The Washington Wizards spent much of last season positioning themselves for the future, and guard Bub Carrington acknowledged that landing AJ Dybantsa was part of the organization's goal.
With Washington currently in training camp ahead of the 2026-27 season, Carrington discussed how the approach surrounding the team has changed after the Wizards finished last season with the NBA's worst record and ultimately landed the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.
During a recent interview with WUSA9, Carrington explained that Washington's young players had not previously been given complete freedom to maximize their individual games.
“We just haven’t been told yet to go be the best version of yourself,” Carrington said.
Carrington then directly connected those limitations to Washington's pursuit of Dybantsa, who emerged as the top prize of the 2026 draft class.
Bub Carrington says the Wizards held back to try to draft AJ Dybantsa 👀👀
"We haven't been told to be the best version of ourselves. We were held back because we were trying to get AJ Dybantsa. That's no secret" pic.twitter.com/yASjsgnUWD
— WizardsMuse (@WizardsMuse1) October 2, 2026
“We’ve all in a way been held back just because like you said, we were trying to get AJ Dybantsa,” Carrington said. “That’s no secret.”
Article Continues BelowBub Carrington sees playoff expectations rising with AJ Dybantsa, revamped Wizards
The Wizards finished the 2025-26 season with a 17-65 record before winning the NBA Draft Lottery and selecting Dybantsa first overall. Washington now enters a much different phase after using its rebuilding seasons to accumulate young talent and reshape the roster.
Carrington believes those restrictions are gone entering the new campaign.
“But now, no one has handcuffs,” Carrington said. “Everyone’s shackles free so that alone is already a conversation starter but then you put that on top of the coaching, on top of the vets that we have, that’s a playoff team. And that’s going to happen.”
Washington's roster now features Dybantsa alongside a young core that includes Carrington, Alex Sarr, Bilal Coulibaly and Kyshawn George. The Wizards also added established stars Trae Young and Anthony Davis over the past year as the organization shifts its attention toward competing.
After prioritizing development and draft positioning during the rebuild, Carrington expects the Wizards' objectives to look significantly different in 2026-27. His comments make clear that Washington's pursuit of Dybantsa is over, and the focus has shifted toward winning with him.