{"id":1937058,"date":"2026-05-15T14:12:38","date_gmt":"2026-05-15T11:12:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1937058"},"modified":"2026-05-15T14:12:38","modified_gmt":"2026-05-15T11:12:38","slug":"aj-dybantsa-is-far-from-a-lock-at-no-1-and-more-nba-draft-combine-takeaways","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1937058","title":{"rendered":"AJ Dybantsa is far from a lock at No. 1, and more NBA Draft Combine takeaways"},"content":{"rendered":"
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CHICAGO \u2014 Let\u2019s start at the top, because that\u2019s what we do when it comes to the NBA Draft. And in the 2026 version of the draft, that \u201ctop\u201d isn\u2019t one or two players. It\u2019s four.<\/p>\n

Talking to executives here for the league\u2019s annual draft combine, including some from multiple teams picking near the top, the consensus opinion was that reasonable people could disagree on the top four picks, in virtually any order, but the identity of those four was beyond doubt: BYU forward AJ Dybantsa, Kansas guard Darryn Peterson, Duke big man Cameron Boozer and North Carolina forward Caleb Wilson.<\/p>\n

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The way the draft lottery was presented, that may not have been immediately obvious. It seemed a bit like the Dybantsa Sweepstakes, and Wilson was scarcely mentioned. Certainly, insiders I spoke with this week think Dybantsa is the best bet of the four to be the top pick, but not one person I talked to considers him a lock.<\/p>\n

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Notably, some mentioned the 2017 draft, when the Boston Celtics pivoted to trading down and taking Duke\u2019s Jayson Tatum with the third pick rather than the presumptive No. 1, Washington guard Markelle Fultz, or No. 2, UCLA guard Lonzo Ball. With a relatively flat talent curve in the top four picks, and some differences of opinion in how to rank those four, the normally dormant market for trades near the top of the draft could again become active.<\/p>\n

One notion wasn\u2019t far from observers\u2019 minds: If Utah Jazz owner Ryan Smith was willing to pay millions, indirectly, to get Dybantsa to his alma mater BYU a year ago, would he be willing to spare some draft capital to keep Dybantsa in Utah by trading up with the Washington Wizards? And if so, is there another player the Wizards like nearly as much (or, perhaps like Boston in 2017, even better?) that they would agree to such a deal?<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s not get too far ahead of ourselves; it\u2019s mid-May, and responsible front offices remain in the evaluation phase: Teams are here in Chicago conducting interviews, watching workouts and gathering information and will have select players visit their facilities in the coming weeks.<\/p>\n

Synthesizing all that information into a draft board, even at the top, isn\u2019t an instant process for staff that have been hammering away at this all year, let alone for a team like the Chicago Bulls, picking fourth, that hired its general manager a week ago<\/a>. But don\u2019t let them gaslight you: Teams at the top are splitting hairs among four players, and strong arguments can be made for each.<\/p>\n

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Rumor-mongering wasn\u2019t all that went on this week. There was actual information gleaned, in the form of measurements, athletic testing and five-on-five games. Let\u2019s talk about what we learned over the past three days.<\/p>\n

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Tales of the tape<\/h2>\n

Most of the first-round talent in this draft didn\u2019t play in the scrimmages, but they still did measurements that, in some cases, were revealing.<\/p>\n

