New NBA Draft Rumors on Wizards 'Legitimately' Taking Darryn Peterson over AJ Dybantsa

Just days out from the 2026 NBA draft, there remains uncertainty regarding what the Washington Wizards will do with the No. 1 overall pick.

While BYU forward AJ Dybantsa has long been favored to go first overall, Marc Stein of The Stein Line reported on Friday that multiple NBA draft experts have told him they believe the Wizards could "legitimately" opt to take Kansas guard Darryn Peterson over Dybantsa.

One "well-placed insider" told Stein there is "increased consideration" being given to the idea of Peterson getting taken ahead of Dybantsa.

A.J. Dybantsa Highlights

01:16

Dybantsa is coming off a spectacular season at BYU that saw him lead Division I college basketball in scoring with 25.5 points per game as a freshman.

Peterson was productive in his own right during his first and only collegiate season, averaging 20.2 points per game, but nagging injuries limited him to 24 games played and just 29.0 minutes per game, compared to Dybantsa's 34.8.

Darryn Peterson Highlights

01:10

Should the Wizards surprise many by taking Peterson, Stein noted that Utah Jazz governor Ryan Smith would be "giddy" to take Dybantsa at No. 2, as both of them are BYU alums.

Regardless of the order, all signs point toward Dybantsa and Peterson being the top two picks in Tuesday's draft. Per Stein, neither Duke's Cam Boozer nor North Carolina's Caleb Wilson are in the running to be the top pick.

Stein noted that Boozer is "widely projected" to go third overall to the Memphis Grizzlies, and Wilson is "expected" to go fourth overall to the Chicago Bulls.

Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman projected Dybantsa to go first overall to the Wizards and Peterson to go second overall to the Jazz in his latest mock draft.

While that could hold true, Stein's report suggests the Wizards may have yet to make a firm decision on what they want to do with the top pick.