The NBA Lottery picks are chosen, and the Washington Wizards are the lucky team to get the No. 1 overall pick. A few months ago, that probably would have meant that the Wizards were no doubt taking Kansas guard Darryn Peterson, but after a tough season marred by injuries and a cramping problem, that no longer seems to be the case.
BYU freshman AJ Dybantsa put together an amazing season that earned him what will probably be the No. 1 overall pick, heading to Washington. The debate was ongoing all season, and it seems at the end, Dybantsa overtook Peterson with his level of play and ability to be on the court.
The question remains, though, since Peterson came out about the reason behind his cramping issue: If Washington didn't win the lottery, would Peterson still have had a chance at No. 1? One NBA GM seemed to believe it.
Darryn Peterson could lose out on the No. 1 overall pick due to a lottery
When it comes to the NBA Draft Lottery, the top picks may not always come into form until it is known who is picking first. Last season, it was easy to know that Cooper Flagg was going to be the No. 1 overall pick no matter what.
With so much debate over who the No. 1 pick would be this season, it came down to which team would win it. The Wizards did, and according to an anonymous NBA GM, Washington may not want to take the chance on Peterson when they need a big forward like Dybantsa.
That NBA GM went as far as to say that Dybantsa is the safer pick over Peterson, and that could be because of his injury and cramping issues.
One NBA GM on what he thinks Wizards will do with No. 1 pick:
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) May 10, 2026
“I don’t they can take the risk with Peterson even though I think his upside is even higher than Dybantsa. I think Washington will go with Dybantsa because it’s a safer pick and they can’t afford to screw this up.”
Even though Peterson came out about his cramping issue and the fact that it was due to high levels of creatine in his system when he started taking it in college, the damage was done this season with his availability, or lack thereof, at times.
The Wixards can't mess up this No. 1 overall pick, and feeling like Dybantsa is the safer pick with the proof he put on the court this last season makes sense. Peterson is still a bit unknown with the cramping issue, but his upside seems higher than Dybantsa, as he showed when he was healthy and on the court.
The NBA Draft Lottery could have cost Peterson the chance at the No. 1 overall pick, but he certainly shouldn't drop past the No. 2 pick either.
Add us as a preferred source on Google