{"id":536746,"date":"2026-01-14T20:21:17","date_gmt":"2026-01-14T20:21:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/536746\/"},"modified":"2026-01-14T20:21:17","modified_gmt":"2026-01-14T20:21:17","slug":"2026-nba-draft-espn-unveils-new-mock-with-change-at-no-1-overall-pick","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/536746\/","title":{"rendered":"2026 NBA Draft: ESPN unveils new mock with change at No. 1 overall pick"},"content":{"rendered":"

The latest 2026 NBA Draft predictions are here from ESPN as there is a change to the No. 1 overall pick. Mock Draft season is in full swing.<\/a><\/p>\n

There is plenty of time for changes to be made. That could include performance based opinions, injuries, etc.<\/p>\n

So without further ado, let\u2019s dive into the latest NBA Draft predictions from ESPN. We start at the top.<\/p>\n

The freshman is the top pick in the draft according to this mock. In eight games this season, Peterson averages 21.8 points per game, 4.8 rebounds per game, two assists per game, shoots 46.7% from the floor and 40% from three-point range.<\/p>\n

Peterson can play both guard spots, giving the Pacers flexibility next season. He\u2019ll finish out the year and be expected to head to the pros after one year.<\/p>\n

2. Sacramento Kings: AJ Dybantsa<\/a>, SF \u2013 BYU<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"AJ Dybantsa, Via BYU MBB<\/p>\n

The BYU freshman has been insane this season. The Kings can bring him into the front court and let him basically run the offense, or have it run through him.<\/p>\n

This season (16 games), Dybantsa averages 22.9 points per game, 7.1 rebounds per game, 3.9 assists per game, shoots 58.1% from the floor and 32.6% from three-point range. He has an argument to be the top pick in the draft.<\/p>\n

This season, Boozer averages 22.9 points, 9.5 rebounds and 4.2 assists in 16 games. One of two brothers on Duke, Cameron Boozer has been elite this year.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s hard to see him not being a lottery pick in the NBA Draft. Now that the Hawks traded Trae Young, they could pick up their next young superstar.<\/p>\n

UNC has another star freshman in Wilson. This year, he averages 19.5 points, 11.0 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 16 games.<\/p>\n

The Wizards, funny enough, just picked up the aforementioned Trae Young. Adding Wilson to the rotation could bode well for the future of the franchise that certainly needs a boost.<\/p>\n

\"\"Kingston Flemings \/ Houston MBB<\/p>\n

Houston usually has a veteran roster but their freshman in Flemings has been so darn good. This year, he averages 15.7 points, 3.3 rebounds and 5.1 assists in 16 games.<\/p>\n

Top five pick in the draft? That seems like the case. Adding Flemings to a backcourt with Keyonte George seems like a solid play for Utah this summer.<\/p>\n

The Cardinals guard will head to northeast in the NBA draft, according to these predictions. So far, Brown looks pretty good.<\/p>\n

Brown averages 16.6 points, 3.0 rebounds and 5.1 assists in 10 games this season. As of now, is still expected to be a lottery pick this June.<\/p>\n

The run of freshman in the NBA Draft continues, based on these predictions. The Hornets opt to go with Ament out of Tennessee and he can play small or power forward!<\/p>\n

This season, Ament averages 14.9 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 16 games. It\u2019s unlikely he falls far, but Ament might be a fringe lottery pick, per ESPN.<\/p>\n

\"Kentucky\u00a9 Jordan Prather-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

Quaintance spent his first year at Arizona State, was a five-star-plus recruit and is now at Kentucky. All of that combined have put him in lottery territory for the NBA Draft this year.<\/p>\n

THis season, he only has 5.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 0.8 blocks in four games (averages). Quaintance has been dealing with knee swelling after coming off ACL surgery last March.<\/p>\n

The future is now for the Mavericks with Cooper Flagg in the fold. Now, give him another elite point guard in Acuff.<\/p>\n

He probably won\u2019t get out of the top 10 in the NBA Draft this June. This year, Acuff averages 19.9 points, 2.8 rebounds and 5.9 assists across 16 games.<\/p>\n

The Bucks round out the top 10 of the NBA Draft, as it stands, and grab Haugh out of Florida. The projections have the junior going to Milwaukee, regardless of Giannis Antetokounmpo\u2019s situation.<\/p>\n

Haugh averages 17.2 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists through 16 games this season. Expect him to be a major contributor as the Gators look to repeat.<\/p>\n

