The Washington Wizards used the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft to select BYU phenom AJ Dybantsa. Dybantsa is joining Trae Young and Anthony Davis in Washington as the Wizards look to build themselves a roster that will get them back into the playoffs.
Young agreed to a huge contract extension yesterday, Davis is getting big money, and Dybantsa will be one of the top earners in Washington as well. Take a look at what he’s earned from his NIL deals and what his first NBA contract will look like.
How Much Money Will Top Pick AJ Dybantsa Make With the Washington Wizards?
Dybantsa is no stranger to big-money deals. He made a lot of money from NIL during his lone season at BYU. He reportedly earned anywhere from $5 million to $7 million during his college career from NIL earnings. Even still, his career earnings are about to skyrocket as he’s set to make more than any of the players in his draft class as the No. 1 pick.
Dybantsa will be on a four-year contract, but after two guaranteed years, the Wizards will have team options for the third and fourth year. (But Dybantsa won’t be going anywhere, and the Wizards will be picking up those options in a heartbeat for their future star.)
Each draft slot in the first round is allotted a certain salary that they can offer, but aren’t restricted to exactly that number.
As the No. 1 pick, the Wizards’ rookie-scale contract for Dybantsa carries a total value of $69 million over the four years with a rookie salary of $15.2 million. This immediately makes him the third-highest paid player on the Wizards’ roster ahead of former No. 2 overall selection Alex Sarr.
Dybantsa has landed endorsements with Nike, Red Bull, and Fanatics. His deal with Fanatics was reportedly in the range of eight figures. It was one of the most groundbreaking NIL deals in the college landscape at the time. Dybantsa makes bank though his off-the-court branding as well as on the court. Being the No. 1 pick is certainly going to help his bank account continue to grow.
His likely $69 million deal to start should be the beginning of a long NBA career, where he’ll likely rack up nine figures in contract earnings. He’s almost there already. Dybantsa has done plenty of talking about what he expects from his NBA career and has staked his claim to be the best player in this draft class. Now, it’s time for him to prove it as the future of the Wizards franchise that is begging for a savior after years of struggles.
