2026 NBA Draft Top Storylines: AJ Dybantsa Top Overall Pick?
Our own Nathan Grubel takes a look at the biggest storylines to come from the 2026 NBA Draft Lottery, including if AJ Dybantsa is the best fit at the top for the Washington Wizards.
The 2026 NBA Draft Lottery has come and gone, with the Washington Wizards taking the top spot in the draft! Three teams in total jumped up into the top four, with the Utah Jazz, Memphis Grizzlies, and Chicago Bulls taking the immediate picks after Washington, respectively.
So with that being said, there are PLENTY of storylines to discuss now that the lottery has played out. I’m going to go through the ones that mean the most to what we could see both before the draft and leading into the offseason that will affect what becomes of the next year in professional basketball.
Of course, we HAVE to start with who the best fit is in Washington with the Wizards!
Who Goes #1 Overall To The Washington Wizards?
I’ve said for months that AJ Dybantsa is the most likely player to go first overall in the 2026 NBA Draft because he is the “safest” option.
Now, what exactly do I mean by safest? He’s a prospect, far from a finished product. Dybantsa isn’t a perfect player, with several areas of improvement before he would realize his potential as a 6’9” do-it-all forward/jumbo wing creator.
But Dybantsa presents a very easy pitch to sell a front office, owner, and fanbase on in the short and long term. Dybantsa has all of the athletic tools and ball skills that make for highlight-reel finishes and shots time and time again. He can create his own shot off the dribble, attack mismatches in the post, can pass out of double teams, and finish above the trees on the break in transition. Not to mention his three-point shot really started to come around towards the end of the year at BYU, both off the catch and off the dribble.
There’s a full package there with Dybantsa on offense, as he projects to control games with the ball in his hands at a position that NBA teams covet. There are several enticing options at the top of this draft between Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer, and Caleb Wilson. But how likely is it for an executive to tell an owner they aren’t taking someone like AJ if given the option to do so?
That’s the main reason behind my firm belief he’s the player who will go at the top of the draft. But does that mean he’s the best FIT in Washington?
I actually think he is, and that goes beyond where the roster is currently. I understand all of the arguments behind Trae Young and Anthony Davis being players who command the rock and will soak up usage on a team that doesn’t have a ton of experience around them. That’s perfectly fine for now, as both of those players will help the Wizards front office evaluate the rest of the talent on the roster. But who knows how long those players will actually BE in Washington. No one should be making roster decisions based on those two for that sole reason. Besides, great players figure out how to play with other great players.
This Wizards front office has routinely made decisions based on roster flexibility. Most, if not all, of the young players for the Wizards can play multiple positions and command several roles both on and off the ball. Kyshawn George and Bilal Coulibaly can scale up and down the wing positions on both ends of the floor. Alex Sarr can play either the power forward or center in the frontcourt. Tre Johnson has upside as a player who can play on or off the ball, similar to Will Riley, who did both in pretty strong fashion to end the year for the Wizards.
AJ doesn’t have to dominate the ball every trip down the floor. He can come off secondary actions and make plays. He can cut to the rim, play in ball-screen offense as the screener, run the floor in transtion, and finish in the open court. There are more ways to use Dybantsa on offense than posting him up or having him call for a ball screen. And when he does have the rock in his hands? He can make a tough bucket himself OR set someone else up for a clean look based on the attention he will command as a relentless downhill threat who loves to draw contact and get to the free throw line.
This Wizards squad has significant upside based on positional size, athleticism, and flexibility. Dybantsa adds to that identity and takes nothing off the table on either end of the floor, even if he needs to round out certain areas of his game, particularly on defense.
Washington needs to take the best player available on the board, and that may very well be Dybantsa when all is said and done.
Should the Utah Jazz Trade Up To #1 Overall To Select AJ Dybantsa, or Stay and Take the Best Player Available?
Now, this question could very well be answered with a “no” based entirely upon the feeling of the Washington Wizards in terms of who is the best player in this draft.
If the Wizards deem AJ Dybantsa as the sole best player available with a talent gap between him and anyone else available, then this conversation is for naught, as it would likely take an over-the-moon offer to pry away such a talent from another rebuilding organization. It’s already been reported per Jake Fischer at The Stein Line that Michael Winger and Will Dawkins will listen to offers on the top overall pick, depending upon how the front office views the overall talent pool.
However, this draft is loaded at the top for a reason. Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer, and Caleb Wilson all possess the type of talent that would challenge for No. 1 overall in plenty of other drafts, and even in this one against Dybantsa.
