With the first round of the 2026 NBA draft just eight days away, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported early Monday morning about the visit schedules of the presumptive top two picks in the draft.
Charania reported that former BYU star AJ Dybantsa has formally visited with both the Washington Wizards and Utah Jazz — who own the first and second pick, respectively — while Peterson has only visited with the Wizards and doesn’t plan on visiting with the Jazz.
To be clear, prospects are not obligated to visit with a team in order for that team to draft them. It has happened many, many times where a prospect has not visited or worked out for a certain team but was taken by that team anyway.
Nevertheless, Charania’s reporting is an interesting development because oftentimes the presumptive top pick will only work out for the team with the No. 1 pick, but Dybantsa is widely considered to be the front-runner to be chosen No. 1, not Peterson.
It hasn’t always been this way. In the early days of the two players’ high school careers (Peterson is just 12 days older than Dybantsa), Dybantsa was widely considered the front-runner to go No. 1 this year, but Peterson surpassed him during their senior year heading into college.
As has been well-chronicled, however, Peterson was beset by strange injury issues during his lone season at Kansas, and that, combined with a fantastic season from Dybantsa, put the former Cougar back in the driver’s seat for No. 1 in many people’s eyes.
Lurking behind that duo is former Duke star forward Cameron Boozer, who also had a tremendous 2025-26 freshman season.
Former North Carolina star forward Caleb Wilson, who rose up draft boards more than any other player because of his stellar lone campaign as a Tar Heel, is widely considered to be the fourth-best prospect in the draft, followed by a glut of guards expected to be taken in some order after that.
Building off Charania’s reporting, veteran NBA draft reporter Krysten Peek reported Monday morning that Dybantsa’s father Ace told her that his son met with the Wizards last Friday and the Jazz on Saturday and that both meetings “went well.”
On Monday, ESPN’s Jeremy Woo also released an updated mock draft that still has Dybantsa going No. 1 to Washington and Peterson No. 2 to Utah, but he wrote, “Peterson has informed the Jazz that he plans to take no further team visits, signaling that he is comfortable with his position and prefers to hear his name called at No. 1 with Washington.
“He has made himself accessible to the Wizards, previously meeting with them in Los Angeles, and has conducted multiple on-court workouts in front of Washington’s decision-makers,” Woo continued. “Peterson wants to play point guard at the next level, but the presence of Trae Young in Washington is not viewed as an impediment.”
Later, Woo wrote, “Sources say Peterson’s medicals have not raised major concerns with teams, clearing the way for him to hear his name called as a top-two pick. He began the season as ESPN’s No. 1 prospect and is the most gifted offensive player in the class.
“While the season didn’t go according to plan at Kansas, where he dealt with serious cramping issues, he has always been viewed by teams as a strong candidate for the pick.”
