Wizards pick BYU’s Dybantsa with first No. 1 pick since 2010

The future is now for the Washington Wizards.

The franchise selected BYU forward A.J. Dybantsa with the No. 1 pick in Tuesday night’s NBA draft, signaling a new era for the long-rebuilding squad.

Dybantsa, 19, led the NCAA in scoring during his lone season with the Cougars. He was the betting favorite to become the top pick in the draft ever since the Wizards won the lottery — for the first time since 2010 — in May.

The Massachusetts native becomes the first No. 1 pick to join the organization since John Wall took the District by storm in 2010. Wall ushered in a fresh generation of fans, sparking enthusiasm as he led the Wizards to four postseason appearances, securing victories in three playoff series.

Dybantsa will face similar expectations.

The Wizards have been tanking since general manager Will Dawkins joined the franchise in 2023. The franchise has fielded uncompetitive teams of unproven players, trading away veterans in exchange for draft picks and prospects in an effort to land a generational talent who could lead the team to sustained success.

In the process, Wizards fans have been subjected to the worst team in the league. Over the last three seasons, Washington has secured a combined 50-196 record. The Utah Jazz, who added Kansas guard Darryn Peterson with the second pick in Tuesday’s draft and were the second-worst team over the last three years, won 20 more games over that span.

“[Dybantsa] is a special person. I can’t wait for the city to embrace him, special person and special athlete,” Dawkins said on Tuesday night. “That’s the combination this city can get behind.”

Dybantsa represents the fruits of Washington’s labor from the recent losing seasons.

Thousands of long-tormented Wizards fans joined forces at The Anthem concert venue in the District on Tuesday night to celebrate the fresh start. Dybantsa has noticed Washington’s die-hards.

“I just know they’re super hungry,” the rookie said of the franchise and its fans. “Obviously, they have a great young core, and the potential is there. We could do big things.”

Their jerseys spanned the franchise’s eras — from red, white and blue Bullets looks to Michael Jordan’s No. 23 and Gilbert Arenas’ No. 0. And when NBA Commissioner Adam Silver announced the pick, they exploded into a collective roar.

“There’s been some challenging years,” said Thomas Starnes, who became a Wizards fan because of Wall and celebrated Dybantsa at Tuesday’s celebration. “It feels like this is the jumpstart we need to take the next step. I think the city is waking up.”

Silver referred to Dybantsa by his given first name — Anicet Jr. — in honor of his father, who emigrated to the U.S. through France after growing up in the Republic of Congo. The No. 1 pick said it was a surreal moment, one that called for long hugs with his parents and sisters.

“I feel super great. I’m just so thankful for the organization and the staff for picking me, believing in me,” said Dybantsa, who noted that he’s embraced the pressure and expected to be the top pick. “I’m ready to work.”

Dybantsa is the exact kind of easy-to-root-for player to reignite the Wizards’ fan base. He’s a high-flying scorer who has a seemingly unparalleled knack for getting to the rim. His highlight-reel-worthy dunks and flashy midrange moves immediately translated when he emerged at BYU. His impressive 51% field-goal percentage and 33% on three-pointers left NBA scouts describing Dybantsa as a franchise cornerstone and likely All-Star at the next level.

Dybantsa is the latest addition to a Wizards lineup that has been overhauled over the last two years. The rookie will likely join a promising rotation that features 2024 No. 2 pick Alex Sarr along with All-Stars Trae Young and Anthony Davis, who came to Washington via midseason trades earlier this year.

Having those veterans will likely ease the transition — and individual expectations — as Dybantsa adjusts to the NBA. Young can run the offense. Sarr and Davis can act as rim protectors who dominate the paint on both sides of the court. On paper, the No. 1 pick is a seamless fit in Washington.

The Wizards’ foundation, Dybantsa said, will allow him to become a “pest” on defense. Offensively, he’ll be able to prioritize his scoring while Young serves as a primary ball-handler.

“It’s just great for me. Just coming into the league as a rookie and having an All-Star point guard like [Young], averaging nine assists, just being elite, being a vet. They can show me the way, how to do this.”

The Wizards picked the right time to build a competitive roster. The NBA’s new lottery setup, which is designed to prevent the wide-scale tanking that drew intense criticism last season, goes into effect next year.

Under the new guidelines, the Wizards will be ineligible to receive the No. 1 pick next year. Similarly, no franchise will be allowed to pick within the top five in three consecutive years. The teams with the worst three records will also not have the best odds to land a top selection, a major shift from the NBA’s previous lottery odds.

“We still want to maintain a team’s ability to build through the draft, but we don’t need to reward the very worst teams with the top odds. …” NBA Executive Vice President Evan Wasch told the league’s website. “It’s still the teams that perform the weakest that are going to get picks near the top of the draft in this lottery. It’s just not as explicit a return on being the bottom team.”

The 2026 NBA draft — the last under the old format — continues with a second round on Wednesday evening. The Wizards hold two picks in the final round.