Call it “The Great Unspooling.”This year’s NBA Draft is top-heavy. So heavy it would fall over in a stiff breeze.There isn’t a singular, obvious, potentially generational player to take with the top pick this year, like there was in 2019 (Zion Williamson), 2023 (Victor Wembanyama) or 2025 (Cooper Flagg). There are, though, a quartet of very, very talented prospects, any of whom could make a legitimate case for going first. In alphabetical order — the better to not get hate comments from you, my dears — they are forward/center Cameron Boozer (Duke), wing A.J. Dybantsa (BYU), guard Darryn Peterson (Kansas) and forward Caleb Wilson (North Carolina).But none of them are viewed as highly coming into the draft as the Big Three who went before them over the last seven years.And NIL money is increasing, seemingly exponentially. This year, the spigot of cash enticed several current U.S. college players to stay in school — along with a slew of international players who opted to play for U.S. colleges next season rather than the pros, severely weakening the second round. Multiple teams told The Athletic they are still highly unsure of who will be taken in the draft’s last 20 picks.But the draft starts with Tuesday’s first round. We start today, with my annual compilation of intel from NBA and college head coaches and assistant coaches, NBA scouts, college executives and NBA front office people. I’ve gathered this over the last three months, going back to before the start of the NCAA Tournament. As ever, the final number of people with whom I spoke will be somewhere between two and three dozen. (I don’t ask coaches about their own players; it’s hard to expect them to be as honest about their own guys as they tend to be about opposing players.)In exchange for anonymity, they tell me the truth — the absolute, non-agent varnished truth, about each year’s top prospects.As ever, this is not a definitive list of every potential draftee. Some people you know and love will not appear here. I kept it, as I do most years, to most — not all — of the guys whom I think have at least a puncher’s chance of getting drafted. The incomparable Sam Vecenie went to town again this year with his exhaustive list of 100 potential draftees and two-way players, along with video. It’s truly one-stop shopping for the hardest of hard-core draftniks.In contrast, my shop is come in, get a cup of coffee, grab a danish, go on about your day. It’s my version of what our Bruce Feldman does every year before the NFL draft — getting the skinny from college and pro coaches and coordinators about the top college football prospects, his detailed reporting a complement to Dane Brugler’s annual Beast.We will start, as always, with the top guard prospects. On Friday, we’ll move on to the wings. And Sunday brings the big men.Peterson risingThere may be questions about Darryn Peterson’s physical limits. There are none about his game.The 19-year-old, who came into the season as the top-rated player in the country, played in just 24 games at Kansas before declaring for the draft, having missed 13 games because of injuries and concerns about the severe cramping he’d suffered early in the Jayhawks’ season, a condition he later said was caused by a severe reaction to taking the training supplement creatine. Despite the limited minutes, which surely kept him from rising higher than second-team All-Big 12, the 6-foot-4 1/2 guard put plenty on tape to leave NBA types salivating, and leave the Washington Wizards, who have the first pick, with a real choice to make between him and Dybantsa.Peterson is a perfect fit in just about any offense — a three-level scorer who can shoot it (better than 38 percent on 3s; 83 percent from the line) and get to whatever he wants to go on the floor. His handle and footwork make him nearly unguardable one-on-one. Like all great offensive players, he is rarely sped up; his confidence to get off his shot no matter the defender allows him to scan the floor without worry.Of course, the issue hovering over Peterson is exactly why he didn’t play, or pulled himself out of, so many games. Peterson told ESPN.com in early May that he’d never taken creatine before coming to Kansas, but began taking it while the team was engaged in preseason practice last September. Peterson said the cramps began after a practice and soon impacted almost all of his muscles, necessitating a trip to the emergency room at a local hospital. Doctors treated him with multiple intravenous