NBA draft: BYU’s Dybantsa No. 1 to Wizards; Utah Jazz select Darryn Peterson
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- AJ Dybantsa, right, celebrates after being chosen No. 1 overall by the Washington Wizards in the NBA draft on Tuesday, June 23, 2026, in New York.
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- Darryn Peterson, right, poses for a photo with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver after being chosen No. 2 overall by the Utah Jazz in the NBA draft on Tuesday, June 23, 2026, in New York.
Yuki Iwamura, Associated Press
AJ Dybantsa, right, celebrates after being chosen No. 1 overall by the Washington Wizards in the NBA draft on Tuesday, June 23, 2026, in New York.
NEW YORK (AP) — The Washington Wizards selected forward AJ Dybantsa, who led the nation in scoring in his one season at BYU, with the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft on Tuesday night.
Dybantsa averaged 25.5 points, highlighted by a 43-point effort that broke BYU’s freshman scoring record.
At 6-foot-9 and 217 pounds, Dybantsa has drawn comparisons to Kevin Durant, who happens to be his favorite player. Durant grew up in the Washington area, and Wizards fans can only hope Dybantsa can live up to the comparisons.
They certainly hope he will be better than center Kwame Brown, the pick Washington made in 2001, the first time it had the No. 1 selection after the NBA changed draft formats to eliminate territorial picks in 1966. The Wizards took John Wall in 2010 the other time, and he did turn into an All-Star.
He appeared to say a quick prayer after his name was announced, then went on stage to greet Commissioner Adam Silver and slipped on a black Wizards hat that matched nicely with his black suit.
Yuki Iwamura, Associated Press
Darryn Peterson, right, poses for a photo with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver after being chosen No. 2 overall by the Utah Jazz in the NBA draft on Tuesday, June 23, 2026, in New York.
Dybantsa beat out fellow freshman Darryn Peterson of Kansas, who was taken at the No. 2 pick by Utah. While some thought Peterson had the most talent in the class, the guard missed 11 games during the season because of injuries and illness, potentially creating some questions that Dybantsa didn’t have.
Cameron Boozer, the college player of the year in his one season at Duke, was taken at No. 3 by Memphis. Caleb Wilson, another freshman forward from rival North Carolina, went to Chicago with the next pick.
Those players were the expected top four throughout the pre-draft process, though there was certainly a case for Peterson to go first with his promise. Or for Boozer, with his body of work after he put up 22.5 points, 10.2 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game for Duke, where his father, Carlos, also played before becoming a two-time NBA All-Star.
The uncertainty was expected to begin at No. 5. The Los Angeles Clippers acquired the rights to it after a trade with the Indiana Pacers and used it on Illinois guard Keaton Wagler. The host Brooklyn Nets then went with Louisville guard Mikel Brown Jr.