Shams says AJ Dybantsa ‘got a pretty hard workout in’ with Wizards despite claiming he didn’t

AJ Dybantsa wanted everyone to believe he was above the pre-draft grind. That he didn’t need to audition. That teams already knew what he could do.

Turns out, he still put in the work.

Hours after the Washington Wizards made Dybantsa the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, ESPN’s Shams Charania dropped a tidbit that directly contradicts what the former high school phenom had been saying during the draft cycle. Dybantsa had confidently told reporters he didn’t work out for any teams because they already had enough tape on him.

Charania didn’t buy it.

“I know AJ Dybantsa said he didn’t work out for anyone,” Charania said on draft night. “I’m told he did get a pretty hard workout in when he was on that visit, had dinner with them, hung out with all of them. They really think his size, his skill, his athleticism is going to be perfect alongside Trae Young at point guard and AD in the middle.”

So much for the no-workout narrative. The Wizards clearly made him earn it.

Why Dybantsa probably felt the pressure to perform

This wasn’t a year with a clear-cut No. 1 prospect. The 2026 draft class was wide open at the top, with multiple players making their case for the top spot. Dybantsa had the talent and the frame scouts drool over, but a bad workout or an entitled attitude could have cost him.

He only had to look at what happened to Ace Bailey in 2025. Bailey refused to work out for teams picking in the top four, hoping to force his way to Washington. The Utah Jazz took him fifth overall anyway, but the stench of that strategy stuck. Bailey was in the mix to go No. 2 or No. 3 before he made a fuss, and the Wizards ended up taking Cooper Flagg instead.

Dybantsa would have been a fool to pull the same stunt. Instead, it looks like he played the game. He showed up, worked hard, had dinner, made the right impressions. The Wizards liked what they saw enough to give him the keys alongside Trae Young and Anthony Davis.

The funny thing is, Dybantsa doesn’t have to admit any of this now. He got the bag. He’s the No. 1 pick. But Shams’ little reveal will stick with him, reminding everyone that even when a prospect says he’s above it, he’s probably still grinding in a gym somewhere, hoping nobody finds out.