterson, Top Picks, Lottery, More
While the Wizards will perform their “due dilligence and bring in as many of the top potential prospects” as they can after landing the first overall pick in the draft lottery, David Aldridge of The Athletic says he’ll “eat his hat” if they don’t end up selecting BYU forward AJ Dybantsa.
According to Aldridge, the Wizards have long had their eyes on the 2026 draft and view Dybantsa as a player “who could become their version of Anthony Edwards or Cade Cunningham or Cooper Flagg.” Washington has gotten very lucky since the team embarked on its full-fledged rebuild, Aldridge notes, landing the second, sixth and first picks the last three years.
“I think (president) Michael (Winger) and I, when we had the vision a few years ago, we wanted to give ourselves as many cracks at the apple as possible,” GM Will Dawkins said. “Year 2, we felt fortunate that we were able to stay where we were at. We were supposed to pick two, and we picked two.
“Last year, we were right at two and fell back to six. Disappointing, because you always want to be able to have the power of choice. And that’s what we have this year, which is why we’re really, really excited.”
The Wizards have been “the NBA’s most woebegone franchise” for generations, according to Aldridge, but were certainly in a celebratory mood on Sunday.
Here’s more on next month’s 2026 NBA draft
- Jeff Goodman of the Field of 68 (Twitter link) asked 15 NBA executives who they’d select No. 1 overall, with 12 selecting Dybantsa and three choosing Kansas guard Darryn Peterson, who was once considered the top prospect in the class before injuries and cramping issues derailed his freshman season.
- Dybantsa, Peterson and Cameron Boozer are among the five top prospects who made their case to go No. 1 overall at Sunday’s lottery, according to Marc J. Spears of Andscape. Dybantsa said he’s been striving to the first player selected since he started playing the sport. “If I go there, it will be a great opportunity. They have a great young core,” Dybantsa said of Washington.
- For his part, Peterson told the following to Andscape: “I feel the basketball part will take care of itself. I know what everybody can do, but I feel like I can come in and be the best teammate I can be, give great effort every day, and be on time,” Peterson said. “We all can hoop. It’s going to be the stuff off the court. … I am a point guard. I’m the best when I have the ball in my hands. Off the court, I’m going to be the best pro.”
- The Nets, who fell from No. 3 to No. 6, and the Kings, who lost a tiebreaker against Utah to determine the fourth-best pre-lottery odds, were two of the primary draft lottery losers, writes John Hollinger of The Athletic. Sacramento fell from No. 5 to No. 7, while the Jazz moved up from No. 4 to No. 2.
- ESPN insiders react to the draft lottery results and ask questions about each team in the lottery.
Lakers Notes: 3-0 Deficit, Hachimura, Reaves, Caruso, Ayton
The Lakers are facing playoff elimination on Monday after dropping the first three games of their second-round series against the defending champion Thunder. Head coach JJ Redick shared his message to his players after Sunday’s practice, writes Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times.
“Our first slide that we put up in training camp was [to] win the day,” Redick said. “Today was a quick offensive review and then just going over some stuff defensively. Got to win today and we got to win tomorrow. We know what we’re facing being down 3-0. So it’s just more of a mindset check than anything else.”
No playoff team has blown a 3-0 series lead, with those clubs holding a 161-0 series mark in those situations, Turner notes.
Forward Rui Hachimura, who has been on a “heater,” as Redick put it, is averaging 18.3 points while shooting 57.1% from long distance against Oklahoma City. He said the Lakers can’t afford to make mistakes or to have a drop in energy, particularly in the third quarter.
“I feel like every game we’re getting closer,” said Hachimura, an impending free agent. “Especially last night … apparently we had the best offensive game of the series, even the playoffs. I think we had really good looks, great looks. But I think defensively we, especially in the third quarter, we kind of slowed down. I don’t know [if] we got burned out or we got tired, whatever.
“So, I think our focus is like how we play in the first half we have to do in the whole game. … That’s going to be our goal.”
Here’s more on the Lakers:
- Hachimura talked how the Lakers have focused so much of their defensive attention on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who has struggled in the series by his lofty standards, but have gotten torched by several other Thunder players, per Khobi Price of The California Post (Twitter video links). The 28-year-old Japanese forward also discussed what Los Angeles could learn from Oklahoma City, Price adds. “Everybody knows their roles,” Hachimura said. “Whatever they give them, the coaches, the team, giving them the roles, they understand it. They for sure have no complaints, they embrace their roles…basketball is a team sport. Everybody [has] a role. I can see that everybody knows that, what they’re supposed to do or not. So I think that’s where the difference is.”