While some of the athletic testing historically has near-zero predictive value, and the shooting drills are a small-sample data point for scouts who have seen prospects take 100 pregame shots multiple times this season, data like wingspan, standing reach and standing vertical typically has some useful signal. And of course, knowing somebody\u2019s true height makes for a much more reliable data point than \u201cI\u2019m not sure he\u2019s really 6-foot-10.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2022 Dybantsa <\/strong>measured 6-8 1\/2 inches in socks with a desirable \u201cplus-4\u201d wingspan of 7-0 1\/2 and weighed in at 217 pounds. A 33.5-inch no-step vertical confirmed the in-season eye test on his elevation.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Peterson <\/strong>was 6-4 1\/2 in socks with a 6-9 3\/4 wingspan, long even for an NBA wing at plus-5.25.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Boozer <\/strong>didn\u2019t exactly alleviate concerns about his elevation with a 28.5-inch standing vertical, but he measured \u201cplus-5.25\u201d with a 7-1 1\/2 wingspan on his 6-8 1\/4 frame; additionally, his 9-foot standing reach just clears the unofficial bar that many teams and scouts use as a cutoff for the \u201ccan he play center?\u201d question.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Wilson <\/strong>won\u2019t be playing any center at just 210 pounds, but he had a 9-foot standing reach on his 6-9 1\/4 frame; he also uncorked a 34.5-inch standing vertical, tied for the fifth-best of the combine.<\/p>\n

Outside of the top four, here are the measurements that caught my eye the most:<\/p>\n

\u2022 Houston\u2019s Kingston Flemings <\/strong>fared the best of the five guards who are likely to be picked in rapid succession after the four names above come off the board (Illinois\u2019 Keaton Wagler, Arkansas\u2019 Darius Acuff Jr., Arizona\u2019s Brayden Burries and Louisville\u2019s Mikel Brown Jr. are the others).<\/p>\n

While none of the five registered impressive wingspan or reach measurements, they did get off the floor: Flemings jumped 33.5 inches, Wagler 33 and Burries a brow-raising 35. Additionally, while straight-line speed hasn\u2019t correlated much with performance, it does have a bit of predictive value for smaller guards. The fact that Acuff and Flemings ripped off sub-3.1 sprints is helpful.<\/p>\n

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Flemings also earned plaudits from his upperclassmen Houston teammates who were in Chicago (four Cougars were invited).<\/p>\n

\u201c<\/strong>He is really unselfish,\u201d Houston guard Emanuel Sharp said. \u201cHe\u2019s very humble, that\u2019s probably my favorite part about him. He\u2019s not an airhead; he\u2019s a great kid. He\u2019s a better person than he is player. You know a lot of teams value that, so you know, whatever team can get him is getting a star.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSuper athletic, crazy speed, very high IQ,\u201d fellow Cougars teammate Milos Uzan said. \u201cIt\u2019s very hard to stop him, and he has a great midrange pull-up. He just plays the right way. He makes everybody better around him. And that\u2019s what makes him so special.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2022 Baylor guard Cameron Carr<\/strong> only measured 6-4 1\/2 in socks but with an enormous 7-0 3\/4 wingspan that makes him a wingspan unicorn at plus-8.25. Carr also uncorked a 33.5-inch no-step jump and confirmed that observation with a monstrous poster dunk in Wednesday\u2019s scrimmage.<\/p>\n

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{“endpoint”:”https:\/\/api-prd-nyt.theathletic.com\/graphql”}<\/p>\n

\u201cI was like, don\u2019t get rim-stuffed!\u201d Carr said about seeing the lane open up for him in transition and then loading up for the soaring stuff; he got extra style points with a full chin-up on the rim.<\/p>\n

Carr dominated his one day on the court, with 30 points, seven rebounds and two blocks, including several deep 3-pointers and three dunks. He was, by a wide margin, the best player on the court this week.<\/p>\n

\u201c<\/strong>I\u2019m a competitor \u2014 basketball\u2019s basketball,\u201d Carr said of his decision to scrimmage, something few projected first-rounders do.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s supposed to be fun, and I don\u2019t know, in my head I feel like I\u2019ve been overlooked, especially for some of these spots. Of course, I\u2019m not paying attention to the draft stock and all that stuff, but when I hear someone\u2019s better than me, I feel I\u2019ve got to go in and show them who\u2019s really the best. So that\u2019s all I can do. I can just step on the court and give y\u2019all my best, and that\u2019s what I did today.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

