The NBA Draft is now just hours away, and the biggest question will finally be answered: who will be taken with the No. 1 pick? It has been the biggest debate since the beginning of the college basketball season, and while at that time, it was clearly Kansas guard Darryn Peterson, that has since changed.
After a few injuries and some major cramping problems kept him out for nearly half the season, Peterson lost his strong hold on the No. 1 pick to BYU forward AJ Dybantsa. Since the cause of Peterson's cramping problems was revealed to be due to high doses of creatine, the Kansas star has suddenly made a late push for the No. 1 pick again.
Before the draft, players schedule workouts and meetings with lots of teams to get a feel for the franchise, and so those teams can get a feel for them. It was reported that Peterson only met with the Washington Wizards, who have the No. 1 pick, and chose not to meet with any other teams, stating clearly that he planned ot be taken with the first overall pick.
In a recent interview with Steven A. Smith, Dybantsa spoke about his draft process, and he took a very different route than Peterson, one that feels a bit smarter.
"I visited multiple teams because you never know what can happen on draft night, I was just being smart in my opinion," Dybantsa said. "I want to get drafted number one, though.”
AJ Dybantsa says he wants and expects to be the number one draft pick:
— NBA Courtside (@NBA__Courtside) June 22, 2026
“I visited multiple teams because you never know what can happen on draft night, I was just being smart in my opinion. I want to get drafted number one though.”
(Via @stephenasmith) pic.twitter.com/t96yQGCDC7
Darryn Peterson took a big NBA Draft gamble, and it could come back to bite him
Dybantsa's style of thinking should be the style of thinking Peterson takes on for the NBA Draft tonight. With all that has happened, it is a very real possibility that Peterson doesn't go No. 1, or even drops from the No. 2 pick with the Utah Jazz. Now, with a talent like what Peterson has, he probably isn't dropping much lower than pick No. 3 or No. 4, but his choices might lead him there.
Dybantsa knows he is talented and stated he wants to go No. 1 overall, but he made sure to keep all his options open because draft night can take lots of twists and turns. Peterson, on the other hand, has closed himself off to other teams, and it was reported that the lottery picks took notice.
This gamble could either pay off for Peterson, and it makes him the No. 1 pick in the draft, or it could totally backfire in his face and cause him to slide further down in the first round. Either way, it would have been safer if he had followed Dybantsa's way of thinking and kept his options open.
The debate will be settled tonight once the Wizards are on the clock and submit their ticket for who they will select with the No. 1 pick. The draft will begin at 8:00 p.m. EST, and fans can watch on ABC, ESPN, or the ESPN app.
Add us as a preferred source on Google