2026 NBA mock draft: Risers, fallers ahead of the May 10 lottery - ESPN

The 2026 NBA draft picture has come into focus, with the early-entry deadline passed on Friday, and the lottery less than two weeks away.

Between the unusual amount of high-impact talent atop the board and the number of teams with quite a bit riding on this year's ping-pong balls, this draft continues to shape up as one of the more potentially consequential in recent memory. AJ Dybantsa has emerged as the front-runner for No. 1, with Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer and Caleb Wilson still the top names.

The early-entry list for this class consists of just 71 players, down from 106 in 2025. It's the fewest early declarations in more than 20 years. A flood of prospects opted to return to college, thinning the depth of this draft outside the lottery, something NBA teams anticipated all season due to the impact of NIL, allowing D-I programs to spend competitively and retain talent.

Still, only three players we projected as first-rounders — Thomas Haugh (Florida), Braylon Mullins (UConn) and Motiejus Krivas (Arizona ) — opted against entering the draft, keeping the first-round picture largely stable. How the next month plays out will determine just how deep the class becomes, with 16 of the 20 prospects we project in the 15-35 range still holding the ability to return to college if they choose.

The NBA will convene in Chicago on May 10 for the lottery and combine, formally kicking off a busy predraft cycle. Using the default lottery order, this mock serves to project what the draft might look like if teams selected today.

These projections are not a ranking of the top prospects — for that, consult ESPN's top 100. These projections are informed by ongoing conversations with NBA executives and scouts, as well as my own