Where the Race to Become NBA’s No. 1 Pick Stands as Tournaments Near

The NBA is cracking down on tanking, largely do to the number of teams set to join the reverse standings, trying to land one of the top talents.

While the tanking rules are set to be enforced next season, it all but confirms just how talented the 2026 NBA Draft class is, which has been obvious to anyone tuning into games as well.

There’s no question that there’s depth throughout the class, but it’s still up in the air who the No. 1 pick will be come draft night. There’s a plethora of options, each who have their own unique case.

Below, we’ll outline each players case for being the top pick, and where their stock stands with just a handful of regular season games left:

AJ Dybantsa, BYU

A 6-foot-9 scoring wing, AJ Dybantsa only needed to show a few things coming into the season to raise his stock, mostly just general improvement. And he’s done just that by tearing through the Big 12 in recent weeks.

Over his last nine games, Dybantsa has scored 29.8 points on 51% shooting and 43% 3-point shooting, showing all the makes of a seamless, three-level scorer. Even more, he’s managed to showed growth as an all-around player, bringing down 6.4 boards and most interestingly dishing 4.8 assists per game.

All three of the Tier 1 players have a case at being No. 1, but the others don’t feel quite as clear-cut as Dybantsa, who can score in a myriad of ways, and has shown genuine improvement in tons of areas.

Cameron Boozer, Duke

Where Dybantsa has been elite for the last several weeks, Cameron Boozer has been consistently phenomenal the entire season.

He’s likely to be the National Player of the Year, averaging 22.6 points, 10.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.6 steals and 0.6 blocks while leading a top-ranked Duke squad to win over win.

Most recently, he shined against Michigan’s frontcourt, which has three NBA-level players.

There’s some merit to Boozer not translating quite as seamlessly to the NBA as the other two, largely due to stiffer athleticism. But there’s no question he’ll be a major producer, and will still likely be a star even accounting for the athleticism.

Teams that need immediate winning impact, such as the Pacers, Hawks, Mavericks and more, could certainly consider him first.

Darryn Peterson, Kansas

Kansas guard Darryn Peterson has seen an intriguing season, wracked with various injuries and still managing elite output of nearly 20 points per game on 48% shooting, with 1.2 steals to boot.

He’s shooting a blistering 41% from three on nearly seven attempts per game, showing NBA-level shot-making and effortlessness on a nightly basis.

There’s been questions surrounding Peterson, likely ones that won’t be answered, but him still muscling through for the Jayhawks should be seen as a positive, rather than the opposite.

NBA teams are certain to do their due diligence, and if Peterson comes back clean, he could easily still go No. 1, and could very well be the favorite to.