2026 NBA Draft Recap: Dybantsa Goes No. 1 as Giannis Trade Steals the Show
by Geoffrey Ejiga | by Geoffrey Ejiga
Giannis to Miami Overshadows the Draft Itself
The most significant move of draft week happened nowhere near the stage.
Late Monday night, hours before the first round began, the Bucks agreed to send Giannis Antetokounmpo to the Miami Heat, ending one of the longest-running sagas in recent NBA history.
The deal sent Tyler Herro, Kel'el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Kasparas Jakucionis, plus three first-round picks including this year's No. 13 selection, back to Milwaukee. Bobby Portis also moved to Miami.
Basketball predictions had Boston as the frontrunner for much of the process, but the Heat won out in the end.
"Every basketball player, every athlete, starts a career and they have this quest of what they want to accomplish and what to be remembered for. I think at this point, I've accomplished everything that I've put my mind to." (Giannis Antetokounmpo, on his time in Milwaukee)
Antetokounmpo spent 13 seasons with the Bucks, winning two MVP awards and the franchise's first championship since 1971 back in 2021. He now joins Bam Adebayo in Miami.
Dybantsa Headlines a Loaded Top Four
With the lottery storyline largely settled by mock drafts beforehand, the Washington Wizards stuck to the script and selected BYU forward AJ Dybantsa first overall. Dybantsa averaged 25.5 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists in his lone college season and is widely viewed as the most talented prospect in the class.
The Utah Jazz followed at No. 2 with Kansas guard Darryn Peterson, a player some analysts argued belonged in the conversation for the top pick.
Peterson posted a true shooting percentage of .578 to go with 20.2 points per game and slots in next to Keyonte George to form what the Jazz hope becomes their long-term backcourt.
Boozer and Wilson Round Out the Big Four
Memphis took Duke's Cameron Boozer third overall, a power forward who posted 22.5 points and 10.2 rebounds per game on a .653 true shooting percentage, suggesting one of the safest picks in the class.
Chicago completed the top four with North Carolina's Caleb Wilson, whose freshman season ended early due to injury but whose ceiling kept him in the conversation throughout.
| Top Four Picks | Team | Player | School |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington Wizards | AJ Dybantsa | BYU |
| 2 | Utah Jazz | Darryn Peterson | Kansas |
| 3 | Memphis Grizzlies | Cameron Boozer | Duke |
| 4 | Chicago Bulls | Caleb Wilson | North Carolina |
The Michigan Trio and a Guard-Heavy Lottery
After the top four, the draft turned into a run on point guards. Keaton Wagler to the Clippers at five, Mikel Brown Jr. to Brooklyn at six, Darius Acuff Jr. to Sacramento at seven, and Kingston Flemings to Atlanta at eight.
Michigan had an unusual night of its own, with three Wolverines big men, Yaxel Lendeborg, Aday Mara and Morez Johnson Jr., selected within the first 14 picks. They got drafted to Golden State, Oklahoma City and Charlotte, respectively.
Lendeborg offered a candid admission at the podium about joining a franchise tied to a rivalry against his own fandom.
"I'm a big Kyrie guy. So I used to hate Steph Curry." (Yaxel Lendeborg, after being drafted by Golden State)
Koa Peat's Wild Night Ends at Home
No player had a stranger night than Koa Peat. The Arizona forward entered the year as a projected top-10 pick before a poor combine shooting performance sent his stock tumbling through the spring.
Some mock drafts had him out of the first round entirely by Tuesday morning.
He fell to the final pick before the Phoenix Suns ran a three-team trade with the Knicks and Mavericks to move up and select him, giving up the No. 47 pick and two future second-rounders.
Peat led Chandler's Perry High School to four state titles before starring at Arizona.
For a player who openly considered withdrawing from the draft, ending up home in Phoenix was a fitting way to close out the night.
