Darryn Peterson has visited the Washington Wizards, who hold the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, and does not plan to meet with any other team before draft night, sources told ESPN.
The report gives Washington exclusive pre-draft access to one of the top prospects in the class, but it does not settle the pick. ESPN reported that lottery teams have noticed Peterson's decision, while NBA.com verifies that the Wizards own the first selection after winning the draft lottery.
Washington Controls The First Pick
NBA.com lists the 2026 NBA Draft for June 23-24, with the first round starting at 8 p.m. ET on June 23 and the second round at 8 p.m. ET on June 24. Its official draft order has Washington first and the Utah Jazz second.
ESPN reported that BYU forward AJ Dybantsa has visited both the Wizards and Jazz. Both Peterson and Dybantsa believe they can be the top pick, according to ESPN, which keeps the top of the board active with a week left in the process.
Washington went 17-65 last season and won the lottery in May after tying for the best odds to land the No. 1 pick. ESPN noted the franchise has not won a playoff series since the 2017-18 season.
Peterson, Dybantsa Shape Top Board
Peterson is a 6-foot-5 guard who averaged 20.2 points per game at Kansas, the most ever by a Jayhawks freshman, according to ESPN. He missed 11 games because of injuries, a detail teams will have to weigh alongside his scoring profile.
Dybantsa gives the top of the draft a different case. ESPN described him as a 6-foot-9 forward who averaged 25.5 points per game as a freshman at BYU and led the country in scoring.
Peterson limiting meetings to Washington is not the same as a final pick, and the Jazz still sit one spot behind with their own evaluation of both prospects. It does, however, make the Wizards' pre-draft process the one that matters most for Peterson over the next week.