The Washington Wizards finally have their breakthrough moment. After years of rebuilding and multiple failed lottery picks under the NBA’s even-odds system, the Wizards secured the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft on Sunday night in Chicago.
Washington finished the season with an 18-64 record and was tied for first in the league with 14% odds.
The Utah Jazz received the second pick, followed by the Memphis Grizzlies with the third pick and the Chicago Bulls with the fourth pick.
The result marks the first time the league’s worst team has actually won the lottery since the current format was introduced, ending a seven-year streak in which the bottom team failed to secure the No. 1 pick.
“The ones who are suffering the most are our fans,” Wizards president Michael Wenger said after the draw. “To me, this No. 1 pick is for them. It’s a reward for us hanging in there. It’s a reward for continuing to support us even though the basketball was bad at times. They knew and supported the years of dismantling, the years of reinventing the franchise.”
Washington’s rise comes after an aggressive season in which the team traded Trae Young and Anthony Davis, a move that signaled the organization believed it was ready to quickly accelerate its rebuild.
Now, the focus immediately shifts to what the Wizards will do with the No. 1 pick in a draft class led by AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer and Caleb Wilson.
DiBanza averaged 25.5 points per game as a freshman at BYU and became a favorite on many draft boards, becoming the first freshman to lead the nation in scoring since Trae Young in 2018.
“Obviously, we’ll know on June 23 where I’m going to land,” DiBanza said Sunday night. “I bet I’m going to be the No. 1 pick. I think I’m very adaptable. I can play anywhere.”
Peterson also remains firmly in the conversation after a stellar season at Kansas, while Boozer and Wilson are widely expected to be top prospects.
“It’s definitely surreal,” Boozer said when discussing potentially landing at Utah or Chicago, where his father, Carlos Boozer, played. “I don’t know what the future holds, but it’s definitely super exciting.”
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