Dwyane Wade Gives Valuable Advice For No. 1 Pick AJ Dybantsa

Dwyane Wade has been silently mentoring Washington Wizards’ AJ Dybantsa, the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, ahead of his NBA debut in the upcoming 2026-2027 NBA season. 

According to Dybantsa, Wade has been giving him valuable advice throughout the draft process, including one that has since become a significant part of his career mentality.

Dybantsa said Wade gave him a realization that he wanted to be among the top 100 players in the NBA by the time he retired, just like Wade when he was named in the top 75 players list a few years ago. 

“I spoke to Dwyane Wade right before the draft and I told him I want to be a Hall of Famer and he said that’s what he wanted for me too, until he got selected for the top 75 and that was like a bigger moment for him than the Hall of Fame,” Dybantsa said.  

After that talk, Dybantsa said he is now looking at the league’s 100th anniversary season and that he wants to be part of that exclusive list by that time.

“So he said 20 years from now will be the 100th anniversary, and I should be aiming for the top 100 instead of just the Hall of Fame, so that’s my new goal,” he said.

Over his illustrious 16-year career, mostly with the Miami Heat, Wade racked up an impressive array of accolades, including three NBA championships (2006, 2012, 2013), a 2006 NBA Finals MVP award, and 13 NBA All-Star selections. Wade is considered one of the greatest shooting guards of all-time. 

AJ Dybantsa Is Already Showing Promise In First NBA Exposure

GettyLAS VEGAS, NEVADA – JULY 09: AJ Dybantsa #4 of the Washington Wizardswalks on the court during a break in the first half of a 2026 NBA Summer League game against the Utah Jazz at the Thomas & Mack Center on July 09, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

The 19-year-old Dybantsa is only starting his NBA career. He played two games so far in the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, averaging 25.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 2.5 steals, and 1.5 blocks per game.

In his first games on an NBA court, the 6-foot-9 Dybantsa, who plays as a ball-handling forward, has already shown a knack for shotmaking and putting pressure on the rim. 

Dybantsa will be playing alongside a veteran crew led by point guard Trae Young and former NBA champion Anthony Davis, creating a big three in Washington, a squad that last played in the playoffs in 2021, when they were still bannered by Russell Westbrook and Bradley Beal.

AJ Dybanta Makes All-Defensive Declaration For His Debut Season With The Washington Wizards

GettyNEW YORK, NEW YORK – JUNE 23: AJ Dybantsa speaks to the media after he is drafted first overall by the Washington Wizards during Round One of the 2026 NBA Draft at Barclays Center on June 23, 2026 in New York City.  (Photo by Caleb Bowlin/Getty Images)

AJ Dybantsa said he wants to be an All-Defensive player immediately in the NBA. In the NBA Summer League, Dybantsa declared that he is looking to make a significant impact on the defensive end to help the Wizards next season. 

“I think I can be a first-team All-Defensive team guy,” Dybantsa said via Josh Robbins of The Athletic. “That’s just where I’m trying to make an impact, on the defensive end. In college, I was being really lazy on the defensive end, just letting guys blow by me and not being a help-side defender. But I definitely want to bring it to the next level.”

Dybantsa’s willingness to be a defensive player would be helpful for the Wizards next season as they look to make a breakthrough with Young and Davis leading the charge. 

For now, Dybantsa is expected to further develop his game in the offseason with the Summer League and in training camp late next month. 

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