The Washington Wizards are barreling toward a potentially franchise-altering decision. Who will they take with the No. 1 pick on Tuesday night: BYU forward A.J. Dybantsa or Kansas guard Darryn Peterson?
Washington won the NBA’s draft lottery for the first time since 2010 after finishing with a 17-65 record, the worst mark in the league. The lucky draw could represent the turning point for a franchise that has been rebuilding for years — if general manager Will Dawkins and President of Basketball Michael Winger can select the right player to lead the Wizards into the future.
“It’s our fans that have endured the most,” Wizards top basketball executive Michael Winger said after the season. “And to me, this No. 1 pick is for them. It’s a reward for hanging in there with us. It’s a reward to continue to support us despite sometimes really bad basketball. They knew and they supported a multiyear teardown, a multiyear reinvention of the franchise.”
It is widely considered to be a two-man race for the No. 1 pick. Both Dybantsa and Peterson believe they’ll be the first to hear their name called on Tuesday night, according to multiple reports.
The Wizards have conducted workouts and predraft meetings with both players, who each entered the draft following highly touted freshman years at the collegiate level.
The prospects are neck-and-neck in most on-court evaluations. But the Wizards are looking beyond the game film for their decision.
“A big part of it is spending time with them as players, and going on campus and interviewing them and seeing what they’re about,” Dawkins told “The Sports Junkies” earlier this month. “It’s all about knowing them as people, and we draft people, not just players.”
Dybantsa was the betting favorite to become the No. 1 pick ahead of the draft. The Massachusetts native led the NCAA in scoring during his lone season at BYU with 25.5 points per game. Dybantsa was the first freshman since 2018 to lead the nation in points per game. Oklahoma guard Trae Young, who is now a Wizard, was the last player to manage the feat.
Dybantsa played with style, too. The 19-year-old made his opponents co-stars in a highlight reel with jaw-dropping dunks, flashy mid-range moves and willingness to embrace contact.
The 6-foot-9-inch wing has wowed scouts with his physical prowess and ability to get to the rim. His impressive frame gives him impactful potential as a defender, as well.
That hasn’t shown on the stat sheet yet — his block and steal numbers were middling for a player of his size. His ball-handling is another potential area for improvement, as is his three-point shooting.
But, despite the minor deficits in his game, Dybantsa is considered an elite-level prospect. He’s worked out with NBA stars like Kevin Durant and Jayson Tatum. His ceiling is, according to scouts and analysts around the NBA ecosystem, sky-high.
“He’s the kind of guy everyone’s trying to get. The 6-9, can-do-everything who, by the way, is a freak athlete. Who, by the way, checks all the boxes from a human being standpoint,” BYU coach Kevin Young told CBS Sports. “Like, those are so rare that it’s, just, do not overthink this.”
Outside of his scoring, Dybantsa’s most notable trait may be his off-court charisma. Though he told Yahoo! Sports that he enjoyed the relative privacy offered by playing in Utah, Dybantsa has embraced the spotlight since the draft process began this spring.
He bounced around NBA cameras, asking questions during NBA Finals press conferences and talking with active players on the court after games. He was in Paris last month, cheering Wizards fan Francis Tiafoe at the U.S. Open.
The cameras and spotlight haven’t appeared to phase the teenager, who has been a top prospect since he was in middle school.
His confidence isn’t a question, either.
“If I go to D.C.,” Dybantsa said in a video posted to his YouTube channel. “I’ll make the playoffs.”
The gap between Dybantsa and Peterson — the consensus No. 2 prospect in the class — has narrowed as the draft approaches.
Peterson, a 6-foot-5-inch guard, did not have the same college experience as Dybantsa. While the BYU product was feted for his scoring prowess, Peterson struggled to remain on the court as Kansas underperformed.
Cramping issues — which Peterson said were caused by creatine, a popular athletic supplement — limited his playing time. The Ohio native made just 24 appearances for the Jayhawks. On multiple occasions, he pulled himself out of games due to leg injuries and the nagging cramping concerns.
But, at his best, Peterson was undeniable. A three-level scorer, the 19-year-old possesses impressive basketball acumen and shot-creation ability. He’s also a lockdown shooter, an essential quality for any guard in the modern NBA.
He averaged 20.2 points per game, despite limited minutes, while connecting on 38% of his three-point attempts. Peterson didn’t run the offense as a traditional point guard, though he excelled in that role as a high schooler.
The former five-star recruit is also a willing defender, outperforming Dybantsa in both steals and blocks per game despite lacking the same size.
The well-rounded profile led Peterson to pass Dybantsa in many prospect rankings, including the most recent list published by ESPN.
Former Wizards guard John Wall, the franchise’s last No. 1 pick in 2010, threw his support behind Peterson, too.
“For me, I’m taking Darryn Peterson No. 1,” Wall told Yahoo! Sports. “But I have A.J. Dybantsa second.”
Peterson has behaved as if he’ll be the top pick in this year’s draft. He only attended predraft meetings with the Wizards, snubbing the Utah Jazz, who hold the second selection.
The first round of the NBA draft begins at 8 p.m. on Tuesday night.
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