NBA Draft expert talks Wizards’ young core, 2026 draft class | Monumental Sports Network
We’re now pleased to be joined by Kristen Peak, who does a great job covering the NBA draft. Truly one of the best draft experts out there. She covers the draft for Hoops HQ and also serves as a color analyst for NBA Future Now. That means you can hear her call games on NBA TV and you can follow her on social media, Kristen Peak. and Kristen Bejian and I thought you’d be the perfect person to talk to right now because you can not only speak to Trey Johnson and the Wizards 2025 draft class, but also some of the players that are going to enter the draft in the coming years because you were just recently in Switzerland to watch the under 19 team USA team and then in Augusta to call games at the Peach Jam. So, you’ve been all over. I hope you’ve caught up on some sleep. Uh, and I want to start with Trey Johnson. So on draft night, you hear the Wizards picked him sixth overall. What was your immediate reaction? Great pick. Trey is a bucket. I don’t know if there’s a better scoring, like pure scoring guard in this draft class. And so when he’s sitting there at six, I mean, it was a great pickup, I think, for the Wizards. Kristen, I’m curious because of your background, you know, not just international ball, but like high school ball, preol essentially, like before these guys get on the radar. So, with Trey Johnson specifically, uh I know he went to he grew up in Dallas. He went to high school in Dallas and also in Missouri, but when was the first time you heard his name? Like when did he first pop up on radars around the country? It was right after CO. Um and he’ll tell you guys this like if you ever get a chance to talk to him. He grew about 3 or 4 inches during COVID when everything was shut down. And it was really some it was the time when him and his dad really just honed in and he said that’s where he got his like drive and and everything was during that time because he hit the growth spurt. He and his dad his dad also played his dad played at Baylor and then he transferred to a smaller school. But people don’t know this Rodney Terry who was the head coach at Texas this last year was actually an assistant coach at Baylor when uh when Trey’s dad was there. So, it was a very good full circle moment for Trey to be able to play for a guy that had also coached his dad. But, um, it was right after COVID and he came out on the EBL and he was one of the best scorers. He still was he was so skinny, you guys. Like, he really made a jump in physicality. And I know you look at him now and you’re like, wait, no, he still has a way to go. But he was so skinny. And then it was Nike Skills Academy last year where I saw him where he was just like really focused on his body. he filled out a little bit and that helped, you know, in this one year, especially at Texas playing in the league that he did and on a team full of veterans going every day in practice, it really helped his game. And, you know, he’s already got those scoring instincts, but I think the physicality and pace is something that he’s going to have to adjust to. Yeah, we saw those scoring instincts in the summer league. He averaged almost 20 points per game, the second most in Wizard summer league history, only to John Wall. It was only two games he got shut down due to injury, but I know of course you’re based in Las Vegas now. What do you think about what he showed us in the summer league? Uh that first bucket. Are you kidding me? Off the leg. I don’t like you ask him and he’s like, “Oh yeah, I meant to do that. No way he meant to do that.” But just knowing being able to react to that and being able to gather himself and still be able to get a shot off was something that was just it’s so crazy every time. I mean, you talk to him. I talked to him like at the draft combine and he shot lights out during the shooting drills. And then afterwards, this is how competitive he is afterwards. I was like, “Trey, did you come in with that sort of mentality like you want to show that you’re one of the best scorers here?” And he said, “No, I was pissed. We did a walkth through the night before and I made more buckets last night than today.” And I was like, “You shot collectively 72% from like what more do you want?” He’s like, “No, no, I made way more yesterday.” So, he’s kind of got that like, you know, that uh competitive spirit, that edge. And this is a dude. There is nothing else that he loves more than being in the gym and that’s it. Maybe be in the gym, play a little bit of video games, but he is a hooper. And that’s what you want, especially at a rookie coming into a team that’s rebuilding and that’s going to be able to give you everything uh for 82 games. Yeah, Chase got that answer out of Trey Johnson at the combine, I remember, where Trey was like, “I don’t have any hobbies. All I do is play basketball and sleep. True. So, we knew it’s true. Yeah, we knew what we were getting when we uh when we drafted him. But let’s shift gears here just real quick to Will Riley who was the second first round pick for the Wizards this year. He came out of Illinois. What’s interesting about him is that he spent most of his time coming off the bench. In fact, he was Big 10 sixman of the year at