- The Lakers initially thought Austin Reaves wouldn’t return from his strained oblique until the conference finals, but the 27-year-old guard spent extended time in a giant hyperbaric chamber at the UCLA medical center and made it back for Game 5 of the first round, according to Ramona Shelburne of ESPN. “I left my house every day around 7:30 in the morning to get treatment and didn’t come home until about 8 at night,” Reaves told ESPN. “I was going crazy trying to get back. … I was in that hyperbaric chamber all the time.”
- Even if the Lakers had been healthy, their star-driven approach has revealed an “uncomfortable lesson,” Shelburne writes, as the Thunder are the superior team not just because of their top-end talent but because of their depth and continuity. Former Laker and current Thunder guard Alex Caruso says it’s a joy being on such a connected team. “It feels great to be a part of,” Caruso said. “You do it the right way and then you have people that you enjoy being around every day, and it makes it really simple.”
- Starting center Deandre Ayton had a couple defensive miscues in the third quarter of Game 3, when the Thunder broke the game open. Redick was asked about the plays on Sunday, as Price relays (Twitter video link). “I’ve been around DA for a season now. I know how special he is for our group to succeed,” Redick said. “And I told him this morning, I said to him in the Houston series at one point he was the big part of the reason we were winning the series. He was a big part of the reason we won the series. I believe in him and he’s going to help us win tomorrow.”
Hoops Rumors Chat Transcript: 5/11/2026
Hoops Rumors hosted a live chat today at 3:15 pm Central time (4:15 pm Eastern).
Pistons’ LeVert, Huerter Questionable For Game 4
The Pistons have two reserves listed as questionable for tonight’s pivotal Game 4 against the Cavaliers. Caris LeVert is dealing with right heel contusion and Kevin Huerter is on the injury report due to a left adductor strain, according to Coty Davis of the Detroit News.
LeVert’s minutes have fluctuated quite a bit during the postseason. He’s played as much as 25 minutes but also logged a DNP-Coach’s Decision in Game 7 against Orlando in the opening round. He’s played an average of 13 minutes against Cleveland in the first three games of the second-round series and recorded six points and four steals in 17 minutes in Game 3.
Huerter played steady minutes off the bench in March and April during the regular season. He came off the bench in the first four games against Orlando but was injured after a three-minute stint in Game 4.
Both players were present for the morning shootaround on Monday, Hunter Patterson of The Athletic tweets.
Central Notes: Bulls, Pacers, Harden, Atkinson
The Bulls enjoyed some lottery luck on Sunday, jumping from the No. 9 slot to No. 4. Their new head of basketball operations, Bryson Graham, couldn’t contain his enthusiasm about the team’s good fortune, according to The Athletic’s Jon Greenberg.
“It’s exciting, man,” he said. “I can’t believe it. I just got the job and I got the fourth pick. It’s crazy, man!”
However, Graham also knows that getting that No. 4 pick, potentially either Caleb Wilson or Cameron Boozer, won’t turn the franchise into an instant contender.
“Let’s not sit here and say because we have the fourth pick and all of a sudden this franchise is back, you know what I mean?” Graham said. “But this is just a good opportunity to add high-level talent to our group and build this, and like I keep saying, layer it appropriately. So it’s exciting, man.”
Here’s more from the Central Division:
- On the flip side, the Pacers not only didn’t get a top four pick, they had to convey the No. 5 pick to the Clippers, courtesy of the Ivica Zubac trade. President of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard issued an apology to the team’s fans over the loss of the pick. He provided more insight to the media why he didn’t get greater protections on the pick. “Everybody says, ‘Why didn’t you protect it a lot deeper?'” Pritchard said, per Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star. “Unfortunately, we weren’t able to. That was the vig for us to get Zu. You look at a lot of these big trades that are out there. You see four and five and six (first-round picks) and (first-round pick) swaps around a star with potential. We think Zu is a great fit for us. At the end of the day, this is what is really important. I felt like, for a championship team, we needed a starting center. That was priority one. They’ve earned the right to try to get a championship. That was not doable protecting this to eight or nine or 10 or wherever.” Pritchard added the Clippers would not budge from their demand that the pick only have top-four protection. “It was negotiated,” hehard said. “And we fought like heck. They’re very good negotiators. We would not have gotten Zu if we didn’t protect it to four. That’s just it.”
