Dybantsa Boozer Peterson Heat Up 2026 NBA Draft

Merlin sees the 2026 draft board heating up. Darryn Peterson, AJ Dybantsa and Cameron Boozer are staking claims while Jayden Quaintance made a promising return from an ACL tear with 10 points and eight boards in 17 minutes. A deep point guard class led by Darius Acuff Jr. and Christian Anderson adds more intrigue, and picks owned by Atlanta and Oklahoma City could leap into the top five. Merlin senses teams weighing upside against availability. Peterson is the clearest No 1 if he proves healthy, but Boozer’s all around polish and Dybantsa’s wing power make the race tight. Quaintance nudges big man priority toward rim protection. Expect the board to stay fluid as medical reports and March showings reshape consensus.