Bub Carrington, guard for the Washington Wizards, addressed the organization's strategy in securing the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft during an interview with WUSA9. He stated, "We just haven't been told yet to go be the best version of yourself. We've all, in a way, been held back just because we were trying to get AJ Dybantsa. That's no secret. But now, no one has handcuffs. Everyone is shackles-free."
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Carrington’s remarks suggest that the team's performance may have been intentionally limited as part of a strategy to secure the top draft pick, which they achieved when they selected BYU forward AJ Dybantsa first overall after finishing with a record of 17-65 last season. This marked the third consecutive year the Wizards won 20 or fewer games.
According to The Athletic's Sam Amick and Josh Robbins, the NBA does not plan to discipline either Carrington or the Wizards for his comments. The league's introduction of a new lottery system for 2027 aimed to address concerns over intentional losing, commonly referred to as "tanking." Carrington’s statements hint at the challenges the league faced regarding this issue prior to the rule changes.