Wizards Land Top Pick
Washington Wizards Select Brockton's AJ Dybantsa First in the 2026 NBA Draft
The Washington Wizards selected AJ Dybantsa with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft on June 24, making the Brockton, Massachusetts native the latest New England product to go first in the draft. CBS News reported the pick as a major turning point for a Wizards team that went 17-65 last season — the worst record in the NBA.
Dybantsa, a 6'9" forward, spent one season at BYU and averaged 25.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game, according to Enterprise News. He becomes the second straight No. 1 pick from New England, following Cooper Flagg of Maine, who went to the Dallas Mavericks in 2025.
Dybantsa's Historic BYU Season Set Him Apart
Dybantsa dominated college basketball in his only season with the BYU Cougars. He led the entire NCAA with 25.5 points per game and shot 51.0% from the field. He also broke Kevin Durant's 20-year-old record for most points scored in a Big 12 game by a freshman, dropping 40 points against Kansas State, according to Wicked Local.
He capped his college run with a 35-point, 10-rebound performance in the NCAA Tournament before BYU fell to Texas. On draft night, Dybantsa reflected on how long he had been working toward this moment. "This will be the biggest job of my life," he said, "but also, it's something I've been preparing for since I was four years old with a Spider-Man basketball."
Wizards Won the Lottery After a Brutal Season
Washington earned the top pick the hard way. The Wizards posted a 17-65 record in 2025-26, the second-worst in franchise history. Their defense ranked last in the NBA, giving up points at a rate of 122.7 per 100 possessions, according to Herald News.
The Wizards had just a 14% chance of winning the lottery, a probability they shared with the Detroit Pistons and San Antonio Spurs. Despite those odds, Washington came out on top on May 11, 2026, locking up the right to select Dybantsa.
Trae Young and Anthony Davis Already in Place
Dybantsa is not walking into an empty roster. The Wizards made bold moves during the season to build around their incoming star. In January, they acquired All-Star point guard Trae Young from Atlanta. In February, they landed Anthony Davis in a three-team trade with Dallas and Charlotte, according to South Coast Today.
Young agreed to a four-year, $212 million extension just days before the draft, per CBS News. That deal signals Washington's commitment to pairing him with Dybantsa long-term. Critics have raised questions about how the team will share the ball among three high-usage players, but optimists see the trio as an Eastern Conference dark horse.
Brockton Celebrates Its Biggest Sports Star in Decades
Back in Massachusetts, the reaction was one of pure pride. Dybantsa grows up in Brockton, a city long known for producing tough competitors. He is considered the most successful athlete to come out of Brockton since boxing legend Rocky Marciano, according to Enterprise News.
The back-to-back New England picks at No. 1 — Flagg from Maine in 2025, Dybantsa from Massachusetts in 2026 — mark a first in NBA history. Ticket demand for Wizards games at Capital One Arena has already surged 40% since Washington won the draft lottery, a sign that the "Dybantsa Effect" is already taking hold in D.C.
Sentiment
NeutralPublishers
5
Articles
4
Reach
5
