AJ Dybantsa Goes No. 1 to Wizards: How the Draft Kicks Off Washington’s Rebuild
AJ Dybantsa is a Washington Wizard. The BYU freshman was selected with the number one overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft in June, and the Wizards now have their franchise cornerstone as they enter year three of their rebuild.
Dybantsa’s draft class was historic in one specific way. Nine of the first 10 picks were college freshmen, tying the record for most freshmen in the top 10. All of the first 20 picks came from college basketball, marking the first time since 1994 that the top 20 selections were college players. The NBA’s shift back toward college prospects over international and G League options is now impossible to ignore.
For Washington, Dybantsa is the type of prospect a rebuilding franchise dreams about. He is 6-foot-9 with legitimate wing skills, a smooth jumper, and the athleticism to defend multiple positions. His BYU tape from last season showed a player who could take over college games in stretches and who has legitimate two-way upside.
The Wizards paired him with the number one pick from the 2024 draft (Alexandre Sarr) and the number three pick from 2023 (Bilal Coulibaly). That is a young frontcourt built around length, defense, and shooting potential. Add point guard Bub Carrington, another recent lottery pick, and Washington has more young talent than they have had at any point in the last decade.
The catch is that this rebuild is going to take time. The Wizards are not going to be a playoff team in 2026 to 2027. They probably will not be a playoff team the year after that either. What they are doing is stockpiling assets and letting the young core develop together, then adding a veteran when the timeline suggests they are ready.
Anthony Davis is on the roster after last year’s trade from the Lakers. He is the veteran anchor and mentor, but he is also a potential future trade chip if the young core develops and Washington needs to accelerate the timeline. Today marked the third anniversary of AD’s previous extension, meaning he is newly eligible to sign another extension with the Wizards. That negotiation is worth watching.
Dybantsa’s rookie contract runs through 2030 with team options, giving Washington cost certainty for the next four years. That flexibility matters when you are trying to build around a young star and eventually add complementary veterans.
The other interesting draft-related storyline this summer is that several players who were drafted in June may be eligible to return to college after a Colorado court ruled the NCAA cannot prevent athletes from using a fifth year of eligibility if they enrolled in college in 2022. Four drafted players are being mentioned as candidates. It is a legal mess and a talent-flow mess, and it is going to keep evolving.
For now, though, the story is Dybantsa in D.C. The Wizards have their guy. The rebuild has its face. The next couple of years are about growth, not wins.
Get on board now. If Dybantsa is what the scouts think he is, this is the beginning of a real Washington basketball era.
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.
