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Joe KaiserJun 22, 2026, 04:49 PM ET
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Fantasy basketball, NBA analyst for Insider
NBA, MLB analyst for Rumor Central
The debate about who the Washington Wizards will select with the No. 1 pick has carried on since last month's draft lottery, but as we head into Day 1 of the NBA draft on Tuesday it is BYU freshman forward AJ Dybantsa who is the big favorite over Kansas freshman guard Darryn Peterson.
That leaves Peterson as the favorite at No. 2 to the Utah Jazz, and Duke big man Cameron Boozer the favorite at No. 3 to the Memphis Grizzlies. With both expected to be off the board by the time Chicago picks at No. 4, North Carolina forward Caleb Wilson is the big favorite to land with the Bulls.
Where do things fall after that? Well, at No. 5 is when things get interesting, with a bevy of talented point guards expected to be in the mix -- and favored to be picked -- for the LA Clippers at No. 5, the Brooklyn Nets at No. 6, the Sacramento Kings at No. 7 and the Atlanta Hawks at No. 8.
Then, the Dallas Mavericks are on the board at No. 9 before Milwaukee's pick at 10, and the odds for the Bucks' selection are off the board due to all the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade rumors.
With that in mind, here's what the betting market tells us about what could happen with the first nine picks of the NBA draft.
Odds by DraftKings Sportsbook and subject to change.
Pick 1. Washington Wizards: AJ Dybantsa, SF, BYU (-550)
Dybantsa or Peterson? With the Wizards reportedly down to these two players for the No. 1 pick, this is a question that experts have gone back and forth on for more than a month. Now that we are basically at the finish line -- with the draft starting on Tuesday night -- Dybantsa has separated himself on the odds board, while Peterson has dropped to +475.
Pick 2. Utah Jazz: Darryn Peterson, PG/SG, Kansas (-225)
If Dybantsa is off the board, that would leave Peterson and Boozer as the likeliest fits for the Jazz at this spot. Utah does have a lengthy history with the Boozer family, with Cameron's dad, Carlos, having played for the Jazz from 2004 to 2010, but Peterson is still the favorite to come off the board here. Boozer has the next-shortest odds at +270, and Dybantsa is third at +500.
Pick 3. Memphis Grizzlies: Cameron Boozer, PF/C, Duke (-250)
If Dybantsa and Peterson are both taken with the first two picks as expected, that leaves the Grizzlies in position to reshape the direction of their franchise with a solid, proven option in Boozer, the 2026 Naismith College Player of the Year. He would conceivably join a Grizzlies frontcourt with Zach Edey, the center who won the same award in back-to-back seasons while at Purdue in 2023 and 2024. If Boozer is taken a pick earlier by the Jazz, however, that leaves Peterson (+290) as another option here.
Pick 4. Chicago Bulls: Caleb Wilson, PF/C, North Carolina (-750)
Wilson is 100-1 to be the No. 1 pick, 45-1 to be the No. 2 pick and 7-1 to be the No. 3 pick, but at No. 4 he is the huge favorite to be selected by the Bulls. Boozer (+650) has the next-shortest odds, while Peterson (25-1) and Arkansas point guard Darius Acuff Jr. (25-1) are the only others with better than 60-1 odds.
Pick 5. LA Clippers: Keaton Wagler, PG/SG, Illinois (+145)
Louisville combo guard Mikel Brown Jr. started Monday as the favorite to be picked at this spot, but that flipped to Wagler by midday. Brown (+240) isn't far behind, with Acuff (+450) and Arizona shooting guard Brayden Burries (+750) also carrying better than 10-1 odds.
Pick 6. Brooklyn Nets: Mikel Brown Jr., PG, Louisville (+175)
Things already got pretty interesting with the Clippers at No. 5, but this spot is even more uncertain. Brown is the favorite, but right behind him are Acuff (+240), Wagler (+350) and Tennessee forward Nate Ament (+750).
Pick 7. Sacramento Kings: Darius Acuff Jr., PG, Arkansas (+135)
If Acuff falls this far, there is a lot of belief he's the guy for the rebuilding Kings, but Wagler (+350), Brown (+500) and Houston point guard Kingston Flemings (+500) are three others right behind the Razorbacks' point guard on the odds board.
Pick 8. Atlanta Hawks: Aday Mara, C, Michigan (+250)
Flemings was the favorite at this spot early on Monday, but that flipped to Mara by midday. The 7-foot-3 big man was a huge part of the the Wolverines' success on the run to the national championship, and holds a narrow odds edge here over Flemings (+330), Wagler (+650), Acuff (+650) and Burries (+650).
Pick 9. Dallas Mavericks: Brayden Burries, SG, Arizona (+250)
A name that has come up in earlier spots, Burries is the favorite to come of the board at No. 9. Six others have odds of 10-1 or shorter to be drafted here, though: Flemings (+425), Mara (+425), Michigan forward Yaxel Lendeborg (+650), Michigan PF/C Morez Johnson Jr. (+650), Wagler (10-1) and Brown (10-1).