Illinois. So, I’m curious about what you think about his upside coming into the NBA. I love Will Riley. You know, he’s kind of like a slow burn for people, but this is a kid. He he’s from Canada. He was there were rumblings that he was going to go over and play in the MBL last year for their um for for their league which players have done you know in the last 5 10 years. I remember I went back and saw RJ Hampton and LaMelo Ball play against each other in New Zealand. So uh but instead of going to the NBL he chose Illinois and I think it was a great fit for him. I mean they’re like the UN of college basketball just with what they’re doing internationally and how they’re getting these prospects. But Will was at the Nike Hoop Summit the year before. He went toe-to-toe with, of course, some of the best players in this year’s draft class, but also played alongside AJ Devonsa and Nolan Trayor, VJ Edgecom as well, and was that good complimentary piece. And so coming off the bench, I think, you know, he is that he’s kind of like just like a reliable role player. You know what you’re going to get, and he’s still so young. And so if you can get him in the right system and get reps under his belt, like he could flourish into a great complimentary piece. Kristen, when we’re talking about the Wizards and what they’re building here, it’s all through the draft. It’s very organic. They want to do it the right way. They’ve now, this current front office now has three drafts under their belt. And I know I’m going to forget some of the players they drafted because they have like nine first round picks over the last three years. You know, they got Bal Kulabali, Bob Carrington, Keshan George, Alex Sar, Trey Johnson, Will Riley, all these guys. I’m just curious about what you think about what the Wizards are building here and their collection of young talent on this team. Well, I think if you take a look at what Oklahoma City did in their rebuild, they went out and they got a bunch of point guards, guards, three and D guys, and then they zeroed in on Shay. Shay was their, you know, uh, franchise player, and then also they went out and they got a versatile center, you know, with Chad. And so you take that mold and what they were able to do in just three or four seasons in a rebuild process, I think teams are starting to take notice and and and noticing that that sort of mold and what Sam Prey did works. And so you look at the Washington Wizards and the the roster construction and what they’re doing. I think they’re kind of starting to do the same thing. you got a lot of guard play, you know, you got Alexar, um, and you’re you’re just going to try to see if this team can grow together. Kristen Bejon can tell you I tend to be a bit of a contrarian when it comes to draft classes. When people say it’s a great draft class, I say, “Ah, it might be a little overrated.” And then vice versa. You know, two years ago, everyone said, “Oh, it’s the worst draft class ever.” It’s like, well, even the worst draft classes have stars and sometimes they have Hall of Famers, right? But the 2026 class which is headlined by AJ Debons as you mentioned uh Darren Peterson Cam Boozer people are saying this is a special draft class and I’m finding it hard myself to become a contrarian towards that statement. Do you agree that this upcoming draft class is a special one that you really want to kind of keep an eye on especially for a team that could have a high draft pick? Absolutely. this next year’s draft. I mean, people look at what uh what happened this year with Cooper, with VJ, with Dylan, with Ace, with Trey, you know, and that they are very good players, but next year’s draft class, you guys, I don’t know if you saw the video out of BYU where AJ uh posted it looked like a 40inch vertical. I saw the picture, you know what I mean? It it’s it’s insane. And and I want to say like I’ve seen AJ Debonsa probably more than anybody. He played at Utah Prep. Before that, he was at Prolific Prep. Um, obviously I’m in Vegas now, so Utah prep is only two hours from me in Hurricane, Utah, Provo. Uh, I have family in Salt Lake City, so I’m going to be going back and forth there. I was in Lucan, Switzerland for the9s. But it was the U19 trials where I really saw AJ kind of make a jump. There were about two minutes, this was just a scrimmage. There were two minutes, it was a two-minute stretch where he just took over and his team was down. He scored 11 points in two minutes. The last five points for his team in the game-winning bucket came from him with a and one three. Now remember, he’s 69, so it’s hard to defend that shot. But if he starts getting more consistent from the three-point range, it’s it’s game over. It is game over. So between him, Darren Peterson, DP, putting in the work at Kansas already, he’s added some weight to his frame. Cameron Boozer, the most winningest player in high school basketball. Him and his brother Kaden have won just about everything. He’s going to be in the mix. Nate Ament, we haven’t even talked about him, who’s going to Tennessee, and everything that’s going to be surrounding him. Rick Barnes is going to be coaching him. Rick also coached Kevin Durant who was the number two pick, you know, all those years ago. So, there’s that similarity. And then