Washington Wizards Select AJ Dybantsa at No. 1 in 2026 NBA Draft

Just as it's been predicted, former BYU star forward AJ Dybantsa has materialized into the Washington Wizards' selection with the first pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.

Dybantsa, a 6-foot-9, 217-pound wing, now officially joins a roster featuring Trae Young, Anthony Davis, Alex Sarr, Kyshawn George, Will Riley and Bilal Coulibaly amid hopes of a bounceback season in 2026-27.

The selection comes as little surprise given Dybantsa emerged as the early consensus to become the first pick of the draft ever since the draft lottery was finalized. Though the tune began to shift last week after noise surrounding Darryn Peterson's draft plans came to light after initially only planning to meet with the Wizards, leaving both Dybantsa and Peterson confident that each would materialize into the first pick.

In the end, the addition of Dybantsa gives the Wizards one of the most dynamic players in college basketball - and he was awarded as such after his lone season at BYU.

During his freshman year, Dybantsa averaged 25.5 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game while shooting 51% from the field and 33.1% from three. The end of Dybantsa's season led to several accolades after not only cleaning up conference honors, but also being named a consensus All-American while also winning both the John Wooden Award, recognizing the Player of the Year across both men's and women's basketball, and the Julius Erving Award winner, handed out to the nation's top small forward in college basketball. Dybantsa also materialized into the NCAA scoring champion before recording an 8-foot-10 standing reach and wingspan that eclipsed seven feet.

Dybantsa also tallied 28 games with at least 20 points, eight games with at least 30 points, two games with at least 40 points while scoring in double figures in all 35 games. He also became the first freshman in BYU history to record a triple-double after he recorded 33 points, ten rebounds and ten assists in an early season win vs. Eastern Washington. His 894 points also ranks the third-most ever by a freshman in college basketball history.

After declaring for the NBA Draft in late April, Dybantsa drew immediate draft buzz as a potential NBA superstar after being entrenched in the top pick conversation throughout the season. Now, Washington has its superstar on the roster.

The Wizards currently own two more selections, both in the second round, with the 51st and 60th picks in the fold.

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