The 2026 NBA Draft class has the 'best' and 'deepest' crop of freshmen, ESPN broadcaster says

The NBA Draft begins connected Tuesday, and ESPN assemblage hoops broadcaster Jay Bilas has precocious hopes for it.

Bilas, 62, called this year’s draught people the "best" and "deepest" helium tin remember.

"It's the champion and deepest crop. When I accidental best, I mean deepest harvest of ace talented freshmen successful 1 draught that I tin remember. And I deliberation it is the champion harvest of star-caliber freshmen. Freshmen are going to predominate the archetypal round," Bilas told Fox News Digital successful a caller interview.

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ESPN expert Jay Bilas stands courtside earlier the crippled betwixt the Illinois Fighting Illini and the Florida Atlantic Owls astatine Madison Square Garden successful New York City connected Dec. 5, 2023. (Porter Binks/Getty Images)

Bilas noted that a batch of NBA teams tanked this play successful bid to get a premier enactment successful the draft.

"One of the reasons that you saw truthful galore NBA teams jockeying for presumption to effort to get into the lottery, which radical telephone tanking, is due to the fact that of the prime of this draft. And you tin beryllium picking astatine six, seven, and 8 and go, ‘Man, we're going to get a starter retired of this?’" Bilas said.

Bilas said the apical of the draught has superstar potential. He listed BYU’s AJ Dybantsa, Kansas’ Darryn Peterson, Duke’s Cameron Boozer and North Carolina’s Caleb Wilson arsenic players who could beryllium aboriginal All-Stars.

The Washington Wizards clasp the No. 1 wide pick, the Utah Jazz clasp the No. 2 pick, the Memphis Grizzlies person the No. 3 pick, and the Chicago Bulls person the No. 4 wide pick. Dybantsa has wide been mocked to beryllium the No. 1 wide prime successful the NBA Draft.

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BYU guardant AJ Dybantsa dribbles the shot against Clemson during the archetypal fractional of an NCAA assemblage hoops crippled successful New York connected Dec. 9, 2025. (Noah K. Murray/AP Photo)

In his lone play astatine BYU, Dybantsa averaged 25.5 points, 6.8 assists and 3.7 rebounds successful 35 games. He was a statement All-American and made the All-Big 12 team.

Who the Jazz prime astatine No. 2 wide has been the taxable of overmuch debate. Peterson, Boozer and Wilson person each been mocked to Utah. Bilas said helium would not bat an oculus if Wilson were the Jazz’s prime due to the fact that of however talented helium is.

In 24 games with North Carolina successful his freshman year, Wilson averaged 19.8 points, 9.4 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game. Like Dybansta, the guardant was besides a statement All-American successful summation to being named to the All-ACC team.

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North Carolina guardant Caleb Wilson reacts aft being fouled by Michigan State during the archetypal fractional of an NCAA assemblage hoops crippled successful Fort Myers, Fla., connected Nov. 27, 2025. (Mike Carlson/AP)

Boozer, the lad of two-time NBA All-Star Carlos Boozer, shined successful his lone play with Duke. In 38 games, Boozer averaged 22.5 points, 10.2 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.4 steals per game. He won the Wooden Award, which is awarded to assemblage basketball’s astir outstanding player, successful summation to being a statement All-American.

Peterson, successful 24 games with Kansas, scored 20.2 points, recorded 4.2 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game. He was named to the All-Big 12 team, but was not a statement All-American, dissimilar Dybansta, Wilson and Boozer.

Bilas volition beryllium playing successful the American Century Championship from July 10-12 astatine Edgewood Golf Course successful Lake Tahoe. The tourney volition beryllium broadcast connected NBC and Peacock.

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