Bub Carrington says the Washington Wizards deliberately held themselves back during the 2025-26 season with the goal of securing the No. 1 pick and selecting AJ Dybantsa.

“We haven’t been told to be the best version of ourselves. We were held back because we were trying to get AJ Dybantsa. That’s no secret,” Carrington said.

Washington finished 17-65, the worst record in the NBA, and ultimately won the draft lottery, allowing the franchise to select Dybantsa first overall. The result gave the Wizards a highly regarded young wing to add to a rebuilding roster that already featured Alex Sarr, Bilal Coulibaly, Kyshawn George and Carrington.

Carrington, who was 20 during the 2025-26 season, played all 82 games and started 48 of them. He averaged 10.7 points, 3.4 rebounds and 4.6 assists in 27.7 minutes per game while shooting 42.4% from the field and 40.8% from three-point range.

The Wizards also had several young players receive significant playing time. Sarr appeared in 48 games and averaged 16.3 points and 7.4 rebounds while shooting 48.2% from the field. George averaged 14.8 points, 5.1 rebounds and 4.5 assists, while Tre Johnson contributed 12.2 points per game.

Dybantsa now becomes the centerpiece of the next stage of Washington’s rebuild. The 6-foot-7 forward spent his freshman season at BYU, averaging 25.5 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists in 35 games.

He shot 51.0% from the field, 33.1% from three-point range and 77.4% from the free-throw line, finishing the season with 894 points. Dybantsa scored at least 20 points in a large majority of his college appearances and entered the NBA as the Wizards’ first No. 1 overall pick since John Wall in 2010.

Washington subsequently accelerated its rebuild around Dybantsa and its existing young talent. The team acquired Trae Young and Anthony Davis during the 2025-26 season, then signed Young to a four-year, $212.8 million extension and added Deandre Ayton and Khris Middleton during the offseason.

The Wizards’ transformation means Dybantsa will enter the NBA alongside established All-Star-level talent rather than being asked to carry a rebuilding team by himself.