Darryn Peterson has made his intentions clear to go first overall in the 2026 NBA draft. According to Monday’s reports from ESPN’s Shams Charania and Jeremy Woo, Peterson has only visited the Washington Wizards and has no plans to grant other teams a meeting, suggesting his preferred landing spot is the capital city.
The Wizards, who won the lottery, now face a tough choice between Peterson and AJ Dybantsa. Both prospects believe they are worthy of going No. 1. Here’s what Charania wrote on X:
“Developments ahead of the June 23-24 NBA draft: BYU’s AJ Dybantsa has conducted formal visits with both the Washington Wizards (No. 1) and Utah Jazz (No. 2) while Kansas’ Darryn Peterson only visited the Wizards and does not plan to grant anyone else a meeting, sources tell me and @JeremyWoo. Both have believed in going No. 1 and now teams in the lottery are taking note of Peterson’s decision to only give access to Washington.”
Washington has another choice, which is to trade the first pick for immediate help or drop down and acquire multiple lottery selections. However, according to Charania and Woo, the Wizards have zeroed in on Peterson and Dybanska but have yet to decide between the duo.
It’s a surprising choice from Peterson, who hasn’t been as favored as Dybantsa to go first. He also wanted to play point guard at the NBA level, and the Wizards already have Trae Young in that position. Still, according to ESPN, it’s not proving an impediment to Peterson’s desire to play in Washington.
Meanwhile, Dybantsa has expressed a desire to be the first pick, but has seemingly kept his options open due to his past ties with the city of Utah. He played for Utah Prep in his senior year of high school before committing to BYU for his one-and-done NCAA season.
NBA sources believe AJ Dybantsa’s profile “best aligns” with Wizards amid Darryn Peterson’s interest
Another reason Darryn Peterson’s opting not to meet with other teams seems like a massive gamble before the NBA draft is that AJ Dybantsa’s profile “best aligns” with the Washington Wizards’ values. Here’s what Jeremy Woo and Shams Charania’s report said:
“Some around the league believe Dybantsa’s profile best aligns with what the Wizards have valued. Last year, they coveted Ace Bailey, another taller scoring wing. Although Dybantsa plays a much different style, he would check some of the same boxes. Washington’s decision will play out over the next eight days.”
The Wizards drafted Tre Johnson with the No. 6 pick in 2025 after the Utah Jazz surprisingly selected Ace Bailey with the No. 5 pick despite the former Rutgers star refusing a visit. Johnson, a 6-foot-5 shooting guard, was ultimately the next best option at the wing spot for the Wizards.
Interestingly, if Darryn Peterson doesn’t go to the Wizards, he could face the same fate as Bailey. However, given his prospects, it won’t be surprising if Utah still opts to go for him with the second pick.
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