The Washington Wizards ended a three-year rebuild in the most decisive way possible Sunday night, winning the 2026 NBA Draft Lottery and securing the No. 1 overall pick for the first time since 2010. With BYU forward AJ Dybantsa waiting at the top of virtually every mock draft, Washington just got handed the most coveted ticket in basketball.
The numbers behind the win
Washington entered the lottery with a 14.0% chance at the top pick – the highest probability available, earned by posting the NBA’s worst record at 17-65. The odds were there, but in a league where lottery outcomes are never guaranteed, this result ends years of painful losing with maximum payoff. The Wizards last held the No. 1 pick in 2010, when they selected John Wall, whose tenure in Washington eventually unraveled through injuries and a fractured relationship with the franchise.
This time, the front office gets to start clean – and with arguably the most complete prospect to enter the draft in years.
AJ Dybantsa: the consensus No. 1
The 6-foot-9 wing from BYU is the unanimous choice at the top of the 2026 class. Dybantsa averaged 25.5 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists this past season while shooting 51% from the field – leading the nation in scoring through 35 games. At the 2026 NBA Draft Combine held this week, he measured 6-foot-8.5 barefoot with a 7-foot-0.25 wingspan, and led the entire combine field with a 42-inch maximum vertical leap.
“I fill seats,” Dybantsa told Bleacher Report when asked what makes him worth the No. 1 pick. “I think that says a lot about who I am as a player.”
The self-assessment is not unfounded. Dybantsa’s combination of scoring instinct, length and athleticism projects as a franchise cornerstone – the kind of player Washington has lacked since Wall’s injury spiral began in 2018.
A draft class that reshapes the offseason
The lottery result lands in the middle of a seismic offseason for the league. The Milwaukee Bucks are actively seeking trade offers for two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo ahead of the June 23 draft, and Washington’s new asset adds context: teams like the Atlanta Hawks (No. 8) and Golden State Warriors (No. 11) are now viewed as potential trade partners for Milwaukee, their picks adding leverage in any superstar sweepstakes.
Washington, sitting at No. 1, has no such need. Bucks co-owner Jimmy Haslam confirmed this week that resolving Giannis’ future before the draft is the goal – a ticking clock that gives the Wizards leverage of a different kind: patience.
The 2026 NBA Draft takes place June 23 in New York.
“I fill seats. I think that says a lot about who I am as a player.”
– AJ Dybantsa, to Bleacher Report
