Wizards poised to take AJ Dybantsa with No. 1 pick

The Washington Wizards walked into the 2026 NBA Draft with a franchise-altering path already set: No. 1 overall and AJ Dybantsa at the top of the board. After winning the lottery on May 10 from just 14.0% odds, Washington held the first pick in a draft being staged June 23 and June 24 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, and the decision now shapes the start of the NBA’s 80th draft.

Dybantsa’s rise has made the choice feel more like an inevitability than a debate. ESPN listed him at -550 to go No. 1 on DraftKings, while the rest of the board remained far less settled, with bettors split after the first pick. The uncertainty around the rest of the lottery order only sharpened the focus on Washington, which entered the night with the league’s clearest incentive structure: a rebuilding roster, a rare top selection, and a chance to reset the franchise around one player.

The 6-foot-9 forward, born Anicet “AJ” Dybantsa Jr. on January 29, 2007, in Boston and raised in Brockton, Massachusetts, was ESPN’s No. 1 recruit in the 2025 class before spending one season at BYU. BYU materials say he owns a 40.5-inch vertical leap, a number that has only added to the sense that his athletic ceiling matches the pressure that comes with being projected first overall. He chose BYU in December 2024 over programs including North Carolina and Alabama, citing Kevin Young’s NBA background as part of the appeal.

The Wizards’ interest has been visible for weeks. Washington hosted Dybantsa on a pre-draft visit, and reporting around the league has pointed to strong signals that he is the likely top choice. Dybantsa has already spoken publicly about the significance of being viewed as No. 1 and about his BYU experience, saying he had no regrets about spending two years in Utah. That confidence has only intensified a draft conversation that has increasingly centered on what Washington does at the top, not on whether it will have the chance to choose.

This is the kind of moment that can alter a rebuild for years. The draft board still lists Washington at No. 1 and Utah at No. 2, but the attention now falls on whether the Wizards turn a 14.0% lottery break into the teenager many around the league already view as the draft’s defining name.