NBA Mock Draft: Wizards grab AJ Dybantsa with top pick, Jazz snag Darryn Peterson but debate rages at No. 3

Dybantsa to the Wizards continues to make the most sense for basketball reasons. Washington’s roster is desperate for that true jumbo wing who can create his own shot at the drop of a hat. That’s the sell with Dybantsa, who is a total nightmare to defend from every spot on the floor. Dybantsa pressures the rim at will, and he can shimmy-shake into his pull-up or unblockable fadeaway whenever he chooses. Dybantsa’s combination of top-tier size, footwork and jaw-dropping athleticism makes him a deserving prospect to go No. 1.

If Peterson can integrate the vroom-vroom, dynamic creator that he showed at Prolific Prep with the high-level shot-maker we saw at Kansas, the Utah Jazz will be cooking with gas. Peterson is the type of prospect who could go No. 1 overall in plenty of iterations of the NBA Draft. While the noise about his availability at KU became a major talking point throughout a weird freshman season, Peterson has helped himself throughout the pre-draft process. No news is good news on that front. Take a peek at the NBA Playoffs. How many guards in this class can play in brawls like that? Peterson can. He’s got the skill, shot-making, handle, craftsmanship and size that every NBA guard has to have in the holster.

Boozer is one of the sharpest minds in this entire draft class. He processes the game in an advanced way, which raises both his floor and ceiling outcomes. Boozer also owns picture-perfect form on his jumper. He shot 41% on 98 catch-and-shoot 3-pointers for a reason and gives off some Kevin Love vibes. Even if you don’t think he’s going to be a No. 1 option on a playoff team, the durable Boozer can impact winning at a high level for a long, long time.

While Chicago’s new braintrust should take a long look at some of the point guards at No. 4, Wilson remains the logical selection. The North Carolina forward blends a ravenous motor with length, athleticism and burgeoning feel. Wilson will be one of the most dangerous transition difference-makers from the jump, and he has all the physical tools to be a defensive whiz in time. Wilson may not be Chicago’s long-term solution, but he won’t be a problem, either.

Size, shooting and feel. That is the name of Keaton Wagler’s game. Wagler’s shooting prowess allows him to play off the ball when it’s time for Darius Garland or Kawhi Leonard to rock, but his value skyrockets because he has all the tools to toggle to an on-ball role as well. Wagler isn’t a blow-you-away athlete, but his underrated strength, rhythm, balance and body control make him such a tough cover. Wagler is programmed to make the right play over and over again. He rebounds well for his position, including getting after it on the offensive glass. He has the length and IQ to be a useful defender down the road, which unlocks some Derrick White-like outcomes in his projection, with room for even more.

Acuff has every answer to the test in pick-and-rolls. He could very well be the No. 1 ball-screen navigator in this draft. The craftsmanship is clear as day. The pace and precision, combined with his broad shoulders and a 6-7 wingspan, do give off some Deron Williams or Dame Lillard vibes. Even with significant defensive questions, Acuff’s ability to shoot off the dribble, navigate into the paint at will, create easy shots and make tough ones is so coveted. Brooklyn drafted a handful of guards last year, but that shouldn’t stop this Nets’ braintrust from adding a potential face of the franchise point guard.

Flemings’ ability to get his shoulders past defenders is a coveted trait that every team needs. Flemings doesn’t have terrific length (6-3.5 wingspan), but he’s an outstanding athlete who can change directions on a dime, explode vertically and absolutely fly in the open floor. He has jet packs attached to his feet. Flemings has some mechanical tweaks to make on his jumper, but the trio of elite work ethic, elite attention to detail and elite winning habits make him a no-brainer bet to maximize his skillset. You just want Flemings in your building. De’Aaron Fox is a bandied-about comparison for Flemings because of the explosive first step, which would make the Sacramento landing spot ironic in more ways than one.

Atlanta needs point guard help, but Mara to the Hawks is mouth-watering. The Michigan center has a 7-foot-6 wingspan and improved his mobility tremendously. Mara has elite size for the position, and he’d be one of the top shot-blockers in the NBA from the jump. He got tougher at Michigan and also showed additional defensive versatility, along with his unique feel as a top-of-the-key playmaker who can make reads in DHOs or backdowns. Atlanta could trot out some hellacious defensive lineups with Dyson Daniels, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Jalen Johnson and Mara.

If this is how the board shakes out, this would be a grand slam for Mike Schmitz and the new Mavs’ decision-makers. Brown checks off the boxes when it comes to positional size and shooting, plus there’s a dynamic creator in here somewhere. Brown is a terrific push-ahead passer who is always trying to press the gas and create easy buckets in transition. The Kings certainly need more of that. If Brown can start taking the singles in pick-and-rolls instead of trying to consistently smash grand slams, he could outplay his draft slot.

