Peterson is the top pick in Gary Parrish's mock draft
Mar 4, 2026 at 11:21 am ET • 1 min read
Team-needs were not taken into account.
That's not an ideal way to start an NBA Mock Draft -- but I've been doing these long enough to know that almost none of you are going to read all of the words I write here. Most of you are just going to scroll straight down to the picks.
So, once more up high, team-needs were not taken into count here -- and that's because we won't have an actual order for the 2026 NBA Draft locked-in until the lottery is conducted on May 10. What you'll see below is merely a projection that can shift dramatically via ping pong balls. And, truth be told, I'd just rather have this serve as a list of the top 30 prospects as opposed to anything else.
Then why not just call it that?
Fair question. Here's the answer (to the best of my understanding): When you call something a "mock draft" it performs way better than a "prospect list." (Blame the internet, not me.) So what I've done is create a "mock draft" that is really just a list of the 30 best prospects available -- and Kansas guard Darryn Peterson is still sitting at the top.
Do I love the way his season has unfolded?
But, for now at least, I'm going to trust that Peterson's in-and-out-of-the-lineup stuff that led to social media nicknaming him "DNP" is behind him, and that, by the time it's time to select players, he'll be the consensus option at No. 1. The 2026 NBA Draft is set for June 25-26. Sacramento, Indiana and Brooklyn currently have the best odds to get the No. 1 pick at 14%.
