{"id":2005139,"date":"2026-06-22T20:24:33","date_gmt":"2026-06-22T17:24:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2005139"},"modified":"2026-06-22T20:24:33","modified_gmt":"2026-06-22T17:24:33","slug":"wizards-mum-on-whether-aj-dybantsa-darryn-peterson-will-be-no-1-in-nba-draft","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2005139","title":{"rendered":"Wizards mum on whether AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson will be No. 1 in NBA Draft"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"Article_ContentContainer__jBNW3 article-content-container bodytext1\">\n<p>NEW YORK \u2014 Let\u2019s make this clear right off the bat, because it\u2019s related to the question everyone wants to know.<\/p>\n<p>AJ Dybantsa and Darryn Peterson, the two contenders to be chosen first overall by the Washington Wizards in the 2026 NBA Draft on Tuesday, said they haven\u2019t received any indications about how the top of the draft will unfold.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m going to find out when you find out,\u201d Dybantsa said Monday.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ad-container\">\n<div class=\"ad-wrapper article-treatment\">\n<div class=\"ad-slug-container\">\n<p class=\"ad-slug\">Advertisement<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"mid1\" data-position=\"mid1\" class=\"ad place-ad\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s the only thing I\u2019m not a big fan of,\u201d Peterson said a few minutes later. \u201cI\u2019ve got no clue (about Tuesday). But we\u2019re going to see.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>This draft doesn\u2019t carry the certainty of the 2023 draft, when Victor Wembanyama was a lock to be selected first by the San Antonio Spurs. The same can be said for last year\u2019s draft, when there was no doubt Cooper Flagg would go first to the Dallas Mavericks.<\/p>\n<p>What is certain is that Dybantsa, a 6-foot-9 wing from BYU, and Peterson, a 6-5 combo guard from Kansas, want to be the first pick.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYears and years of work, so it\u2019d probably just mean a lot,\u201d Dybantsa said. \u201cWho knows, I might cry.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt would mean a lot,\u201d Peterson said. \u201cI work super-hard. I feel like I deserve it. But I\u2019m just prepared to make the most out of whatever situation that happens.\u201d<\/p>\n<div data-ath-video-stream=\"EEU35VKSGENBvGl\">\n<div class=\"VideoHost_Root__QeM_i\">\n<div class=\"VideoHost_VideoWidth__XjNKI VideoHost_Portrait__XBaJC\">\n<div class=\"VideoTitleFrame_VariantB__yI4e6\">\n<div class=\"VideoTitleFrame_TextWrapper__jDZKU\">\n<div class=\"VideoTitleFrame_Title__npf3B\">Wizards get the No. 1 draft pick. Will it make a difference?<\/div>\n<div class=\"VideoTitleFrame_Authors__jxyYV\">David Aldridge<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"VideoTitleFrame_VideoWrapper__Xgp47\">{&#8220;@context&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/schema.org&#8221;,&#8221;@type&#8221;:&#8221;VideoObject&#8221;,&#8221;@id&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/video\/EEU35VKSGENBvGl\/&#8221;,&#8221;url&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/video\/EEU35VKSGENBvGl\/&#8221;,&#8221;name&#8221;:&#8221;Wizards get the No. 1 draft pick. Will it make a difference?&#8221;,&#8221;description&#8221;:&#8221;David Aldrige on what it means for the most woebegone franchise in the NBA to secure the No. 1 pick for the first time in 16 years&#8221;,&#8221;uploadDate&#8221;:&#8221;2026-05-11T01:16:20.991Z&#8221;,&#8221;duration&#8221;:&#8221;PT51S&#8221;,&#8221;thumbnailUrl&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/cdn-media.theathletic.com\/video-stream\/auto-thumbnail\/EEU35VKSGENBvGl\/Moa8TKuesT4j.0000000.jpg&#8221;,&#8221;contentUrl&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/video.nyt.com\/athletic\/streams\/EEU35VKSGENBvGl\/Moa8TKuesT4j\/Moa8TKuesT4j.m3u8&#8243;,&#8221;ineligibleRegion&#8221;:[&#8220;BI&#8221;,&#8221;BY&#8221;,&#8221;CD&#8221;,&#8221;CF&#8221;,&#8221;CU&#8221;,&#8221;IQ&#8221;,&#8221;IR&#8221;,&#8221;KP&#8221;,&#8221;LB&#8221;,&#8221;LY&#8221;,&#8221;ML&#8221;,&#8221;NI&#8221;,&#8221;RU&#8221;,&#8221;SD&#8221;,&#8221;SO&#8221;,&#8221;SS&#8221;,&#8221;SY&#8221;,&#8221;UA&#8221;,&#8221;VE&#8221;,&#8221;YE&#8221;,&#8221;ZW&#8221;],&#8221;publisher&#8221;:{&#8220;@type&#8221;:&#8221;NewsMediaOrganization&#8221;,&#8221;@id&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/#publisher&#8221;,&#8221;name&#8221;:&#8221;The Athletic&#8221;,&#8221;url&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/&#8221;,&#8221;foundingDate&#8221;:&#8221;2016-01-25&#8243;,&#8221;logo&#8221;:{&#8220;@type&#8221;:&#8221;ImageObject&#8221;,&#8221;@id&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/theathletic.com\/app\/themes\/athletic\/assets\/img\/the-athletic-wordmark-black.png&#8221;,&#8221;url&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/theathletic.com\/app\/themes\/athletic\/assets\/img\/the-athletic-wordmark-black.png&#8221;,&#8221;contentUrl&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/theathletic.com\/app\/themes\/athletic\/assets\/img\/the-athletic-wordmark-black.png&#8221;,&#8221;creditText&#8221;:&#8221;The Athletic&#8221;,&#8221;height&#8221;:&#8221;60&#8243;,&#8221;width&#8221;:&#8221;435&#8243;},&#8221;publishingPrinciples&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/edit-guidelines\/&#8221;,&#8221;sameAs&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/The_Athletic&#8221;},&#8221;author&#8221;:[{&#8220;@type&#8221;:&#8221;Person&#8221;,&#8221;name&#8221;:&#8221;David Aldridge&#8221;}]}<\/p>\n<div class=\"AspectRatioBox_root__AKv5b\" style=\"aspect-ratio:9 \/ 16;max-height:min(100%)\">\n<div class=\"AspectRatioBox_inner__86C_2\" style=\"aspect-ratio:9 \/ 16\">\n<div class=\"VideoStreamPlayer_GridStack__2H0p2\"><video preload=\"none\"><\/video><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Dybantsa and Peterson, along with other first-round prospects, met Monday afternoon with media at a Manhattan hotel, barely a block away from the NBA\u2019s corporate headquarters. Neither player said anything explosive, but Peterson confirmed that he met with Utah Jazz officials over the weekend after deciding not to work out for the Jazz. He did work out for the Wizards.