The Washington Wizards have won just one NBA title, but that doesn’t mean they’ve lacked elite prospects.
Before winning the 2026 NBA Draft Lottery, Washington had made four No. 1 picks since 1960. With another talented prospect soon arriving in D.C., let’s look at where AJ Dybantsa — the potential No. 1 pick in the 2026 draft — would slot in among the best prospects in Wizards history.
But first, a few things before we get into this ranking.
This list contains the best prospects in Washington’s franchise history, which extends beyond those who wore “Wizards” across their jersey.
The rankings have nothing to do with a player’s NBA production and everything to do with a player’s college/high school production and pre-draft evaluation.
Tier 1: The top-3 — in no particular order
Wes Unseld
As a junior at Louisville, Unseld was named a First-Team All-American after averaging 23.0 points and 18.3 rebounds on 61.3% FG. In fact, Unseld averaged 18+ points and 18+ rebounds during all three of his collegiate campaigns.
Washington selected Unseld with the No. 2 pick in the 1968 NBA Draft — one spot behind Elvin Hayes, who later won an NBA championship with Unseld as members of the Washington Bullets.
John Wall
It’s hard to compare eras, which made this ranking tough. With that said, John Wall’s combination of speed, finishing ability and athleticism at Kentucky was otherworldly — and that’s not hyperbole.
Wall entered his freshman season as the No. 2 prospect in his high school class and quickly overtook Derrick Favors for the top spot. The future All-Star averaged 16.6 points and 6.5 assists per game and earned First-Team All-American honors as a freshman.
Wall blew past defenders in the open court and got to his spots in the halfcourt. He was simply too skilled and too fast for the college game. Kentucky went 35-3 that season, and the Wizards selected Wall with the No. 1 pick in the 2010 draft. I’d say that pick turned out pretty well for Washington.
Walt Bellamy
Bellamy’s collegiate stats rivaled Unseld’s in points and rebounds, but the Louisville product scored more efficiently (61.3%) than his frontcourt predecessor (50.1%).
The 6-foot-11 center averaged 21.8 points and 17.8 rebounds during his senior season at Indiana before the Chicago Packers selected him No. 1 in 1961. Bellamy’s rare combination of size, skill and touch around the rim made him the clear top prospect in his class.
Tier 2: Incredible talents
Earl Monroe
Earl Monroe, Washington’s No. 2 pick in 1967, averaged an incredible 41.5 points per game as a senior at Winston-Salem State. The 6-foot-3 guard was an unstoppable scoring force that year as he led the Rams to a Division II national championship.
The main separator between Monroe and the aforementioned top three is that he played at the Division II level, while the others dominated Division I. While there was a clear difference in competition, Monroe still averaged over 40 points a game — an impressive feat at any level of hoops that slots him just below the first tier of Wizards prospects.
AJ Dybantsa
AJ Dybantsa hasn’t been selected by Washington just yet, but according to FanDuel Sportsbook, he’s a -475 favorite to be the No. 1 pick in the 2026 draft.
Dybantsa’s size, athleticism and scoring ability have made him the best prospect on most draft boards. His 25.5 points per game led Division I, and his incredible vertical (42-inch maximum vertical at the NBA Combine) was on display in several highlight-reel dunks.
At 6-foot-10 in shoes with a 7-foot wingspan and untapped scoring potential, the 19-year-old forward possesses an All-NBA ceiling. Some draft experts, like CBS Sports’ Adam Finkelstein, believe Dybantsa could lead the NBA in scoring one day.
Dybantsa doesn’t possess the interior scoring game or incredible rebounding skill that Unseld and Bellamy did. And unlike Wall and Bellamy, the BYU product isn’t considered the consensus best player in his draft class.
But Dybantsa’s collegiate scoring production and high ceiling would still place him among Washington’s top-five all-time prospects, which includes three Hall-of-Famers — Bellamy, Unseld and Monroe — and a five-time All-Star in Wall who leads the franchise in assists (5,282) and steals (976).
