AJ Dybantsa walked into the 2026 NBA Combine with the No. 1 spot on every credible big board and questions about whether he could actually hold onto it. He answered with a body of work that should end the debate. The Washington Wizards are getting a star.
Dybantsa measured at 6-foot-8.5 without shoes. His wingspan came in at 7-foot-0.5. He had a standing reach of 8-foot-10. And then he posted a 42-inch maximum vertical, the highest mark at the combine through Wednesday’s testing. The physical tools are everything you want in a modern wing.
The comparisons to Paul George have been flying around for months, and the combine measurements only fueled the fire. Dybantsa’s frame, length, and athletic profile are virtually identical to a young Paul George coming out of Fresno State. If Dybantsa hits his ceiling, that is the player you are looking at.
The Wizards won the lottery and will pick first. They will take Dybantsa. There is no realistic scenario where Washington passes on a 6-9 wing with a 7-foot wingspan, plus athleticism, three-level scoring, and a real defensive ceiling. Sources around the league have him locked in as the consensus No. 1 pick.
The other top prospects had their moments. Darryn Peterson out of Kansas measured 6-foot-4.5 with a 6-9.75 wingspan and a 37.5-inch vertical. He is going to be a great pro. Cameron Boozer from Duke is 6-8.25 with a 7-1.5 wingspan and showed up in serious shape. Both will be drafted in the top three.
But Dybantsa is the prize. His freshman season at BYU did not end the way he wanted, but he closed strong enough that NBA executives moved him back to the top of their boards. The combine just confirmed what scouts already believed. This kid is a future All-Star.
There are 71 players who filed as early entry candidates this year. That is down from 106 in 2025, which tells you teams are being more selective about who they consider draftable, and players are being more realistic about their odds. The May 27 withdrawal deadline will trim that number further.
The 2026 draft class is loaded at the top. Dybantsa, Peterson, Boozer, Caleb Wilson, Darius Acuff Jr., Kingston Flemings, and Keaton Wagler all have legitimate cases to be top-10 picks. The Clippers at No. 5 and the Kings at No. 7 are sitting on potential franchise changers if they pick smart.
For the Wizards, this is the kind of moment that turns a franchise. Washington has been spinning its wheels for years, drafting in the lottery, missing on big swings, and never landing the kind of homegrown star you need to actually compete. Dybantsa is that guy. Pair him with Bilal Coulibaly and Alex Sarr and you suddenly have a young core worth getting excited about.
The Wizards have to handle this right. Do not rush him. Do not put him in a position where he has to be the lone scorer on a bad team. Build a real developmental structure around him, surround him with veteran shooters, and let him grow into the player Washington needs him to become.
The combine is over for the top guys. The interviews and workouts continue. But the verdict on Dybantsa is already in. He is the best player in this draft, he proved it in Chicago, and the Washington Wizards are about to get the kind of cornerstone they have been chasing for two decades.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