<\/p>\n<div id=\"top-league-content-root\"><\/div>\n<p>    {&#8220;endpoint&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/api-prd-nyt.theathletic.com\/graphql&#8221;}<\/p>\n<p>The Jazz hold the No. 2 pick.<\/p>\n<p>Asked Monday why he didn\u2019t work out for the Jazz, Peterson answered: \u201c(It was) just a decision that was made, but I\u2019m definitely not dodging any team. Whoever takes me, I\u2019m going to come in and be delighted to be there. And wherever that happens to be, they\u2019ll get the best me. But I\u2019m not dodging any team. I\u2019m ready to play for whoever.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Dybantsa\u2019s appeal to the Wizards centers on his strength on both ends of the floor and his potential to develop into a three-level scorer. Drafting Dybantsa would double down Washington\u2019s emphasis on adding players with outstanding positional size. He would have the chance to become a foundational player for Washington.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ad-container\">\n<div class=\"ad-wrapper article-treatment\">\n<div class=\"ad-slug-container\">\n<p class=\"ad-slug\">Advertisement<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"mid2\" data-position=\"mid2\" class=\"ad place-ad\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Last season, Dybantsa <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncaa.com\/stats\/basketball-men\/d1\/current\/individual\/136\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">led Division I in scoring<\/a>, averaging 25.5 points, and in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncaa.com\/stats\/basketball-men\/d1\/current\/individual\/851\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">total free-throw attempts<\/a>, with 296 in 35 games.<\/p>\n<p>Peterson arrived at Kansas arguably as heralded as Dybantsa, but he was plagued by episodes of quadriceps cramping, hamstring and ankle injuries. In his 24 games with the Jayhawks, he averaged 20.2 points and made 38.2 percent of his 3-point tries.<\/p>\n<p>Because Dybantsa spent part of high school in Utah, played at BYU and attended some Jazz games, there\u2019s been some speculation he would prefer to land with the Jazz. Asked Monday if that\u2019s the case, Dybantsa said he has \u201cno preference.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He said he would fit well with the Wizards.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey\u2019ve got a good young core,\u201d Dybantsa said. \u201cSo if I went there, I could fit in, be a real dynamic player, a dynamic wing there, make an offensive impact and a defensive impact.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Peterson, like Dybantsa, projects as a foundational NBA player, someone with the ability to generate his own shot without screens, a relatively rare trait that has proven to be crucial in the playoffs. If the Wizards draft Peterson, he almost certainly would begin his career playing off the ball as he learns from starting point guard Trae Young, who <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/7382866\/2026\/06\/22\/trae-young-washington-wizards-new-contract\/?unlocked_article_code=1.sFA.076j.y1Obl2kdWXlP\">agreed Monday<\/a> to a four-year extension worth $212 million. Peterson eventually could emerge as Washington\u2019s point guard of the future.<\/p>\n<p>Peterson spoke highly of his visit with Wizards officials.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI went out there and met with the staff and the GMs and all that, and we connected, which is something huge for me.\u201d Peterson said. \u201cI want to have a connection with those guys. On the court, (the Wizards have) a young core. I\u2019m going to be coming in as a young guy and playing beside some of those guys I know, I feel like I would fit in perfect.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>NEW YORK \u2014 Let\u2019s make this clear right off the bat, because it\u2019s related to the question everyone wants to know. AJ Dybantsa and Darryn Peterson, the two contenders to be chosen first overall by the Washington Wizards in the 2026 NBA Draft on Tuesday, said they haven\u2019t received any indications about how the top [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,241],"class_list":["post-2005139","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-nytimes-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2005139","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2005139"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2005139\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2005139"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2005139"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2005139"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}