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\u2022 Arkansas forward Trevon Brazile <\/strong>was the measurement monster of the likely second-rounders, with a 7-3 3\/4 wingspan on his 6-9 1\/2 frame (plus-6.25!), a 9-1 standing reach and a 36-inch no-step jump. His name hasn\u2019t received a ton of attention, but between these measurables and two solid scrimmages (25 points and 15 boards total), don\u2019t be shocked to see him move up boards into the early second round.<\/p>\n

Way back when, Brazile had first-round buzz after a strong freshman year at Missouri before injuries sidetracked him. He went to the combine in 2024, but the feedback he received was \u2026 not so encouraging. He only averaged 6.8 points in 2024-25 but re-emerged in his last season of eligibility at Arkansas.<\/p>\n

\u201c<\/strong>It was definitely tough, you know, there\u2019s no secret,\u201d Brazile said. \u201cThe year after I tore my ACL, I struggled, and I also had to miss some time.
\n\u201cIt\u2019s tough having to go to the combine and basically (have) teams telling me, \u2018You\u2019re not good enough yet.\u2019 So you really have to take a step back and re-evaluate, and that\u2019s what I did. It wasn\u2019t just me, though. I had a lot of help \u2014 family, friends keeping me grounded, keeping me humble.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\n Don\u2019t be shocked to see Trevon Brazile move up some draft boards. (Johnnie Izquierdo \/ Getty Images)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\u2022 Michigan\u2019s frontcourt was just as huge as you thought. Center Aday Mara<\/strong> measured a gigantic 7-3 in socks, with a 9-9 wingspan. His frontcourt partner, Morez Johnson<\/strong> Jr.,<\/strong> stands 6-9 with a 7-3 1\/2 wingspan, and while his 8-11 standing reach was a bit short for a center, his 33.5-inch jump was impressive; only four other players taller than 6-8 jumped 33 inches or more. And if you think Yaxel Lendeborg<\/strong> can also play some five at 6-8 3\/4 in socks, you might be right: He has a 9-0 1\/4 standing reach and a plus-6.5 wingspan. Lendeborg\u2019s 25.5-inch jump, alas, was quite unimpressive.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Houston center Chris Cenac Jr.\u2019s<\/strong> hugeness may keep him in the first round. He had a 7-5 wingspan, a 9-0 1\/2 wingspan and jumped 33 inches. As I mentioned in Johnson\u2019s comment above, only five players taller than 6-8 jumped at least 33 inches. Wilson, Brazile and Dybantsa were the other three.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Finally, St. John\u2019s forward Zuby Ejiofor<\/strong> likely helped his \u201cjust a basketball player\u201d label with a 34-inch jump and a giant 7-2 1\/2 wingspan on his 6-7 1\/2 body (plus-7).<\/p>\n

\u2022 As for measurement disappointments, Purdue\u2019s Braden Smith<\/strong> and Vanderbilt\u2019s Tyler Tanner<\/strong> both came in even smaller than hoped, at 5-10 1\/4 in socks for Smith and 5-10 3\/4 for Tanner. Sub-6-foot guards struggle to get their foot in the NBA door, and neither did enough in the scrimmages to shake the \u201ctoo small\u201d label. Smith is out of eligibility and will be in the draft, but Tanner likely is headed back to school for his junior season.<\/p>\n

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\u2022 Duke\u2019s Isaiah Evans<\/strong> only jumped 27 inches and weighed in at a mere 186 pounds on a 6-5 1\/2 frame. All that may go out the window once teams see his feathery stroke in workouts, but the measurements didn\u2019t help him.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Finally, the only \u201calligator arms\u201d player this year \u2014 taller than his wingspan \u2014 was Wisconsin guard John Blackwell<\/strong>, who is likely pulling out of the draft and headed to Duke. I\u2019ll note that a few recent players tagged with this label turned into draft-day steals, including Desmond Bane and Dillon Brooks.<\/p>\n

