The Washington Wizards recently lucked into the number one overall pick in the NBA Draft lottery, which took place on Sunday in Chicago. The Wizards will now have the first selection in a draft class that is projected by many to be among the deepest in recent NBA history.
While many expect the Wizards to select BYU standout AJ Dybantsa at number one overall, the team is understandably keeping its options open, as another one of the top candidates to go first is Kansas point guard Darryn Peterson.
Recently, Peterson revealed what surprised him during his visit with Washington at the NBA Draft Combine.
“I was surprised about how much they wanted to talk about Darryn as a person, instead of basketball. They probably asked two basketball questions and the rest was about me,” said Peterson, per Carita Parks of Double Take Sports on X, formerly Twitter.
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The Wizards retooled their roster midway through last season by getting both Anthony Davis and Trae Young for discount prices at the NBA trade deadline, but they made sure to sit both players as much as possible in order to secure premium draft position, which paid off when they were awarded the number one pick.
In theory, Dybantsa, who is a small forward, would make more sense on the Wizards roster than Peterson, considering the presence of Young. However, Washington is clearly doing its due diligence on all available prospects as the NBA Draft cycle continues, with the chance to help turn their franchise around coming up.
In any case, the 2026 NBA Draft is slated to take place on June 23 in Brooklyn, New York.
The Washington Wizards recently lucked into the number one overall pick in the NBA Draft lottery, which took place on Sunday in Chicago. The Wizards will now have the first selection in a draft class that is projected by many to be among the deepest in recent NBA history.