Potential No.1 Pick AJ Dybantsa Reacts After Wizards Win Top Spot in NBA Draft Lottery

The lowly Wizards were awarded the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA draft on Sunday after the convoluted draft lottery went their way. And with the owners of the top four selections now set, Sports Illustrated's Kevin Sweeney has already projected the first names off the board to be UNC's Caleb Wilson at No. 4, Duke's Cameron Boozer at No. 3, Kansas's Darryn Peterson at No. 2 and BYU's AJ Dybantsa to the Wizards at No. 1.

As is often the case with the projected top selections, Dybantsa was in the area on Sunday afternoon when the lottery winners were announced. And considering he could very well go No. 1 in June, much attention was paid to his reaction when the Wizards fell atop the pack.

His face ... did not reveal much.

But because it would be unfair to assume he feels one way or the other about the prospect of joining the Wizards without actually asking him, the media on the floor at the event made sure to request his reaction once he had the chance to speak. The former BYU forward was poised and confident in his response:

"Obviously, I've been betting on myself for a little while to be a No. 1 pick, so initially, just thinking, like, how I would fit into the team. I think I'm pretty versatile. Adaptable. So I think I can play anywhere."

He said similarly to another reporter, adding that the Wizards have “a great young core, and they have a couple good vets there.”

How AJ Dybantsa could fit with the Wizards

The Wizards notably traded for former Hawks guard Trae Young and ex-Mavericks forward Anthony Davis—two of the aforementioned vets—during the 2025-26 season. And as for that young core, they've got Alex Sarr up front and Will Riley and Tre Johnson in the back.

It's a solid enough answer from the 19-year-old Dybantsa, who wisely kept things focused on his abilities rather than risk saying something that might offend any team selecting at the top of the draft, Wizards or otherwise. Because lottery aside, there is still no way of knowing where he'll actually end up; heck, it's not even a guarantee that the Wizards will hold onto the No. 1 pick now that they have it.

“Privately, Wizards officials aren’t ruling out a deal,” SI’s Chris Mannix reported in a piece published Sunday evening. "This is widely regarded as a top-heavy draft, with no consensus No. 1. Over the next six weeks, Will Dawkins, Washington’s general manager, will dive into the scouting. If Dawkins zeroes in on one player, Washington will draft him. If there’s a player they like who could slip, sources say, there is the potential to move it."

Also, as Mannix points out, there is reason to believe the Jazz would be interested in Dybantsa, as well, considering the forward's connection to Utah.

All to say: it's not a done deal that Dybantsa is heading to D.C. But if he is, well, he ultimately handled questions about it well, stoic reaction and all. Sure, he might have felt privately nervous about joining a team that finished its season at the bottom of the league. But he didn't overreact, and that's also good.

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