October 3, 2026 · By The Sports Nus Staff · 5 min read
Bub Carrington said the quiet part out loud. In a media-day interview this week, Washington's third-year guard admitted the Wizards were held back last season because the franchise was trying to land AJ Dybantsa in the draft. It worked. The Wizards won the lottery and took Dybantsa first overall in June.
"We've all, in a way, been held back just because, like you said, we were trying to get AJ Dybantsa. That's no secret. That's no secret. But now, no one has handcuffs. Everyone's shackles-free," Carrington said.
via WUSA9 / Marshall Kramsky
The clip circulated widely on October 2 and instantly became one of the most talked-about soundbites of media week. When asked what has to change this season, Carrington pointed at the young core: the players "just haven't been told yet to go be the best version of yourself." Then he went further: "But then you put that on top of the coaching, on top of the vets that we have. That's a playoff team, and that's gonna happen."
The admission, in context
- 17-65, worst record in the NBA. That gave Washington a 14.0 percent chance at the No. 1 pick and a 40.1 percent chance at a top-three pick. They won the lottery and drafted Dybantsa first overall in June 2026.
- Carrington, 21, was the 14th overall pick in 2024 out of Pitt and is entering his third season.
- Dybantsa, 6-foot-9, averaged 25.5 points and 6.8 rebounds as a BYU freshman and played Summer League in Las Vegas in July.
- 3-26 after the All-Star break. Washington also made midseason trades for injured stars Trae Young (five appearances) and Anthony Davis (zero).
See how it played on our Instagram:
What he actually said
Strip away the headlines and Carrington's comments read like a young player describing how the building operated, not a front-office executive announcing a strategy. He framed last season as a developmental holding pattern: young players were not told to go be the best version of themselves because the organization had its eyes on the lottery. Now, he says, the handcuffs are off.
That distinction matters. Players talk. Executives get fined. Carrington was describing the environment he played in, which is a long way from a team president going on the record about losing on purpose.
Why the league probably will not care
The NBA fined the Jazz and the Pacers for alleged tanking last season, so the league is not asleep on this. But according to reporting from The Athletic's Sam Amick and Josh Robbins, the league is not expected to punish Carrington or the Wizards over these comments.
The precedent supports that read. Mark Cuban was fined $600,000 in 2018 for saying "losing is our best option" because he was the owner stating the strategy. A 21-year-old guard describing how the season felt is a different animal. Add in the new anti-tanking measures that further flatten lottery odds, and the league has bigger tools than fining soundbites.
Wizards GM Will Dawkins has also said the timing lined up with the team's planned pivot to competing. The tank, in other words, is officially over. The quotes just confirmed what the standings already told you.
The betting angle
Fade the "playoff team" hype in the win-total market. A 17-win team adding a rookie No. 1 pick and two veterans coming off injuries is a leap story, not a lock. Carrington's confidence is great for vibes and terrible for value if the market prices it in.
Watch whether Washington's total moves on this quote. If it does, the value is usually on the other side of hype. Let the market overreact to October words, then take the under on a roster that still has to prove it can win real games.