AJ Dybantsa in worrying NBA draft combine footage as projected No.1 pick sends Wizards strong message

The Washington Wizards have a difficult choice to make in June.

The Wizards recently won the NBA draft lottery and are poised to pick first overall for the first time since choosing John Wall No. 1 in 2010.

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At 17-65, Washington had the worst record across the entire league this year, which gave them a 14% chance of gaining the first pick, which they ultimately did.

The current consensus is that the first pick will either be used on BYU Cougars forward AJ Dybantsa or Kansas Jayhawks star Darryn Peterson.

Dybantsa’s three-point shooting at NFL draft combine causes concern

The annual NBA scouting combine is taking place at Wintrust Arena in Chicago this week, giving the best prospects in the highly-anticipated 2026 NBA draft class a chance to impress in front of league decision-makers.

Unsurprisingly, a lot of eyes were on Dybantsa, in particular his measurements, and he didn’t disappoint.

The biggest wow factor came with his vertical. At 42”, it was the highest at the entire combine.

But, when it came to drills and stations, concerns started to slip in.

Footage posted on X by Wizards sideline reporter Chase Hughes showed Dybantsa in a shooting drill missing a lot of his three-point attempts.

This immediately caught the attention of fans, with some even going as far to suggest he was under-performing on purpose, so that the lowly Wizards would be put off selecting him.

“He really don’t wanna go to D.C cause he knows he is not gonna win there and play,” one fan commented.

“I mean it’s either he goes there, Utah or Memphis. The three worst spots you could do to,” a second added.

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“It’s kinda a genius plan. He don’t want to be in NBA purgatory,” a third said.

However, Hughes quickly provided some context behind the 18-year-old Dybantsa’s lackluster shooting performance.

“This is the hardest shooting drill of the day where guys have to run all over the court when their legs are tired,” Hughes added, before posting footage of the 18-year-old successfully landing three pointers.

Dybansta sends message to Wizards following combine

Dybansta didn’t seem too deterred by his shooting accuracy, offering plenty of strong words as to why he should go No.1 in June.

“I’m super versatile. I think I can bring a lot to the team on and off the court,” Dybantsa told ESPN’s Vanessa Richardson when putting forward his case as the potential top overall selection in his class.

“I think I play the game the right way, but I’m exciting and I know I fill the seats.”

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The 6-foot-9 Dybantsa was a standout in his lone season for BYU, leading college basketball with 25.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.1 steals while shooting 51 percent from the field.

Washington hit the jackpot earning the No.1 pick, it’s now up to them to decide whether they are convinced enough to select Dybantsa or Peterson.

The 2026 NBA Draft will take place over two nights on June 23-24, 2026 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., home of the Brooklyn Nets.

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