AJ Dybantsa already has his first Washington Wizards story, and it comes with a little math.
After being selected No. 1 overall by the Wizards, Dybantsa explained why he will wear No. 4 in Washington. He previously wore No. 3, but that number now belongs to Trae Young. So Dybantsa turned the situation into something cleaner.
“New beginnings,” Dybantsa said. “Wanted to have a new number, so previously wore number 3, but I was the number 1 pick, wanted to add those up and got 4.”
AJ Dybantsa broke down why he’ll be wearing No. 4️⃣ for the Wiz 👀 pic.twitter.com/BeAgOYojto
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) June 25, 2026
That is simple, clever and very rookie-star coded. Three plus one equals four. Old number plus draft position equals a fresh NBA identity.
It also neatly avoids the awkwardness that could have come with the number conversation. Earlier in the process, Dybantsa had joked that Young might have to give up No. 3 if the Wizards drafted him. But once the moment actually arrived, the No. 1 pick handled it like someone who understood the room. Young is already established in the NBA, and in Washington, Dybantsa is the new franchise prize, and nobody needed a fake jersey-number controversy before training camp.
So No. 4 it is.
And honestly, it works. The number gives Dybantsa a clean break from his pre-NBA chapter while still tying directly into who he is: the No. 1 pick, the new face of the rebuild, and the player Washington hopes can become the centerpiece of its next great era.
The Wizards have had notable No. 4s before, including Chris Webber, Antawn Jamison and Russell Westbrook. Dybantsa now steps into that number with a different kind of expectation. He is not here as a veteran stop, a short-term solution or a fun experiment. He is here as the beginning of something.
