Bub Carrington reveals the Wizards were held back for a shot at AJ Dybantsa
- On Thursday, Washington Wizards guard Bub Carrington acknowledged the team was "held back" to secure top draft pick AJ Dybantsa, marking a candid admission regarding the 2025-26 season strategy.
- Washington finished the 2025-26 season with a 17-65 record, the league's worst, securing 14% lottery odds that allowed the franchise to select Dybantsa first overall after three consecutive losing seasons.
- Carrington noted that "no one has handcuffs" anymore as the team accelerates its rebuild by adding veterans including Trae Young, Anthony Davis, Deandre Ayton, and Khris Middleton.
- Commissioner Adam Silver has previously criticized tanking and indicated the league's intent to penalize teams for intentional losing, though the NBA has not announced an investigation into these comments.
- Heading into the 2026-27 season, Washington aims to build a lasting playoff culture, with Carrington stating the team is now free to compete following years of strategic positioning.
14 Articles
14 Articles
Bub Carrington Admits Wizards Were Held Back In Order To Land AJ Dybantsa
Bub Carrington may have said something the Washington Wizards would rather have kept behind closed doors. The 21-year-old guard openly admits that the Wizards were held back in order to land AJ Dybantsa, the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. The comments, made in an interview with WUSA9, are now spreading across the NBA world—and they arrive at an awkward time for a league that has been increasingly aggressive about tanking. Bub Carrington’s Wiz…
Washington Wizards Player Bub Carrington Boldly Admits To Tanking Previous Season To Land NBA Draft Star
The Washington Wizards are pinning the entirety of their hopes for the future on No. 1 NBA Draft pick AJ Dybantsa. But how they came about that pick is now under serious scrutiny thanks to guard Bub Carrington. Carrington, the No. 14 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, was Washington’s starting point guard for much of the 2025-26 season and […]
Bub Carrington Says 'It's No Secret' Wizards Were 'Held Back' to Land AJ Dybantsa in 2026 NBA Draft
Washington Wizards guard Bub Carrington came out and said what most were probably already thinking Thursday regarding the organization's pursuit of the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NBA draft.
Carrington, Wizards Not Facing NBA Penalties for Tanking Comments
Although he didn’t technically use the term “tanking,” Wizards guard Bub Carrington made it clear in an interview with WUSA-TV in Washington (YouTube link) that the organization wasn’t exactly going all out to win games last season. Speaking to Marshall Kramsky, Carrington said the Wizards have a “very talented” group but haven’t been told to “go be the best version of yourself” until now. “We’ve all, in a way, been held back just because, like …
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