New NBA Draft Prospect Intel Emerges for Washington Wizards

The 2026 NBA Draft is just eight days away with all eyes on what the Washington Wizards will do with the first overall pick. Despite projections saying otherwise, it has consistently remained unlikely that the Wizards part with the top pick in the draft in a trade scenario despite the front office being transparent about the due diligence on any and all outside interest. Yet there may be an interesting wrinkle thanks to the pre-draft workouts and meetings.

Shams Charania of ESPN reported that former BYU star AJ Dybantsa has conducted a formal visit with both the Washington Wizards and Utah Jazz. While news of his workout with Washington was already public ahead of the latest reporting, that meeting is already wrapped up with the front office getting one last look at the prospect who has been tabbed to be the missing piece on Washington's roster.

Utah, meanwhile, has drawn consistent buzz as an intriguing spot for Dybantsa given it would give the explosive scoring wing a chance to stay in the state where he played his senior year of high school and college. Former Jazz point guard Deron Williams was one of several notable former players to campaign for Dybantsa to stick with Utah, but that would involve him coming off the board with the second overall pick, a prediction that Dybantsa is confident will not come to fruition.

The surprise? Washington already hosted former Kansas point guard Darryn Peterson for a pre-draft workout - and it will mark the only team he plans to meet. Charania reported that Peterson does not plan to grant anyone else a meeting, a notable development given the Jazz have been viewed as the likely landing spot if the Wizards pass on the point guard prospect. An interesting caveat is Jeremy Woo of ESPN noted the presence of Trae Young, who expected to sign a contract extension, is not viewed as a deterrent to Peterson's draft standing.

While he has his own questions to answer after battling cramps through the entirety of his lone season at Kansas, Peterson has additional questions as a potential fit in Washington given the former five-star has tabbed himself as a point guard prospect. Washington is expected to re-sign Trae Young ahead of his player-option deadline, while Bub Carrington is currently expected to return to restock ball handling duties. The roster could have similar questions at the wing with Dybantsa, but his skillset better complements the rest of the roster. How Peterson could do the same is a question the Wizards' front office can find an answer for during his meeting.

Washington already reportedly hosted North Carolina forward Caleb Wilson for a visit, though no workout, while no reports have surfaced of former Duke forward Cam Boozer meeting with the organization. The front office has hosted three rounds of pre-draft workouts with a pair of second round picks available, but what happens with the first pick remains a waiting game.

Wizards Roundtable also offers a fan community. We’d love to have you join us to talk all things Wizards. Create an account, click the “Join” button at the top of the page to join our free community and follow for all of our coverage, analysis and more!