AJ Dybantsa and Trae Young Officially Settle Wizards' Light-Hearted Number Dispute

On one of AJ Dybantsa's many pre-draft podcast appearances, the top prospect of the 2026 NBA Draft raised eyebrows in clarifying his interest in maintaining his old No. 3 jersey number.

He told Gilbert Arenas that despite the Washington Wizards position atop the draft order and Trae Young's place at the center of the franchise's trajectory, he'd still need the same number he'd previously worn with the BYU Cougars, saying "If they draft me, I do need 3, Trae. If they draft me. You never know, we gonna see in like five weeks."

The star prospect made sure to show a bit of restraint following that proclamation, but he still ended up getting his wish when the Wizards stuck with the versatile wing at the draft's leadoff spot. And naturally, Dybantsa's previous statement -- the one he quickly admitted to saying in general jest -- quickly returned to the forefront of the news, though he showed his respect for more established professionals and willingness to embrace a fresh start in signing up for a new number with No. 4.

AJ Dybantsa on conversations with Trae for #3 (Via @marshallkramsky)

"He's the vet, I'm gonna respect his number" pic.twitter.com/GCedYChndp
— WizardsMuse (@WizardsMuse1) June 26, 2026

That new number was officially revealed to the press earlier this week when Dybantsa made his first official appearance alongside Washington General Manager Will Dawkins, and the star draftee's pivot from what he's used to was easy to follow with some simple math.

"New beginnings," he explained. "Previously, [I] wore No. 3, but I was the No. 1 overall pick, added those up, we got four.

Dybantsa's D.C. Adjustment

Young, for what it's worth, never seemed to take Dybantsa'a confidence the wrong way, happily welcoming the stud to D.C. along with mentioning that "We’ll talk about that # soon" in an X post.

Welcome to DC @AJ_Dybantsa !!
The story has been written🙏🏽 The City is Ready!
We’ll talk about that # soon 😉
— Trae Young (@TheTraeYoung) June 24, 2026

He may have moved aside for the Wizards' $212 million dollar man, but Dybantsa won't enter the bigs as any ordinary rookie. Even if the freshly-paid Young will lap the rangy wing in NBA-contracted earnings for a few years, everything the Wizards do will be centered around Dybantsa from this point on.

A half-dozen other prospects who joined the squad as first round-caliber talents handpicked by this Wizards front office soon await Dybantsa's on- and off-court leadership, as the platoon of play-finishing scorers and defensive role players will greatly appreciate someone with natural offensive gravity, and that's without getting into Young's own playmaking contributions.

Washington Wizards Guards Trae Young and Tre Johnson — Mar 8, 2026; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Washington Wizards guard Trae Young (3) celebrates with guard Tre Johnson (12) during the first half against the New Orleans Pelicans at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images | Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

He's already earned his status as Washington's leading man after the breathtaking athleticism and scoring flexibility he demonstrated as a collegiate star, leading college basketball in points per game with 25.5 a night. Dybantsa spent the vast majority of scouting season as the favorite to go No. 1, incomplete a product as he is, for that raw upside and impossible-to-teach physical and mental strengths.

He's already excited to get going, and is set to show off his first look as a Wizard, new number and all, at next month's NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. There, he'll get his first whack at starring amongst his Washington teammates, proving to fans that a new era of Wizards basketball has a face.

Make sure you bookmark Washington Wizards on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!

Add us as a preferred source on Google