Who will be the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft? AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson or Cameron Boozer?
A lot of the draft experts were split heading into the college basketball season and they still aren’t quite certain with the NCAA Tournament right around the corner. The same apparently goes for AI.
After USA TODAY Sports initially queried Microsoft Copilot for its version of a 2026 NBA mock draft for the first round based on information and analysis currently available on the internet last month, we followed up now that March Madness is almost here. There were some variations, most notably at the top of the draft, and it’s perhaps a reflection of the uncertainty surrounding Peterson’s availability at Kansas this college basketball season.
The decision between Dybantsa, Peterson and Boozer is likely to define this year’s class, and could depend on which team is picking No. 1. That, of course, remains somewhat nebulous due to the varying odds offered by the NBA draft lottery system and the number of teams tanking this season in order to best position themselves in what’s considered a deep draft class. For the purposes of this mock draft, team selections are based on NBA regular-season records as of March 9, 2026 and account for relevant trades, pick swaps and stipulations.
Here’s Microsoft Copilot’s 2026 NBA mock draft, version 2.0, as curated by USA TODAY Sports:
2026 NBA mock draft: AI picks first round
USA TODAY Sports asked Microsoft Copilot AI to generate a mock draft for the first round of the 2026 NBA Draft featuring only players who could be eligible this year.
Microsoft Copilot assigned the draft order based on current NBA records (as of games played before Monday, March 9), with the worst record getting the No. 1 pick and the best record getting the No. 30 pick. It used current mock drafts from reputable websites, as well as team needs, prospect analysis and potential pick swaps/protections, to determine the first-round selections for each team in this exercise.
You can compare its picks to the latest USA TODAY 2026 NBA mock draft by clicking here. Here’s a 2026 NBA first-round mock draft, according to Microsoft Copilot AI, as of March 9.
1. Sacramento Kings: AJ Dybantsa, BYU
2. Indiana Pacers: Darryn Peterson, Kansas
3. Brooklyn Nets: Cameron Boozer, Duke
4. Washington Wizards: Caleb Wilson, UNC
5. Utah Jazz: Kingston Flemings, Houston
6. Atlanta Hawks (via Pelicans): Keaton Wagler, Illinois
7. Dallas Mavericks: Koa Peat, Arizona
8. Memphis Grizzlies: Jayden Quaintance, Kentucky
9. Chicago Bulls: Mikel Brown Jr., Louisville
10. Milwaukee Bucks: Aday Mara, Michigan
11. Portland Trail Blazers: Darius Acuff Jr., Arkansas
12. Oklahoma City Thunder (via Clippers): Christian Anderson, Texas Tech
13. Charlotte Hornets: Tounde Yessoufou, Baylor
14. Golden State Warriors: Thomas Haugh, Florida
15. Atlanta Hawks: Patrick Ngongba II, Duke
16. Oklahoma City Thunder (via 76ers): Nate Ament, Tennessee
17. Miami Heat: Braylon Mullins, UConn
18. Memphis Grizzlies (via Magic): Tyler Tanner, Vanderbilt
19. Toronto Raptors: Chris Cenac, Jr., Houston
20. Phoenix Suns: Bennett Stirtz, Iowa
21. Los Angeles Lakers: Karter Knox, Arkansas
22. Denver Nuggets: Joshua Jefferson, Iowa State
23. Cleveland Cavaliers: Braydon Burries, Arizona
24. Houston Rockets: Karim Lopez, New Zealand Breakers (NBL)
25. Minnesota Timberwolves: Labaron Philon, Alabama
26. New York Knicks: Meleek Thomas, Arkansas
27. Boston Celtics: Hannes Steinbach, Washington
28. Detroit Pistons: Henri Veesaar, UNC
29. San Antonio Spurs: Cameron Carr, Baylor
30. Oklahoma City Thunder: Kwame Evans Jr., Oregon
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