With the NBA Draft lower than every week away, it seems that BYU celebrity AJ Dybantsa is now not a shoo-in to be chosen by the Washington Wizards with the No. 1 general choose. In line with the newest reporting from NBA insiders Marc Stein and Jake L. Fischer, there are supposedly a number of draft specialists that now imagine Washington might elect to take Kansas phenom Darryn Peterson with the highest choose as an alternative of Dybantsa.
DEVELOPING: A number of draft specialists “legitimately” imagine the Wizards might choose Darryn Peterson with the No. 1 general choose over AJ Dybantsa.
🍿🍿🍿 (by way of @TheSteinLine, @JakeLFischer) pic.twitter.com/l9ulYoc8t5
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) June 19, 2026
The information comes after it was reported earlier this week Peterson was solely going to conduct a pre-draft go to with Washington and was intending on spurning Utah, who was additionally reportedly “torn” between deciding on Peterson or Duke’s Carlos Boozer, presuming Dybantsa was going going to finish up in Washington. With the Wizards wanting deeper into deciding on Peterson, nonetheless, it opens up the potential of Utah ending up with the participant they needed all alongside in Dybantsa with out even having to maneuver up.
Smoke Display screen Or The Actual Factor?
After all, you can also’t low cost the chance that these leaks are strategic from the Wizards, who might possible get a severely intriguing supply from the Jazz relying on how determined Ryan Smith and firm are to land a participant who they take into account their Golden Goose. Dybantsa performed his senior yr of highschool at Utah Prep in Hurricane earlier than signing a document NIL take care of BYU reportedly value $7 million, a deal that was largely facilitated by Smith. Utah hasn’t made an try to maneuver up but, nevertheless it’s cheap to imagine they’d be keen to if Washington’s entrance workplace picks up the telephone.
It’s a close to certainty that hypothesis concerning who will go No. 1 will solely ramp up even additional within the coming days, however the actuality is the Wizards present draft predicament is definitely a fairly good one to be in all issues thought-about. Each Dybantsa and Peterson have been deemed generational prospects since they had been rising highschool seniors and each gamers possess the traits mandatory to alter a workforce’s tradition, even when neither essentially did so throughout their one-year trial within the school ranks.
Why Peterson Makes Sense + Memphis‘ Reprieve
It is smart the Wizards are reportedly taking a deeper take a look at Peterson, contemplating the truth that Trae Younger declined a $49 million participant choice to pursue free company. Younger remains to be anticipated to contemplate Washington amongst different suitors this summer time, however you’ll be able to by no means assure a franchise as risky because the Wizards will have the ability to lock up a participant like that. In the event that they don’t count on they may, it makes the Peterson play an particularly intriguing choice for the Wizards. Doubly so if they will transfer down and choose him.
For the Memphis Grizzlies within the No. 3 slot, the Wizards taking Peterson and the Jazz taking Dybantsa would lock of their capability to pick out Boozer, Duke’s consensus Nationwide NCAA Participant of the Yr. This choose is actually a must-hit for Memphis, contemplating the actual fact the 2027 first-round choose it acquired from Utah in change for Jaren Jackson Jr. can now not land within the high 5 after the league’s newly carried out lottery reform. It’s becoming that Boozer is the proper Jackson Jr. substitute, with much more potential on the offensive finish.
Memphis moved up from No. 6 within the draft lottery and it isn’t a lot of a chance to take Boozer at No. 3. Washington is on the clock, so to talk.
