AJ Dybantsa hasn’t even played a single NBA minute in Washington yet, but he’s already acting like the franchise’s main attraction. Six days after the Wizards made him the No. 1 pick in the 2026 draft, the 19-year-old forward showed up courtside for the Washington Mystics’ game against the Minnesota Lynx.
It wasn’t his first Mystics game either. Dybantsa caught one during his pre-draft visit and watched them beat the New York Liberty. He joked afterward that maybe he was good luck. Now he’s back in the building, soaking up the atmosphere as the centerpiece of a rebuild that has been desperate for a star.
Washington has not exactly been a basketball paradise lately. The franchise hasn’t won 50 games since 1978-79. They’ve made the playoffs once in the last eight years. That drought explains why the front office went all in on Dybantsa, the first No. 1 pick they’ve had since John Wall in 2010.
What the Wizards Are Building Around Him
The roster around Dybantsa is already taking shape. Washington re-signed Trae Young to a four-year, $212 million deal. They’ve got Anthony Davis in the frontcourt. Young pieces like Alex Sarr, Bilal Coulibaly, Tre Johnson, and Kyshawn George round out a core that suddenly has some real balance.
But Dybantsa is the guy. The one they’re building through. He walked in as the franchise pillar the moment his name was called.
Why the Hype Is Real
His numbers at BYU justify the hype. The 6-foot-9 forward led Division I with 25.5 points per game in his lone college season. He added 6.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists while shooting 51 percent from the field. He dropped a 43-point game that broke Danny Ainge’s BYU freshman scoring record. And he became the first player to lead the country in scoring and go first overall since Glenn Robinson in 1994.
That last stat alone tells you something about the combination of volume and efficiency he brought. He’s not just a scorer. He’s a scorer who makes the whole offense work.
For now though, Dybantsa is keeping it light. Cheering on the Mystics. Enjoying the moment. The real work starts in July when Summer League tips off in Las Vegas and he lines up against fellow top picks like Darryn Peterson and Cameron Boozer. That’s when Washington will start to see what they actually have.
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