For the first time since 2018 — and the last time before potentially major draft lottery reforms — the team with the league’s worst record actually lucked into the No. 1 pick.
After a tanktastic season marked by being on the wrong end of an 83-point Bam Adebayo performance and trades for ex-All-Stars Anthony Davis and Trae Young, the Washington Wizards stumbled to a league-low 17-65 finish. Now, the Wizards find themselves rewarded with the No. 1 pick for the first time since 2010, when they drafted eventual five-time All-Star point guard John Wall.
Stunningly, despite boasting the top spot for what’s been hyped to be an all-time draft class, Wizards president Michael Winger reportedly told The Stein Line’s Jake Fischer that the franchise might be open to trading down from pole position. General manager Will Dawkins, it should be mentioned, is theoretically the Wizard’s top decision maker.
Winger hilariously cited the Davis and Young acquisitions, along with the club’s recent draft additions (even though maybe only Alex Sarr would have been valued highly enough to make this year’s lottery), as the reason the team believes the draft is “not a savior moment,” per Fischer.
Would the Wizards, who haven’t made the Eastern Conference Finals since the 1978-79 season — when they lost the NBA Finals to Dennis Johnson’s Seattle SuperSonics– really want to tempt fate?
Wizards thinking trade down?
In fairness, dealing away the top pick has occasionally worked out just fine. The Boston Celtics flipped the draft rights for 2017 No. 1 Markelle Fultz to the Philadelphia 76ers, in exchange for some guy named Jayson Tatum. After re-signing LeBron James, the pride of Akron, the 2014 Cleveland Cavaliers offloaded No. 1 selection Andrew Wiggins to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for five-time All-Star and likely future Hall of Famer Kevin Love.
Trading down doesn’t necessarily mean the team would trade out of the top four, if it believes that, say, potential No. 4 pick Caleb Wilson of North Carolina has greater long-term upside than likely No. 1 pick AJ Dybantsa, a BYU small forward.
As Bill Simmons, Tate Frazier and Joe House of The Ringer mentioned on the latest installment of The Bill Simmons Podcast, Dybantsa is that exceedingly rare commodity: a projected No. 1 pick who wants to land on the Utah Jazz, who possess the No. 2 selection. The 19-year-old Bostonian finished his high school career at Utah Prep Academy in Hurricane, Utah in 2024-25, before making his one-and-done NCAA run at BYU this past season.
In addition to all their own first-round picks through 2032, Ainge’s Jazz also have the Phoenix Suns’ unprotected 2031 first, a top-four-protected Los Angeles Lakers first, and swap rights with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2028 — plus a boatload of second-rounders. The team could supply an appealing package to entice Washington to swap the Nos. 1 and 2 picks.
Washington has accrued several young prospects in recent years: lottery picks Alex Sarr, Tre Johnson, Bub Carrington (whom they acquired in the trade of… eventual All-Star Deni Avdija, who’s just 25), Bilal Coulibaly, and intriguing soon-to-be-third-year forward Kyshawn George. Sarr and Johnson have the highest upside, but there’s no guarantee they’ll ever graduate from “rotation-level pro” to bona fide All-Star.
A general view during the 2026 NBA Draft Lottery at Navy Pier. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn ImagesCould the Bulls Get in the Mix for the Wizards’ No. 1 Pick?
But if Utah opts to stand pat, could the Memphis Grizzlies (picking at No. 3) or our own Chicago Bulls (No. 4) entice the Wizards to cut a deal?
Generally, it appears that most league pundits feel Aybantsa, Kansas guard Darryn Peterson, Duke power forward Cameron Boozer, and Wilson represent the top four talents — typically in that projected order. There’s supposedly a bit of a drop-off in anticipated value after that, with guards Darius Acuff, Keaton Wagler, Kingston Flemings, and Mikel Brown Jr. all swimming around that next tier.
Perhaps the Wizards would be happy with any player among this group, and just want to add an additional first-rounder or two in the future. That would actually make some sense.
Arguments have been made in favor of all four prospects. Peterson seemed to have the edge after besting some of the others at the prep level, but questions about his health and commitment in college have cooled his buzz a bit. Boozer and Dybantsa appear to be the most NBA-ready, but people are salivating about the upside of Peterson and Wilson.
Still, in terms of present and future assets, the Grizzlies and Jazz could both a better package than whatever the Bulls could offer Washington. And if you’re new Bulls EVP of basketball operations Bryson Graham, one would think you’d want to take as many swings as possible at nabbing elite talent for the next several seasons rather than forfeiting future draft equity.
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