Mikel Brown Jr. and what he’s doing, what he did in9s. He cooked everyone at Donovan Mitchell’s camp uh just this past week and what he’s going to bring to Louisville, he’s going to be there in the top five. So, you look at like you take a swing and if you don’t get Debonsa, if you don’t get Darren Peterson, okay, we’ll take I if I’m a GM, I’m very very happy with those next three. You know, you mentioned Nate Aan. I did not think of the connection with Rick Barnes. That’s a great point. And it leads me to uh the next line of questioning, which is about local players coming from the DC area. You know, I I think it’s no secret that the DMV produces a lot of high-end basketball talent, but it also still seems unusual. The next three recruiting classes have players in the top five from this area. Nate Aean as a top five prospect going to Tennessee as you mentioned, Jordan Smith Jr., I loved in the rising senior class and then Baba Olatune in the rising junior class. There’s others who I could mention that could be top draft picks like Eric Rya and Kaden Samuels, but let’s focus on those three. You mentioned Amen. He played at Highland. He’s going to Tennessee next year. What should college basketball and NBA fans know about him? There’s three things that NBA teams love and it’s youth, versatility, and length. And Nate has all three of those. And what we saw at Nike Hoop Summit at during during the practices, he didn’t do much during the game. But what he did at practice in front of countless GMs, in front of all of the NBA scouts, was show that versatility and what he can do with a ball in his hands, you know, not just off the block, not just in the mid-range game, but actually be a primary ball handler in the pick and roll. He’s a pick and pop dream. He’s just got that quick release. He’s got good foot speed, good footwork. um and is just oozing potential. So, I think that’s what NBA teams really look for and they covet and Nate is hopefully has that opportunity to get the amount of touches he needs in Tennessee to solidify him as a top five, top three pick. Yeah, I had the privilege of calling playbyplay for a couple of Amen’s Highland games this past year for Monumental. And there were some plays that he made where I was like, “Okay, I got to pay attention to this dude.” Dude, like there was one play where he like drove past the hoop, fake reverse layup, spin move, hook shot, and it was it was the most fluid thing I’ve ever seen. So, he is definitely putting putting people on notice. He went headto-head with uh against Darren Peterson and Prolific, and they got the win. And Nate and his just intensity down the stretch. He made the game-winning block. Like, he is a hooper and he’s so competitive and you love to see that because he’s a really nice kid. Like, family’s great. He’s very nice, but then you you step on the court and it’s like game over. Kristen, I’m curious because when when Chase was going through that litany of players from the DMV area who are all making strides towards the next couple draft classes, your eyes perked up when you heard Jordan Smith Jr., you said you love him. He’s currently ranked third in the rising senior class. He’s goes he goes to Paul V 6th uh in the DMV right now. He hasn’t decided where he’s going to school, but I’m curious what you think of him because from what I’ve heard, he’s been really standing out at the USA team thus far. He is, listen, Jordan Smith Jr., one of my favorite players I’ve ever covered. On the court, off the court, great, great, great kit. But what he brings defensively is insane. He is one of the best on ball defenders, one of the best rebounders. Him and Caleb Holt on 19s coming in as a secondary unit was insane. The two of them lock down defense and then you know you and then you you sub in Brandon McCoy who is just like a scoring machine again. defensive mentality. Like, it’s so much fun. But that all starts with Jordan Smith. And he’s got what I call like go- go gadget arms. Like, his wingspan is just ridiculous. I want to say he’s like 6’2 with maybe, I don’t know, like a 69 wingspan. He his his arms just go for days. And you know, you talk about like him being a goalie guard and being able to get downhill whenever he wants, but he’s also kind of established himself more as like a perimeter shooter and working on his game, you know, on and off the dribble. So, um, I love when I can see players, especially make that jump offensively when they’re just known for one specific team thing. And you know, Jordan playing at PVI and also for team takeover was really just kind of the catalyst for why they went 14-1 in the EYBL and made such a stretch, you know, during Peach Jam. Yeah, definitely a name to remember. Um, I was the sideline reporter for a PVI game this year and I interviewed Jordan Smith Jr. And I also talked to Trevor Keels who of course is an alum of Paul the 6th and he said they work out in the offse and Smitty as he calls him beats him to the gym basically every day. So that guy he’s got everything that you would want and I think we’re going to see him at the NBA level. Um the next player we want to talk about is the highest ranked of all of them. Baba Olatune. Uh number one prospect in the rising junior class. Uh he’s from Silver Spring and he