Wizards Pick Dybantsa
Wizards take AJ Dybantsa first overall in the 2026 NBA Draft.
Summary
Mostly CenterThe Washington Wizards selected BYU forward AJ Dybantsa with the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, adding the nation’s leading scorer to a franchise picking first overall for the first time since taking John Wall in 2010. Dybantsa averaged about 25.5 points in his lone college season, including a 43-point game that set BYU’s freshman scoring record, and his 6-foot-9, 217-pound frame has drawn comparisons to Kevin Durant. Washington had been viewed as weighing Dybantsa against Kansas guard Darryn Peterson, who went No. 2 to the Utah Jazz. The pick opened a highly regarded draft class led by Dybantsa, Peterson, Cameron Boozer and Caleb Wilson.
The Coverage
Draft Tracking Analysis
Live draft coverage tracked every first-round selection while analysts graded picks and assessed winners and losers in a deep 2026 class. Much of the broader intrigue centered on how teams would maneuver after the widely expected top tier of AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer and Caleb Wilson.
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