Big Board 2.0: Ranking the Top 30 Prospects Before the Lottery Shake-Up
My Latest Read on a Loaded Class—And Why My Board Looks Different Than Most
It wouldn’t be NBA Big Board without a Big Board. But before we dive in, a week from now we’ll have a lot more clarity on how this all shakes out. The draft lottery takes place next Sunday on Mother’s Day, and we’ll finally know where teams are picking after months of suspense. From the All-Star break on, we’ve seen some aggressive — and at times ridiculous — tanking, with teams rolling out questionable lineups just to position themselves at the top of what is widely viewed as a loaded 2026 draft class.
The tanking got so blatant that Adam Silver has already proposed potential reforms that could reshape how teams approach losing moving forward. And with that context in mind, this is my latest Big Board, where I rank my top 30 prospects. As always, my board is going to look a little different than others.
If you’ve been following along on the NBA Draft Junkies YouTube channel, I’ve also started a video scouting report series breaking down the strengths and weaknesses of these prospects as we get closer to the draft in June. This board gives you a deeper look into my thought process and how I’m stacking this class.
There’s a lot to get into — so let’s get started.
1. AJ Dybantsa
BYU
Freshman
Wing
6’9” | 210
Age on draft night: 19.3
Before I get too far into the analysis, I feel like this draft has four guys who could potentially be the number one pick. With Dybantsa, he has a great combination of scoring and size that is coveted at the wing position. He has grown as a playmaker but was already a lot to deal with in isolation. Dybantsa has All-NBA talent but will need to improve on the defensive side of the ball, though he does possess the tools to become a plus defender. BYU asked him to handle the ball a lot, so I’d like to see him incorporate more off-ball scoring into his already deep offensive bag.
2. Cameron Boozer
Duke
Freshman
Big
6’9” | 250
Age on draft night: 18.9
Fresh off winning National Player of the Year and ACC Player of the Year, Boozer is firmly in the conversation for the number one pick. All of the advanced numbers suggest he’s the most impactful player in the draft, but some still question how his game translates to the NBA. Boozer is a great rebounder who plays with a mix of bully-ball and finesse. He has all the makings of a multi-time All-Star while being the model of consistency. The concerns lie in his defense at times and how well he adjusts to scoring as a roll man in pick-and-roll action and in mid-post isolation.
3. Darryn Peterson
Kansas
Freshman
Guard
6’5” | 205
Age on draft night: 19.4
I’m a big believer that if we get some combination of Peterson’s ability to get to the rim from his prep days along with the improved outside shooting we saw at Kansas, then he could be the best prospect in the draft. The question is whether his decreased rim pressure was due to the jump in competition or lingering leg injuries. Is he a slashing combo guard or more of a pure shooting guard? Either way, the defensive upside is still there, and he remains one of the more intriguing prospects in a loaded class.
