Wizards hold No. 1 pick in 2026 draft

The Washington Wizards hold the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft after winning the lottery on May 10, and the early debate around that selection has centered on two names: Darryn Peterson and AJ Dybantsa. The Athletic reported on May 17 that an executive poll after the lottery put Peterson and Dybantsa at the top of the Wizards' decision tree. The NBA has said the 2026 draft begins June 23 in New York, putting a short runway between the lottery, combine and final team workouts. That timetable has made the Wizards one of the focal points of the league's pre-draft process. ### Why are Peterson and Dybantsa the two names attached most often to Washington? The Athletic's May 17 executive poll listed Darryn Peterson and AJ Dybantsa as the leading options for Washington at No. 1 after the lottery. The report said the post-lottery process was moving quickly as teams shifted from draft-order scenarios to direct evaluations of individual prospects. NBA.com, citing reporting from The Athletic on May 11, also highlighted Dybantsa as the projected No. 1 pick in a post-lottery mock draft, with Peterson going next. That alignment across early post-lottery coverage has kept the Wizards tied most closely to those two prospects rather than to a wider top tier. ### What is officially settled, and what is still projection? The NBA said on May 10 that Washington won the 2026 draft lottery and will pick first. That part is no longer in dispute. The rest of the conversation is still projection. The Wizards have not publicly announced a choice, and the available reporting describes a live evaluation process rather than a decision. The Athletic framed the question as what Washington should do with the pick, not what it had already decided to do. (nytimes.com) ### Where did the draft process stand as teams moved from the lottery to workouts? The NBA announced that the 2026 AWS Draft Combine ran from May 10 through May 17 at Wintrust Arena and the Marriott Marquis in Chicago. The league said 73 players were invited to participate in testing, drills, interviews and scrimmages during that week. NBA.com said the combine included official measurements, athletic testing, shooting drills and team interviews. (nba.com) Those settings matter for teams at the top of the board because they provide direct access to prospects immediately after the lottery order is set. ### How much time do the Wizards actually have before making the pick? June 23 is the key date. The NBA said the 2026 draft begins that day in New York, leaving Washington roughly six weeks from the lottery result to make its choice. That window is standard for the league's calendar but compressed in practical terms. Executives, agents and prospects move from Chicago interviews and testing into private team meetings and workouts, and reporting from The Athletic described that post-lottery stretch as moving quickly. (nba.com) ### Are there other prospects in the conversation behind the top two? NBA.com, in an Associated Press item published May 14, said Peterson and Dybantsa could be the top two picks but noted Duke's Cameron Boozer and North Carolina's Caleb Wilson were also part of the upper tier. USA Today similarly described Dybantsa, Peterson and Boozer as part of the race for No. 1 in coverage published during combine week. Those reports do not displace Peterson and Dybantsa from the center of the Wizards discussion. (nba.com) They do show that evaluators still view the top of the class as deeper than a one-player draft, which is part of why Washington's decision has drawn so much attention. ### What happens next for Washington before draft night? The Wizards' next steps are the standard pre-draft ones: private workouts, medical reviews, front-office meetings and final interviews with top prospects. The combine has ended, but the decision period has not. June 23 is the next fixed milestone, when commissioner Adam Silver is scheduled to open the 2026 NBA Draft in New York and Washington will go on the clock at No. 1. Until then, the reporting around the pick is likely to stay focused on Peterson and Dybantsa unless the Wizards or another top prospect changes the board through late workouts or interviews. (nba.com 1) (nba.com 2)