Draft Rumors: Wizards, Jazz, Mara, Bucks, Nets, Kings, Suns
While AJ Dybantsa has emerged as the “presumptive favorite” to be selected No. 1 overall in next month’s draft and is the first player off the board in the latest mock draft from ESPN, Jeremy Woo reiterates that rival teams don’t view the BYU forward as a lock to be taken by the Wizards with the top pick.
As Woo writes, there’s a consensus top four in the 2026 draft, with Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer and Caleb Wilson joining Dybantsa in that group. However, there isn’t a consensus No. 1. Peterson goes No. 2 to the Jazz in Woo’s mock, followed by Boozer at No. 3 (Grizzlies) and Wilson at No. 4 (Bulls).
Team sources tell Woo that Peterson “came across as quiet but serious” in interviews at last week’s combine and “handled that part of the process well.” Peterson faced questions about the cramping issues that plagued his freshman season at Kansas, Woo writes, and NBA clubs are still waiting for his medicals.
There was plenty of chatter about the Jazz potentially moving up to No. 1 at the combine, according to Woo, who says any talk on that front is speculative at this time. Like Sarah Todd of The Deseret News, Woo suggests the Jazz are far more likely to stay at No. 2 and take the best player available rather than trade up.
Here are some more rumors on the upcoming draft:
- Michigan center Aday Mara, one of the stars of the NCAA tournament as the Wolverines won their first championship since 1989, is selected by the Hawks with the eighth pick in Woo’s mock. Atlanta is expected to consider several guard prospects at that spot, but the Spanish big man is rising up draft boards and is considered a lock to be selected in the lottery, Woo reports.
- Milwaukee only controls the 10th pick in the 2026 draft, but rival teams tell Woo that the Bucks have been acting as though they’ll end up with multiple selections. As Woo notes, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported last week that the Bucks are listening to trade offers for Giannis Antetokounmpo, with ESPN’s Tim Bontemps citing a growing belief around the league that the two-time MVP will be moved before the draft.
- Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports has also updated his mock draft, and although he has Brooklyn taking Illinois guard Keaton Wagler at No. 6, he hears from league sources that the Nets have been connected to Mara and Tennessee forward Nate Ament. Woo has also heard the Nets aren’t considered a lock to take a guard, and suggests Brooklyn will consider moving up or down in the draft. For what’s worth, Woo and O’Connor both have Ament going 10th overall to the Bucks.
- The Kings, who control the seventh pick, are “widely believed” to be targeting Arkansas guard Darius Acuff, according to ESPN and Yahoo Sports. As O’Connor writes, there are several connections between Acuff and Sacramento’s front office, plus the Kings need a point guard.
- Phoenix currently only has one pick (47th overall), but league sources tell O’Connor the Suns will explore the possibility of acquiring a first-round selection.
Jazz Considered ‘Unlikely’ To Trade Up From No. 2 To No. 1
The Jazz, who hold the No. 2 pick in next month’s draft, have reportedly reached out to the Wizards about the possibility of acquiring the No. 1 overall selection. However, Sarah Todd of The Deseret News hears a deal involving those two picks is improbable.
“Countless people” broached the topic to Todd after the draft lottery, but she was unable to nail down where the speculation was coming from beyond the team’s connections to BYU, where AJ Dybantsa played his freshman college season. Owner Ryan Smith, CEO Danny Ainge, and president of basketball operations Austin Ainge are all BYU alums.
Either way, Utah is “highly unlikely” to trade the second pick, according to Todd, citing conversations with league executives and members of the Jazz.
That doesn’t mean the Jazz won’t — or haven’t already — talk to Washington about potentially moving up, Todd writes. Utah will also listen to calls regarding the possibility of moving down. But Todd suggests those conversations are just the Jazz performing their due diligence, rather than a sign of a trade being imminent.
As Todd observes, there’s no consensus No. 1 pick in this draft, and whomever is available at No. 2 is widely considered to be a franchise-changing type of talent. Dybantsa and Kansas guard Darryn Peterson are regarded as the top two prospects, though some teams are very high on Cameron Boozer and Caleb Wilson as well.
