The Washington Wizards finally caught a break on Sunday night, winning the 2026 NBA Draft Lottery and earning the franchise’s first No 1 overall pick since selecting John Wall in 2010. After back-to-back disastrous seasons and a 17-65 finish this year, Brian Keefe and co entered the lottery tied with the best odds at 14%, alongside the Indiana Pacers and Brooklyn Nets. This time, the ping-pong balls finally bounced in the Wizards’ favor.
The franchise’s rebuild has already included blockbuster additions such as Trae Young and Anthony Davis, but the lottery victory now gives Washington a chance to add another franchise-altering talent.
AJ Dybantsa emerging as favorite for top pick
While several elite freshmen headline the 2026 class, most projections now point toward AJ Dybantsa becoming the likely No 1 selection. The Brigham Young University star averaged 25.5 points per game during his lone college season and has steadily climbed ahead of fellow prospects Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer and Caleb Wilson in draft conversations.
Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman recently compared Dybantsa’s game to Jaylen Brown, noting:“Dybantsa’s case right now has the fewest holes.”
Dybantsa reacts to lottery moment
Dybantsa was among the top draft prospects present at Chicago’s Navy Pier for the lottery reveal and admitted the moment felt surreal.
“Standing here is kind of crazy,” Dybantsa said. “One of these teams is going to be home.”
That ‘home’ could now very well become Washington.
Wizards’ projected depth chart if Dybantsa arrives
If Washington selects Dybantsa first overall, the roster could suddenly look significantly more dangerous entering the 2026-27 season.
Projected lineup
PG: Trae Young
SG: AJ Dybantsa
SF: Bilal Coulibaly
PF: Anthony Davis
C: Alex Sarr
Lottery shakeup hurts Pacers, benefits Clippers
While the Wizards celebrated, the night turned painful for Indiana. The Pacers fell to the No 5 slot, which means the pick now belongs to the Los Angeles Clippers because of protections tied to the Ivica Zubac trade.
The lottery order after Washington included:
Washington Wizards
Utah Jazz
Memphis Grizzlies
Chicago Bulls
The draft begins June 23 in New York City, where the Wizards are now expected to officially begin a new era.
