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Chicago Bulls have ninth-best lottery odds
The Washington Wizards have a chance to usher in a new and successful era in the coming years as they win the 2026 NBA lottery and get the top pick in the upcoming NBA draft.
The lottery victory gave the Wizards the chance to oversee this year’s rookie class and evaluate which talent best fits what Washington is looking for.
In the latest NBA mock draft by ESPN, following the draft lottery, the Wizards are seen to draft AJ Dybantsa, creating a promising big three along with Trae Young and Anthony Davis, both of whom arrived in Washington via trades over the season.
Picking Dybantsa, who is seen as the best prospect in a deep pool of talent in this year’s draft, would give the Wizards the luxury to have length in the wing and high two-way floor on the wing.
Dybantsa stands at 6-foot-9 and is seen to have a star-level potential entering the NBA. In his lone year at BYU, he put up 25.5 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game.
Dybantsa also raised the ceiling of the Wizards’ forward rotation, which included the likes of Bilal Coulibaly, Justin Champagnie, and Kyshawn George, among others.
If Young and Davis stay healthy alongside, the Wizards would be poised to be one of the contenders in the Eastern Conference.
This year, the Wizards finished with just 17 wins and 65 losses, earning them the 14% odds in the draft lottery.
The Wizards have been out of the playoff picture since the 2020-2021 NBA season, when the team was still led by Russell Westbrook, Bradley Beal, Rui Hachimura, and Deni Avdija.
GettyAJ Dybantsa of the Brigham Young Cougars reacts after sinking a three-pointer against the Utah Utes.
Considering the depth of this year’s draft, the Wizards can still pull off a shocker on draft night and not pick Dybantsa.
The Wizards still have the likes of Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer, Caleb Wilson, Kingston Flemings, and Keaton Wagler as possible secondary options outside of Dybantsa.
Peterson was projected to be the No. 2 pick by the Utah Jazz in ESPN’s latest mock draft. Boozer came at No. 3 for the Memphis Grizzlies, before Caleb Wilson at the fourth spot with the Chicago Bulls. The No. 5 pick in the mock draft was Wagler for the LA Clippers, which got the pick after the Indiana Pacers did not rise in the top four.
The last time the Wizards picked in the top three was in 2024, when they selected Alex Sarr with the No. 2 spot.
GettyAnthony Davis and Trae Young of the Wizards.
Anthony Davis got candid about the Wizards’ championship contendership in his interview with AFP last April.
Davis said that there is a lot to be done for the Wizards, but he believed that they are in the best position now more than ever.
“They know that I want to win,” he said. “I know we have a lot of young guys, but like I said, I mentioned it about the young guys—how talented they are. Adding Trae and me can help change that. But I also understand I’ve been in this league a long time. I’ve been on losing teams, and it’s very hard to be a losing team and then a championship contender.”
With the prospect of adding Dybantsa, the Wizards are expected to be a dark-horse contender next season.
Rob Andrew Lo Rob Andrew Lo is a writer at Heavy Sports and is covering the NBA. He has covered local, collegiate, professional and international sports in various sites. He was the sports editor of The Varsitarian, the official student publication of University of Santo Tomas, and a sports, entertainment, and lifestyle writer for Rappler. A Journalism graduate from the University of Santo Tomas, he has built his voice across both collegiate and international platforms, previously contributing NBA coverage to Fansided and Sportskeeda. More about Rob Andrew Lo
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