Apr 1, 2025; Brooklyn, NY, USA; McDonald's All American West forward AJ Dybantsa (3) drives to the basket against McDonald's All American East guard Zai Harwell (0) and McDonald's All American East forward Nate Ament (10) during the first half of the game at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Pamela Smith-Imagn Images Pamela Smith-Imagn Images

Wizards Have Eyes on Bigger Prize Next Summer

Originally posted on Washington Wizards on SI
By Tyrone Montgomery | Last updated May 22, 2025 6:00 PM ET

When you miss out on something in life, the only option you may have is to wait for the next opportunity. Perhaps you may have lost a game of some sort. When that happens, you may feel a feeling of defeat or even feel anxious for another chance to win. That may be the feeling of the Washington Wizards after the NBA Lottery.

It was a major surprise to the Wizards when the NBA Lottery came, and they found out they would pick sixth in the 2025 NBA Draft. The organization will let it be known that they did not tank this season. They were faced with many obstacles that would cause them to lose a lot of games. Being young and inexperienced doesn’t help their cause, and simply not having the talent as other powerhouses in the league makes it difficult to win.

the tank for aj dybantsa and darryn peterson beginpic.twitter.com/runGisNouL
— WizardsMuse (@WizardsMuse1) May 13, 2025

Those were the circumstances of the Wizards this season. However, many may still feel as if a bit of tanking also took place. After missing out on a top pick this year, the Wizards may want a shot at redemption next summer. While the 2025 NBA Draft is filled with talent, the 2026 rendition is as well.

Two players in particular that the Wizards could be hoping to draft next summer are AJ Dybantsa and Darryn Peterson.

Dybantsa has been described as being one of the best high school players since LeBron James. No doubt, that is extremely high praise for someone yet to play any college or professional basketball, though he'll be attending BYU. He is a 6’9" forward that has great athleticism.

Peterson, on the other hand, is expected to be a franchise player too. He is a 6’5" combo guard who will be attending Kansas University. He has been compared to players such as Brandon Roy and Dwayne Wade before.

Both players are expected to be top picks in the 2026 NBA Draft, and both may intrigue the Wizards.

This article first appeared on Washington Wizards on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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