With the news of the Washington Wizards landing the top overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, two teams are expected to show strong interest in a trade
With reality of the official order in the upcoming 2026 NBA Draft officially settled in with time for teams to begin game planning their next moves, the Washington Wizards could have two interested suitors in the top overall pick.
Brett Siegel of Clutch Points reported on Monday afternoon that both the Brooklyn Nets and Utah Jazz are expected to "make multiple attempts to try to sway the Wizards to surrender the top pick" over the next six weeks.
The mention of the Utah Jazz is unsurprising given they became the first team that many began quickly speculating to be interested in making a move up. With a chance to keep AJ Dybantsa in the state of Utah, Therese's additional fan appeal. The intriguing part about their possible pursuit is their draft standing given they are currently expected to draft second overall.
Mock trades have floated the second overall pick packaged with forward Ace Bailey, who went fifth overall in the 2025 NBA Draft, along with future draft picks in exchange for the Wizards' pick. Whether that asking price or close to it materializes will be another question mark in the weeks ahead, though it offers intrigue as the front office looks for the final pieces to round out the top of the 2026-27 roster.
The Nets, meanwhile, are slated to pick sixth overall despite finishing with the third-worst record in the 2025-26 regular season. What type of trade package Brooklyn could assemble centered around the sixth overall pick would likely require multiple future first round picks, while Michael Porter Jr. serves as the lone possible impact player on the roster. Whether that would be enough for the Wizards to pull the trigger on a move would be another question, yet it's clear that the latest report points back to what Will Dawkins referenced during his radio appearance on Monday: Washington has the "power of choice" ahead of next month's draft.
Jake Fischer of Yahoo previously reported that the Wizards will "at least consider trading down" after speaking to Wizards president Michael Winger during the lottery reveal on Sunday, adding the top pick is "not a savior moment." What other teams join the conversation over the next six weeks will be part of the fun for Wizards fans with the debate steadily shifting toward the Darryn Peterson vs. AJ Dybantsa battle for the top pick.
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