- Prior to the lottery, Pacers general manager Chad Buchanan said that regardless of what happened in the ltotery he would be seeking help on the free agent and trade markets, Tony East of Forbes.com writes. “I think one thing this season revealed for us is the need for some scoring off our bench… Probably from the wing position,” he said. “Losing (Bennedict Mathurin), you lose some of that. But I think this team, we have some depth. We still have some holes to fill,” Buchanan said. An upgrade at backup center could also be on his agenda.
- James Harden made several clutch baskets to lift the Cavaliers to a Game 3 victory over Detroit on Saturday. According to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com, coach Kenny Atkinson gave Harden a de facto pep talk during a phone conversation after Game 2. “It started (Friday). I just doubled down with him in our conversation. I told him, ‘You’re our guy.’ In between games, I think that’s when you really coach,” Atkinson said. “I think that’s where you make your money in this league. You have to have those conversations. Pick guys up when it’s not going perfect. Reaffirm your belief in them. Just double down on the trust you have in them. I was just like, ‘Man, we are good, you are good, you are making the right plays, you are doing the right things, you are helping us, you have done everything we have asked in terms of buying in.’ I told him, ‘Just keep playing to win. I trust you implicitly.’”
Bucks Open For Business On Antetokounmpo Trade Offers
In the aftermath of the lottery, the Bucks are prepared to listen to trade offers for two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, ESPN’s Shams Charania reports.
However, the Bucks are in no rush to make a deal. There is expected to be a “robust” market for Antetokounmpo, according to Charania, and ownership and front office officials will carefully sift through offers with a high asking price. Milwaukee is seeking a young blue-chip talent and/or a surplus of draft picks.
According to previous reports, the Celtics, Magic, Trail Blazers, Warriors, Heat, Rockets and Raptors are among the potential suitors for Antetokounmpo.
The Bucks listened to offers for Antetokounmpo prior to February’s trade deadline but opted to put off those discussions until the offseason. They will now engage in those conversations once again. The playoff results could also factor into the number of teams that will make an offer. That group includes the Timberwolves, Cavaliers, Knicks and Lakers, who all pursued Antetokounmpo at the February deadline.
After one Bucks co-owner – Wes Edens – told ESPN in March that the team figures to either trade or extend their franchise player in the coming year, another one of the team’s co-owners – Jimmy Haslam – said last Wednesday that he’d like to see the team reach a resolution on Antetokounmpo by next month’s draft.
“Sometime over the next six or seven weeks we’ll decide whether Giannis is going to sign a max contract and stay with us or he’s going to play somewhere else,” Haslam told reporters during a news conference introducing Taylor Jenkins as the Bucks’ new coach.
Rumors surrounding Antetokounmpo have been persistent since last summer – when the star forward reportedly expressed interest in a move to New York – and only intensified during the season, even after the he stayed put through the trade deadline. Giannis and the Bucks clashed publicly on multiple occasions. The two sides were at odds over his ability to return to action following a knee injury, and Antetokounmpo took exception to those aforementioned remarks made by Edens.
Haslam has said publicly and privately that the Bucks will work with Antetokounmpo in the coming weeks on an outcome that works for both the team and the two-time MVP, according to Charania, who says Giannis’ belief that the time has come for both sides to move on hasn’t changed, even though he has never explicitly made a trade request.
Milwaukee didn’t have any luck in Sunday’s lottery and are slotted at the No. 10 pick. None of Antetokounmpo’s projected suitors, such as Miami and Golden State, moved into the top four.
There are two more years left on Antetokounmpo’s contract, but the final year is a player option worth $62.8MM, so he could become an unrestricted free agent in 2027. Any potential suitor will likely want to know if he’s willing to sign an extension before trading away multiple assets.
Wembanyama Escapes Fine, Suspension After Game 4 Ejection
The Spurs lost Game 4 of the conference semifinals to the Timberwolves on Sunday night after Victor Wembanyama was tossed for elbowing Naz Reid during the first half. The superstar big man will not face an additional penalty, ESPN’s Shams Charania tweets.
Wembanyama will not be suspended or fined by the league in the aftermath of the ejection, according to Charania, and will be eligible to play against the Timberwolves on Tuesday night in San Antonio.
Minnesota outscored San Antonio 34-25 in the fourth quarter of a 114-109 victory that knotted the series at 2-apiece. The Timberwolves will have to deal with Wembanyama’s towering presence in the pivotal Game 5. The Spurs center was coming off a huge 39-point, 15-rebound, 5-block performance in Game 3 when San Antonio grabbed a 2-1 lead in the series.
Wembanyama was initially called for an offensive foul during the second quarter incident in Game 4 but it was upgraded to a flagrant 2, which comes with an automatic ejection, upon review. The NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year only had four points and four rebounds in 12 minutes prior to the ejection.
