2026 NBA Draft Lottery Preview: Washington Wizards
Jam Hines and Stephen Gillaspie close out the 2026 Draft Lottery Preview series with the team drafting with the Top Pick: YOUR Washington Wizards!
Jam: After being one ping-pong ball away from landing a generational prospect in Victor Wembanyama in 2023 and again falling one ball shy last year from drafting a two-way superstar in Cooper Flagg, the basketball gods finally smile upon the Washington Wizards in the 2026 cycle, who will be selecting first overall.
The top of the class has widely been considered can’t miss, particularly the three-headed monster of Darryn Peterson, A.J. Dybantsa, and Cam Boozer. Adding one of those potential superstar talents would give the franchise and fanbase a life-changing jolt. They would also join a Wizards squad poised to compete for a playoff spot immediately, thanks to a dynamic core already in place, led by Trae Young, Alex Sarr, Kyshawn George, Tre Johnson, Bilal Coulibaly, Will Riley, and the wildcard, Anthony Davis.
Stephen, where do you see my home team going with the first overall selection, and how realistic is trading down? They have to consider at least all options.
Stephen: I’m pumped for you and the rest of the Wizard fanbase, Jam! These are exciting times for The District, which can look forward to and genuinely enjoy the path to prominence. The moves that they made to bring in some more high-profile players without sacrificing much of their capital were pure brilliance. Trae Young’s stock was acquired at its absolute low point, with Washington bringing him in for just a couple of rotational players. Some people feel like the Wiz can’t bring in particular prospects because they brought in Trae. As far as I know, no extension has been reached, which means there is nothing truly anchoring this team to the player. If he performs well, he can be a deadline target for a ton of teams, which can allow Washington to amass even more assets.
Anthony Davis was brought in while moving off of actual assets–and he is already rumored to be moved before the 2026-2027 season. This will likely bring in some combination of picks and players, or both.
Not a bad place to be for your team, brother!
In terms of drafting players, I personally think there are only two players to consider. This is no shade to Cameron Boozer–and I feel like I’ve had to say this a million times. Just because I don’t have him in the same tier as two other guys doesn’t mean I don’t think he’s good. But I truly feel like there are only two guys worthy of going #1 in this year’s draft.
AJ Dybantsa fits the team's profile. I know there have been changes in the front office, and there is really no way of knowing who they will take, but AJ fits what this roster consists of while providing the upside to be a Top 20 player in the league. I wrote about this earlier in the cycle, but Dybantsa is far more advanced offensively than Anthony Edwards, Kawhi Leonard, Jaylen Brown, etc. were coming into the league. At nearly 6’10”, Dybantsa gives the Wiz versatility and a true, prototypical perimeter player who can carry a franchise to new heights.
Darryn Peterson is the other player who absolutely should be considered on this team. He is my top prospect in this class, so any team, no matter the roster, should take him. Yeah, I know he fancies himself as a point guard–and there is reason to believe that he could be more on-the-ball based on his high school film. This is where some people feel like Washington “can’t” take him, because you already have Trae Young on the team, and they drafted Tre Johnson just last season.
I would draft Peterson and start him alongside Young. Darryn was in the 99th Percentile as a spot-up player, so he immediately provides someone who can open the lane for Kyshawn George, Anthony Davis, and, in theory, Alex Sarr. The level of gravity he brings as a lights-out shooter should make life easier for everyone. Defensively, Peterson has shown in high school and in college that he can be a dog on that end of the floor. Bringing in someone who has off-ball equity, on-ball promise, and two-way production with the sort of strength and athleticism that Darryn Peterson provides… sign me up!
How about you, Jam? I know you mentioned Boozer as someone who should be considered here. Do you worry about his on-the-ball game transition on high usage on this team? How about the defensive inconsistencies he showed in college?
Should it just be AJ Dybantsa as the top guy–and we’re just trying to hedge our bets a little bit here?
