The Athletic has live coverage of the 2026 NBA Draft.NEW YORK — What a whirlwind 12 months for AJ Dybantsa.Last summer, he led the United States to the gold medal in the 2025 FIBA Under-19 World Cup, winning the tournament’s MVP award. As a freshman at BYU, he led Division I in scoring and in total free-throw attempts. At May’s NBA Draft Combine, he distinguished himself with his outstanding athletic testing.And on Tuesday night, he fulfilled one of his dreams: An NBA team drafted him with the No. 1 pick.The Washington Wizards used the first pick of the 2026 NBA Draft to select Dybantsa, with team officials hoping he will develop into a foundational player. The Wizards strongly considered drafting Kansas combo guard Darryn Peterson, but chose Dybantsa instead.Why AJ Dybantsa is the no. 1 prospect in this year's NBA DraftSam VecenieA 6-foot-9 wing, Dybantsa possesses an intriguing blend of size, athleticism and skill. The Wizards’ front office projects him as a force on both ends of the court.“I can bring a little bit of everything,” Dybantsa said Monday. “I can bring an offensive impact, scoring, playmaking, but also a defensive impact, just guarding the other team’s best player or just roaming around and being a pest defender.”By drafting Dybantsa, the franchise is doubling down on its emphasis on positional size, adding him to a roster that includes 6-foot-8 wing Bilal Coulibaly, 6-foot-9 wing Kyshawn George, 6-foot-10 wing Will Riley, 6-foot-10 forward/center Anthony Davis and 7-foot-1 center Alex Sarr.Dybantsa is the most heralded player within the Wizards’ young nucleus. The top player in his recruiting class for much of his final year of high school, he averaged 25.5 points and shot 51 percent from the field during his one-and-done year at BYU, where he played for coach Kevin Young, a former assistant coach with the Philadelphia 76ers and Phoenix Suns.At 19 years old, Dybantsa does have some holes in his game. He will need to improve as a ballhandler, and he shot only 33 percent from 3-point range in college. Like many young players, he must ramp up focus, consistency and intensity on defense.But he can enhance those skills over time, and Wizards officials are confident that their player-development program can help Dybantsa grow and set the tone for the rest of his career.He is a three-level scorer who finishes at the rim well and doesn’t shy away from contact, as his 296 free-throw attempts at BYU demonstrate. Wizards officials expect him to become more physical as he fills out, and to develop as a decision-maker, connector and team player.Dybantsa has said his favorite player is Kevin Durant, and the assistant coach Durant worked with most early in his career was Brian Keefe, who is now the Wizards’ head coach and has received praise from team executives for his player-development skills and mindset.“It would be good for me, definitely just getting that experience early,” Dybantsa said Monday when he was asked about the possibility of learning from the same coach who helped tutor Durant.“Obviously, he coached a Hall of Fame-type player. But that’s kind of like the same reason I went to BYU. (Kevin Young) coached Kevin Durant; he coached Devin Booker. So just getting that knowledge early on in my career will be big for me.”