Brooklyn: The Washington Wizards have selected AJ Dibanza as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, which commenced this morning at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York City. Dibanza, a promising small forward from Brigham Young University, expressed his excitement, stating, "Tonight is a celebration of everything I've achieved in the past. Now I'm going to celebrate."
According to Thai News Agency, Dibanza, a first-year university player, had an impressive season, averaging 25.5 points per game in 2025-26. All top eight picks in this draft were freshmen, mirroring the trend from the previous year. Dibanza is often compared to league legend Kevin Durant, one of his idols. Durant, who grew up in Washington, was a notable draft pick when the Wizards selected center Kwame Brown first overall in 2001, although Brown did not meet fan expectations.
Dibanza was seen wearing a black suit, complemented by the black hat of his new team, the Washington Wizards, ahead of the draft.
The Utah Jazz chose Darrin Peterson, a guard from the University of Kansas City, with the second overall pick. Despite missing 11 games due to injury and illness, Peterson remains a significant prospect. The Memphis Grizzlies selected Cameron Boozer from Duke University as the third overall pick. Boozer had a strong season, averaging 22.5 points and 10.2 rebounds per game.
In other selections, Caleb Wilson from the University of North Carolina was the fourth overall pick, heading to Chicago. The LA Clippers, who had traded their draft pick in February, selected Keaton Wagler from the University of Illinois as the fifth overall pick. Karim Lopez made history as the first Mexican to be drafted in the first round; he plays for the New Zealand Breakers in the NBL and was chosen by Detroit. The draft will continue with the second round tomorrow.