The Washington Wizards own the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft that kicks off on June 23. However, many are debating who should be the top selection between AJ Dybantsa or Darryn Peterson. Franchise legend John Wall shared his take on the situation and revealed which prospect Washington should select on draft night.
Wall, who is 35 years old, was asked if he were a general manager and he owned the No. 1 pick for this year's draft, he would select Darryn Peterson over AJ Dybantsa, via Yahoo Sports! The former five-time All-Star did not elaborate on his choice, but feels Peterson is the pick if he were the decision-maker.
“If I was number one, I'm taking… For me, I'm taking Darryn Peterson number one. But I got AJ Dybantsa second.”
John Wall wants the Wizards to take Darryn Peterson with the No. 1 pick 👀
(Via @YahooSports / h/t @WizardsMuse1 ) pic.twitter.com/LGJ3ZGdw9T
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) June 17, 2026
While Peterson is an exciting prospect, the former Kansas guard comes with some concerns. There have been questions about his desire to play, as he would frequently remove himself from games throughout the 2025-26 season. When on the court, he was undeniably amazing, averaging 20.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 1.4 steals per contest while shooting 43.8% from the field and 38.2% from three-point range.
As for Dybantsa, he played every single game last year with the BYU Cougars. His efforts were good enough to name him a First-Team All-American. He ended last season leading the nation in points per game with 25.5, while also averaging 6.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.1 steals per game with a 51.0% field goal percentage and hitting 33.1% of his three-point attempts.
We'll see if the Wizards agree with John Wall come draft night on June 23. The club will officially be on the clock that day at 8 p.m. EST, and the first round will be aired on ABC and ESPN.

















