Stephen A. Smith feels “sorry” for AJ Dybantsa amid lottery result – AOL

The Washington Wizards received a stroke of good luck on Sunday, winning the 2026 NBA Draft Lottery and receiving the No. 1 pick. The franchise has had no such luck in recent years, losing a combined 196 games over the past three seasons, establishing themselves as one of the laughingstocks of the league.

But the Wizards began to change course last season, as they traded for All-Stars Anthony Davis and Trae Young. Neither played any significant minutes once they arrived in Washington, as the tank was on. Yet, the vision had been set: pair two All-Stars together surrounded by a bevy of lottery picks in Alex Sarr, Bilal Coulibaly, Bub Carrington and Kyshawn George. Now, that group will include either the BYU Cougars‘ AJ Dybantsa, Kansas Jayhawks’ Darryn Peterson or Duke Blue Devils’ Cameron Boozer.

Dybantsa is the projected top pick by many analysts, with a large assumption being that he’ll land with the Wizards. ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith wasn’t shy expressing his opinion on the idea of Dybantsa ending up in Washington.

“I felt sorry for him,” Smith said. “The Washington Wizards have lost at least 64 games over the last three years. They are a basketball abomination. The only reason we don’t take time to insult them more is because of the stench emanating out of the nation’s capital for stuff other than basketball. That’s the only reason. If it was not for that, we’d be focused on them. They are horrible.”

Not sure if Smith forgot about the Wizards’ acquisitions of Davis and Young, but the goal certainly is for Washington to compete in a wide open Eastern Conference in 2026-27. The tanking is over.

And if they add the former Cougars star in Dybantsa, the ceiling will be raised even higher. He was the most dynamic scorer in college basketball at BYU, pouring it in from all over the court. The 6-foot-9 wing can do it all, including handle the ball with guard-like skills.

Smith is outspoken on many things, but he may be underestimating the impact that Dybantsa could have on the Wizards alongside Davis and Young as a rookie. Only time will tell.

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This article originally appeared on BYU Cougars Wire: Stephen A. Smith feels “sorry” for AJ Dybantsa amid lottery result