AJ Dybantsa Predictions, Picks & NBA Draft Odds

• The NBA Draft begins tonight
• AJ Dybantsa is the odds-on pick to be taken #1 overall
• Keep reading for my AJ Dybantsa predictions and picks

AJ Dybantsa, the hottest name in college basketball, will likely not have to wait much longer to hear his name called in the NBA Draft. The two-day NBA Draft begins tonight, Tuesday, June 23, at 8 PM ET. ESPN and ABC will broadcast the event as 60 draftees will find their NBA homes.

Continue reading for my AJ Dybantsa predictions and picks, as well as a brief look at the history of #1 overall picks by the Washington Wizards.

AJ Dybantsa NBA Draft Predictions & Picks

In one of the most loaded NBA drafts of all time, I expect Dybantsa to serve as the wire-to-wire #1 prospect. Last year, he was deemed the top high-school basketball recruit. This year, he should be the first pick of the draft, heading to join Anthony Davis and Trae Young on the Washington Wizards.

Team to Draft AJ Dybantsa: Washington (87¢, Kalshi)

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Washington holds the first-overall pick, ahead of the Utah Jazz. Bettors can get a slightly better price on Dybantsa in this market than the first-overall pick market, where Dybantsa is listed at 88¢ (equal to -733 odds). While the BYU-to-Utah journey would have been perfect for a movie script (other than Dybantsa being from Massachusetts originally), the Wizards’ ping pong balls fell the right way to gift the franchise a premier wing prospect.

Dybantsa led the NCAA in scoring as a freshman, carrying BYU to a six seed in March Madness. He was a Consensus All-American, averaging 25.5 points, 6.8 rebounds,a and 3.7 assists per game.

After years of ineptitude, the Wizards secured the franchise’s fifth #1 overall pick. Washington has won a total of 50 games in three seasons, finally winning the draft lottery.

With a new Trae Young contract in tow, Dybantsa is a logical pick both from a best-player-available standpoint and from a draft-need perspective. Likely #2 pick Darryn Peterson would be a tough fit with Young while Dybantsa offers wing scoring and a well-rounded physical profile.

While I am laying a heavy line here, the odds have been quite stable over the years. In terms of historical NBA Draft Futures, the only rocking of the boat occurs when there is a two-horse race to be the top pick as there was in 2024 when Zaccharie Risacher and Alexandre Sarr went back and forth on being the expected top pick.

The last time a betting shock occurred was in 2022 when Paolo Banchero became the top pick after having +260 odds on draft day, compared to the favorite, Jabari Smith (-380). Dybantsa’s 87-cent price is equal to -669 odds, meaning a surprise on Tuesday night would be largely unprecedented in the NBA Draft odds.

Washington Wizards No. 1 Draft Picks

Washington’s previous No. 1 overall picks fall into two camps: All-Stars and whiffs.

Hits

Walt Bellamy, the first pick in the franchise’s history (when they were known as the Chicago Packers), won Rookie of the Year in 1962 and made his first of four All-Star Games. The then-Baltimore Bullets traded Bellamy for three players and cash eight games into the 1965-1966 season, so Bellamy finished the rest of his Hall of Fame career elsewhere (bouncing to New York, Detroit, Atlanta, and finally the New Orleans Jazz).

John Wall was a definite hit for the Wizards was the top pick of the 2010 draft. He made five All-Star teams as a Wizard, earning MVP votes and an All-NBA third team spot in the 16-17 season. Wall spent nine seasons in Washington before injuries and a titanic contract forced him out in the Russell Westbrook trade. Wall finished his career with 11 NBA seasons.

Whiffs

Bill McGill also spent 66 games with the Wizards franchise, playing with them while they were known as the Chicago Zephyrs and Baltimore Bullets. He was traded days into the 63-64 season to the Knicks. McGill played three seasons in the NBA for four teams and two seasons in the ABA for four more teams. He averaged 10.5 points per game.

Kwame Brown was the first pick of the the 2001 NBA Draft, not one that went into the history books as one of the league’s finest. Drafted straight out of high school, Brown played four seasons with the Wizards before being shipped to the Lakers. Brown did have a season averaging 10.9 points and 7.4 rebounds with Washington, but those numbers are quite underwhelming for a No. 1 pick. Brown carved out a role as a rotational big man, playing 607 games for seven teams over a 12-year career.