The Washington Wizards just took AJ Dybantsa with the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, per ESPN, and I, a person who spent the last three years watching them lose 200 games, am now genuinely afraid of the Washington Wizards.
https://x.com/ShamsCharania/status/2066502245894475809
Dybantsa is 6-foot-9, one year at BYU, 25.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 51 percent shooting. John Wall compared him to a young Tracy McGrady — said it out loud with his whole chest. He is the first player since Glenn Robinson in 1994 to lead all of Division I in scoring and go number one overall. The kid told reporters he would “pick up 94 feet” defensively. He is 18 years old and already threatening to guard people full-court.
That would be plenty. That would be a fun offseason story for a franchise that’s been a punchline since the Wittman era. But the Wizards didn’t stop there.
They also have Anthony Davis. They signed Trae Young to a $212 million deal. Alex Sarr is already on the roster. Kyshawn George is already on the roster. This isn’t a rebuild anymore — it’s a detonation, and somehow the rubble landed in a perfect formation.
Dybantsa plus Davis plus Young in Washington, DC is the most chaotic franchise revival in recent NBA memory. (My dad just texted me about this. He sent me a voice note that was just him going “what?” for four seconds and then hanging up.)
The Eastern Conference should be having a collective meltdown right now. The Celtics have their thing. The Heat will always be the Heat. The Pacers are built to go seven games with everyone. And now there’s an 18-year-old McGrady comp in DC with a two-way giant next to him and the most creative offensive engine in the conference running point.
The Knicks just won the championship. I celebrated. I cried a little. Revis knocked over my beer. That was two weeks ago and I was already starting to relax into the offseason.
I am not relaxed anymore.
Washington went 17-65 last season. They had fewer wins than I have unread texts. The idea that this same organization, which just took AJ Dybantsa No. 1 in the 2026 NBA Draft, is now a legitimate Eastern Conference threat feels like a glitch. Like someone entered the wrong cheat code and the game just accepted it. The East is broken again and it’s Washington’s fault this time.
The Wizards are coming. I genuinely cannot believe I just typed that.
