The Washington Wizards drafted AJ Dybantsa with the number one overall pick in 2026, and they won’t have to wait long for him to become a true superstar. He led the NCAA in scoring as a teenager and already has scouts raving about his two-way potential (subscription required). Getting an athletic 6’9 forward is one thing, but Dybantsa has a unique ability to create shots and draw fouls, which almost always leads to superstar status.
What is the common thread among all the top 20 players in the NBA? They are all elite scorers with at least one other game-changing skill. Be it Victor Wembanyama’s gameplan altering defense or the otherworldly ability to run an offense like Nikola Jokic, SGA, and Luka Doncic.
Dybantsa will be a top 30 player by the end of his rookie season. There will be growing pains, but the teenager will follow the expected trajectory. Expect him to lead rookies in scoring and win Rookie of the Year before making the All-Star and All-NBA leap in the 2027-28 campaign. AJ is special and is just months away from becoming a superstar.
AJ Dybantsa is already showing flashes
The number one pick averaged 12.8 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.5 steals in 21.7 minutes per game this preseason. Washington has an entirely different look with Trae Young and Anthony Davis leading their roster. The Wizards have to make the pieces fit, but AJ got to the line 5.3 times per game and shot just two of 11 from 3-point range.
Dybantsa had 11 points and four steals in the preseason opener against the defending champion Knicks. He finished with 14 points and seven boards versus the Pistons, who were the top-seed in the East last season. AJ was already making an impact against the best teams.
The teenager will be a 20-point-per-game scorer after the All-Star break if not before. He shot 77.4 percent from the free-throw line in college and will get there plenty. Those freebies coupled with his unique athleticism will have Dybantsa checking one superstar box as a rookie.
Trae Young had this to say about the Wizards’ future star on Monday in an interview with ESPN.
“He’s one-of-one for sure. He’s definitely confident in himself, but he has all the reason to. The work he puts in and what he does out on the court sometimes it is crazy to even think about. You wouldn’t think a player can get from one point to the next as fast as he can. He’s so athletic, can score at all levels, a very smart player, and a cerebral player. He’s going to have such a long and amazing career. He’s going to be one of the future faces of this league.”
That is an All-Star point guard who has led his team to the conference finals. That clearly already sees it.
Wizards want AJ Dybantsa to immediately impact winning
Number one overall picks are not usually on contending teams. Washington is trying to leap from rebuilding to making the playoffs. It is why they traded for Young and Davis. They also added veterans like Deandre Ayton and Khris Middleton to help their young talent. There will be pressure to win immediately, which is not the norm.
Dybantsa led BYU to a 23-12 record last season, but they were bounced by Texas in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. He is an elite prospect who knows how to win, but rookies aren’t usually ready to do that in the NBA. There are too many mistakes and growing pains.
Dybantsa will be ready after the All-Star break. He is a 6’9 forward that is already locking in on defense and looking to efficiently get buckets. The teenager isn’t all about his numbers. He wants to be successful and win games. Wizards fans can already see that.
AJ Dybantsa will follow the superstar path
Dybantsa will struggle to make the adjustment early in the season. There will be nights where he drops 30 and looks like the best player on the floor, and others where he struggles. Even the best rookies have rough moments, but things will change as the calendar flips to 2027.
Dybantsa will quickly start putting up numbers every night and looking elite. It will win him Rookie of the Year and announce to the world that he is on the cusp of being an All-Star. He will be that in year two, and the Wizards will be a playoff team.
This is what superstars do. Cooper Flagg had growing pains last season before a fantastic close to the season. Wembanyama and Luka Doncic all made the All-Star leap in year two. Dybantsa will be in the running for All-NBA in 2028 and have Wizards fans thanking the basketball gods for landing him in the nation’s capital.
The Washington Wizards have a future superstar in AJ Dybantsa, and he will arrive at that level in the second half of this season. Fans have already seen his elite scoring and defensive potential on display. Those will quickly improve as he gets comfortable at the NBA level. The teenager will be unstoppable. It is only a matter of time.
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