The Washington Wizards won the 2026 NBA Draft Lottery, securing the top overall pick for the first time since 2010 [1, 2, 3]. On June 23, the Wizards selected AJ Dybantsa from BYU with the No. 1 pick during Round 1 of the draft at Barclays Center in Brooklyn [1, 2, 4, 5].
The draft took place over two days with Round 1 held on June 23 and Round 2 on June 24, both evenings starting at 8 p.m. ET and broadcast live on ABC and ESPN, with streaming available on fubo [2, 6, 5].
Following Dybantsa, the Utah Jazz chose Darryn Peterson from Kansas at No. 2. ESPN’s Jeremy Woo said Peterson was his top player and called his availability at No. 2 "simple logic" [1, 2, 4, 5]. The Memphis Grizzlies took Cameron Boozer at No. 3, while Chicago Bulls picked Caleb Wilson fourth [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. The Los Angeles Clippers hold No. 5 and expected to select from a strong point guard class that includes Mikel Brown Jr. and Keaton Wagler [1, 2, 3].
Analysts have touted the 2026 class as one of the strongest recent drafts, especially deep at the point guard position. ESPN analyst Jay Bilas said it is "the most star-studded since 2003 when the likes of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Carmelo Anthony were all selected in the top five picks" [1, 2, 6, 3].
No major trades occurred among the lottery picks in Round 1, with the first 12 selections remaining with their original teams, though seven trades involving other picks happened during draft night. Among those, the New York Knicks traded pick No. 25 to Dallas, who then sent it to Phoenix for pick No. 30, used to select Koa Peat [4, 7].
The draft class included 60 overall picks, with several notable prospects expected early in Round 2 such as Henri Veesaar (North Carolina), Meelek Thomas (Arkansas), and Isaiah Evans (Duke) [1, 3, 5].
The Wizards reportedly plan to sign All-Star guard Trae Young to a four-year, $212 million contract [6]. Round 2 selections continued on June 24 at Barclays Center.
The 2026 NBA Draft marked a key moment for the Wizards and reshaped team rosters across the league. Attention will now turn to player signings and the upcoming NBA season.
