As the Washington Wizards prepare for a huge moment for the franchise — having the first pick in the 2026 NBA Draft on June 23 — multiple league sources told The Athletic that the team will host AJ Dybantsa, one of the prospects the team is considering to take at No. 1, for a visit with team officials in Washington in the next few days, perhaps as soon as Thursday.
Advertisement
Dybantsa, whose 25.5 points per game led NCAA men’s Division I basketball in scoring in his one college season at BYU, has been linked to the Wizards in multiple mock drafts with the top pick since Washington won the NBA Draft Lottery last month.
The 6-foot-9 wing is viewed as a prospect with a particular ability to get to the basket, draw fouls (he led the nation in free-throw attempts last season with 296) and score in the midrange — all skills that Washington’s young core group, in the main, has not yet shown it can do consistently.
He was not a great 3-point shooter, making just 33 percent of his attempts. However, most evaluators from rival teams believe he’ll become credible from the perimeter. And, like most players exiting college, Dybantsa will need to become more consistent and engaged defensively.
The Wizards are also likely considering taking Kansas guard Darryn Peterson with the top pick. The 6-foot-5 Peterson averaged 20.2 points for the Jayhawks and shot 38 percent on 3-point attempts. His ability to create and shoot off the dribble, along with improved decision-making as a primary ballhandler and his potential as a plus defender at the pro level, make him an intriguing prospect.
However, Peterson has had to detail the circumstances under which he missed 11 games for Kansas due to severe cramping that occurred both before and during games throughout the season. Peterson told ESPN after the end of the Jayhawks’ season that testing indicated his body had reacted strongly to his taking the supplement creatine, which helps increase muscle mass and strength.
{“endpoint”:”https://api-prd-nyt.theathletic.com/graphql”}
The cramping episodes began, Peterson said, after he’d taken several doses of creatine, usually in pre-workout shakes provided by the team.
Nonetheless, Peterson is still in the mix for the Wizards at No. 1. If the Wizards opt for Dybantsa, the Utah Jazz, who own the second pick, are expected by most around the league to take Peterson.
Advertisement
The Wizards are emerging from a horrendous three-year stretch in which they’ve gone 50-196 while tanking to improve their chances in the lottery. General manager Will Dawkins said at his end-of-season news conference that the team’s “deconstruction phase” was now over, echoing expectations throughout the organization that it will start playing more competitive basketball next season.
The team acquired veterans Anthony Davis and Trae Young in separate deals last season, hoping that Davis, a 10-time All-Star and a member of the league’s 75th Anniversary team, and Young, a four-time All-Star who was a 2021-22 All-NBA selection, can raise the Wizards’ floor.
However, both Davis and Young are seeking contract extensions beyond their current deals. Young, who’ll be 28 on opening night next season, has a player option for the 2026-27 season at $48.9 million, which he has to exercise by June 23, the first day of the draft. Davis, 33, has a player option for the 2027-28 season at $62.7 million. He will be eligible for an extension beginning in early August.
Davis indicated that no matter his desire to get a new deal, he would be present for the start of next season in Washington.
“I mean, I’m under contract,” he said in April.
Davis has expressed some positive feelings about the team and organization since being acquired from the Mavericks in February.
“I was one of those guys, you look, from the outside looking in, you look (and think), ‘Oh, Washington Wizards, the last three years, a losing record,’” Davis said. “… It’s become like the perception of the league: ‘Oh, the Wizards come to the building, hey, we can win this game, whatever.’ And then you get here, and it’s different. Yes, they’re losing games, but this team can very well be a really good team. The organization is a great organization.”
Advertisement
But Davis, who didn’t play a game for the Wizards after the deal as he continued to rehab an injured hand, has also consistently said that he wants to know and discuss the team’s plans to continue building the team in the future with the front office.
Davis has been spending most of his time since the end of the season rehabbing in Dallas, where he has an offseason home. Multiple members of the Wizards’ medical and performance staff have traveled to Texas over the past couple of months to assist with his rehab plan alongside his personal trainers and team.
A league source indicated this week that Washington has already met with North Carolina wing Caleb Wilson, another likely top four pick. Wilson did not work out for the team but met with team officials.