The Washington Wizards are widely expected to select Brigham Young University standout AJ Dybantsa with the number one overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.
The event is scheduled for Tuesday, June 23, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
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Dybantsa, a 19-year-old consensus All-American forward, led the nation in scoring during his freshman season.
He averaged 25.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game for the Cougars.
Analytical projections indicate an 85 percent probability that Dybantsa will become the first top overall draft pick in BYU basketball history.
The Utah Jazz hold the second pick and remain interested in the local prospect, but a trade for the top selection is considered highly unlikely due to steep asset costs.
The Washington front office previously evaluated Kansas guard Darryn Peterson but ultimately favored Dybantsa because of his superior physical frame and rim-pressuring capabilities.
Media analysts emphasize that the 6-foot-8 wing possesses the rare athletic potential needed to revitalize a struggling franchise that has not achieved a 50-win season since 1979.
“Dybantsa just has too much potential to become the kind of star the Wizards haven’t had around here since Chris Webber’s brief tenure in D.
C. ,” said David Aldridge, columnist for The Athletic.
Dybantsa currently weighs 217 pounds and shot 51 percent from the floor last season, establishing an elite interior presence.
“He’s a dynamic young big man with the talent and charisma to make the city remember that it’s a basketball town first, before everything else,” Aldridge added.
