The Washington Wizards‘ last No. 1 overall selection, John Wall, was the team’s representative as the franchise won the first overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.
Although Washington has the green light to land the most popular projected No. 1 pick, BYU forward AJ Dybantsa, the Wizards may have interest in moving back due to the large amount of All-Star-caliber talent in this year’s draft.
Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints believes the Wizards may look at trading a few spots back in the first round.
“With this said, the Wizards will evaluate all of their options entering the draft, including the idea of possibly trading down a few spots since this draft class is so top-heavy with All-Star potential,” the insider wrote. “Whether the Wizards ultimately keep the No. 1 pick is a question that will be answered over the next several weeks during the pre-draft process, but not before several teams inquire about trading up to the top spot.”
What Teams Could Show Interest in Trading for No. 1 Pick?
The potential rumors behind the Wizards trading out of the top selection are linked to two other teams that had some of the best odds of landing the No. 1 pick.
“The teams at the top of this list to engage in trade talks with the Wizards: Utah at No. 2 overall and Brooklyn at No. 6 overall,” Siegel mentioned.
Although mock drafts have AJ Dybantsa getting selected at No. 1, there’s always a chance that these teams are interested in the other prospects at the top selection.
Dybantsa was the top option for the BYU Cougars during his freshman season. In 35 games, the 19-year-old led Division I basketball in points with 25.5 points while adding 6.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game with 51.0/33.1/77.4 shooting splits.
Kansas guard Darryn Peterson, Duke forward Cameron Boozer, and North Carolina forward Caleb Wilson are all players who have a chance at getting selected with the top pick as well.
What Teams Would be the Best Fit for AJ Dybantsa?
Although there’s plenty of interest surrounding AJ Dybantsa, there are teams in the league that would be a good fit for the forward outside the Washington Wizards. This is why they could be shopping the top selection.
Despite the Wizards already having a list of young wings, Dybantsa’s ability to score at all three levels, play defense, and show signs of continued improvement. Pairing him alongside Anthony Davis and Trae Young will be something Washington will be assessing in the weeks leading up to the draft.
The Utah Jazz are currently sitting at the No. 2 spot in the draft and could look at moving up for AJ Dybantsa. It’s likely the Jazz would pair players with draft compensation if they want Dybansta that badly.
Already having Jaren Jackson Jr. and Walker Kessler in the frontcourt and Lauri Markkanen at small forward, the Jazz have great potential to improve from their 22-60 record last season. Adding a player like AJ Dybantsa would mean a lot of players and not enough space on the court for the Jazz to play.
The Brooklyn Nets are the other team that Brett Siegel believes could trade up. Brooklyn currently holds the No. 6 spot, but the Nets may be the best fit for AJ Dybantsa.
Brooklyn is lacking that true No. 1 option on the roster. Michael Porter Jr. joined the franchise last offseason and put up career numbers, but it didn’t translate into wins. Adding a potential All-Star talent like Dybantsa would help further cement the Nets’ name in having great long-term potential.
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