There is a real possibility the Wizards may favor one of the other young stars over Dybantsa for their particular roster. Peterson has the potential to develop into an on-ball scoring machine at guard, something the roster doesn’t currently have in that exact capacity (though I’m sure Tre Johnson would like a word). Boozer has point forward written all over him in terms of how he can handle inverted ball screens and pass out of doubles in the halfcourt while also being the best transition passer in the 2026 class. His skill set would lift the floor of everyone around him while raising the team’s overall offensive ceiling.
Then there’s Wilson, who is the best wild card in this entire draft. His talent is incredibly enticing as the best athlete in the draft at 6’9”, who really started to round out his skill set beyond relying solely on his athleticism to generate opportunities and create advantages. He’s a lethal mid-range scorer, elite above-the-rim finisher, and one heck of a standstill passer. If his ball-handling continues to improve like we’ve seen in workouts, and his three-point shot comes along, he’s all of a sudden challenging for the highest ceiling in this class—even past Dybantsa.
I say all of this to say, IF there is any opportunity for the Jazz to trade up in the draft, then that possibility should be explored. Dybantsa would give the Jazz a true one-on-one wing scorer who has the length and athleticism to make more of an impact on the defensive end of the floor than a Brice Sensabaugh, for example—not to mention that he would command secondary reps and make the lives of Keyonte George, Ace Bailey, and Lauri Markkanen easier. That team would benefit from having another lead engine who could attack mismatches in pick-and-roll and create off the dribble.
That type of trade would likely mean multiple first-round picks and possibly a prized young player going back the other way. Washington was interested in Ace Bailey last year. Would that potentially be a way to get him in the mix while also still having a high pick to take Peterson or Boozer?
I’ll be keeping a close eye on what Utah decides to do in the draft, be it stand pat, move up, OR even move off another player like a Markkanen, if a Godfather offer is out there. The Jazz should be in asset accumulation mode for as long as possible. I wouldn’t move someone like Lauri just to move him, but you never know how desperate another franchise could be to add a talent like him.
Expect Utah to be open to anything ahead of draft night BECAUSE of the certainty the franchise has with the second pick, knowing that one of Peterson, Boozer, or Wilson will be there even if Dybantsa is off the board.
Clippers Keep The Pick! But Which Top Guard Prospect Is Best FIT With Current LA Roster?
What a wild ride for the LA Clippers. Yes, the team moved off one of the best centers in the league in Ivica Zubac at the trade deadline, BUT the franchise now possesses the #5 pick in the 2026 draft courtesy of the Indiana Pacers due to the protections that were on the pick.
Essentially, either the Pacers were going to keep the pick if it landed 1-4, OR it was going to the Clippers if it fell to 5 or 6. Los Angeles retains that pick as it’s not going back to Indiana.
In that same deal, the Clippers also acquired future draft assets, Bennedict Mathurin, and Isaiah Jackson. In a separate deal, LA flipped James Harden for Darius Garland from the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Clippers made a clear pivot into more youth and depth around star forward Kawhi Leonard, and that trend continues now with the fifth pick in the draft.
So, which of the young guards available after the top options of AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer, and Caleb Wilson fits best with the Clippers?
Well, first, we should establish why I’m saying the word “guard” for this pick. The rest of the best young players available in the 2026 draft after the “Four Horsemen” of this class are point guards or combo guards. Kingston Flemings, Keaton Wagler, Mikel Brown, Brayden Burries, Darius Acuff. The list goes on and on.
For my money? I think Wagler is the best option for LA at the fifth spot. For starters, he’s a 6’6” combo guard with good size and length at that shooting guard position. He can toggle both on and off the ball, and has a skill set that meshes well with all of Garland, Mathurin, and Leonard.
Wagler’s primary gift is his shooting touch. He is lethal if left open off the catch and is a killer in isolation, creating deep shots with his step-back footwork. His pull-up three is one of the best signature shots from any of the top young stars in this draft class, full stop.
That positional flexibility should be prioritized by the Clippers moving forward, given the Garland acquisition. Wagler has the skills to play point guard, but that doesn’t have to be his full-time role because of his shooting ability off of it.
What makes Wagler such an enticing choice this high in the draft is how he has a blend of footwork, pace, and poise that you can’t teach. These things carried him through a standout season in the Big Ten for an Illinois team that made a deep run to the Final Four in the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament. Wagler wasn’t a consensus Top 100 high school recruit, yet he emerged as the team’s best offensive player by a mile. Wagler was the leader down the stretch for the Fighting Illini and produced in the tournament at the same levels as he did during the regular season. It’s hard for a freshman to carry his same output through a competitive tournament that’s gotten older and more experienced. Wagler did it and was tough as nails in creating contact and scoring in the lane when needed.
