With the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NBA draft, the Washington Wizards on Tuesday selected BYU freshman AJ Dybantsa at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
Dybantsa was a consensus first-team All-American, averaging 25.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.1 steals while shooting 33.1% from 3-point range. He led the country in scoring after totaling 894 points, the third-most by a freshman in history.
The 6-foot-9 forward is the third Wizards player to be selected with the No. 1 pick in the common draft era (1966), joining Kwame Brown (2001) and John Wall (2010). He is the Cougars’ first No. 1 overall pick, surpassing Shawn Bradley as the highest-drafted player (1993, No. 2).
Washington initially considered selecting Dybantsa or Kansas guard Darryn Peterson with the top pick and eventually settled on the BYU star ahead of the draft. The group is eager to pair Dybantsa next to the likes of Trae Young, Anthony Davis and the rest of the roster.
Dybantsa entered last season as the front-runner to be the top pick, and the 19-year-old lived up to those expectations after breaking 19 freshman program records. He is credited with having one of the best freshman years in history.
The Boston native is highly regarded because of his physical tools, athleticism and ability to seemingly score at will from everywhere on the floor. He showcased his athleticism last month at the combine, recording a 42-inch max vertical jump, the fourth-highest mark.
Though Dybantsa revealed last week that he didn’t work out with any team ahead of the draft, he recently met with Wizards officials at their facility. He was viewed as the front-runner to land with the Wizards once they won the lottery last month.
Washington’s selection of Dybantsa tipped off what should be an entertaining draft, with several high-profile prospects expected to hear their names called on Tuesday. The class is projected to be one of the best in recent memory.
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