Boozer’s father — former NBA All-Star Carlos Boozer — is currently a scout with the Jazz, but that won’t have any impact on their draft process, Todd adds. Just like many other teams around the league, Utah is focused on taking the best player available, with college or family ties essentially irrelevant compared to the “talent and belief” in the prospects.
Eastern Notes: Wizards, Brown, Celtics, Pacers
The Wizards have won 15, 18, and 17 games in the past three seasons, but team owner Ted Leonsis has no regrets about pivoting to a full roster tear-down – or, as he calls it, a “deconstruction” – after several years mired in mediocrity, he tells Barry Svrluga of The Athletic. Leonsis indicated that he’s happy with the job team president Michael Winger has done to position the Wizards for a more promising future.
“(Winger) said to me three or four times, ‘You know, this could take four or five years,'” Leonsis said. “And I said, ‘I totally understand. I’ve been through the deconstructing stage with the (NHL’s Washington Capitals). I lived through it the first time with the Wizards. I’m prepared. … I don’t see any other path to get out of where we are than deconstruct.’ And they executed it very, very well.”
Of course, the Wizards’ future looks much more positive after the May 10 draft lottery than it did before it — armed with the No. 1 overall pick in a loaded 2026 draft, Washington is in position to add a long-term franchise cornerstone to its young core. That doesn’t necessarily mean the Wizards will become a contender overnight. Leonsis told Svrluga that he considers the rebuild to be “just starting” rather than ending.
“I think it’s an important point on this long, long journey that we’ll be on.” the Wizards’ owner said, before pausing and adding, “The deconstruction, though, is over.”
We have more from around the Eastern Conference:
- So what exactly should the Wizards do with that first overall pick? One rival front office official told Josh Robbins and David Aldridge of The Athletic that figuring that out is a “great (expletive) problem to have.” Of the 13 executives and scouts who spoke to Robbins and Aldridge, seven said they’d take AJ Dybantsa, two expressed a preference for Darryn Peterson, one said he’d want Cameron Boozer, and three didn’t commit to a specific prospect.
- While Jaylen Brown will technically be eligible for a contract extension as of July 26, Brian Robb of MassLive.com notes that the Celtics will likely feel no sense of urgency to get a new deal done at this point, given that there are still three years left on Brown’s current super-max contract. Robb doesn’t expect a Brown extension to be among Brad Stevens‘ offseason priorities.
- Observing that the Celtics want to get more athletic and add another ball-handler this summer, Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe (subscription required) explores whether the club might be able to address either of those needs with the No. 27 overall pick in the draft. Stanford guard Ebuka Okorie, Duke forward Isaiah Evans, and Texas wing Dailyn Swain are among the prospects Washburn considers as possible targets for Boston.
- After losing their first-round pick on lottery night, what’s next for the Pacers this summer? Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star (subscription required) attempts to answer that question, noting that the team may want to add another wing with size. Dopirak examines which trade and free agent targets might be realistic for Indiana and weighs whether it would make sense for the club to trade back into the draft, likely in the second round.
Draft Notes: Dybantsa, Ejiofor, Momcilovic, Updated Mock
Among the ways AJ Dybantsa stands out from the rest of his draft class is his openness about wanting to be the No. 1 pick, writes Sarah Todd of The Deseret News. Todd notes that Dybantsa’s bravado was among his characteristics that were on display during this week’s draft combine in Chicago.
“It’s definitely a goal of mine,” Dybantsa said of being the first name off the board. “I’ve been number one in the ranking since what, ninth grade? And I ain’t dropped. So, I’m not planning on dropping in the draft.”
Todd adds that the ultra-confidence can be interpreted in various ways by different team executives. While some may be concerned about drafting a diva, there’s an understanding that most highly successful professional athletes have a certain level of ego. Dybantsa’s stated desire to become a “Hall of Famer” should appeal to decision makers who are looking for someone to carry their franchise.
Although Dybantsa is considered the favorite to go to Washington with the top pick, he met with several other teams at the combine as well as the Wizards, according to Marc J. Spears of Andscape (Twitter link). Dybantsa also had sessions with the Jazz, Bulls, Kings, Nets, Hawks, Mavericks, Grizzlies and Clippers.