I’m very interested in Wagler’s upside as a star guard, and he’s the most logical choice for the Clippers, providing depth in the backcourt that this franchise hasn’t had in quite some time.
WHAT Happens Now With The Milwaukee Bucks After Securing The #10 Overall Pick?
Does this outcome in the lottery change ANYTHING for the Milwaukee Bucks in terms of how the team should approach the months ahead?
My guess is no, but it’s still better that this team has a lottery pick than not having one. Drafting at 10 could still yield a great young player for this team to build with moving forward, regardless of whether or not he’s the new face of the franchise IF Giannis Antetokounmpo is in fact traded this offseason.
This team has holes everywhere. There is no clear, young alpha on this roster ready to take over the team from Giannis if he’s on the move. Ryan Rollins was an incredible story. A lot of the other draft picks for the Bucks in recent years haven’t worked out or aren’t even on the roster anymore in favor of acquiring veteran players around Antetokounmpo.
This team needs to find the best player available at #10 and identify them correctly. It could be whichever lead guard drops to that spot. It could very well be an experienced forward like Yaxel Lendeborg who could help bridge around other more established talent, depending on what a Giannis return looks like.
The Bucks do not control their draft future until well into the 2030’s. There is no one coming to save them from a draft over the next few years anytime soon, barring an unforeseen return of the team’s draft picks from the Portland Trail Blazers in a direct or three-team Giannis trade.
Because of how unlikely that scenario is, Milwaukee needs to act with urgency with this pick. It should NOT be moved to try to appease Giannis with another veteran. Maybe the Bucks could trade with another team higher in the lottery and get a second pick in this 2026 draft. Would Brooklyn bite and move off No. 6 and other stuff for Antetokounmpo? What about Atlanta, or Chicago?
If there aren’t other trade scenarios available to acquire another lottery pick or move up, then it’s on this front office to do its best to take the highest ceiling talent on the board, or find a player that can operate as a bridge with other established talent to remain competitive. If I had to choose the likelier of these scenarios, I’d go with Milwaukee drafting the best point guard available at that spot, given that’s where the best talent is in this draft in terms of positional depth.
Should ANY of the Warriors, Heat, or Hornets Trade OUT of the Lottery to Acquire Win-Now Vets?
This is an underrated storyline in the 2026 NBA Draft that I haven’t seen any discussion on yet, but it’s worth pondering as we close in on June.
All of these teams haven’t had recent postseason success (or, in the case of the Charlotte Hornets, much of any postseason success).
The Golden State Warriors are trying to make the most of whatever Stephen Curry has left. That much is certain, given the extension of Steve Kerr, the retention of Draymond Green, and the acquisition of Kristaps Porzingis from the Atlanta Hawks in the Jonathan Kuminga trade.
Golden State isn’t trying to play cute with the two timelines logic anymore. This is a team that wants to compete as much as possible in the Western Conference. Could the Warriors package their pick this year, plus several first round picks thereafter, and Jimmy Butler’s salary to go get Giannis Antetokounmpo from the Milwaukee Bucks?
The Miami Heat are in a similar position. Pat Riley and the front office seem focused on building around Bam Adebayo, but several other pieces on this team have either underperformed or could stand an upgrade. Miami is always big-game hunting. Is there a trade out there for a certain star guard on the Cleveland Cavaliers if that team bows out in disappointing fashion against the Detroit Pistons in the Eastern Conference Semifinals? Donovan Mitchell is likely to be on the trade block at some point. There’s a world where the team can still get out of James Harden, retain Evan Mobley, and move Mitchell in a multi-team deal with Miami and another team that nets significant assets back, such as Tyler Herro, Kel’el Ware, and a boatload of picks.
And then there’s the Hornets that got a taste of postseason play this year thanks to an offensive trio of LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, and star rookie Kon Knueppel. There’s already a lot of youth on this roster. Is another lottery pick the answer to move Charlotte forward into next season under Charles Lee? Or could there be another shrewd trade out there using that pick that nets another starter-level contributor, like how the Hornets acquired Coby White at the deadline?
I’d keep an eye on these teams to be involved in trade discussions leading up to the draft with their picks. All of them could stay where they are and take some talented youngsters. This draft is deep for a reason, with starter-level players through the lottery into the late teens and 20’s. That value could mean some other teams are willing to make some moves happen in order to get younger and more cost-effective moving forward.
Any immediate thoughts on what the Hawks should do at 8 and 23?