New Cameron Boozer Rumors on Wizards' Interest amid AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson Buzz
The Washington Wizards are reportedly still considering all three of the consensus top prospects with less than a month remaining until the 2026 NBA draft, Yahoo Sports' Kevin O'Connor reported Wednesday.
"BYU forward AJ Dybantsa and Kansas guard Darryn Peterson are the favorites to go first, though Duke's Cam Boozer remains on the radar, per league sources," O'Connor reported.
O'Connor added the Wizards' "most likely scenario is staying at the first pick and taking Dybantsa."
The Wizards are also projected to select Dybantsa at No. 1 in the latest 2026 NBA mock draft by Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman.
The first round of the 2026 NBA draft is set to begin June 23 in Brooklyn.
CBS Sports' Adam Finkelstein similarly said Monday he feels Dybantsa is the "favorite" to go No. 1, but that the selection was not yet a "foregone conclusion."
"As of this point in time, I'm told that there have been no assurances by Washington that he will be the No. 1 pick, and that they have also been in touch with Darryn Peterson's camp," Finkelstein said Monday.
Finkelstein suggested the Wizards could be purposefully keeping their plans at No. 1 under wraps in order to make the draft more difficult for other teams to plan for.
That wouldn't be the first time the Wizards have reportedly worked to game a recent draft.
After Sarr declined an opportunity to work out for the Atlanta Hawks led to him falling to Washington in 2024, the Philadelphia Inquirer's Keith Pompey reported the Wizards tried a similar tactic with Ace Bailey by encouraging him to reject workouts with other teams before he went to the Utah Jazz in 2025.
Should the Wizards decide not to target Dybantsa, the team could consider trading down. Wizards president Michael Winger told NBA insider Jake Fischer at the draft lottery he would at least consider offers for the No. 1 pick.
"The Wizards will presumably listen to trade calls, particularly if they prefer Peterson or Boozer and know a rival team wants Dybantsa," Wasserman reported.
Wasserman added that Dybantsa "may be too rare of a scoring prospect to pass on," and that "room for a small forward to start and grow could give Dybantsa bonus fit-points in Washington."
The Wizards are seeking a player who could slot into a roster led by two veteran players in Anthony Davis and Trae Young alongside a host of young talent in Alex Sarr, Tre Johnson and Kyshawn George.
What the Wizards ultimately do with the No. 1 pick will shape the rest of the draft, starting which what the Jazz and Memphis Grizzlies decide at Nos. 2 and 3, respectively.
