Bleacher Report’s new nba draft 2026 mock draft projects AJ Dybantsa to the Washington Wizards with the No. 1 pick, a forecast that would give Washington a potential long-term centerpiece as it keeps reshaping the roster. The projection lands as the Wizards try to turn a difficult stretch into something sturdier, and it comes with a major caveat: the direction of the pick is still not fully settled.
That uncertainty is what gives the projection its edge. Washington was crowned the biggest winner at this year’s lottery, then added Trae Young and Anthony Davis on discounted deals while building an intriguing young core, but Jeremy Woo said there is still uncertainty around which direction Washington will go. Even so, Dybantsa continues to feel like the best bet at No. 1, and the appeal is obvious. He is almost certain to be a three-level scorer and versatile defender, the kind of prospect that can anchor a franchise if the evaluation holds up.
The timing matters because the mock draft arrives after the 2026 NBA trade deadline and after Washington has already started to define its future. The Wizards have lost heavily over the past three seasons, so a top pick would not just be another asset; it would be the clearest sign yet that the rebuild is moving toward a new centerpiece. In that sense, Dybantsa is not being projected into a finished team. He is being projected into a plan that is still taking shape.
Bleacher Report’s broader mock only sharpens that picture. It also has the Utah Jazz taking Darryn Peterson at No. 2, with Utah overloaded in the frontcourt but open next to Keyonte George in the backcourt after Peterson’s disjointed season at Kansas. Memphis, meanwhile, is shown in a foundation-building stage after trading Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr., with Ja Morant described as having one foot out the door. The draft board is early and nothing is final, but Washington’s placement at the top already frames the 2026 NBA draft as a decision that could set the tone for everything that follows.
The answer to the biggest question is still the one Washington has not made yet: if the Wizards really do hold No. 1, do they stay with Dybantsa, or do they use the pick to go another way?
