By Tiffany Williams –
BROOKLYN — The debate is over.
The speculation ended Tuesday night at Barclays Center when the Washington Wizards made the first pick in the NBA Draft for the third time in the common draft era, selecting BYU superstar AJ Dybantsa with the No. 1 overall selection.
For months, front offices, scouts, analysts and fans argued over who deserved to hear their name called first. Duke’s Cameron Boozer had a powerful case. Arkansas guard Darius Acuff Jr. had supporters throughout the league. Several executives viewed this class as one of the deepest in recent memory.
But when Commissioner Adam Silver stepped to the podium, the decision belonged to Washington.
And the Wizards chose the explosive scoring forward from BYU.
It was a franchise-defining moment for an organization searching for a new identity and a new face of the franchise.
Washington entered the 2026 NBA Draft Lottery with a 14.0 percent chance of receiving the No. 1 overall pick, tied for the best odds with the Brooklyn Nets and Indiana Pacers. The Wizards became the first team since the flattened lottery odds were introduced in 2019 to finish with the NBA’s worst record and receive the No. 1 pick.
Now comes the pressure.
And the expectations.
And perhaps most importantly, the hope.
The Wizards have experienced both triumph and disappointment when holding the first overall selection.
They selected Kwame Brown in 2001.
They selected John Wall in 2010.
Now AJ Dybantsa becomes the third player chosen first overall by the franchise during the common draft era.
Unlike many top prospects who arrive carrying questions about their ability to score against elite competition, Dybantsa arrives in Washington after producing one of the most remarkable freshman seasons in recent college basketball history.
The BYU star led the nation in scoring at 25.5 points per game while also leading the country in total points, field goals made and free throws made. His 894 points during the 2025-26 season rank as the third-most by a freshman in NCAA Division I history.
Night after night, Dybantsa demonstrated why many scouts viewed him as the most dynamic offensive player in the draft.
He could attack the rim.
He could create his own shot.
He could score in transition.
And when defenses collapsed around him, he showed flashes of becoming a more complete playmaker.
His freshman campaign was not simply productive.
It was dominant.
The accolades followed.
Dybantsa earned consensus All-America First Team honors and was a finalist for both the Naismith and Wooden National Player of the Year awards. He also captured Big 12 Freshman of the Year and Newcomer of the Year honors while helping elevate BYU onto the national stage.
Tuesday night’s selection also represented a historic milestone for BYU basketball.
Dybantsa became the first player in school history to be selected No. 1 overall in the NBA Draft.
Before Tuesday, the highest draft selection in BYU history belonged to Shawn Bradley, who was chosen second overall in 1993.
Now Dybantsa stands alone.
First overall.
First in program history.
First in a new era of BYU basketball.
The selection signals the direction Washington hopes to take moving forward.
The modern NBA is built around versatile wings capable of creating offense at all three levels. Teams are constantly searching for players who can score, defend multiple positions and serve as the focal point of an offense.
Washington believes it found that player.
The organization is betting that AJ Dybantsa can become the cornerstone around which everything else is built.
That belief will immediately be tested.
The Wizards remain a rebuilding franchise. The roster still requires significant development. Expectations inside Washington are not about immediate championships.
They are about progress.
Growth.
And the possibility that the franchise has finally found its next superstar.
The pressure attached to the No. 1 pick never disappears.
Every performance will be scrutinized.
Every comparison will be analyzed.
Every highlight and every mistake will be magnified.
That comes with the territory.
But for one night in Brooklyn, none of that mattered.
What mattered was hearing his name called first.
What mattered was making history for BYU.
What mattered was becoming the newest face of a franchise desperate for a brighter future.
The Washington Wizards rolled the dice on talent, potential and star power.
Now AJ Dybantsa begins the next chapter.
And Washington is hoping this story ends much differently than some of its previous experiences with the first overall pick.