Spurs coach Mitch Johnson commented afterward that a possible suspension for Wembanyama “would be ridiculous.” That is no longer a concern.
As for a fine, Wembanyama will face the standard $2K penalty for any flagrant or technical foul, but Charania’s reporting indicates the NBA won’t be assessing any additional fine on top of that after reviewing the incident.
Daryl Morey, Nick Nurse May Be Replaced After Sweep
The thrill of beating Boston in the first round was short-lived for the Sixers, and major changes could be coming for the franchise this offseason. Multiple sources tell Tony Jones of The Athletic that the jobs of president of basketball operations Daryl Morey and head coach Nick Nurse will both be reevaluated. Jones adds that ownership hasn’t reached any final decisions and will take a few days to address the state of the franchise before determining whether to make changes.
“Uncomfortable conversations” are necessary on several fronts, according to Jones, and the most important one is how to handle Joel Embiid. Jones notes that Embiid frequently clashed with the front office and coaching staff throughout the season, and he publicly implored management to do something other than “ducking the luxury tax” leading up to the trade deadline.
Jones reports that Embiid and other players didn’t support the decision to send second-year guard Jared McCain to Oklahoma City in a deal that only netted draft picks in return. Jones states that Embiid made a noticeable effort to avoid directly criticizing the front office in interviews after that trade was announced.
After being held out of an April 1 game at Washington, Embiid responded with an angry Twitter post stating, “I guess they won’t let me play basketball!!” When reporters asked about the post two days later, he responded, “I wanted to play basketball. I wasn’t allowed to play basketball. I think this is more of a question for Daryl Morey and whoever makes the decisions.”
The Sixers have to be encouraged by Embiid’s playoff performance, even though he was only available for 38 games during the regular season. He managed to return from an emergency appendectomy and was an offensive force in the first-round comeback against Boston.
Embiid’s injury history and contract situation – he has two guaranteed years left at nearly $58MM and $62.6MM, plus a $67.2MM player option for 2028/29 – make it extremely difficult for Philadelphia to trade him. But Jones emphasizes that he has to be more in sync with the front office and coaching staff to be fully effective.
Jones cites a mixed case for keeping Morey in charge of the franchise. Although he was heavily criticized for parting with McCain, Morey realized that he would never become a starter with Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe in the backcourt, and getting a first-round pick for a projected reserve is good value. Morey also deserves credit for taking Edgecombe with the third pick in last year’s draft and Maxey at No. 21 in 2020. Dominick Barlow, who was brought in on a two-way contract last summer, turned out to be an important addition.
But Morey is also responsible for giving the huge extension to Embiid and a pricey free agent deal to Paul George that will limit the Sixers’ flexibility for nearly the rest of the decade. Jones points out that having them alongside Maxey and Edgecombe creates two versions of the same team that don’t fit together well.
Regarding Nurse, sources tell Jones that there are concerns about his ability to control the locker room. He cites an incident at an April 1 shootaround where several players met with members of the coaching staff to air complaints about “certain players’ participation in team activities” and the overall direction of the season. The level of tension was so high that there were concerns that the shootaround might have to be canceled, according to Jones’ sources, but enough was resolved that it was able to continue.
Jones believes that Nurse deserves credit for winning 45 games with an injured roster, and his players never stopped playing hard. They responded to Nurse’s public criticism after a Game 4 loss to Boston and rallied to win the series.
After the fate of Morey and Nurse is decided, the Sixers will have to address their roster. Jones identifies a need for more shooting, rebounding and positional size among the forwards. They have a talented core in place and Edgecombe should continue to improve as he gets older, but the New York sweep is an indication that they’re not ready to compete with the best teams in the East.
Pistons Notes: Cunningham, Stewart, Thompson, Jenkins
Ill-timed turnovers cost the Pistons a chance to grab a commanding lead in their series with the Cavaliers, and they know they’ll need to take better care of the ball in tonight’s Game 4, writes Hunter Patterson of The Athletic. The worst offender was Cade Cunningham, who had eight turnovers in Saturday’s game and three in the final two-and-a-half minutes. Cunningham is the leading scorer in this year’s playoffs at 30.2 PPG, but he also has the most giveaways with 58.
“Just careless turnovers. I wouldn’t even say ‘careless,’” Cunningham said after the Game 3 loss. “I care about (them) a lot. Just bad plays that could’ve got shots on the rim and could’ve gave us an opportunity to win this game.”