fluid bags, believing he was suffering from severe dehydration. The incident scared Peterson so badly that he opted to remove himself from games, either before tipoff or during the game, if he felt anything similar to the onset of the full-body cramping.It’s made some teams wonder: If Peterson’s body had difficulty dealing with the rigors that came with 30 or so college basketball games, how will he handle an 82-game NBA season? But the talent, as it almost always does, overpowers most objectors. Peterson is just too good not to take with a top-two pick. Almost certainly, either Washington or the Utah Jazz, who have the second pick, will do so.Why Darryn Peterson's best basketball is still ahead of himSam VecenieDarryn Peterson | 6-4 1/2 guard | 19 years old | KansasCollege head coach No. 1 (his team played Kansas): He’s a great kid. He’s quiet, he’s humble. Really competitive. That thing this year was weird. It shocked me. Because it had never been that. Like, in high school, he didn’t duck any smoke. From afar, it was shocking to see that stuff.Eastern Conference scout No. 1: Darryn has the higher floor (over Dybantsa). He’s going to be really good. Can he be a core player, a Steph (Curry) or Klay (Thompson)? I think he has the ability to be Klay-level. He’s really, really good. I went to a few practices, and he’s as good as any college player I’ve seen. It wasn’t like it was a bunch of first-round picks around him, like if he was at Duke. … His high school team was the same way — it wasn’t great.Teams try to take him out. I saw him shoot with his left hand on four straight possessions: a jumper, a layup off the glass. … There’s a lot of poise to him. I don’t like anybody doing the Kobe Bryant, “I’ve got Mamba Mentality.” I don’t really like that. He’s a quiet kid. He’s not going to seek attention. I think he’s closer to Kawhi (Leonard) than Kobe in terms of personality.Eastern Conference scout No. 2: What bothers me is, it’s just some diva-ness there, to me. I think you’re getting kind of a glimpse of who he’s going to be. More like Paul George or Kawhi, where if it’s not healed, he’s not playing. That’s just the way I look at it. I mean, I took creatine. I don’t think that was it. He could have had a reaction to it. And if it was that, you would know that instantly. You start with “Hey, man, what did you take? Why did it take so long for that (reaction) to happen? You said you’ve been taking it since you got there.”College assistant coach No. 1 (his team played Kansas): I love his demeanor. He seemed locked in. (But) when we jumped on them, I felt like he had a little bit of “I don’t want any of this.” There wasn’t a lot of fight from him, which I was a little surprised with. When we played BYU, the skill (from Dybantsa) was there, but I was like, “This guy’s competitive.” I didn’t get that from Peterson.The size, the shooting was there. That’s a given. I think he handles it fine. He keeps it simple when he needs to. I saw him a lot in high school and AAU, and he’s got a good enough handle. He’s got good size for that position. I just think, naturally, he wants to shoot the ball. But his passing and assists were fine. Defense was OK. Dybantsa, I was like, this dude isn’t the best defender, but he cares.Eastern Conference executive No. 1: It becomes a little tricky. If he’s just a straight two guard who’s going to be an explosive scorer, and, let’s say, an average playmaker, is it as unique as the 6-10 wing that can play multiple positions?Peterson has separated himself from the guard pack. But it’s a hell of a pack. Arkansas’ Darius Acuff, Jr., Illinois’ Keaton Wagler, Louisville’s Mikel Brown, Jr., Houston’s Kingston Flemings and Arizona’s Brayden Burries could all be taken in the top 10. The Clippers, picking fifth, could start the parade by taking a guard who could help replace James Harden and complement Darius Garland, though it is possible LA could trade down with a team more desperate to get a lead guard on the ball.Each has leading man credentials. Acuff was a terror in a Power 4 conference, a consensus all-American (Associated Press, National Association of Basketball Coaches, Sporting News, U.S. Basketball Writers Association) and Player of the Year in the SEC. He was third in the country in scoring at 23.5 per game, shooting an eye-popping 44 percent on 3s, on high volume (nine attempts a game). He was third in the nation in Offensive Win Shares, at 5.5.Wagler came out of nowhere to lead the Illini