AJ Dybantsa, Cameron Boozer and 2026 NBA Draft class might outdo Cooper Flagg and co 

Much of the discussion on the 2025 NBA Draft class revolves around its overall strength. It’s an excellent draft class, led by star prospects like Cooper Flagg and Dylan Harper. Beyond the superstar projections, the class features numerous fascinating ceiling bets and complementary talents.

Despite the quality of 2025, the 2026 NBA Draft class appears to be even stronger. At the moment, 2026 could feature a star-studded group of prospects that will rival classes like 2003 and 2018. Let’s discuss some of the resounding strengths of the 2026 class as we look ahead to the future.

Two Generational Tall Initiators

The top of most recent drafts featured tall primary initiators, arguably the most valuable commodity in all of modern basketball. Elite teams build rosters around these gigantic playmakers — Luka Doncic, LaMelo Ball, Cade Cunningham, Paolo Banchero, etc — as the NBA upsizes. The 2025 Draft features one of these prospects, Cooper Flagg, but 2026 contains both AJ Dybantsa and Cameron Boozer as potential jumbo primaries.

Dybantsa, the consensus top prospect in the 2025 high school class/2026 NBA Draft, blends rare levels of skill, shooting touch and explosive athletic twitch at 6’9. He’s averaging 22.2 points and 4.5 assists (1.9 assist-to-turnover ratio) on a highly efficient 61.2% true shooting clip. Dybantsa drains difficult jumpers from all over the floor, shooting an impressive 37.3% (22-59) on pull-up threes so far.

His downhill advantage creation carries the bulk of Dybantsa’s superstar prospect case. Few teenagers of his size boast the blinding first step, powerful strides and vertical explosion Dybantsa has. He’s improving as a playmaker, learning how to best weaponize his scoring gravity to locate open teammates.

Boozer specializes in overwhelming interior scoring, using his perimeter offense as a potent counterpunch. He’s been a dominant force in high school basketball since he was a freshman and is now one of the clear best players in the country. This past EYBL season, playing with Nightrydas Elite, Boozer tallied 22.9 points, 3.5 assists, and 12.6 rebounds per game on a sizzling 67.5% true shooting clip.

At 6’10, Boozer’s skill level, strength and touch let him dominate on post-ups, cuts and offensive rebounds. He’s capable of creating from the perimeter, handling like a much smaller wing to drive and create off of the bounce. His touch and free-throw shooting (84% in EYBL) project him strongly as a shooter.

Duke will have a special talent in the form of Cameron Boozer next year. Source: Imagn

His feel for the game, especially as a passer, elevates Boozer to special prospect status. He’s a lightning-quick processor of the game as an on and off-ball passer, always making positive decisions and flashing some high-end passing traits. That same feel extends to defense, where Boozer wins with his timing, size and positioning.

Dybanta’s pure perimeter creation outweighs Boozer there, but Boozer has the advantage in terms of passing, interior scoring and defensive ability. Both of these prospects are special players with the potential to carry high amounts of offensive responsibility while maintaining strong efficiency. Both would be the clear top pick in most drafts, but they’ll have to battle each other in 2026.

Special Guard Prospect Talents

For much of their high-school careers, Boozer and Dybantsa sat atop the mantle for the 2026 draft. Another prospect has entered the discussion, that player being 6’5 guard Darryn Peterson. Peterson was arguably the best AAU player in the country this past season for Phenom United and has dominated opponents at Prolific prep this season. Across his four games logged on Synergy, Peterson has averaged a ridiculous 29.3 points, 5.5 assists and 2.5 steals on a 60.3% true shooting mark.

Peterson outdueled both Dybantsa and Boozer in recent head-to-head matchups, playing like an obvious NBA star. As a senior in high school, Peterson is playing like the best guard prospect in years, sporting more current production and a higher ceiling than elite recent high school guards like Dylan Harper, Anthony Edwards and Scoot Henderson.

Darryn Peterson has outdueled highly touted AJ Dybantsa in recent matchups - Source: Imagn

There’s almost nothing Peterson can’t do on the basketball court. He’s a special driver, winning with his quick first step, a vertical explosion at the hoop and preternatural bend and body control. Peterson’s handle, shooting touch from every spot and feel for the game all project him as a primary initiator at the NBA level.

Since the beginning of this recent AAU season, Peterson has defended like the best player in the country. He’s averaging 3.5 stocks (steals + blocks) this season for Prolific Prep after averaging 4.6 stocks per game for Phenom United. Peterson’s lightning-fast hands, mobility and instincts make him a special on and off-ball defensive prospect.

Peterson lacks the height and size of Boozer and Dybantsa which will inherently lower his value for some NBA scouts and teams. But Peterson’s all-around skillset as a primary creator, off-ball scorer and defensive playmaker might outweigh both of them. Peterson will push for the top slot in the 2026 draft if he continues to play like he currently is.

An Elite College Freshman Not Eligible for the 2025 Draft

Apart from the top-shelf high-school prospects, the 2026 NBA Draft will more than likely include Jayden Quaintance, one of the current best freshmen in the country. Quaintance has dominated for Arizona State early in his college career. He’s blocked 34 shots so far, the third most of any player in the nation and the most of any high-major player.

If he could, Quaintance would certainly enter the 2025 draft and land in the top three, at the very minimum. But Quaintance is too young to enter the draft — all drafted players must turn 19 during the calendar year of the draft. He’s just 17 years old and won’t turn 18 until July 11th, 2025. Quaintance reclassified to the 2024 high school class to enter college basketball early and it’s paid dividends thus far.

17-year-old Jayden Quaintance is doing special things as a freshman. Source: Imagn

It’s exceedingly rare for players as young as Quaintance to eviscerate college opponents as he has. Kira Lewis and Emoni Bates both entered college too young to declare for the draft as freshmen, but neither matched Quaintance’s impact or talent level. His explosion, instincts and mobility all render Quaintance a possibly special defensive player at the NBA level.

Quaintance’s defensive excellent builds the foundation of his prospect case, but his offensive flashes have been enticing. He weaponizes his explosion and size to excel as a finisher. Despite poor efficiency outside of the paint, Quaintance’s willingness to experiment with his handling, passing and shooting is a promising sign.

In some drafts, Quaintance would challenge for the top spot. That’s likely off of the table for a stacked 2026 draft, but even teams picking outside of the top three will have a shot at higher ceiling prospects than usual. We’ll monitor how Quaintance progresses during the rest of this season and next season, but he’s playing like an elite NBA prospect for the moment.