Happy Wednesday everyone. In case you haven’t heard, the Washington Wizards selected AJ Dybantsa No. 1 overall in the 2026 NBA Draft. So after one entire month of spamming you this guy’s name (and even a few other prospects), we finally know what the Wizards are moving in with their young roster.
The last time the Wizards selected a No. 1 overall pick, it was in 2010. John Wall was the selection, he was the franchise player, but he was also the first player for Washington’s rebuild at the time. Unlike
2010, the Wizards have been rebuilding for three seasons. They only very recently have acquired two All-Stars in Trae Young (who will be a Wizard for the next four seasons) and Anthony Davis. Now that Dybantsa is in the mix, there’s a lot of optimism right?
First, let’s look at where people put their money. How good do they expect the Wizards to be? Unfortunately, according to FanDuel as of 6 a.m. ET on June 25, 2026, the Wizards are the 11th most likely team to win the Eastern Conference with +20000 odds. Based on that number alone, NBA fans nationwide (and beyond) would say no. They expect the Wizards to still be rebuilding, even if they are no longer expected to be the absolute doormat.
That said, betting markets can’t be the only way we look at this kind of stuff. How do the fans think? Let’s go to the Wizards’ Draft Party last night at The Anthem, a concert venue at The Wharf.
Let’s also get some schadenfreude from looking at how Salt Lake City reacted while we’re at it.
How about the Wizards front office when they called him? (I still wonder how NBA teams get the phone numbers of players … it’s probably an agent phone and it’s probably a scripted call for social media. But still.)
How about player reactions?
And to make this full circle? How about Wall himself?
Sometimes, you have to go off of vibes when you’re talking about a “rebuilding” vs. a “contending” era. And my vibes give me a clear answer: Yes, AJ Dybantsa is the player who ends the Wizards’ rebuild. Sure, the Wizards will change their roster over the next few years. Sure, the Wizards are NOT NBA championship contenders. Hell, they probably won’t contend for the Southeast Division in 2026-27 because the Miami Heat (as usual) are bringing in superstars.
But is the worst stretch of Wizards basketball in franchise history over? Do we know WHO the Wizards WILL have five years from now? Yes. And that means the rebuild (at least from a tanking perspective) is finally over.
