NBA intel: Execs, scouts on Peterson, Dybantsa, top draft prospects

NBA officials have been active at conference tournaments across the country as they gather information about the next class of professional stars. The Big 12 Tournament has been the main focus at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, with the conference boasting 10 potential first-round picks. ESPN’s latest mock draft.

“Like a preview of lottery night,” a Western Conference team president told ESPN, “except this time we’ll all still leave excited.”

The tournament saw several elite freshmen dominate draft discussions – including the potential No. 1 pick out of Kansas. darrin peterson and BYU’s AJ DiBantsaplus houston’s Kingston Flemings And Chris Cenacand arizona brayden burys and further koa peat –All 30 NBA teams are in attendance, including many key decision-makers.

And with the 2025–26 regular season reaching its final month, there are currently eight teams playing for draft position. (That number would certainly be higher if some lower-dwelling franchises controlled their first-round selections in June.)

Meanwhile, for teams that miss out on top-tier talent, the interest in this draft class far exceeds the potential No. 1 pick.

An Eastern Conference scout said, “We have a lot of interest in this draft because it’s very deep. There are a lot of impact players.”

“And [the 2027] The draft is not looking so good. You never know, there are players in every draft, but this year is like a double draft,” said one West scout.

That depth gives hope to teams like Sacramento Kings, Brooklyn Nets, utah jazz, washington wizards — four franchises that will enter the offseason on a collective 15-year run without a playoff appearance — that his selection, wherever he lands, could present a franchise-altering moment.

Ahead of Friday’s Big 12 semifinals (7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2), here’s what executives, scouts and coaches are saying about the biggest names on NBA draft boards.

The battle for No. 1 remains a two-player race

As has been the case throughout the season, Peterson and DiBantsa remain the top two prospects on most draft boards.

peterson, who remains the number 1 pick In the latest mock draft from ESPN NBA Draft analyst Jeremy Wu, Joe entered the season as the projected top pick, but has had an up-and-down campaign for the Jayhawks. This decline has been due to injury, as he has sat out 11 games due to various issues while playing limited minutes in several other contests.

But, when available, Peterson has shown how special he can be, including dropping 27 points on 10-of-15 shooting in the regular season finale against rival Kansas State and the highest usage rate in Division 1 at 33.6% according to CBB Analytics.

A power conference general manager said of Peterson’s game, “As talented a scorer as they come, he’s about as good as he gets.” “The tumbling, the aggressiveness, he comes in and takes over the game. NBA people are working to get information out about the injuries, but he’s worth a headache or two.”

Meanwhile, DiBantsa is practically the only healthy player left on a Cougars team that has slowly faded. Injuries, especially to senior forwards richie saundersEarly season Final Four ambitions have been derailed.

But that hasn’t diminished his draft stock or his competitive fire. And between his 6-foot-9-inch frame and natural scoring ability – Dyabantsa is the first freshman trey young The BYU star still has many NBA decision-makers talking – on his way to leading the nation in scoring in 2018.

A veteran East executive said, “He has all the tools, he’s a dynamic scorer who will immediately bring points to the NBA.”

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Is AJ DiBantsa ready for the NBA?

Jay Williams and Kendrick Perkins explain why they believe AJ DiBuntsa can make it to the NBA.

On Tuesday, DiBantsa made his Big 12 tournament debut by hitting 15 of 21 shots for 40 points Kevin DurantSet a tournament scoring record for a freshman in 2007. And despite BYU’s run ending Thursday against Houston, DiBuntsa again surpassed Durant in scoring with 93 total points. a new tournament record.

“I think Diabuntsa is easy No. 1,” said an executive at East. “He’s special. There’s still a lot for him to develop.”

Another East executive said, “It’s easiest to see how he gets to No. 1, but the game is not as easy for him as it is for some of the great players.”

“[Dybantsa] Probably going to be our No. 1,” one West scout said. “But it’s not decided.”

There is no compromise anywhere, as Peterson, despite his uneven freshman season, remains the player most league insiders view as the current favorite for the first name called by NBA commissioner Adam Silver on draft night.

“Talent-wise, he’s clearly [No. 1],” an East scout said. “He’s got the whole package. When he played, he showed he had the ‘It’ factor.”

Competition between Carolina for number 3

Although one possibility could still go ahead of Peterson or DiBantsa, the widespread expectation is that the third and fourth picks will include a pair of forwards from their Tobacco Road rivals: Duke’s cameron boozer and North Carolina Caleb Wilson.

Boozer might be the hottest player in this year’s draft. His numbers entering this week’s ACC Tournament for the potential No. 1 overall seed in this year’s NCAA Tournament are the stuff of video games: 22.7 points, 10.2 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.5 steals per game, while shooting 58% from the field, 40.7% from 3-point range. He led Duke in points, rebounds and assists in eight games this season, the most by a freshman in 30 years.