The Pistons’ 16 turnovers resulted in 27 Cleveland points and likely cost them a game they led in many other significant categories. Detroit took 91 shots compared to 74 for the Cavs and won the rebounding battle by a 40-33 margin. They held a 17-5 advantage in offensive boards, which led to 19 second-chance points to Cleveland’s 11.
“That’s too many turnovers for us as a group. Sixteen is too many,” coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “Give up 27 points off those turnovers … our defense is so stingy if we get you in the half court. We’ve just got to make sure we get shots on goal so we can set our defense and make people have to work through it.”
There’s more on the Pistons:
- Isaiah Stewart emphasized that injuries aren’t the reason for his reduced playing time, Coty M. Davis of The Detroit News states in a subscriber-only piece. After playing nine minutes in the first half on Saturday, Stewart didn’t return to the game as Bickerstaff opted to go with Paul Reed, who helped spark a comeback from a 17-point deficit. Davis notes that it’s the third time in this year’s playoffs that Stewart has played fewer than 10 minutes. “I’m 100% healthy,” he said. “I know people are wondering if the reason I’m playing short minutes and short stints is injury-related, but it is not. I’ve been available to play. … When my name is not called, but P. Reed’s is, I cheer for him. He did his thing (in Game 3). He went out there and brought the energy for us.”
- Ausar Thompson should be a fixture in the Pistons’ closing lineup, argues Shawn Windsor of The Detroit Free Press (subscription required). Windsor contends that Bickerstaff’s biggest mistake on Saturday was removing Thompson from a tie game with 3:05 remaining and replacing him with Daniss Jenkins. Thompson’s shaky outside shooting makes it difficult to provide enough spacing for the offense, but he more than makes up for that deficiency with his defensive prowess. Windsor points out that Thompson had the team’s second-highest plus/minus rating in the game, while Jenkins hadn’t made a shot all day.
- In a separate Free Press story, Windsor lists five things the Pistons need to do to reclaim control of the series.
Trade Speculation Emerges After Lottery Results
The Wizards won the top prize in Sunday’s lottery, but it’s premature to assume that pick will be AJ Dybantsa, according to Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated. The BYU star has topped nearly every prominent mock draft for several months, but Washington officials plan to sift through all their options for the next six weeks before making a decision.
Mannix reports that the Wizards aren’t ruling out the possibility of trading down, as insiders view this as a “top-heavy” draft without a consensus No. 1 pick. General manager Will Dawkins will review the scouting reports of all the top prospects, and if a player stands out who could be available later in the draft, sources tell Mannix that the team would be willing to deal.
Mannix suggests the Jazz, who drew the No. 2 spot, might have some interest in moving up to land Dybantsa. Utah’s front line is set after trading for Jaren Jackson Jr. in February, so there’s not a pressing need for another big man like Cameron Boozer. Keyonte George, who represented the team at the podium for Sunday’s lottery, appears to be the point guard of the future, so Darryn Peterson is less attractive than he might be to other teams. Dybantsa is the best fit, but the Jazz would likely have to pay a high price to move up.
There’s more on the draft lottery:
- Winger confirmed to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (subscription required) that he’s willing to listen to offers for the No. 1 pick. Winger said winning the lottery is “not a savior moment” and he views this year’s selection as another piece to the puzzle on top of several years of productive draft picks and the mid-season trades that brought in Trae Young and Anthony Davis. Jazz president Austin Ainge also expressed a willingness to deal, telling Fischer, “We’re open. We’ll always listen.”
- There’s a chance that the No. 3 pick held by the Grizzlies could be on the move as well, Fischer adds. Sources tell him that Memphis is receiving “no shortage of trade interest,” with one agent in Chicago suggesting that it could be sent out as part of a Ja Morant deal. Fischer is doubtful that the Grizzlies will part with that asset just to unload Morant, noting that team president Zach Kleiman has a history of trading up or into the draft, as he did last year when he moved up to No. 11 to snag Cedric Coward.
- Fischer tabs the Nets as the biggest loser in the lottery as they fell from third to sixth and likely have no path to land one of the consensus top four prospects. Brooklyn has a lot of future draft assets to offer in a trade, and general manager Sean Marks promised “to look at everything” in an effort to move up, but team officials throughout the league are skeptical that anyone would be willing to trade all the way down to No. 6. Any movement at the top, Fischer adds, will probably be a “shuffling” of the top four teams.
- Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic hears the same message, with one high-ranking team official telling him, “A team in the top four would be stupid to trade out.” Several team executives tell Vorkunov that Peterson isn’t a lock for the second pick, assuming Dybantsa is the first name off the board. Some teams would consider taking Boozer or Caleb Wilson ahead of the Kansas guard.