When deciding what player you will choose to build around for the next decade plus, it's natural to nitpick each prospect, especially in a class so loaded as the 2026 NBA Draft.
AJ Dybantsa or Darryn Peterson, and the topic of which one is gonna go first is no different.
In fact, the conversation about who would go first overall in this draft between all world talents was a debate before either guy played their first collegiate game, and the final decision will be made by none other than general manager Will Dawkins and the Washington Wizards on June 23rd.
If you asked who you would take first in this class a year ago, Peterson would have been the popular choice, and that is for good reason. His tape drew comparisons to Kobe Bryant going into the 2025-26 College Basketball season. Peterson’s lone season at Kansas did raise concerns, though.
Darryn Peterson had a strange season at Kansas
Missing 11 out of a possible 35 games that his Jayhawks team played, Peterson had some injury concerns that you have to factor in if you’re the Wizards at 1.
Early in the season, the reasons that kept him out, or pulled in the middle of games, were his durability, and for these issues to emerge so early in his career, it has to make even his biggest fans a little on edge.
All of this to say, from a pure talent standpoint, there may not be anyone better in this class than Peterson. He brings an immediate impact on the offensive side of the ball, averaging 20.2 points per game while shooting an impressive 38% from three, and he projects to be a very good defender as well.
Whether it is the Utah Jazz with the 2nd pick or the Wizards taking him first overall, Peterson should be an amazing player for many years, and one that many teams will be upset with themselves for not having a chance to pick based on how high he goes.
The Wizards however should not be one of them.
AJ Dybantsa offers a similar upside with more security than Peterson
Based on where the Wizards are, they have no option but to pick BYU star AJ Dybantsa #1 overall in this draft.
If we were talking about a team with a more secure culture picking this high, this debate could be a toss-up, but the Wizards have to target a tone-setter and an energy shifter. On and off the court, it seems AJ fits the bill.
Basically, the Wizards are not a stable enough franchise to chance it with Peterson.
The Wizards wouldn’t be sacrificing any of the superstar potential that they’re looking for, either, as the 6’9” Dybantsa has been compared to the likes of Tracy McGrady as a do-it-all wing, and as a culture changer that the Wizards desperately need.
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