The Washington Wizards have selected BYU star AJ Dybantsa with the first overall pick of the 2026 NBA Draft.
The forward led the nation in scoring during his sole college season, averaging 25.5 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists across 35 games for BYU.
The selection – made at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York – makes Dybantsa the first player in BYU history to be taken first overall in the NBA Draft.
He arrives in Washington to join Trae Young and Anthony Davis. The Wizards – who have not won a title since 1978 – will be banking on all three to finally drag the franchise back into relevance.
At 6ft 9in with a seven-foot wingspan and a scorer’s instinct that scouts have likened to Tracy McGrady, Dybantsa is the kind of talent that can invigorate a franchise.
Holding the second pick, the Utah Jazz opted for Kansas guard Darryn Peterson.
The 6ft 4in guard was the top-ranked recruit in the country by 247Sports coming out of high school and averaged 20.2 points at Kansas, though injury and illness limited him to 24 of a possible 35 games during his freshman season.
More to follow…
