The arrival of a new era in the Washington Wizards came with a little bit of banter. Shortly after becoming the newest face of the franchise, AJ Dybantsa received a message from his teammate Trae Young that hinted at a potential conversation between the two to solve an issue.
Dybantsa was drafted No. 1 overall in the 2026 NBA Draft by the Wizards. However, a month ago, the 19-year-old raised a request to the franchise during his appearance on Gilbert Arenas’ podcast, 'Gil’s Arena'. Dybantsa suggested that if the Wizards drafted him, he would need Young to hand over the jersey number.
Following the first day of the NBA Draft, the Wizards rookie clarified that he was only trolling about his earlier comments. “He is Trae. Trae is 3. But if he wants to give me the number, I’ll take the number,” Dybantsa said to NBC4 Sports. While Young was quiet for most of the time, he finally responded to the request with a welcome message.
“Welcome to DC AJ Dybantsa,” he wrote on X. “The story has been written. The City is Ready!” Young then hinted at a future conversation around the jersey number by adding, “We’ll talk about that # soon.” Dybantsa responded, “Say no more brudda.”
The jersey discussion carries extra meaning because No. 3 has been part of Dybantsa’s identity for years. The No. 1 overall pick wore the number throughout his time with the BYU Cougars and also during his high school career at Utah Prep Academy. Young of all people would understand Dybantsa’s situation, as he also faced a somewhat similar situation.
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The four-time NBA All-Star wore No. 11 during his college days with the Oklahoma Sooners men’s basketball team and throughout his time with the Atlanta Hawks. However, he had to switch to No. 3 after joining the Wizards because No. 11 was already retired in honor of Hall of Famer Elvin Hayes.
Nevertheless, Dybantsa and Young have a bigger challenge to solve as they look to make the team stronger after a 17-65 season. The BYU alumnus arrives in Washington after averaging 25.5 points and 6.8 rebounds per game for the Cougars. Young recently committed to a longer future with the Wizards after reportedly accepting a four-year, $212.9 million contract extension.
Whether Dybantsa actually gets No. 3 remains uncertain, but the playful exchange already shows the excitement surrounding Washington’s new chapter.
