NBA Draft best players available 2026: Here are the top prospects remaining in Round 1

NBA Draft best players available 2026: Here are the top prospects remaining in Round 1 originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.As Adam Silver will no doubt tout this year and perhaps beyond, the reigning champion Knicks are a great example of how talent can be found just about anywhere in the NBA Draft.

While the Knicks didn't actually draft many of their key pieces, they have a bit of everything on their roster. Their nine-man playoff rotation included four second-round picks, headed by Jalen Brunson, along with three players selected in the last 10 picks of the first round. Only Mikal Bridges (No.

10) and Karl-Anthony Towns (No. 1) were lottery picks.There is no doubt AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson and Cameron Boozer are the prizes of this draft class, but this crop of players is deep enough that late first-round picks and perhaps beyond have the potential to quickly become high-impact NBA players.

Here's a look at the best remaining players available in the NBA Draft as the first round plays out. MORE 2026 NBA DRAFT NEWS:Final two-round NBA mock draftSafest picks in 2026, including Cam Boozer and Bennett StirtzNate Ament, Jayden Quaintance lead riskiest draft prospectsNBA Draft best players remaining in Round 1The rankings below reflect the original positions on Sporting News' top 60 big board. All analysis is from SN's Elliott Pohnl.

1. Darryn Peterson, KansasAge: 18Position: G/FHeight: 6-6As the saying goes, the No. 1 ability in sports is availability.

That applies to a couple of top prospects in the 2026 draft, starting with Peterson. After a season marred with mysterious cramping issues, he finally began opening up to the media about what exactly he was dealing with. NBA teams certainly have been asking, too.

When he is on the court, Peterson can be completely dominant on both ends. He is long, athletic and has a very underrated basketball IQ. Offensively, Peterson's mid-range game and shot creation are