Wizards’ case for drafting Darryn Peterson No. 1 overall after winning 2026 NBA Draft Lottery

The Washington Wizards proved that tanking can still work on Sunday afternoon, as they earned the first overall selection in the 2026 NBA Draft by winning the lottery. While some teams’ picks dropped in the draft, Washington finished last in the league and will get their choice of the great prospects in this year’s class. A prospect that makes a ton of sense for the Wizards is Darryn Peterson.

Peterson would be a swing for the fences from the Wizards, as he may not be the safest pick of the bunch, but he has the potential to have the highest ceiling. With the Wizards thinking about a trio of Anthony Davis, Trae Young, and whoever they take with the first overall pick, Peterson could be the perfect third wheel for that group.

The Kansas guard has the potential to be a creator in the Wizards’ offense. He can score from anywhere and create shots for himself, but he also has some value as a playmaker. With Young being a high-volume shooter in Atlanta, he could scale that back a bit with Peterson and Davis and lean more on his playmaking strengths.

The Wizards are looking at competing now with their roster, but their rebuild is still young. Peterson won’t be an elite scorer right out of college, but if he can slowly build that up and peak in 2-3 years when the rest of the roster outside of Davis and Young takes shape, it would be massive for the franchise’s future.

Peterson will have fans holding their breath to see how he pans out, but it isn’t outside the realm of possibility if his scoring makes him a superstar in the league one day.

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