Jake Fischer reported Sunday that the buzz around the NBA is already narrowing the 2026 draft to the first two picks, with BYU star AJ Dybantsa expected to go to either Washington or Utah. Fischer also relayed Dybantsa’s own reaction on the ground: “I wasn’t really worried about [picks] 14 [to] 3.”
That confidence now fits the board. The Washington Wizards won the draft lottery with a 14% chance, grabbed the No. 1 overall pick for the first time since 2010, and set up a decision that most evaluators believe will come down to Dybantsa or another elite name at the very top.
Dybantsa built a season at BYU that matched the hype. The freshman forward averaged 25.5 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists while shooting 51.0% from the field, giving him the kind of two-way production that usually keeps a prospect in the center of the No. 1 conversation.
The rest of the draft class only adds to the pressure on Washington and Utah. Kansas guard Darryn Peterson and Duke forward Cameron Boozer are viewed as the other top-tier prospects, but Dybantsa has most often been projected as the favorite to go first overall.
The Wizards’ win also makes the choice more dramatic. Washington finished with the league’s worst record at 17-65, and the franchise now has a chance to add a centerpiece after years of rebuilding, while Utah sits at No. 2 with the next shot if the board shifts.
The 2026 class is being described as unusually deep, with names like Caleb Wilson, Kingston Flemings, Jayden Quaintance, Keaton Wagler and Mikel Brown Jr. all drawing first-round attention. Even so, the top of the draft still looks defined by Dybantsa, Peterson and Boozer.
The draft is set for June 23-24 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, and the early read is clear: Washington’s win may have locked in the most talked-about pick of the summer.
