AJ Dybantsa Is Going No. 1 to Washington and the 2026 Draft Class Is About to Get Weird

The lottery balls have dropped, and the order for one of the most talented and deep NBA drafts in recent memory is locked in. The Washington Wizards won the lottery on Sunday and will hold the No. 1 pick. The Utah Jazz own No. 2. Memphis gets No. 3. Chicago checks in at No. 4. The Clippers round out the top five. And yeah, things are about to get interesting.

All signs point to BYU's AJ Dybantsa going first overall to Washington. The former high school scoring machine is a polished offensive player with great size at 6'9" and athleticism to match. He averaged 25.5 points per game, shot 33.1% from three, and made real strides getting to the rim. His playmaking improved too, which is a bonus. The one thing still being developed? Defense. That's the last frontier for Dybantsa, but Washington needs hope and needs it now.

Peterson or Boozer or Wilson: The Jazz Have a Mess on Their Hands

Here's where it gets spicy. Kansas' Darryn Peterson was the consensus No. 1 coming out of high school and could legitimately be the best player in this entire draft class. Peterson put up 20.2 points per game at Kansas, shot 38.2% from three, and has actually bested Dybantsa head-to-head in grassroots and college matchups. Yeah, there are some availability concerns with his season, but the upside is real.

The Jazz have to pick between Peterson, Duke's Cameron Boozer, or North Carolina's Caleb Wilson. Here's the wrinkle nobody saw coming: Carlos Boozer, the former NBA All-Star and Cameron's father, is a Jazz scout. That detail matters when your team holds the No. 2 pick. Wilson, the UNC star, might have the most long-term potential of anyone in the draft class.

The Clippers Scored Big While the Pacers Completely Collapsed

The Indiana Pacers are the lottery's biggest loser. They finished 19-63 without Tyrese Haliburton and fell out of the lottery entirely after having a 52.1% chance of picking in the top four. Brutal.

The Clippers? They hit the jackpot. L.A. acquired a top-four protected pick from the Pacers in the Ivica Zubac trade back in February. The pick was supposed to land between Nos. 5-9 if it didn't make top four. It landed at No. 5, the absolute best case scenario for the Clippers.

The draft itself goes down June 23-24 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Before that, the NBA Combine kicks off next week in Chicago. The dominoes are falling. This thing is about to get rolling.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.