I recently wrote that if the Washington Wizards are rewarded with the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, that they should not hesitate to take Kansas freshman guard Darryn Peterson. While I still believe
that Peterson should be at the top of the Wizards’ big board, it would not be a disaster if they end up selecting No. 2 and Peterson is unavailable.
BYU freshman wing AJ Dybantsa and Duke freshman forward Cameron Boozer have long been considered part of the consensus top three alongside Peterson. North Carolina freshman forward Caleb Wilson and Houston freshman point guard Kingston Flemings have both had dramatic rises up draft boards and will likely be picked after the Peterson-Dybantsa-Boozer trio.
But, there is a clear option for the Wizards after Peterson.
AJ Dybantsa, 6’9” Wing from BYU
Talent evaluators have had their eye on AJ Dybantsa since he was a freshman in high school and he won the Massachusetts Boys Basketball Gatorade Player of the Year. It has seemed like a foregone conclusion for years that Dybantsa would be one of the top picks in the 2026 NBA Draft. Dybantsa came to BYU with sky-high expectations, and has not only met them, but surpassed them. He has put together a dominant and historic campaign and is helping make BYU a legitimate national championship contender.
At 6’9”, 210 pounds with elite athleticism, Dybantsa has truly enviable positional size that will allow him to be a difference-maker on both ends of the floor at the NBA level. He can score at all three levels, play above the rim and has even shown flashes of some advanced playmaking abilities. He has combo guard skills and plays with a comfortability and fluidity rarely seen in someone so big at his age.
Many questioned Dybantsa’s decision to attend BYU, which is not known as a program that normally attracts elite prospects and one-and-done candidates. But, head coach Kevin Young has revitalized the program in just his second year at the helm. Young, who was an NBA assistant from 2016-2024 with the Philadelphia 76ers and the Phoenix Suns, has turned BYU into a dream landing spot for players with NBA aspirations. Egor Dëmin, who was on last year’s BYU’s team, was drafted eighth overall last year and has been one of the best rookies in the NBA so far. Young has not only turned BYU into a winning team, but has made them one of the top developmental programs in the country.
Dybantsa is averaging 23.6 points, 6.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.3 steals and 0.5 blocks per game while shooting 53.0% from the field, 31.8% from three and 76.2% from the free throw line. He is leading the entire NCAA in points per game. On Jan. 24 in a 91-78 victory over Utah, Dybantsa scored 43 points and made four threes, both season highs, while also grabbing six rebounds, dishing out three assists and blocking a shot.
Dybantsa’s biggest test of the season came on Monday against an undefeated Arizona team. While his 24 points, four rebounds and five assists look solid on the surface, along with his crucial role in helping orchestrate a frantic BYU comeback attempt in the final minutes, his game showed some cracks going up against a frontcourt featuring the 7’2”, 260 pound Montiejus Krivas and likely top-10 pick Koa Peat. Dybantsa showed some tunnel vision and often settled for contested mid-range jumpers instead of looking for teammates or making the extra effort to find a more efficient shot.
While Dybantsa has not looked like a superstar on the defensive end at the collegiate level, he still has the potential to be an elite NBA defender because of his length, quickness and athletic tools. His positioning and timing need work, but those should come with time. It is easy to see how Dybantsa could become a versatile, switchable Swiss Army Knife on defense.
A player like Dybantsa is versatile enough to thrive on almost any roster in the entire NBA, but the Wizards would be an especially perfect fit. He would instantly form one of the best scoring wing/forward duos in the entire league alongside Kyshawn George, really only behind Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown on the Boston Celtics and Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner on the Orlando Magic. If Trae Young signs an extension, Dybantsa would benefit from his playmaking and the open looks he would get from sharing the court with such an effective on-ball creator. Positionally, the Wizards could go big and play Dybantsa at the two with George at the three, or go for a smaller lineup with Dybantsa at his more natural position at the three and have George play up at the four.
The NBA comparisons for Dybantsa are endless. The most common one is probably NBA legend Tracy McGrady. Like McGrady, Dybantsa has the skills and fluidity of a much shorter player and can score from anywhere on the floor. Other comps include Paul George, Kevin Durant, and Jaylen Brown.
I project Dybantsa to immediately be a 20 point per game scorer the second he enters the NBA. He has the potential to grow into one of the league’s truly elite bucket-getters along with having real two-way potential. Those types of players do not come around very often. While Peterson is still looking like the real prize of this draft, Dybantsa is no ordinary consolation prize. He is a player the Wizards could build around and who could play a key role in getting them out of their rebuild and back into playoff contention.