Such production has led some NBA decision-makers to argue that Boozer should join Peterson and DiBantsa as potential No. 1 picks.

“I think there’s a top three, and there’s a case for any one of them,” said a second executive at East. “Boozer has always been the best player at every level, and that might help overcome some of his athletic questions. … I’d just say trust the super high-level-feeling guys to figure it out.”

so why Not there. Is Boozer firmly in the mix for the top pick? Simply put, it’s because he’s built like his father, two-time NBA All-Star Carlos Boozer. This has led scouts and executives to question whether the 6-9, 250-pound Boozer is already close to maximizing his game and whether his potential athletic limitations will limit his NBA ceiling.

But for at least one NBA executive, Boozer’s resume should be enough to prevent any panic around the league.

“You can focus on what he doesn’t have compared to other guys in terms of athleticism or something,” said an assistant general manager at East. “But he’s a winner and he’s been a winner at every level and he’s won everything he’s touched this year.”

Wilson’s draft profile is the complete opposite. He previously demonstrated a dynamic prowess with the Tar Heels hurt my thumb last week His season ended, especially when going coast-to-coast in transition after snatching rebounds.

A rival ACC coach said of Wilson, “He was a kid in high school who wanted the ball in his hands, wanted to be a point power forward but didn’t have the motor or toughness.” “Since he arrived at Carolina, his caring factor and toughness has really come through and gone to the next level.”

Wilson averaged 19.8 points, 9.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.4 blocks while shooting 57.8% from the field in 24 games, which shows why many around the league argued he could overtake Boozer as the third player off the board.

“He’s very raw, and there’s a lot of upside,” said the First East executive. “I can easily see him becoming a top-three player in this draft. I think Cam already has his NBA body, but Caleb has a lot of room to grow.”

After number 4, several guards join the discussion

The consensus is that the next four selections will include freshman guards: Flemings, Illinois’ Keaton WaglerArkansas’ Darius Acuff Jr.. and louisville’s mikel brown jr.

Multiple sources compared Fleming’s top speed and agility with the ball to that of the former MVP.

“Derrick [Rose] Another East scout said, “He had the ability to turn the corner and get clean layups.” “You don’t see that often and Kingston has that.”

Flemings, along with fellow freshman Cenac, earned praise from NBA scouts and executives for their willingness to play for Cougars coach Kelvin Sampson, who is known for running a no-nonsense program where minutes are not given easily.

A West scout said, “He’s shown he can do everything you need to do as a point guard in their two-guard system.” “He checks all the boxes: smart, makes teammates better, positional size, can shoot, engaged defenders.”

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Kingston Flemings scores an And1 bucket for Houston

Kingston Flemings got to the rim and drew an and-1 for Houston.

Wagler has emerged on the scene During his freshman season at Illinois, with a 46-point performance against fellow NBA prospect Braden Smith And on January 24, Purdue began a new wave of attention. Wagler is the first Big Ten freshman in the last 30 years to average at least 18 points on 40% shooting from 3.

And at 6-6, his position size should allow him to adjust to the NBA game.

The first East Scout said, “Wagler has flown on board.” “He has a Tyrese Haliburton The profile is kind of… weird shot, fast riser. I like him. He definitely has size. If someone takes it at five o’clock, I can see it.”

Acuff is the latest star guard to play for John Calipari, a list that includes Rose, John Wall,. Devin Booker, jamal mare, De’Aaron Fox, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, tyreese maxi And reed shepardamong others.

There will be questions about how Acuff’s slight frame will translate to the NBA, but the 6-3, 190-pound guard certainly delivered for Arkansas. The SEC Freshman and Player of the Year is averaging 22.2 points and 6.4 assists while shooting 43.7% from 3.

“The guy who is most ready to play in the NBA is Acuff,” the first East executive said. “If you knew nothing except watching him play, you’d think he was a four-year player. That’s how smooth he is.”

Had it not been for Peterson’s health questions at the top of the draft, the most intriguing story in the lottery would likely have been the Browns. The 6-5, 190-pound guard is averaging 18.2 points and 4.7 assists while shooting 41% overall and 34% from 3-point range. He has been dealing with intermittent back problems that have caused him to sit out the ACC Tournament.

“He’s like big darius garland“A high-level shooter who knows how to use ball screens and make plays for others,” the ACC coach said. cleveland cavaliers Still, he was picked No. 5 in 2019.)

Brown’s resume includes several interesting games for the Cardinals — he scored at least 20 points in nine of his 21 games, including 45 points in a win over NC State on Feb. 9 — but it’s unclear how NBA teams view his draft profile due to his health.

“I like the kid from Louisville,” the first East scout said. “He’s really comfortable, although I think he’s more of a combo guard than a pure point. But the back stuff is a concern.”