The mystery man<\/h2>\n

If there\u2019s a mystery man among the American college players at this year\u2019s combine, it\u2019s Santa Clara redshirt freshman forward Allen Graves<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

While virtually every other draftable player was in a power conference this year, Graves plied his trade for the third-place team in the West Coast Conference. Most national TV viewers only saw him in the Broncos\u2019 first-round NCAA Tournament loss to Kentucky, when Graves\u2019 \u201cOne Shining Moment\u201d (a go-ahead 3 with 2.4 seconds left) was erased by a miracle half-court shot from Kentucky\u2019s Otega Oweh.<\/p>\n

Graves didn\u2019t even start for Santa Clara, but he blew up analytical models with his odd combination of steals, offensive rebounds and 3-pointers. Despite a 6-8 frame, he led the conference in steal rate by a wide margin, not to mention his PER and BPM. As a result, he\u2019s showing up on draft boards as a potential first-rounder and came to the combine weighing a decision to stay in the draft versus a lucrative name, image and likeness offer from LSU.<\/p>\n

This was all quite a shock; Graves wasn\u2019t a high recruit and sat out a redshirt year before he erupted this season. The Louisiana native told me that overcoming his native cuisine was half the battle in that redshirt year.<\/p>\n

\u201cDefinitely just developing my body,\u201d Graves said. \u201cDiet habits, coming from Louisiana, a lot of good food down there, so staying away from certain foods, fried foods, stuff like that \u2014 bread, a lot a bread \u2014 and then just making sure my diet\u2019s right.<\/p>\n

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\u201cAnd then also the experience part of it, that redshirt year, I was 17 going into college. So just being able to have the experience of practicing with those guys, seeing them play on the court and just developing.\u201d<\/p>\n

For those who haven\u2019t seen him, I\u2019ll let Graves give you the self-scout:<\/p>\n

\u201c<\/em>I\u2019d say I\u2019m a very high-IQ player. I\u2019d like to say I have a good feel for the game. My knowledge of basketball has been pretty good. Just being able to grow up around it, grow up in the environment like my brother played in. My sister played at Auburn. Just being able to be around the environment my whole life has been great.\u201d<\/p>\n

As for next steps in his game, Graves is trying to become a more reliable floor-spacer and perimeter defender; a monstrously high foul rate was his most notable negative during the season.<\/p>\n

\u201c<\/strong>Just getting my shot quicker, making sure that it\u2019s an NBA-level shot \u2026 and then also showcasing I can guard. A lot of our coverages this year were plugs, not switching, but being able to show that I can play the four position.\u201d<\/p>\n

On the court<\/h2>\n

For those interested in playing, two days of scrimmages followed Tuesday\u2019s measurements and drills. Generally, these were the likely second-rounders, although two likely first-rounders deigned to join them for a day on Wednesday.<\/p>\n

In addition to Carr, above, possible later lottery pick Dailyn Swain<\/strong> of Texas shockingly played on Wednesday. However, he didn\u2019t stand out, with eight points, five boards and two steals.<\/p>\n

\u201cKnowing that I was in the combine, whatever was on the schedule was what I was going to do,\u201d he said. \u201cIt wasn\u2019t really an up-in-the-air thing for me. It\u2019s been a while since I got up and down (played full court), but I know it\u2019ll be a great opportunity to play with some of these guys. We\u2019ve never played with each other before. It\u2019s not really any chemistry, not a lot of structure, and that\u2019s not the way I play, but I think it\u2019s just a great opportunity to showcase what I can do.\u201d<\/p>\n

