The Washington Wizards selected AJ Dybantsa over Darryn Peterson and Cameron Boozer with the first pick of the 2026 NBA Draft on Tuesday night.
BREAKING: The Washington Wizards have submitted their pick and are taking AJ Dybantsa with the 1st pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, sources told @ClutchPoints. pic.twitter.com/ut95Q0thDG
— Brett Siegel (@BrettSiegelNBA) June 24, 2026
After much discussion and debate surrounding the top prospects in this year’s draft, the Wizards went with Dybantsa, who many around the NBA had penciled in at the top of draft boards since Washington won the lottery in May. Dybantsa now becomes the highest-drafted player from BYU in program history, passing Shawn Bradley (No. 2 in 1993) and Mel Hutchins (No. 2 in 1951).
This is a major moment for the Wizards as a franchise, especially considering they have not had a winning record since the 2017-18 season and have not won more than 18 games in a season over the last three years.
Following countless years of disappointment in the NBA Draft Lottery, the Wizards finally hit it big this year. As a result, they now bring in a dynamic, athletic wing scorer in Dybantsa, who will fit in perfectly alongside Anthony Davis, Trae Young, Alex Sarr, and the emerging talent on Washington’s roster.
Although Young declined his $49 million player option for the 2026-27 season, he recently agreed to a massive four-year deal worth $212 million to stay in the nation’s capital.
Dybantsa now joins the Wizards after leading the nation in scoring as a freshman. In 35 games at BYU, Dybantsa averaged 25.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 3.7 assists while shooting 51.0 percent from the floor.
One of Dybantsa’s top performances at BYU came on March 10 in the team’s first game of the Big 12 Tournament. The freshman wing scored 40 points on 15-of-21 shooting, also adding nine rebounds and six assists to his totals.
Not only did Dybantsa set the Big 12 Tournament scoring record for a freshman, passing Kevin Durant (37) in 2007, but he also passed Trae Young and Michael Beasley for the most 35-point games in a season in Big 12 history.
Although the Wizards were thrilled to receive the No. 1 pick in this year’s lottery, this was by no means an easy decision for them to make.
Between Dybantsa, Peterson, and Boozer, there truly wasn’t a bad decision that Washington could’ve made. All three prospects are considered high-level talents who can be long-term building blocks for their franchise. For the Wizards, the main debate was between Dybantsa and Peterson, with both bringing different skills to the table.
While Dybantsa’s scoring and presence on the wing fit exactly what the Wizards need, Peterson’s playmaking abilities as a lead guard and long-term upside made him a viable option to be the No. 1 pick. Ultimately, Washington went with who many expected them to, and there aren’t any regrets about this decision.
AJ Dybantsa’s resume speaks for itself, and now he can officially call himself the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.
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