Ament is viewed as a high-risk, high-reward player, but I don’t see it that way. There will always be a place in the NBA for a big wing with touch and defensive upside. But Ament is still a work in progress. NBA spacing should help, and Milwaukee can give him a long runway to work out the kinks in his game.

Burries’ motor is revving at all times. He plays hard every single game, and he sticks his face in the fan on the glass without fail. Burries can toggle between so many different roles, but he might be at his best as a light-it-up transition bucket-getter. There’s defense, a little creation, some three-level scoring habits and a whole lot of hustle plays in this portfolio. Even though he’s not a superstar, he impacts winning in a bunch of different ways. He’s got a chance to be an excellent role player with room for more down the developmental chain.

Lendeborg could have played in any NBA rotation … a year ago at this time. He was a NBA player just housed in Ann Arbor for a year, leading the Wolverines to the national championship. Lendeborg would fit like a glove on a win-now OKC roster that is always in the business for size, shooting, feel and athleticism. He has an enormous 7-3 wingspan and is a straight five-tool player. He can pass, dribble, shoot, cut and defend. Oh, and he’s an absolute monster in transition. The Dominican LeBron nickname was well-deserved.

Philon slithers to his spots at will, and there’s not much you can do to stop it. The Alabama guard showed vast improvement with his pull-up jumper and proved he can get buckets in his sleep. He was one of the most dangerous isolation bucket-getters in all of college basketball last season, making even the most mobile defensive bigs so uncomfortable with his barrage of in-and-out dribbles to set up a stepback J or a knockdown floater. The challenge will be finding ways to blend all the delightful role-player traits that he showcased as a freshman back into his game. Philon has more in the tank defensively. He has more in the tank as a connect-the-dots role player who can smash advantages created by a true alpha guard … like Tyler Herro.

Johnson is a problem-solver on both ends of the floor. He’s enormous, athletic and a dirty-work menace. The NBA craves physical thumpers who can fly up and down the floor in transition. Johnson embodies all of that, and there’s burgeoning skill on the table here. Johnson’s unselfish brand of basketball would fit right in with a new Charlotte coaching staff that prioritizes winners who rebound.

Size, athleticism and shooting. Carr checks off those three boxes. While processing and decision-making remain a concern for some scouts, Carr has a skillset that very few can rival at this stage of the draft. The Baylor product projects to be one of the top movement shooters in this draft class, and that’s a major need for a Bulls roster that is light on shot-makers. Carr can jump super high and has a 7-0.75 wingspan that makes Twitter erupt, but the development with both his handle and his mind could make-or-break his chances of reaching the highest peak of his range of potential outcomes.

The Texas Tech star is a born-and-bred assassin. Anderson deposited 108 triples last year, shooting over 41% from beyond the arc. He has some physical development to make with his body to become more of a rim-pressure threat, but the jumper is automatic. There will always be a place in the league for a guy who has a strap, and Memphis could surround him with size in Jaylen Wells, Cedric Coward, Cameron Boozer and Zach Edey to cover up some of the defensive concerns.

Quaintance comes with serious injury baggage, but the idea of what he could become is salivating. The big man owns a go-go gadget, 7-5 wingspan. Quaintance probably won’t be The Wemby Stopper, but he was one of the special defensive big men in college basketball as a 17-year-old freshman at Arizona State. It’s silly how many jumpers that Quaintance could not only contest but also just outright swat away. He just moves … differently. The ability to shuttle with guards on the perimeter and envelop shots at the rim makes the Robert Williams comparison pretty apt. Is there anything else in the tank offensively? Quaintance has some untapped perimeter skills and the ability to deck it, but those are still more theoretical at this point. A potential duo of Chet Holmgren and Quaintance could be hellacious defensively.

Charlotte needs some help on the wing with Miles Bridges entering the final year of his contract. Insert Lopez. The sturdy forward can play the 3 and the 4 and has been well-schooled by the New Zealand Breakers in the NBL. He’s not a 3-and-D player yet (both the 3 and the D need to develop), but there’s enough to like here as a yoked connector to take a swing at No. 18.

Toronto rated near the bottom of the league in 3-point rate, and Stirtz would help flip that a tad. The Iowa product is one of the top net-shredders in the draft. Stirtz’s moonballs can nearly touch the rafters before tickling the twine. Stirtz drained 92 treys this past season on an exceptionally tough shot diet. Oh, and the dude can run a pick-and-roll in his sleep. Stirtz would provide the Raptors with another on-ball threat who can still provide value as an off-ball spacer when it’s time for Scottie Barnes to initiate the offense. Stirtz isn’t brimming with burst, but the jumper provides plenty of high-floor outcomes.

