Wizards Draft AJ Dybantsa No. 1 as Trae Young Weighs Jersey No. 3 Request

Q: With a $212M contract, will Trae Young force the No. 1 pick to give up his dream jersey number?

No. Trae Young’s $212 million deal gives him leverage, not the power to force AJ Dybantsa to abandon No. 3 outright. The practical reality is that Young currently owns the number in Washington. He switched to No. 3 after arriving from Atlanta because his old No. 11 is retired for Elvin Hayes, and as an eight-year veteran who has just agreed to a four-year, $212 million contract, he has clear seniority. That makes Dybantsa, the No. 1 pick, the one who would likely need to negotiate if he wants the jersey immediately. But jersey numbers are not determined by salary alone. This is usually settled privately between players and the team, often through a trade-off, a gift, or a rookie accommodation. Young’s public response — welcoming Dybantsa and saying the number discussion would come later — suggests a negotiation, not a hard refusal. Dybantsa has made clear that No. 3 matters to him; he wore it in high school and at BYU and even called out Young on Gilbert Arenas’ podcast before the draft. That confidence also reflects his status as Washington’s expected franchise cornerstone. The Wizards, who are accelerating their rebuild around Young, Anthony Davis, Alex Sarr and now Dybantsa, have reason to keep both sides happy. So the most likely outcome is not Young “forcing” the rookie to give it up forever. It is a bargaining process in which Young holds the stronger hand for now, and Dybantsa may have to pay a price or choose another number temporarily.

3 articles · Updated · ESPN · Jun 24

Washington used the No. 1 pick on 19-year-old AJ Dybantsa, making him the franchise's third top overall selection since moving to D.C. in 1973.
No. 3 quickly became a subplot because Dybantsa wore it at BYU and in high school, but Trae Young now holds that number after switching from 11, which Washington retired for Elvin Hayes.
Young welcomed Dybantsa to the Wizards while signaling the jersey issue will be discussed later, leaving the rookie to negotiate for the number he publicly said he wanted before the draft.
The number decision will play out on a roster that already features Young and Anthony Davis, with Young expected to sign a four-year deal worth about $212 million.