There’s more on the draft:
- St. John’s forward Zuby Ejiofor raised his draft stock at the combine with a strong shooting performance, states Brian Lewis of The New York Post. During the shooting drills, Ejiofor connected at 17-of-30 off the dribble and 12-of-25 in the three-point star drill. He went 16-of-28 in a side-middle-side drill and 13-of-25 on spot-up shots. “I feel like it’s something I could’ve shown a little bit more in college,” he said. “And then I had the opportunity to just come out here and just prove, not only to myself, but to everybody around that I could do it. And I had decent numbers. And I was pretty proud of it.” Ejiofor’s agent believes he’ll be selected somewhere between 25th and 35th, Lewis adds.
- Iowa State’s Milan Momcilovic is still focused on the draft, but he’ll be the top player in the transfer portal if he decides to pull out, per Adam Zagoria of Zagsblog. An NBA source tells Zagoria that Momcilovic is likely to earn more than $5MM in NIL money if he stays in college. Momcilovic recently told Ben Roberts of The Lexington Herald Leader that he sees Kentucky as “a good fit.”
- Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report updated his mock draft in the wake of the combine with Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer and Caleb Wilson as the top four. Wasserman reports that “the needle didn’t move in either direction” for Peterson at the combine, while Boozer left the event with no new concerns regarding his size or athleticism.
Combine Notes: Top Four, Flemings, Carr, Winners
Although BYU’s AJ Dybantsa appears to be the frontrunner to be selected first overall in next month’s draft, John Hollinger of The Athletic says the consensus among NBA executives he spoke to at the combine was that there’s a clear top four this year — Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer and Caleb Wilson — but not a slam-dunk No. 1 amongst that group.
Wilson in particular seems to have been overlooked in that conversation, according to Hollinger, who writes that the front office members he spoke to this week had Dybantsa as the favorite to go No. 1, but none of them viewed that outcome as a lock.
Some of the executives compared the eye-of-the-beholder situation to the 2017 draft, when the Celtics moved down from No. 1 to No. 3 and selected Jayson Tatum, Hollinger writes. The Sixers picked Markelle Fultz first overall that year, with the Lakers taking Lonzo Ball at No. 2.
Another topic of speculation was the Jazz‘s potential interest in Dybantsa after team owner Ryan Smith spent millions to help bring the forward to his alma mater (BYU) last year. Utah controls the No. 2 pick and a recent report said the Jazz touched base with the Wizards about potentially moving up to No. 1.
Here’s more from this week’s combine:
- His measurements were somewhat lackluster, but Houston guard Kingston Flemings was one of the standouts in athletic testing drills and received plenty of praise from his college teammates at the combine, Hollinger writes. “He is really unselfish,” Emanuel Sharp said of Flemings. “He’s very humble, that’s probably my favorite part about him. He’s not an airhead; he’s a great kid. He’s a better person than he is player. You know a lot of teams value that, so you know, whatever team can get him is getting a star.”
- Baylor shooting guard Cameron Carr was one of the biggest winners of the combine, according to Hollinger and Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports. In addition to possessing a massive 7’0.75″ wingspan, the 6’4.5″ wing had a 43-inch maximum vertical leap and the fastest time in the pro lane agility drill. Carr, who was already a projected first-round pick, followed that up by being the best player on the court in the first scrimmage. “I’m a competitor — basketball’s basketball,” Carr said of his decision to scrimmage, per Hollinger. “It’s supposed to be fun, and I don’t know, in my head I feel like I’ve been overlooked, especially for some of these spots. Of course, I’m not paying attention to the draft stock and all that stuff, but when I hear someone’s better than me, I feel I’ve got to go in and show them who’s really the best. So that’s all I can do. I can just step on the court and give y’all my best, and that’s what I did today.”
- Trevon Brazile (Arkansas), Morez Johnson (Michigan), Ja’Kobi Gillespie (Tennessee), Baba Miller (Cincinnati), Luigi Suigo (Italy), and Aaron Nkrumah (Tennessee State) are among the other combine winners highlighted by Hollinger and/or O’Connor.