Cenac is raw but toolsy. The Houston big man has a 7-foot-5 wingspan and was one of the best per-minute rebounders in the country. He gobbles up boards outside of his zip code time and time again. Cenac’s decision-making is still a major work in progress, and the speed of the college game seemed too much for him on some nights, but the former five-star recruit projects to be a long-term piece with the rebounding and shooting potential at the forefront of the evaluation.

Think of the speed that Detroit could add to the holster by drafting Okorie. The Stanford product has ridiculous end-to-end velocity, and he can stop on a dime to send defenders careening into the abyss. Okorie shot over 35% from 3-point range on high volume, but his ability to knife to the rim over and over again while playing clean basketball can feed families. Okorie is a little on the smaller end, measuring under 6-foot-2 without shoes at the NBA Draft Combine, but his 6-7.75 wingspan gives him a needed escape valve to finish over the trees. He’d provide a much-needed changeup to give Cade Cunningham some chances to move off the ball and not have to create literally everything.

The Sixers are going to play with a ton of pace when Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe are on the floor together. That meshes almost flawlessly with what Peat needs to thrive. The much-maligned Arizona product can impact winning as a connector who can make reads in the open floor. Peat running stride-for-stride with burners like Edgecombe and Maxey is a scary proposition and eases the runway into the league. Scoring in the halfcourt is going to be a challenge for Peat, who relies heavily on brawn and power to go through defenders, but he may not be asked to do that too often if he’s next to an All-Star like Joel Embiid, who could accentuate Peat’s cutting and play-finishing. Peat’s situation will be an important variable while he fixes his out-of-sync jumper. The Philadelphia situation certainly makes a lot of sense.

Point guard would be a logical target for Atlanta at No. 23, but with Okorie and Anderson off the board, shooting becomes the next-best asset to add. Evans is one of the best shooters in this entire draft class. The Duke product rounded out the rough edges of his game, showcasing an ability to curl off pindowns, get downhill and finish with authority. He also took noticeable strides on the defensive end of the floor. There will be some creation questions with Evans, and his frame still needs to fill out to survive the avalanche of big, strong, fast athletes. But still, there’s plenty of room at the inn for a 6-foot-6 shooter of this ilk.

Graves is a do-it-all connector who would not have a problem walking into New York to try to make Jalen Brunson’s life easier. Graves is a deflections machine, and he also impacts the game positively with his playmaking, shot-making and cutting. Graves is not big enough to play a small-ball 5 as he did at Santa Clara, but he can stretch the floor at the 4 and give New York access to some bigger lineups for the second unit.

Veesaar is all of 7-feet, and he has plenty of skill in his bag. For all intents and purposes, Veesaar is hands-down the top stretch big on the board. The UNC big man drilled 40 3-pointers last season. No other 7-footer in this class can match that feat. The passing is an asset, and Veesaar will be a high-energy offensive rebounder for his entire career. He’s got some snarl as well, especially when he ditches the pick-and-pops for a thunderous roll down the middle of the lane. Veesaar may have untapped potential if he can prove he has the mobility to play the 4, as well.

Swain is a slippery, creative driver with a plethora of counters in his bag to get to the cup. Nearly 60% of his shots this past season at Texas came at the rim, and Swain shot a promising 63% at the rim, per Synergy. Swain doubles as one of the better passing wings in this class, and it’s easy to see him scaling down to fill a role for the Nuggets. Swain was a defense-first option at Xavier before turning into a primary fulcrum at Texas. If defense is what’s required to carve out minutes, Swain will be able to buy into that. The jumper may not ever be a major strength, though.

I keep coming back to Joshua Jefferson at this spot for the Celtics. Boston needs to create easier shots, and Jefferson is one of the top processors in this draft. The burly forward is pound-for-pound as good a passer as anybody, and Jefferson’s jumper has improved every single season. Jefferson isn’t some jump-off-the-tape athlete, but the basketball IQ, passing and defense form a connective tissue that all good teams have. Jefferson won at Saint Mary’s and won at Iowa State and will likely contribute to winning in the NBA.

Thomas should sneak into the back end of the first round after opting not to go back to Arkansas for his sophomore season. He can fill it up from the get-go, and he played off Darius Acuff Jr. well, picking his spots to hunt his own or operate as a secondary creator. I would not expect much from him defensively in the near future, but Minnesota is packed with defensive stalwarts, and the Timberwolves will need some shooting while Donte DiVincenzo heals up from a torn Achilles.

Karaban could profile as the Dean Wade replacement, meshing a sharp blend of shooting, cutting and toughness to be one of the better role-player bets at this point in the draft. The bottom of the first round is so watered-down, so Cleveland taking a ready-to-play veteran who makes loads of winning plays is a no-brainer.

Ejiofor has an enormous 7-foot-2 wingspan and plays with the force of a middle linebacker. Ejiofor projects as a multi-positional defender who can be a dirty-work menace. Dallas has its action guys in place, and high-character, physical role players like Ejiofor could help speed up the Mavs’ retool.