With one more day until the 2026 NBA Draft order is finalized, one outlet projects the Washington Wizards to take arguably the best prospect with the top pick
In exactly one day, the draft order for the 2026 NBA Draft will officially be finalized as Washington Wizards fan hope for the good luck they have been waiting for throughout the rebuild.
Washington enters the draft with maximum possible odds at landing the top overall pick with a top five pick guaranteed, giving general manager Will Dawkins and the front office the potential young superstar that the roster needs.
Yet prior to the finalized draft order, Washington has the luxury of holding onto the idea of landing the top overall pick and CBS Sports pointed to the Wizards turning to BYU star AJ Dybantsa.
"He's a jumbo-sized wing and natural scorer who led the EYBL in points per game after his freshman season of high school and the entire nation in points per game during his freshman year at BYU," Gary Parrish of CBS Sports wrote. "Based on that trajectory, and Dybantsa's awesome physical tools, it should surprise nobody if he also someday leads the NBA in scoring."
Dybantsa has been in the consistent group of prospects viewed to be in the conversation of becoming the first pick, joining Kansas guard Darryn Peterson and Duke forward Caleb Boozer. North Carolina jumbo forward Caleb Wilson has also been viewed as a potential top three pick with a possibly higher floor than Boozer as a prospect, fueling the belief that the top of the 2026 NBA Draft is as strong as it has ever been.
Yet for Dybantsa, he also capitalized on a dominant freshman season after Peterson struggled with availability throughout.
The BYU star ended his lone college season with multiple accolades after being named a consensus first team All American, winning Big 12 Freshman of the Year along with the Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award. Dybantsa averaged 25.5 points to become the NCAA scoring leader, doing so on 51% shooting from the field and 33.1% from three.
The possible addition of Dybantsa would also add to what is already a loaded wing room for head coach Brian Keefe given Kyshawn George, Bilal Coulibaly, Justin Champagnie, Will Riley and Cam Whitmore are all currently expected to return in 2026-27. Yet Washington could have enough offensive versatility to pair Dybantsa with any of the returning wings as a possible stretch four in some situations.
That logjam has also fueled talk whether the backcourt or frontcourt should be the focus for Washington, yet the first step will be finalizing what the order exactly materializes into.
Washington also enters the draft with a pair of selections in the second round, while one was sent to the New York Knicks after the Wizards held onto the top eight protected pick, completing the goal that came under the microscope over the final months of the 2025-26 regular season.