Dybantsa is the first Massachusetts player to go No. 1 overall since Patrick Ewing in 1985.
by Khari A. Thompson, Boston.com, June 23, 2026
The Wizards picked BYU star A.J. Dybantsa with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft Tuesday night.
The Brockton native is the first Massachusetts player taken in that spot since Patrick Ewing in 1985. He also joins Roxbury’s Jimmy Walker (1967) on the list.
The 6-foot-9-inch, 217-pound forward averaged 25.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 3.7 assists in his lone season at BYU.
With a 7-foot wingspan and a 42 inch vertical leap, along with his ability to finish at the rim and knock down midrange jumpers Dybantsa has drawn comparisons to Tracy McGrady.
He’ll join a Wizards franchise that hasn’t made it out of the first round of the playoffs since 2017 when they lost to the Celtics in the conference semifinals.
Full article: https://www.boston.com/sports/nba/2026/06/23/nba-draft-aj-dybantsa-washington-wizards-no-1-overall-comments/