D.C. has a new basketball name to watch: AJ Dybantsa. The Washington Wizards selected him first overall in the 2026 NBA Draft. But as fans look ahead to his rookie season, guard Bub Carrington’s comments have brought last season’s losses back into the conversation. 

Was Washington simply rebuilding or sacrificing competitiveness to land its next star?

The Wizards finished the 2025–26 season with a 17–65 record. For supporters, that meant another difficult year of watching losses pile up. Landing Dybantsa gives those fans a new reason to look forward. 

A top pick brings possibility, but also expectations. Fans want progress, a team worth getting behind, and signs that the difficult stretch is leading somewhere.

What Bub Carrington Said

During an interview with WUSA9 ahead of the new season, Carrington described the team as having been restrained while pursuing Dybantsa.

“We were held back because we were trying to get AJ Dybantsa. That’s no secret,” he said, according to reporting on the interview. 

That is a candid statement from a player who lived through the season. His comments suggest that, from his perspective, Washington’s pursuit of the draft prospect affected how competitive the team was allowed to be.

However, Carrington did not identify a specific order from a coach or executive to lose individual games. His account describes the team’s approach from his perspective; it does not establish that every loss was planned. 

A Fresh Start With Questions Attached

Carrington’s remarks raise a fair question: how much losing should supporters be expected to accept in the name of building a better future?

Rebuilding takes patience. Still, people buy tickets, show up, and invest their time because they want to see their team compete. A promising draft selection can create excitement without erasing that frustration.

My take? Washington’s next chapter needs to give fans something beyond a reason for the losses. The team needs to turn its opportunity into visible progress. Dybantsa deserves room to develop, and the responsibility for building a winning team belongs to the whole organization.

The Wizards have their No. 1 pick. Now comes the part fans have been waiting for: seeing what they do with him.

Do you think rebuilding through the draft justifies a season like that or should competing always come first?