Jeremy Woo May 7, 2026, 06:45 AM ET

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NBA draft analyst and writer

Joined ESPN.com in 2023

Covered the NBA and NBA draft for Sports Illustrated from 2015-2023

The anticipation around the 2026 NBA draft gets real Sunday, as the league gathers in Chicago for the draft lottery (3 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN).

This class has enough depth at the top to be transformative for many teams, headlined by projected No. 1 pick AJ Dybantsa (BYU), and with a strong group of prospects at the top of the board, including Darryn Peterson (Kansas), Cameron Boozer (Duke) and Caleb Wilson (North Carolina). There's a lot at stake for each lottery team, some of which have spent multiple years positioning themselves to pick high in this draft and others simply in dire need of a star talent.

The NBA's potential changes to the lottery format next season -- which will make rebuilding through the draft less reliable -- make the stakes even higher.…