apparently looked great at the Peach Jam while playing up in age level. What do you think about him at this point? I know it’s early. He’s a few years away from even playing in college, but what should we know about him? They call him Mini Durant. I mean, he played for team Durant. I saw him session one in Mesa, Arizona. He was playing U16s and Kevin was there. His brother was coaching the U16s and they both looked at each other like, “Yeah, no, he’s got to play up.” And the very next session they moved him up to 17s where he was still so effective. Like he they just affects both sides of the ball and he’s still so young. I mean what is he 69 610 great height great athleticism. Um moves extremely well for his size and that’s why you get the Kevin Durant comparisons. There have been rumblings especially at Peach Jam that he could potentially reclassify up. So he would be in the incoming senior class. I don’t know, you know, what what that entails at all, but he’s ready. I mean, it like he showed it. He belongs at the 17U level. Um, but yeah, right now, as it stands, he’s the number one player in the 27 class and and he has been he’s had that mark since his freshman year when he first saw him emerge at I think it was the USA basketball October training camp is the first time I saw him as a freshman. Let me ask you a quick followup there. You mentioned he might reclassify. that’s obviously par for the course nowadays and it seems to be that NIL has really influenced that trend. Um what have you seen in terms of NIL kind of changing um the amateur basketball levels and what it means for evaluating NBA draft prospects? It’s changed everything and and that specifically, you know, if you’re looking at a draft class, yes, next year’s draft class, the 26 class, so that’s AJ, Darren, Cam, that’s going to be a monster class. then the 27 class drops off significantly. So if you’re Baba and you know that you can be the number one, number two, number three pick behind um Tyron Stokes or Brandon McCoy or whoever, then yeah, then you jump at that opportunity. And that’s the same reason why we’re seeing Tyron Stokes decide to stay in his true draft class, which he would there was conversation when he took those visits to um to Kentucky and Kansas that he was going to try to reclass up. But then you look at it and he’s like, “No, no, no. That means I would be in this draft class. I’m not guaranteed one, two, or three. I could fall to six or seven.” And that’s a when you look at rookie contracts, that’s a $5 million swing. So Tyron’s going to stay in his high school draft class. Baba could elect to reclass up to be able to, you know, get to the NBA sooner. But when you look at NIL and what it’s done, not only for college or high school, I mean, it’s changed everything. Like these these players, these kids are now becoming professionals much earlier and earlier. I mean, AJ Debonsa had major sponsorships as a high school senior with Nike and with Red Bull, and that’s continuing on at BYU. So just the responsibilities, just being able to balance everything, but it’s making these kids professionals earlier. Djon, you got any more questions? I think you kind of summarized everything. Like I was impressed with just your knowledge of kids who haven’t even turned 17 yet. Like you are so tapped in, Chris. It’s very I have no life. I have no life. I stay in the gym. That’s the Yeah, it was great. I think you gave a great summary of what Wizards fans can expect, not just in 2026, but 27, 28, 29. I think there’s a lot of stuff coming down the pipe that people should be very excited about. Yeah. And speaking of staying in the gym, we must note that you took time out of your day going to NBA player held camps. You said Jason Tatum and Chris Paul, right? Yeah. It’s here in Vegas. So, um, and it’s one of my favorite events. Like, they’re very hands-on. Obviously, JT is in the boot recovering from his injury, but um, Chris, I just saw him at Peach Jam. I saw him in the gym. He’s like, “You’re everywhere. You’re following me. You’re follow.” I was like, “Yeah, I know. I This is what I And then I’ll go to Damen Lillard’s camp in um in Phoenix next week and then also Steph Curry camp. So lot going on and that’s why you have such great insight and we appreciate you sharing it with us. Thanks so much Kristen. Thanks for having me guys.
Chase Hughes and Bijan Todd are joined by NBA TV’s Krysten Peek to talk about Tre Johnson and the Washington Wizards’ promising young core, as well as the 2026 NBA draft class headlined by AJ Dybantsa.
Watch Capitals, Wizards and Mystics games, and more original programming surrounding your favorite Washington D.C. sports teams on Monumental Sports Network.
FOLLOW MONUMENTAL SPORTS NETWORK
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/monsportsnet/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MonSportsNet/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MonSportsNet
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@monsportsnet
DOWNLOAD MONUMENTAL+
https://monsports.net/TheGamesOn
VISIT OUR SITE: https://www.monumentalsportsnetwork.com/
SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER: https://bit.ly/3RwHdxP
NBA Draft expert talks Wizards’ young core, 2026 draft class | Monumental Sports Network
