The Utah Jazz and the Brooklyn Nets are expected to make a pitch to the Washington Wizards about the number-one overall pick, presumably to draft BYU basketball standout, AJ Dybantsa, first off the board.
The Nets and Jazz are expected to hold trade talks with the Wizards for the number one pick, per @BrettSiegelNBA pic.twitter.com/CIrbaJJBqg
— Fullcourtpass (@Fullcourtpass) May 11, 2026
Those are two unsurprising candidates.
Brooklyn has been directionless for over a decade and currenlty has very few exciting pieces to build around, save for sharpshooting Egor Demin (another BYU alum), and the resurgence of Michael Porter Jr. Walking away with a franchise cornerstone in this year's draft would be amazing for Brooklyn, and might just lure a few fans out of Madison Square Garden and back into the Barclays Center on weeknights.
But here's the trick for the Nets -- they have no assets. Sure, a few first-round picks and maybe a young player or two could interest Brooklyn. Maybe they'd give up Nolan Traore, Nic Claxton and/or Porter Jr., but is Washington more interested in those players than Dybantsa? I don't know about that.
Utah has been in the AJ Dybantsa business since he enrolled at Utah Prep for his senior year of high school basketball. The natural connections with Ryan Smith and the Ainge family were secured when Dybantsa committed to BYU just a short drive down I-15 from the Delta Center. A player who both loves living in the Beehive State and could become an All-NBA caliber wing? Don't act so surprised to see rumors that the Jazz are throwing their hat in the ring.
Utah's situation is a bit more unique, though. There are two players deserving of the number-one overall pick this year. If they just sit around and pick whichever of Peterson or Dybantsa falls into their laps, they walk away a huge winner on draft night. So... why would they consider giving up future first-round picks, Ace Bailey, or a key foundational piece like Brice Sensabaugh or Cody Williams when they could just take the remaining superstar for free?
Dybantsa could be a lifetime Jazzman and a potential all-time great in the Beehive State for years to come. Peterson, though he's not tied to Utah, would slot effortlessly alongside Keyonte George in the backcourt. It's a win-win for the Jazz, so unless the Wiz are handing out number-one picks like they're Halloween candy, why give up anything to move from 2 to 1?
In a strange twist of fate, the Washington Wizards have finally been given the ultimate reward for tanking, and they don't want it. After finishing the 2025-26 NBA regular season with the worst record in the entire leage and securing the highest odds of walking away with the number-one pick, they just don't have any interest in actually using their great reward.
It's baffling, it's dumbfounding, it's fascinating. The stretch leading up to the NBA Draft will be incredible.
Add us as a preferred source on Google