2026 NBA Draft turns out to be one of wildest ever
NEW YORK — Every NBA Draft promises hope.
The 2026 edition delivered something more: surprises, history, and a glimpse into where basketball's future is headed.
By the time the first round ended Tuesday night (Wednesday in Manila) at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, a Mexican trailblazer had made history; one of the most anticipated No. 1 pick debates in years had finally been settled; the Memphis Grizzlies had assembled one of the league's most intriguing young cores; and New York's two franchises had taken dramatically different paths.
The result was one of the wildest draft nights in recent memory.
Dybantsa wins race for No. 1
For months, basketball executives debated whether BYU star AJ Dybantsa or Kansas standout Darryn Peterson deserved to be selected first overall.
Washington made its choice.
The Wizards selected Dybantsa with the top pick, making him the first player in BYU history to be chosen No. 1 overall. The 6-foot-9 wing capped a remarkable freshman season in which he scored 894 points, the third-most ever by a Division I freshman.
"It meant a lot to me," Dybantsa said after hearing his name called. "I definitely wanted to be a staple as the No. 1 pick and be in the same conversation with LeBron James and Cooper Flagg and Allen Iverson."
Peterson, who many scouts viewed as an equally worthy candidate, went second to Utah.
The disappointment was evident, but so was the motivation.
"I wanted to be the No. 1 pick," Peterson admitted. "Now it will always be in my mind for my whole career."
Memphis lands Cam Boozer, historic international talent
No team may have left the draft happier than Memphis.
The Grizzlies selected Duke star Cameron Boozer with the third overall pick, landing a player many scouts considered the safest prospect in the class.
Boozer arrives with a resume that includes National Player of the Year honors and statistical company rarely seen in college basketball. He became the first freshman or sophomore to average at least 20 points, 10 rebounds and four assists in a season since Larry Bird nearly 50 years ago.
But Memphis wasn't finished.
Later in the round, the Grizzlies acquired the draft rights to Karim Lopez, creating one of the night's biggest storylines.
The Mexican forward became the first Mexican-born player ever selected in the first round of an NBA Draft. Before Lopez, former Dallas Mavericks forward Eduardo Najera's No. 38 selection in 2000 was the highest for a Mexican-born player.
"It's great," Lopez said. "It's another one to the list. Basketball is a great sport. It's going to keep growing."
For basketball fans across Latin America, Lopez's selection represented a landmark moment.
The Hermosillo native starred in Australia's NBL Next Stars program, where he broke scoring records previously held by future NBA lottery picks such as LaMelo Ball and Josh Giddey.
His rise may also resonate with Filipino basketball fans.
Filipino center Kai Sotto previously played in the same NBL Next Stars pathway before going undrafted in 2022. Sotto continues to pursue his NBA dream and is reportedly planning to participate in NBA Summer League opportunities this year. Lopez's breakthrough serves as another example of the growing influence of the Australian-based development program on the NBA's international talent pipeline.
Now, Lopez joins Boozer as part of a Memphis youth movement that could shape the Western Conference for years.
Brooklyn, New York head opposite directions
The contrast between New York's two NBA franchises could not have been sharper.
The Brooklyn Nets continued their rebuilding project by selecting Louisville guard Mikel Brown Jr. with the sixth overall pick.
Brown became Louisville's highest-drafted player in 36 years and immediately embraced the challenge of helping restore the franchise.
"We are going to try to bring a chip," Brown said after joining a roster that recently added veteran stars Julius Randle and Michael Porter Jr.
Across the East River, the defending champion Knicks spent the night doing something contenders rarely do: trading out.
New York entered the draft with the No. 24 pick but ultimately maneuvered completely out of the first round through a series of deals involving Cameron Carr, Sergio de Larrea and Koa Peat.
The Knicks turned their first-round assets into multiple future second-round picks and cash considerations, a move widely viewed as part of their effort to maintain financial flexibility while keeping together a championship roster under the NBA's increasingly restrictive salary-cap rules.
For Brooklyn, the draft was about building the future.
For New York, it was about protecting the present.
NBA’s future more global than ever
The night also highlighted the league’s international growth.
Spain produced two first-round selections. Germany added another lottery talent. Mexico celebrated its first-ever first-round pick. International players once again occupied prominent spots throughout the draft.
Meanwhile, the opening eight selections were all college freshmen, tying the record set just a year earlier and underscoring the league's growing appetite for youth and upside.
In a draft filled with twists, records and international milestones, one thing became clear: The NBA's future is getting younger, more global and more unpredictable than ever.
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Alder Almo is a former senior sportswriter for Philstar.com and NBA.com Philippines. He is now based in Jersey City, New Jersey, and writes for US-based publication Heavy.com.
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