The Washington Wizards selected AJ Dybantsa with the first pick of the 2026 NBA Draft on Tuesday night. After weeks of speculation on who would come off the board first, Washington went with Dybansta, the BYU star, over Kansas' Darryn Peterson and Duke's Cameron Boozer, among others, in what is considered a loaded draft class. Dybantsa, after a standout freshman season for the Cougars, was the top-ranked player in the CBS Sports NBA Draft Prospect Rankings. He emerged as the heavy favorite in the days leading up to the 2026 NBA Draft to be Washington's selection.
Immediately after the Wizards won last month's NBA Draft Lottery, there was speculation that the Utah Jazz could trade up to No. 1 to select Dybantsa, who has an extensive history over the last two years playing in the state of Utah. Dybantsa played his senior season of high school at Utah Prep and his lone college season at BYU. In the end, Washington stood pat at No. 1 and selected Dybantsa.
Washington was making the No. 1 overall pick for the first time since 2010, when the franchise selected John Wall. With Dybantsa officially joining the team, he will join a core in Washington that includes Trae Young, Anthony Davis, Alex Sarr, Kyshawn George, Tre Johnson, Bilal Coulibaly, Bub Carrington and Will Riley. Notably, Young signed a four-year, $212 million extension with the franchise on the eve of the draft.
Dybantsa, the No. 2 overall recruit in the 2025 recruiting cycle by 247Sports -- behind Peterson -- had one of the best scoring seasons by a college freshman in the modern era. Dybantsa led the nation in scoring, averaging 25.5 points per game while leading BYU to another appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
His unique blend of size, skill and bend for a 6-foot-9 forward made him a logical candidate to be the No. 1 pick no matter who won the draft lottery. He gives Washington a true first option as the franchise looks to take the next step toward getting back to the postseason after three consecutive drafts picking in the top six.
Dybantsa has drawn comparisons to several current and former NBA stars, including Tracy McGrady and Paul George. One of Dybantsa's strengths is his ability to get to the basket by creating advantages with his size and wiggle around the rim. Dybantsa shot 63% on 246 attempts at the rim, per Synergy.
