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The arrival of AJ Dybantsa gives Wizards hope

By Tadiwos Abedje
NBA Draft Dybantsa Basketball

FILE - BYU forward AJ Dybantsa reacts to scoring a career high and new freshman record at BYU during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Utah, Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026, in Provo, Utah. (AP Photo/Tyler Tate, File)

For the first time in almost a half-century, the Washington Wizards could be closer to contending for an NBA title with the arrival of AJ Dybantsa.

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The team drafted the 6-foot-9 forward with the first pick of the 2026 NBA draft after finishing as one of the worst teams in the league in the past three years. They got the No. 1 overall pick after winning the draft lottery in May for the first time since 2010 — when they drafted John Wall.

The Wizards hope, with the arrival of Dybantsa, that they can start winning games and competing for the playoffs with a chance to win their first championship since 1978. In the past three seasons, they finished with a combined record of 50-196.

“We’re definitely getting a difference maker on the basketball court. There’s no doubt about that,” Wizards general manager Will Dawkins said. “What I would want our fans to know night one is that he is a worker. He is a passionate person who loves basketball and will continue to work and get better.”

https://twitter.com/AJ_Dybantsa/status/2070950483443716153

Peterson, Dybantsa, Boozer and Wilson wait to see who goes first in the NBA draft

CHICAGO (AP) — Darryn Peterson and AJ Dybantsa had an epic showdown in high school, crossed paths in college and could be the top two picks in this year's NBA draft after starring at Kansas and BYU. That's if Duke's Cameron Boozer and North Carolina's Caleb Wilson don't have something to say about it. All four are considered potential stars and a clear cut above the rest in a loaded draft class. What remains to be seen is the order they will be taken. The Washington Wizards hold the No. 1 pick for the first time since they drafted John Wall in 2010. Utah, Memphis and Chicago round out the top four. “It would mean a lot,” Dybantsa said Wednesday at the NBA draft combine of being picked first. “It would just mean that all my hard work is paying off. All the countless hours and all the sacrifices I made have paid off.”
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