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While those two did what was expected, perhaps no player helped his stock more than Ja\u2019Kobi Gillespie<\/strong>. The Tennessee guard seemed a likely two-way player when the week started as a fifth-year senior standing just 6-0, but he might be this combine\u2019s version of Andrew Nembhard. After Gillespie torched the nets for 43 combined points in two games, including eight high-arching 3-point makes, he\u2019s a possible top-40 pick.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust knowing how to play the game the right way,\u201d Gillespie said of his game. \u201cI can cause turnovers on defense. I like to get in passing lanes, get my hands on a lot of balls and also (have) the ability to shoot it really deep and play advantage basketball.<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel like I\u2019ve always been overlooked as a prospect just because (of) where I\u2019m from and also being a small guard. It\u2019s something I\u2019ve kind of just grown to get used to. I like being in that role and proving people wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gillespie has taken the long road, starting at Belmont after turning down Power-5 offers to play football (wide receiver and defensive back) and then transferring to Maryland and then Tennessee this year. The East Tennessee native told me his first love was Volunteer football.<\/p>\n

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Three other seniors deserve a mention, although all three have shooting questions that could limit their stock.<\/p>\n

Cincinnati\u2019s Baba Miller <\/strong>has always intrigued scouts with his size and ballhandling at 6-11; the Mallorcan forward had two strong days with a combined 33 points, 15 rebounds and five boards; that figure included three 3-point makes after he shot just 10 of 52 for the Bearcats this year.<\/p>\n

Kentucky\u2019s Oweh<\/strong> showed off his ability to score in transition and get downhill in the half court, racking up 41 points in two games. However, he made only one of his eight 3-point tries, with several low-liners coming up way short.<\/p>\n

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Similarly, St. Johns\u2019 forward Dillon Mitchell, <\/strong>coming off a year in which he shot 1 of 15 from 3, nonetheless finished the two games with 20 points, 16 rebounds and 12 assists; he\u2019s a high-wire athlete whose burgeoning feel as a passer (6.0 assists per 100 possessions last year) could help him overcome some of the shooting limitations.<\/p>\n

You again?<\/h2>\n

Let\u2019s exit with a moment of levity, as the four players from Houston shared tales of the legendary tough love of coach Kelvin Sampson.<\/p>\n

\u201cWorse than you can imagine,\u201d Cenac said. \u201cBut he gets you better, so can\u2019t complain.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201c<\/strong>Absolutely,\u201d Uzan said. \u201cHe does it for the right reasons, though, man. He knows how to get all of his guys to play to his standard.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Cougars also had a moment of deep familiarity in the scrimmages. When it came time to tip off their first scrimmage on Wednesday, Uzan and Sharp discovered they were matched up against each other, just like they\u2019d been doing in practice for the last two years.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat was dope, man,\u201d Uzan said. \u201cThat\u2019s my guy, been my backcourt man for the past two years now, so it\u2019s exciting just to see him out here playing. And I feel like he\u2019s a perfect fit in the league as well, a great 3-and-D guy, the best perimeter defender in the country, and he can shoot the ball from deep.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI was excited,\u201d Sharp said. \u201cNo matter what side of the ball we\u2019re on, that\u2019s my guy. But it\u2019s competition. It\u2019s not like I haven\u2019t played him before. So I was ready to compete.\u201d<\/p>\n

As for Sampson? He lived up to his rep after the game, texting Sharp after his impressive 17-point effort on Wednesday to tell him that he needed to rebound, or Sampson would make him run (Sharp had no rebounds).<\/p>\n

\u201c<\/strong>He\u2019s not somebody that\u2019s gonna blow you up,\u201d Sharp said. \u201cHe\u2019s gonna tell you the real and what you need to hear.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

CHICAGO \u2014 Let\u2019s start at the top, because that\u2019s what we do when it comes to the NBA Draft. And in the 2026 version of the draft, that \u201ctop\u201d isn\u2019t one or two players. It\u2019s four. Talking to executives here for the league\u2019s annual draft combine, including some from multiple teams picking near the top, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,241],"class_list":["post-1937058","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-nytimes-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1937058","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1937058"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1937058\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1937058"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1937058"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1937058"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}