Jam: I’ll start with Cam Boozer first. I do expect defensive improvement and believe his ability to leverage his size, strength, feel, and quick hands will at least allow him to be an adequate defender. Thanks to Davis and Sarr, the Wizards arguably offer the best defensive infrastructure at the 5 spot for Boozer. He’s at his best playing the 4 next to a 5, where he can use his defensive prowess. Boozer’s on-ball translation doesn’t worry me at all. I’m a firm believer in his versatile scoring and tremendous feel, even if it isn’t the aesthetically pleasing bursty blow-bys and crossovers. His fit in Washington is my real issue, only because the Boozer-Davis-Sarr frontcourt should be closing out games, but I don’t feel great about whoever will be tasked with defending wings at the 3 spot, and spacing becomes a bit of an issue despite Boozer’s sweet shooting. Sarr is a capable shooting threat, but I just don’t see him at the level that’s needed in this situation.
I’m with you on Darryn Peterson; he’s my top overall prospect and would be an excellent fit in the backcourt alongside Young. AJ Dybantsa brings a terrifying combination of physical tools, ball skills, shot-making versatility, defensive upside, and positional versatility (can play 2-4). He isn’t quite the polished scorer Peterson is, but let’s keep in mind that Dybantsa led the nation in scoring and remains an advanced shot creator who will continue to get better. I think there is a competitive spirit in Dybantsa, where we will see more consistent defensive engagement from him, too. The tools are absolutely there for him to be a plus defender and a potential two-way star. How are you feeling about Dybantsa in Washington, as all signs seem to point that way?
Stephen: While it’s not what I would do, I understand AJ Dybantsa being the move. There are many contributing factors as to why. You have to get this pick right. Personally, I don’t buy into the narratives spewed about Darryn Peterson this season, but if you’re in the decision-making chair, AJ was available all season. He faced injuries to his team, and he had to shoulder more demands on both sides of the ball. By all accounts, AJ has great character. He is engaging with his teammates and the fan base. As I mentioned earlier, he is the prototype–the sort of player you would build in a lab if you could. He’s very tall, athletic, strong, and plays with feel on both ends.
What’s crazy is that he was very productive–dare I say, dominant–and yet he still has areas of his game to improve upon. He shot 33% from deep on respectable volume. In a time where the scouting community values production–a sort of instant gratification in how prospects should perform–one could look at that efficiency and scoff. I’m actually encouraged. There is a confidence in the shot–and NBA teams have a way of helping players along as shooters if they take them with a top pick (I’ve done the research, guys). I’m confident that he will become a respectable shot-maker from deep, at a minimum.
The aspect of his game I would most want to invest in is his decision-making. I’m sure the injuries had something to do with this, but Dybantsa had an Assist-to-Turnover ratio of just 1.2. For someone who had the sort of usage AJ did, you would expect a significantly higher ATO. For instance, Cam Boozer had an ATO of 1.6 on high usage. Darius Acuff had an ATO of 3.0. Yaxel Lendeborg had an ATO of 3.1. Without a knockdown jumper to fall back on, there could be concerns that you’re looking at a mid-range-reliant creator with so-so playmaking ability. That will have to improve if he is going to be the top prospect in the class.
On defense, I agree with the points you made. The usual tropes apply with Dybantsa: he carried such an offensive burden, he has all of the tools, etc. AJ is going to play a position in the NBA where defensive impact is more of a requirement than it is for a point guard. Scheming up ways to “hide” him is more difficult. But I’m optimistic about buying into him becoming more impactful. He has shown defensive know-how in various settings, and I buy into AJ's understanding that more will be asked of him; he’s said as much in recent interviews.
If Davis and Young are mainstays on the roster, then it becomes an easier sell for AJ to give more effort on that end. If they aren’t, Washington will have to rely on George to continue showcasing more on-ball dynamism. Alex Sarr will have to be an impactful and efficient weapon. Tre Johnson will have to continue to grow as a well-rounded scorer. And AJ will have to do more early. Drafting Dybantsa won’t fix the team overnight, but that’s okay. Dallas drafting Cooper Flagg didn’t result in the team making the playoffs in his rookie season, so we should be patient with AJ’s growth and acclimation to the league.