With March Madness in full swing, the 2026 NBA Draft is top of mind, especially for Grizzlies fans. This is an important moment for Memphis, as the team is set to have two first-round draft picks, one of which is a lottery selection. There are plenty of talented players in this year\u2019s draft class, many of whom could be strong fits, so the front office will not have an easy decision on its hands.<\/p>\n
Having several top options identified before draft day is key, because there is no guarantee as to who will still be available. Here are three players who could potentially find themselves wearing Memphis blue next fall.<\/p>\n
Evaluating 3 top draft prospects for the Grizzlies1. AJ Dybantsa, F, BYU<\/p>\n
Even though the Grizzlies\u2019 chances of landing the No. 1 pick sit at under 10% as of early April, lottery odds don\u2019t always dictate the outcome on draft day. In recent years, both the Dallas Mavericks (2025) and Atlanta Hawks (2024) secured the top pick with odds below 5%. All that to say, the projected No. 1 pick in this year\u2019s draft (if he declares) is AJ Dybantsa, and Memphis should not pass up that opportunity if it presents itself.<\/p>\n
Dybantsa is a talented and athletic wing, with an elite three-level scoring ability <\/a>and natural shot-creating skills. While his three-point shot remains an area for improvement, he can still score in a variety of ways and consistently generate offense. The 6′ 9” freshman truly does have a lot to offer, and it makes sense why he is projected to be the top pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.<\/p>\n If the Grizzlies were to add Dybantsa to the crew, there is definitely a potential to create a connected and dynamic trio with Ja Morant and Cedric Coward. That said, Dybantsa\u2019s role in Memphis would look much different than it did in college. <\/p>\n At BYU this season, he was the primary scorer and offensive engine, which allowed him to showcase his shot creation and put up big numbers. He averaged 25.5 points per game, which was the best in the nation, and set 21 records in just one year<\/a> with the team. <\/p>\n In Memphis, Dybantsa would not be required to carry the same load right away, since there are already many skilled offensive players on the roster. Instead of pure shot creation, he would need to focus more on creating opportunities for his teammates and continue developing as a playmaker. Even so, the overall fit remains strong, and if the Grizzlies land the No. 1 pick, Dybantsa should be the clear choice.<\/p>\n 2. Darryn Peterson, G, Kansas<\/p>\n Darryn Peterson is very likely going to be a top five draft pick, so this one would heavily depend on where the Grizzlies fall in the lottery draft order. Peterson is a talented 6\u20196\u2019\u2019 guard with a long wingspan, high basketball IQ, and elite playmaking abilities. However, Peterson has dealt with some injury issues, which is the last thing Memphis needs right now in a future draft pick.<\/p>\n He is wrapping up his freshman year at the University of Kansas, so he is a young player with a lot of potential to develop<\/a> even more once he joins the NBA. He still needs to fine-tune his shooting at times and develop a more consistent three-point shot, but at his age, he has plenty of time to keep improving and take the next step.<\/p>\n With the Ja Morant trade rumors still very much alive, Peterson could either be a future co-star<\/a> with Morant or a superstar on his own, adding another level of skill to the already powerful Cedric Coward and Jaylen Wells duo. If given the opportunity to play together, Morant and Peterson appear to be compatible, given they are both fast-paced playmakers and have a multitude of skill sets. That said, some may argue that choosing a guard in this year\u2019s draft class would point toward the team\u2019s intentions of moving Morant elsewhere.<\/p>\n 3. Cameron Boozer, F, Duke<\/p>\n Cameron Boozer\u2019s name has consistently been on the radar as a potential top draft pick, and for good reason. Some analysts have even said he is one of the most talented prospects<\/a> in recent decades. Like Peterson, he has spent just one year in college, playing under Jon Scheyer at Duke.<\/p>\n Boozer\u2019s collegiate production in points, assists, and rebounds is what sets him apart from many of the other prospects in this upcoming draft class. He has an exceptional ability to impact the game both offensively and defensively, while also involving his teammates and putting them in positions to succeed. Sound familiar, Grizz fans? Yes, it sounds like Ja Morant, except Boozer is a 6\u2019 9\u2019\u2019 power forward.<\/p>\n If the Grizzlies were to draft Boozer, there is a chance that the front office is looking to keep Morant on the roster. The Morant\/Boozer combo could operate in a similar fashion to the Morant\/Jaren Jackson Jr. combo that Memphis had for years until just recently. Drafting Boozer could fill a bit of a void that was left once Jackson Jr. was traded to Utah.<\/p>\n A proven eye for talent<\/p>\n All that to say, Memphis has plenty of strong options in this year\u2019s draft, and the front office has a major decision ahead. The Grizzlies have built a reputation for finding talent at every level of the draft, including the second round, where players like Jaylen Wells, Cam Spencer, Javon Small, and Jahmai Mashack have quickly become valuable contributors. With that track record and multiple picks in hand<\/a>, Memphis now has a real opportunity to shape the direction of the franchise for years to come.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"With March Madness in full swing, the 2026 NBA Draft is top of mind, especially for Grizzlies fans.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":698364,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[7,6,12],"class_list":{"0":"post-698363","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nba-draft","8":"tag-basketball","9":"tag-nba","10":"tag-nba-draft"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nba\/116348265940098063","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/698363","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=698363"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/698363\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/698364"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=698363"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=698363"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=698363"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}