Anthony Davis’ Immediate Reaction After NBA Draft Lottery

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Ayomide Adeduyite | Last updated May 10, 2026 6:45 PM ET

Anthony Davis has had a turbulent couple of years. The Dallas Mavericks acquired him from the Los Angeles Lakers in the blockbuster trade that sent Luka Doncic to Los Angeles. But Davis’ time in Dallas was short-lived as the Mavericks moved him again, this time to the Washington Wizards, who had also acquired four-time All-Star Trae Young weeks ahead.

Three consecutive historically bad seasons for Washington, including a 17-65 finish this year, the worst record in the NBA, had the Wizards at rock bottom. But in the NBA, rock bottom comes with a lottery ticket, and on Sunday, Washington’s came in.

Washington Wizards forward Anthony Davis (3)Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The Washington Wizards won the 2026 NBA Draft Lottery, securing the No. 1 overall pick for the first time since selecting John Wall in 2010. They entered with a 14% chance, tied with the Brooklyn Nets and Indiana Pacers for the best odds in the room.

The result drew immediate reaction from the NBA world, including Davis, who posted three laughing emojis on his Instagram stories shortly after.

Anthony Davis on IG pic.twitter.com/8eYGbqYXHb
— LakeShowYo (@LakeShowYo) May 10, 2026

It’s worth noting that just a year ago, Dallas won the 2025 Draft Lottery with a 1.8% chance, months after trading for Davis, and used the pick on Duke’s Cooper Flagg, who went on to win Rookie of the Year. The New Orleans Pelicans also won the lottery in 2019 after trading Davis to the Lakers, and selected Zion Williamson No. 1 overall.

Now it is Washington’s turn to land a franchise talent in a very stacked draft class. The consensus expectation is that the Wizards select BYU’s AJ Dybantsa with the first pick.

The 6-foot-9 forward is one of the most gifted shot-creators to enter the draft in years. He gets to the rim at will, finishes through contact, dominates the midrange and carries legitimate point-forward upside. Paired with Young running the offense and Davis anchoring the paint, the Wizards’ starting lineup next season could legitimately make them Eastern Conference contenders next season.

The 2026 NBA Draft takes place June 23 and 24 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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