Jazz Have Touched Base With Wizards About No. 1 Pick
The Jazz, who hold the No. 2 pick in next month’s draft, have reached out to the Wizards about the possibility of acquiring the No. 1 overall selection, a source tells Marc J. Spears of Andscape.
Spears suggests that if the Jazz were to move up, it would be for forward AJ Dybantsa. While there’s not necessarily a consensus top prospect in this year’s draft, Dybantsa shows up at the top of most experts’ big boards and is a local star, having played at Utah Prep before spending his first and only college season at BYU. Given that Utah typically isn’t a popular free agent destination, the Jazz may like the idea of landing a young star who has embraced the area.
Still, if the Wizards were to select Dybantsa first overall, the Jazz would have a handful of good alternatives at No. 2, starting with Kansas guard Darryn Peterson.
Peterson’s stock took a minor hit this season as he missed time due to health issues, including repeated cramping, but he entered the year as the favorite to be this year’s No. 1 pick and has All-NBA upside. The 6’6″ guard, who averaged 20.2 points per game and made 38.2% of his three-pointers as a Jayhawk, would be a strong fit alongside a loaded Jazz frontcourt led by Lauri Markkanen and Jaren Jackson Jr.
Duke forward Cameron Boozer and UNC forward Caleb Wilson also figure to receive consideration at No. 2, though there’s a widespread belief that they’ll come off the board after Dybantsa and Peterson.
If the Jazz and Wizards were to make a trade involving the No. 1 overall pick, recent history suggests it would probably cost Utah an unprotected or very lightly protected future first-round pick. The last team to move up to No. 1 – the 2017 Sixers – gave up that year’s No. 3 selection and a future first-rounder that became No. 14. Similarly, when the Mavericks moved up from No. 5 to No. 3 a year later for Luka Doncic, they sent Atlanta a future first-rounder that landed 10th overall.
Of course, the Wizards’ willingness to make a deal will depend in large part on which prospect they prefer and whether or not the Jazz are eyeing the same player. If Washington is locked in on a specific prospect and believes Utah wants the same player, the Wizards would likely be resistant to moving down — or at least would seek a Godfather offer to do so. For what it’s worth, Wizards president Michael Winger told Jake Fischer of The Stein Line after Sunday’s lottery that the team is open to listening to offers for the No. 1 pick.
Combine Notes: Dybantsa, Boozer, Peterson, Wilson
Potential No. 1 pick AJ Dybantsa is approaching this week’s draft combine in Chicago like a “job interview,” writes Josh Robbins of The Athletic. Dybantsa has been wearing a suit and tie not only in his meetings with team executives, but even for his sessions with the media.
“I had interviews this morning with different teams, and I mean, I never had a job before,” Dybantsa told reporters on Wednesday. “I was 13 (when I) started taking basketball serious. But this is like my first job interview. So my dad’s kind of like, ‘You know, this is your job interview. So come professional, come in a suit.’”
By noon Wednesday, Dybantsa had talked with the teams holding the top five picks in the draft – the Wizards, Jazz, Grizzlies, Bulls and Clippers – along with the Hawks and Mavericks, according to Robbins. His case for being selected first overall includes a mixture of versatility, dedication to the game and fan appeal.
“I’m super versatile as a player,” Dybantsa said. “I think I can guard one through four, play one through four. I think that I can play a little bit of combo guard if you need me to. I can be that jumbo wing if you need me to. I play the game the right way. So I try to play to win, try to make my teammates better. But I’m super exciting as a player, super explosive. I fill seats.”
There’s more from the combine:
- The other projected top-four picks, Cameron Boozer, Darryn Peterson and Caleb Wilson, were also asked why they should be taken first, Robbins adds. Boozer responded, “I think my mind, for sure,” along with his “feel for the game” and competitiveness. Peterson stated that he can fit with any team and dispelled rumors that he only wants to play point guard. Wilson cited his “leadership and focus” in addition to his on-court talents and said the hand injury that derailed his collegiate season is no longer an issue. “My hand’s perfectly fine now,” he said, “and I feel like it offered me a different perspective on basketball in general, just because once I injured my hand, now I’m way more grateful to play. Every day I wake up and I get the opportunity to play and just be able to shoot and dribble and stuff like that. I just feel grateful for the opportunity, and I wasn’t as grateful as I am now.”
