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2026 NBA Draft Begins; Wizards Grab BYU Forward Dybantsa

6/17/2026

Summary

Wizards Pick Dybantsa

The 2026 NBA Draft starts Tuesday, June 23, 2026, at 8 p.m. ET in Brooklyn and runs through Wednesday, June 24.
The Washington Wizards hold the No. 1 pick and are expected to select BYU forward AJ Dybantsa.
Duke forward Cameron Boozer and Kansas guard Darryn Peterson are projected at No. 2 and No. 3.
UNC forward Caleb Wilson, who averaged 19.8 points and 9.4 rebounds, is likely the No. 4 pick and a Chicago Bulls cornerstone.

Summary

Mavericks Hire Ujiri

Dallas Mavericks hired Masai Ujiri as president of basketball operations and Mike Schmitz as general manager to reshape their draft strategy.
P3 supplied biomechanical data and movement-profiling to help teams project NBA outcomes for prospects.
After the combine, a dozen players—including Amari Allen, Tyler Tanner, Tounde Yessoufou, Milan Momcilovic and Malachi Moreno—opted to return to college, while Cameron Carr recorded a 42.5-inch vertical and a “hyper-flexor” profile.

History

Historical Context

Michael Jordan’s third-overall selection in the 1984 NBA draft—where he averaged 28.2 points per game and helped boost TV ratings—sparked a shift toward data-driven scouting. That evolution continued with the 1992 draft’s first non-New York venue and the 2016 draft’s historic live stream and unchanged lottery order, setting the stage for the 2026 Wizards’ No. 1 pick AJ Dybantsa and the Mavericks’ analytics overhaul.

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Wizards Pick Dybantsa

The 2026 NBA Draft starts Tuesday, June 23, 2026, at 8 p.m. ET in Brooklyn and runs through Wednesday, June 24.
The Washington Wizards hold the No. 1 pick and are expected to select BYU forward AJ Dybantsa.
Duke forward Cameron Boozer and Kansas guard Darryn Peterson are projected at No. 2 and No. 3.
UNC forward Caleb Wilson, who averaged 19.8 points and 9.4 rebounds, is likely the No. 4 pick and a Chicago Bulls cornerstone.

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