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By Matthew Couden
Contributing Writer
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The Washington Wizards made it official on Tuesday night, drafting BYU standout AJ Dybantsa as their next potential superstar amid several struggling seasons. Washington adds a dynamic player to the roster capable of going off on explosive scoring outbursts with an all-around skill set that could make them a future contender.
He joins a roster that already features two multi-time All-Stars in veteran big man Anthony Davis and guard Trae Young, who will be the one throwing him highlight passes in his rookie season. After Adam Silver announced Dybantsa's name, Young took the opportunity to welcome Dyantsa to the Wizards and joked about a jersey issue.
"Welcome to DC @AJ_Dybantsa!! The story has been written🙏🏽 The City is Ready! We’ll talk about that # soon," Young wrote in his X message.
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It would be surprising to see Young give up his No. 3 for a rookie, but that might depend on whether or not Young wants to show his new teammate a stronger level of support as the team's future star. Meanwhile, news recently hit that Young signed a massive deal to stay with the Wizards, showing his interest in making this team a contender.
More news: AJ Dybantsa Reacts to Joining Wizards as First NBA Draft Pick
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ESPN's NBA insider Shams Charania announced on Monday that Young intended to sign a four-year, approximately $212 million deal to remain with the Wizards, which includes a player option in the fourth year. With that, Young declined his $49 million player option, showing his long-term commitment to the Wizards.
That's a big sign that Young believes this is the best situation for him, following his attempts at playoff success for multiple seasons with the Atlanta Hawks. The Wizards finished at 26-56 last season, and last appeared in the NBA playoffs in the 2020-21 season, before Young, Davis, and Dybantsa were part of the plan.
However, they now seem to be forming a strong core of players that could make for an interesting situation in the Eastern Conference. While they're unlikely to become an immediate powerhouse or contenders, they could still be a surprising opponent for many teams, especially with players of Young and Dybantsa's talents.
Dybantsa has been confident over the past several weeks that he would become the top pick in the NBA Draft, and that has proven true. Now he'll need to prove that he is worthy of becoming the first pick above other talented players that include Kansas' Darryn Peterson and Duke's Cameron Boozer.
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