Trae Young's No. 3 could be in jeopardy if Wizards draft AJ Dybantsa

The Washington Wizards own the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. AJ Dybantsa is widely projected to be the player they will call. Before any of that happens, the 19-year-old already has a message for Trae Young, one of the team's current stars.

His message reveals that Young will need to give up No. 3.

Dybantsa made the comment Monday during an appearance on Gilbert Arenas' show "Gil's Arena" when Arenas pointed out that both Dybantsa and Young currently wear the same number.

Response from the projected top pick was direct and the same time, playful.

"Nah, if they draft me, I do need 3. If they draft me. Never know, we gonna see in like five weeks," Dybantsa said.

No. 3 is not a casual number for either player. Dybantsa wore it throughout his breakout freshman season at BYU, where he became the youngest player in NCAA history to record a 30-point triple-double.

Young, the four-time NBA All-Star who arrived in Washington via a trade from the Atlanta Hawks in January this year, adopted No. 3 upon landing in DC because the Wizards retired his longtime number 11 for the legendary Elvin Hayes. Young has since then leaned into the shift, rebranding around his new "TRA3" identity.

What Dybantsa said when Arenas asked why the Wizards should take him first overall

The jersey number moment was the most viral part of the appearance, but Dybantsa also made his case for being the No. 1 pick directly.

"I'm a super versatile player. I think I can guard one through four, and in the NBA you're going to have to switch one through five and guard different types of players. So I'll say I can guard one through five. I play the game the right way, I try to get wins, and I try to get everybody involved... I like everybody eating. But I'm also an exciting player with a lot of highlight plays. I fill seats, so it's a little bit of everything," he said.

The draft is June 23. Trae Young's jersey status resolves itself five weeks after Dybantsa's comment on Gil's Arena. Whether he's wearing No. 3 for Washington by then or watching someone else take it depends entirely on which name gets called first.

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