Top four picks follow chalk in NBA Draft: Wizards take Dybantsa, Jazz draft Peterson

This is expected to be a wild first round of the NBA Draft — but never in the top four.

There was a tier with the top four players in this draft — every one of them projected as a potential franchise cornerstone player — and the teams with the top four picks were not trading out or messing up their chance. The first four picks of the 2026 NBA Draft followed the chalk.

As expected, the Wizards selected AJ Dybantsa with the No. 1 pick. The 6'9" wing was one of the top scorers in college basketball at BYU last season and he has a complete game, which made him hard to pass up at No. 1.

Dybantsa can create his own shot and score at all three levels, but what stood out to me watching him in person at the Nike Hoops Summit a year ago, was that he was a tough shot maker. He can shoot over contests and is unbothered. That matters in the NBA.

At No. 2, the Utah Jazz took the explosive Darryn Peterson out of Kansas. The 6'5" guard was the guy at the top of teams' draft boards going into the season, and despite a season dealing with injuries and cramping, teams that talked with him and looked at his medical reports from the NBA Draft Combine were unconcerned. Peterson is an explosive athlete going to a Jazz team that has been great at developing players under coach Will Hardy. Put him next to Keyonte George in the back court and watch out.

The Memphis Grizzlies drafted Cameron Boozer out of Duke at No. 3. Boozer looked and played like an NBA veteran before he even set foot in Durham, North Carolina.

Boozer has incredible footwork, a soft touch, an NBA body (thanks to genetics, his father is former NBA All-Star Carlos Boozer), and he processes the game fast for a young player. Put him at the four next to Zach Edey at the five, and that is an impressive front line in Memphis as it starts to retool to a new era.

Chicago drafted a North Carolina star at No. 4 — the last time the Bulls took a Tarheel near the top of the draft it worked out pretty well for them. Chicago selected the incredibly athletic but still a little raw Caleb Wilson. With Wilson and Matas Buzelis as the forwards getting fed the rock by Josh Giddey, the Bulls are going to be entertaining to watch next season.