to the Final Four. The Big Ten Freshman of the Year finished third nationally in Win Shares (7.2) and was third in the conference in free-throw attempts (216). Brown battled back problems in his one season at Louisville but was still third team all-ACC, averaging 18.2 points per game. Flemings came to a Houston team that still had multiple players returning from the squad that made the 2025 national championship game, yet became the Cougars’ unquestioned leader. In a conference with Dybantsa and Peterson, Flemings joined Wagler as a second-team All-American, averaging 16.1 points, 5.2 assists and 4.1 rebounds in more than 31 minutes a game. Burries led Arizona to a 36-3 record and a Final Four appearance.Darius Acuff, Jr. | 6-2 guard | 19 years old | ArkansasDarius Acuff is the most polished point guard in the 2026 NBA DraftSam VecenieEastern Conference executive No. 1: Everyone knew coming in that Acuff could score. Elite, elite scorer from multiple levels. He did not play to his age as a scorer. Where he evolved this year and put himself in a tier with the top prospects was his playmaking. He made huge, huge strides. Throwing lobs, running pick-and-rolls, trying to find a balance between scoring and playmaking.For a guy who came in as a thirsty guard to now be a legit point guard who can also be an explosive scorer, that is something you look for with a player of his size. The defensive side of the floor is a concern. I worry that he’s going to be a player that teams target. But what gives me hope is that he is built like a tank. … You put the right guys around him, he’s going to be a Tyrese Maxey-level player.College assistant coach No. 2 (his team played Arkansas): Acuff, to me, to be successful, you have to view him, stylistically, and how he’s going to score, like Kyrie Irving. They both play on the ground. They’re both below-the-rim guys. Kyrie’s more gifted than Acuff. But they’re both that 6-2, strong body, quick-handed with the dribble, score with angles. Awkward angles. Bigs go up to get their shot, they use the inside hand. They just have a knack.Plus, Acuff can really see the floor. Not that he’s Kyrie. But don’t expect a guy that’s going to play like (Russell) Westbrook. He’s not explosive at the rim. He’s a bucket getter, via angles, can shoot high off the glass. Go under you, go to the other side and use the rim as protection. And a much better shooter and passer than he gets credit for. Now, defensively? Pretty horses—. But if a guy is competitive in the context of the game, and Acuff is highly competitive offensively, you sit him down and say, “Now you have to guard.”Western conference executive No. 1: Acuff has this horrendous defensive profile that’s pretty pronounced. I always feel when you have a real weakness, whether it’s physical, size, defense, it’s like a seesaw. If one side is down, the other side has to be way up. The offense is way up. He’s coming off of one of the great years that the SEC has ever seen. This guy’s averaging 23 a game, shooting over 40 (on 3s). Nobody stopped him in the SEC, which is the most talented league. And (Arkansas coach John Calipari) … turned the team over to him. The game at Alabama, he played 49 of 50 minutes, and three days before, he was in a boot. Cal came up to him and said, “There’s more to this season than playing at Alabama, we’ve got to preserve you, you don’t have to play.” And the kid got upset and said there’s no way I’m not playing. Comes out of the boot, plays 49, and is just stroking everything.Keaton Wagler | 6-5 guard | 19 years old | IllinoisHow Keaton Wagler came from out of nowhere to become a top NBA prospectSam VecenieCollege assistant coach No. 3 (his team played Illinois): I think he’s got a high ceiling. I think he’s going to get stronger. He didn’t play as well at the end of the season as he did in the middle of the season, but he was at the top of everyone’s scouting report. He was their go-to guy on the perimeter, and as good as they were, they didn’t really have a post option. The kid is, I hear, a great kid. I don’t know him personally. He’s a very, very good player. He had 46 in Mackey Arena, when they beat Purdue. And I’ve never seen anybody do that as an opponent. I like him better than Jaku (Kasparas Jakučionis, the Illini guard taken by the Miami Heat in the first round last year). I think he’s just going to get better, stronger. Because he’s slotted so high, he has to go, but another year of college would have helped him.