For the first time in 16 years, the Washington Wizards will enter the NBA Draft with the top pick.
For a franchise coming off a 17-65 season, which was the worst in the league, it’s a golden ticket. This year’s lottery had tremendous stakes for the Wizards and many other teams looking to be on the upswing. Naturally, getting the first draft choice is a massive relief for Washington and its fans.
Winning the lottery was difficult enough. But now comes the real challenge: deciding what to do with the first overall selection.
The Wizards will be picking first overall in the draft for just the third time in team history. Just like the lottery, the draft itself will come with implications of its own.
Washington’s decision will have a major impact on its outlook for 2026-27 and beyond. Because of that, the team must look into all possibilities for what to do with it.
Clear Top-Four Options for Washington
An important consideration for the Washington Wizards: 2026 will not be a LeBron James or Victor Wembanyama draft.
In other words, this year doesn’t have a clear franchise-altering prospect. NBA executives have hinted that this draft has a clear top four, according to recent reporting from The Athletic at the NBA Combine.
The list includes AJ Dybantsa of BYU, Darryn Peterson of Kansas, Cameron Boozer of Duke, and Caleb Wilson of North Carolina.
Broadly speaking, Washington doesn’t have an obvious franchise star on its roster. It does have intriguing young players like Alex Sarr, Bilal Coulibaly, Kyshawn George, Tre Johnson, and Bub Carrington. The roster also features two All-Stars in Trae Young and Anthony Davis.
However, none of the names above have the potential to be the face of the team for the next decade-plus. The same cannot be said for whoever the Wizards take at #1.
Most pre-draft projections are expecting Washington to go with Dybantsa. Coming off a historic freshman season, he could very well be the new franchise cornerstone. That said, the Wizards have to do their full due diligence, given all the stakes.
Wizards Potentially Trading Down
Overall, there’s a major benefit of a draft not having a “clear” number-one choice. A team can maximize the value of the top pick in the draft while still potentially landing their preferred prospect.
The Celtics perfected this strategy in the 2017 NBA Draft when they owned the No. 1 selection. They moved down from first to third, picking up additional assets while still ending up with the best player in the class in Jayson Tatum.
While early in the process, the Washington Wizards could very well go down the same path. It also helps that one of the top options appears to have his eyes on the team picking right after Washington.
Reports say that Dybantsa is hoping to stay in Utah, where he played in both high school and college. Rumors also suggest the Jazz could look to move up from No. 2 to No. 1. Meanwhile, Washington is already considering trading down.
If the right deal is there, Washington should definitely consider it. Especially if they can get a king’s ransom in return.
Future Matters Most
Without a doubt, the Washington Wizards’ decision will determine what happens next for the franchise for years to come.
Washington has failed to reach the playoffs in five straight seasons. The Wizards are 50-196 over the last three years. It hasn’t won over 40 games in nearly a decade (2017-18). Looking at records alone, this is the worst stretch the franchise has ever seen in its history.
In a rare pair of decisions for a rebuilding team, Washington opted to bring in two star-caliber players in Young and Davis. Because of that, there are clear expectations to be better as soon as next season.
However, that improvement with the veterans will only be short-term.
Young has a player option for 2026-27, while Davis has one for the season after. Starting in the 2027 offseason, some of Washington’s current young core could be restricted free agents. A lot can happen between now and then.
No matter what, though, whoever Washington takes in the draft must be a dependable star for years to come.
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