2026 NBA Draft: ESPN unveils new mock<\/p>\n

11. Portland Trail Blazers: Yaxel Lendeborg<\/a>, PF\/C \u2013 Michigan<\/a>
12. Oklahoma City: Braylon Mullins<\/a>, SG \u2013 UConn<\/a>
13. Memphis Grizzlies: Bennett Stirtz<\/a>, PG \u2013 Iowa<\/a>
14. San Antonio Spurs: Koa Peat<\/a>, PF\/C \u2013 Arizona<\/a>
15. Golden State Warriors: Labaron Philon Jr<\/a>., PG\/SG \u2013 Alabama<\/a>
16. Memphis Grizzlies: Chris Cenac Jr.<\/a>, PF\/C \u2013 Houston<\/a>
17. Toronto Raptors: Patrick Ngongba II<\/a>, C \u2013 Duke<\/a>
18. Miami Heat: Keaton Wagler<\/a>, PG\/SG \u2013 Illinois<\/a>
19. Oklahoma City Thunder: Hannes Steinbach<\/a>, PF\/C \u2013 Washington<\/a>
20. Charlotte Hornets: Karim Lopez<\/a>, SF\/PF \u2013 New Zealand Breakers
21. Atlanta HawksL Cameron Carr<\/a>, SG \u2013 Baylor<\/a>
22. Los Angeles Lakers: Tounde Yessoufou<\/a>, SF \u2013 Baylor<\/a>
23. Minnesota Timberwolves: Christian Anderson<\/a>, PG \u2013 Texas Tech<\/a>
24. Boston Celtics: Isaiah Evans<\/a>, SG \u2013 Duke<\/a>
25. Denver Nuggets: Neoklis Avdalas<\/a>, SF \u2013 Virginia Tech<\/a>
26. Cleveland Browns: Henri Veesaar<\/a>, C \u2013 North Carolina<\/a>
27. New York Knicks: Alex Karaban<\/a>, SF\/PF \u2013 UConn<\/a>
28. Oklahoma City Thunder: Tyler Tanner<\/a>, PG\/SG \u2013 Vanderbilt<\/a>
29. Detroit Pistons: Aday Mara<\/a>, C \u2013 Michigan<\/a>
30. Washington Wizards: Brayden Burries<\/a>, SG \u2013 Arizona<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The latest 2026 NBA Draft predictions are here from ESPN as there is a change to the No.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":536747,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[17430,5387,1446,7,4757,52405,52406,5391,5392,73890,22246,73891,73892,52411,73893,5398,5399,5403,73894,73895,73896,22250,1477,5411,41458,6,12,73897,52430,1074,5426,73898,1493],"class_list":["post-536746","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nba-draft","tag-aday-mara-23-casademont-zaragoza","tag-aj-dybantsa-25-utah-prep","tag-alex-karaban-21-new-hampton-school","tag-basketball","tag-bennett-stirtz-22-liberty","tag-brayden-burries-25-eleanor-roosevelt","tag-braylon-mullins-25-greenfield-central","tag-caleb-wilson-25-holy-innocents-episcopal-school","tag-cameron-boozer-25-columbus","tag-cameron-carr-23-link-academy","tag-chris-cenac-25-link-academy","tag-christian-anderson-24-lovett-school","tag-darius-acuff-25-img-academy","tag-darryn-peterson-25-prolific-prep","tag-hannes-steinbach-25-wurzburg","tag-henri-veesaar-22-estonia","tag-isaiah-evans-24-north-mecklenburg","tag-jayden-quaintance-24-word-of-god-christian-academy","tag-karim-lopez-25-club-joventut-badalona","tag-keaton-wagler-25-shawnee-mission-northwest","tag-kingston-flemings-25-william-j-brennan","tag-koa-peat-25-perry","tag-labaron-philon-24-link-academy","tag-mikel-brown-jr-25-overtime-elite","tag-nate-ament-25-highland","tag-nba","tag-nba-draft","tag-neoklis-avdalas-24-karditsa","tag-patrick-ngongba-24-paul-vi-catholic","tag-thomas-haugh-23-perkiomen-school","tag-tounde-yessoufou-25-st-joseph","tag-tyler-tanner-24-brentwood-academy","tag-yaxel-lendeborg-21-pennsauken"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":"Validation failed: Text character limit of 500 exceeded"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/536746","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=536746"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/536746\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/536747"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=536746"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=536746"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=536746"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}