The NBA Draft Lottery has spoken, and the official order of the 2026 NBA Draft has been determined. With the number-one overall pick at their disposal, the Washington Wizards will make the obvious choiceand go with BYU's freshman phenom, AJ Dybantsa, right? I mean, who in their right mind would pass up on a potential MVP like that?
I said in their right mind, I did not say it was impossible.
If you ask Jonathan Givony of Draft Express, however, you'll quickly learn the exact meaning of the word "bewilderment", because I, frankly, am bewildered. According to Givony, the number-one pick is reserved for controversial Kansas star, Darryn Peterson,
This is real.
His draft order plays out as follows:
Draft Express immediate post-lottery reaction NBA Mock Draft
1. Washington Wizards: Darryn Peterson
2. Utah Jazz: AJ Dybantsa
3. Memphis Grizzlies: Cameron Boozer
4. Chicago Bulls: Caleb Wilson
5. Los Angeles Clippers: Keaton Wagler
First post-lottery mock draft, after another wild NBA Draft lottery. Washington moves up to No. 1, followed by Utah, Memphis, Chicago and the Clippers. pic.twitter.com/MGoNyc2j9B
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) May 10, 2026
If you ask fans of the Utah Jazz, they'll tell you that this is absolutely the best possible outcome for the Beehive State's NBA organization. Completely free of all the mess and hassle of trading up to get the number-one spot like Philadelphia did in the year of Markelle Fultz.
Maybe that was a bad example.
All the same, Dybantsa has been Utah's guy long before he set foot on the campus of Brigham Young University, just 45 minutes down the road from the Delta Center in Salt Lake City. While attending his senior year of high school at Utah Prep down in Hurricane, residents of the 45th state took notice of the 2025 class's top talent, likewise calling Utah his home.
Ryan Smith and the Ainges running Utah's front office didn't even try to mask their excitement over the possibility of picking up Dybantsa on the NBA's Black Friday sale -- franchise superstars for the low, low price of one horrific 2025-26 season -- Dybantsa was their guy, and by all appearances, he was a natural fit in the Beehive State.
And though Givony is planting his flag in the Peterson camp, Jeff Goodman doesn't seem so convinced in Peterson's candidacy after a conversation with a nameless NBA GM.
"I don't think they [Washington] can take the risk with Peterson, even though I think his upside is even higher than Dybantsa. I think Washington will go with Dybantsa, because it's a safer pick and they can't afford to screw this up."
One NBA GM on what he thinks Wizards will do with No. 1 pick:
“I don’t they can take the risk with Peterson even though I think his upside is even higher than Dybantsa. I think Washington will go with Dybantsa because it’s a safer pick and they can’t afford to screw this up.”
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) May 10, 2026
Sure, the lottery has spoken, but that doesn't mean we know what draft night will look like.
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Follow