- Wilson displayed his knowledge of Chicago by talking about Michael Jordan, “The Last Dance” documentary and SLAP, which is the acronym new Bulls executive vice president of basketball operations Bryson Graham uses to sum up what he looks for in a player – size, length, athleticism and physicality, per Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune (subscription required). Wilson fits those characteristics and may be an easy choice for Chicago if he’s still on the board at No. 4, but the Bulls also hold the 15th pick and plan to talk to roughly 20 players this week, according to Poe.
- Talent evaluators and executives at the combine view Dybantsa, Peterson, Boozer and Wilson as a “big four” in the draft, with the next tier starting once they’re off the board, confirms K.C. Johnson of Chicago Sports Network (Twitter link).
Draft Notes: Top Prospects, Measurements, Ament, Kings
No one from the 2026 class has even been drafted yet, but the top prospects certainly aren’t lacking for confidence, writes Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. Expectations are already “sky-high” for the incoming rookies in a class that’s viewed as being exceptionally strong both in terms of top-end talent and depth.
“Since I’m in this draft class, I’m going to say we’re one of the best draft classes,” said AJ Dybantsa, who led Division I men’s college basketball in scoring this past season. “We’ll see how that pans out and how our careers pan out, but if you ask me right now, I think we’re one of the best draft classes.”
In addition to Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer and Caleb Wilson — widely viewed as the top four prospects — also discussed what they’ll bring to the table to their future NBA teams, according to Michael Wallace of Grind City Media.
“My résumé speaks for itself, man,” said Boozer, the NCAA Player of the Year. “So, if a team wants to hang a (championship) banner in the rafters, I’m definitely their guy. All of these guys here, we’ve been playing against each other since eighth grade. People have been talking about how special this class is and we showed it. We’re going to keep showing it at the next level.”
Wilson, who’s recovering from surgery on his right thumb, confirmed he’ll be available to play Summer League in July, Wallace adds.
“Me being at one, two, three or four, I feel great,” said Wilson. “I’m excited to show my talent and skills in these coming months, starting with summer league. Whatever team is there that needs what I bring to the table, they’ll see. I’m going to keep working to be a great player for whichever team selects me.”
We have more notes on the 2026 NBA draft:
- Prospects went through anthropometric measurements at the draft combine on Monday. The official measurements won’t be finalized until Tuesday, notes Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress (via Twitter), but some early winners include Michigan’s Aday Mara (7’3″ and 260 pounds with a 7’6″ wingspan and a 9’9″ standing reach, tied with Mark Williams for the second-longest in combine history), Jayden Quaintance and Chris Cenac, while Christian Anderson and Amari Allen were among the measurement losers, according to James Fletcher III and Jamie Shaw of On3.com.
- Tennessee forward Nate Ament was among On3’s other measurement winners, coming in at 6’9.5″ and 211 pounds, with a 6’11.5″ wingspan and a 9’1.5″ standing reach. The standout freshman told Marc J. Spears of Andscape that he was informed by a doctor after undergoing X-rays that he could still grow another two inches (Twitter link).
- Head coach Doug Christie said finding a point guard was a top offseason priority for the Kings and they should be able to nab one after coming away with the seventh overall pick, according to Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee, who takes a look at five prospects the team might consider, including Darius Acuff, Keaton Wagler and Kingston Flemings.
- Brian Windhorst of ESPN shares his observations from inside Sunday’s draft lottery drawing room.
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,” general manager 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 which player 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 offered the following comments 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. 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. Hollinger also wonders if Darius Garland may be on the trade block again in the near future after the Clippers landed the fifth overall pick, since most prospects projected in that range are point guards.
- ESPN insiders react to the draft lottery results and ask questions about each team in the lottery.
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.