The lottery luck has FINALLY come through in Washington: the Wizards have won the 2026 NBA Draft Lottery and will select No. 1 overall in the 2026 NBA Draft!
John Wall, who was selected No. 1 overall when the Wiz last won the lottery back in 2010, represented the team at the event in Chicago, and 16 years after he was taken No. 1 overall, he watched as the ping-pong balls bounced the Wizards’ way, making Washington the first team since the lottery system was overhauled in 2018 to have the worst record in the NBA and go on to pick first overall.
The closest Washington had come to the top was in selecting Alex Sarr at No. 2 overall, but come June 23, someone will join Wall and Kwame Brown in 2001 as the third top overall pick in franchise history.
“You gotta bring in a No. 1 pick to go get a No. 1 pick,” Wall joked after the lottery results were revealed. “I was nervous with every sheet they opened up, but I think my love just went up even higher for DC! I give a lot of credit to the front office with what they’ve been doing, and now they’re going to add the No. 1 pick to all they’ve done.”
Washington, whose 17-65 record was the worst in the league, had a 14 percent chance at the top pick, as did Brooklyn and Indiana – but the Nets will pick sixth, while Indiana slotted in at No. 5 and will convey that pick to the Clippers as part of the Ivica Zubac trade earlier this season.
With the answer of where they’re picking now known, the question becomes, will they select AJ Dybantsa or Darryn Peterson? The two have been considered to be the top two players in this deep draft for a while, and speaking to the media at the lottery, Dybantsa at least seemed to be ready to come to DC if it’s his name called next month.
“Obviously, I’ve been betting on myself for a while to be a No. 1 pick, and confidently, I wasn’t worried about 14 through 3, so I just let that play out,” Dybantsa smiled. “I got to tour their facility, and know a couple players, and I’ve been watching AD for a long time. Thinking how I’d fit into the team, I’m pretty adaptable and versatile, so I think I could play anywhere.”
