6 Biggest winners from first round of 2026 NBA Draft as AJ Dybantsa is selected with No. 1 pick by Washington Wizards

The first round of the 2026 NBA Draft took place in New York on Tuesday, and there were several teams that stood out as the biggest winners including the Washington Wizards selecting BYU Cougars forward AJ Dybantsa with the No. 1 overall pick!

1. Washington Wizards

After trading for All-Star tandem Anthony Davis and Trae Young last year, the Wizards selected Dybantsa – a 6-foot-9, 217-pound forward with an impressive, prototypical three-level scoring ability that immediately gives Washington a foundational future star.

2. Utah Jazz

It was unclear if Utah would draft Kansas Jayhawks guard Darryn Peterson or Duke Blue Devils forward Cameron Boozer, but the Jazz went with the former — a 6-foot-5, 199-pound guard with elite playmaking and shot-making that instantly transforms Utah.

3. Memphis Grizzlies

Even though they missed out on the No. 1 draft pick, the Grizzlies landed Boozer — a 6-foot-8, 253-pound forward that won National Player of the Year at Duke, and has all the physical tools to potentially end up being the best player in the 2026 draft class.

4. Chicago Bulls

There's no doubt the Bulls walked away from the first round happy after adding North Carolina Tar Heels forward Caleb Wilson — a 6-foot-10, 215-pound forward with NBA-level athleticism and physicality — plus Texas Longhorns forward Dailyn Swain.

5. Dallas Mavericks

A day after hiring Michigan Wolverines head coach Dusty May, the Mavericks drafted one of his former players in Morez Johnson Jr. — a 6-foot-9, 250-pound forward that has a perfect skillset in the modern NBA and will fit seamlessly into May's system.

6. Oklahoma City Thunder

Despite falling short of winning a second straight title, the Thunder aren't going anywhere after acquiring a pair of skilled lottery picks including Michigan center Aday Mara and Iowa Hawkeyes guard Bennett Stirtz to add to one of the NBA's deepest rosters.

2026 NBA Draft selections

1. Wizards: AJ Dybantsa (BYU forward)

2. Jazz: Darryn Peterson (Kansas guard)

3. Grizzlies: Cameron Boozer (Duke forward)

4. Bulls: Caleb Wilson (North Carolina forward)

5. Clippers: Keaton Wagler (Illinois guard)

6. Nets: Mikel Brown Jr. (Louisville guard)

7. Kings: Darius Acuff Jr. (Arkansas guard)

8. Hawks: Kingston Flemings (Houston guard)

9. Mavericks: Morez Johnson Jr. (Michigan forward)

10. Bucks: Brayden Burries (Arizona guard)

11. Warriors: Aday Mara (Michigan center)Yaxel Lendeborg (Michigan forward)

12. Thunder: Aday Mara (Michigan center)Nate Ament (Tennessee forward)

13. Bucks: Nate Ament (Tennessee forward)

14. Hornets: Hannes Steinbach (Washington center)

15. Bulls: Dailyn Swain (Texas forward)

16. Thunder: Bennett Stirtz (Iowa guard)

17. Pistons: Ebuka Okorie (Stanford guard)

18. Hornets: Christian Anderson Jr. (Texas Tech guard)

19. Raptors: Allen Graves (Santa Clara forward)

20. Spurs: Jayden Quaintance (Kentucky center)

21. Grizzlies: Karim López (Mexico forward)

22. 76ers: Labaron Philon Jr. (Alabama guard)

23. Hawks: Zuby Ejiofor (St. John's forward)

24. Lakers: Cameron Carr (Baylor guard)

25. Mavericks: Sergio De Larrea (Spain guard)

26. Spurs: Tarris Reed Jr. (UConn center)

27. Celtics: Chris Cenac Jr. (Houston forward)

28. Nets: Joshua Jefferson (Iowa State forward)

29. Kings: Alex Karaban (UConn forward)

30. Suns: Koa Peat (Arizona forward)

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