Washington Wizards select AJ Dybantsa No. 1 overall in the 2026 NBA Draft

In what is considered one of the most talented classes in recent memory, the Washington Wizards selected BYU small forward AJ Dybantsa with the No. 1 overall pick of the NBA Draft.

Heading into Tuesday’s draft at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, the Wizards were believed to be deciding between Dybantsa and Kansas phenom combo guard Darryn Peterson. The Utah Jazz then took Peterson at No. 2. 

The Memphis Grizzlies selected Duke forward Cameron Boozer at No. 3. Boozer is following in the footsteps of his famous father, Carlos Boozer, who also played at Duke before a successful NBA career.

At No. 4, the Chicago Bulls chose North Carolina forward Caleb Wilson.  

Dybantsa appeared to say a quick prayer after his name was announced, then went on stage to greet Commissioner Adam Silver and slipped on a black Wizards hat that matched nicely with his black suit. He will join a Wizards team that has struggled to find its footing in recent years, making only one playoff appearance in the last eight seasons due to a series of misfires on the roster front. 

But the Wizards will be looking for a fresh start with a team built around Dybantsa, star point guard Trae Young — who agreed to a four-year, $212 million deal earlier this week — and big man Anthony Davis, who the Wizards traded for in February.

Dybantsa averaged 25.5 points last season at BYU, highlighted by a 43-point effort that broke BYU’s freshman scoring record. At 6-foot-9 and 217 pounds, Dybantsa has drawn comparisons to Kevin Durant, who happens to be his favorite player. Durant grew up in the Washington area.  

The Wizards desperately need Dybantsa to prove he can make them contenders in a competitive Eastern Conference that just saw the New York Knicks win their first NBA title in 53 years, and then saw superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo traded from the Milwaukee Bucks to the Miami Heat.

The last time the Wizards had the No. 1 overall pick was in 2010, when they took point guard John Wall. The five-time All-Star had a solid career that was ultimately derailed by injuries. Wizards fans will be hoping Dybantsa has a better tenure.

Some thought Peterson had the most talent in the class, but the guard missed 11 games during the season because of injuries and illness, potentially creating some questions that Dybantsa didn’t have.

In taking Wilson, the Bulls drafted a player from North Carolina in the first round for the third time. It worked out pretty well the first two times.

Chicago selected Michael Jordan with the No. 3 pick in 1984, and the Hall of Fame guard led the franchise to six NBA championships in the 1990s.

The Bulls took Coby White at No. 7 in 2019. The 6-foot-4 guard averaged 15.4 points in six-plus seasons with the team before he was traded to Charlotte in February.

Many experts believed any possible chaos or surprises in the draft would start at the fifth pick or later, because Dybantsa, Peterson, Boozer and Wilson were widely considered to be the top four prospects. 

With that No. 5 pick — which the Los Angeles Clippers acquired the rights to after a trade with the Indiana Pacers — the Clippers took Illinois guard Keaton Wagler. In his lone college season, in which he led the Fighting Illini to the Final Four, Wagler shot 40% from 3-point range, 80% from the foul line, and averaged 4.2 assists per game. But what might have tipped the scale for the Clippers was his size. He stands 6-foot-5 without shoes, making him one of the tallest guards in this draft class.

The draft host Brooklyn Nets then went with Louisville guard Mikel Brown Jr. at No. 6, and the Sacramento Kings went with Arkansas guard Darius Acuff Jr. at No. 7.