There are only 14 No. 1 overall picks in the NBA right now, but the Dallas Mavericks and Washington Wizards have managed to load up in a way that stands out even in a league full of movement. Each team has six of them on the books after the Mavericks landed Zaccharie Risacher from the Atlanta Hawks in a three-team deal on Sunday.
That puts both franchises in rare territory. The Mavericks now have Kyrie Irving, Cooper Flagg and Risacher, while the Wizards are carrying Anthony Davis, Deandre Ayton and AJ Dybantsa. It’s the kind of collection that makes you stop and look twice, especially when you consider how many former top picks are spread across the rest of the league.
The list of current No. 1 picks starts with LeBron James, who was taken in 2003 and is still in the NBA as a free agent. He’s outlasted the seven No. 1 selections that came after him, which is wild on its own. James could theoretically join the Mavericks or Wizards and push one of those teams even further up the count, but that’s highly unlikely.
Irving, the No. 1 pick in 2011 by the Cleveland Cavaliers, has been with Dallas since February 2023. He hasn’t played since tearing his ACL in March 2025, and while the Mavericks are rebuilding, there was some question about whether the nine-time All-Star might be moved this summer. That doesn’t appear to be happening.
Davis, selected by the New Orleans Hornets with the No. 1 pick in 2012, was traded by Dallas to Washington in February 2026. Since then, there’s been chatter about him wanting out, but Wizards GM Will Dawkins recently said the big man wants to be in Washington. Dawkins also made it clear that they want him to keep him, so that’s that.
The Davis talk picked up because Washington also brought in Ayton, who was the No. 1 pick in 2018 by the Phoenix Suns and later acquired from the Los Angeles Lakers. With Alex Sarr already on the roster, it looked like the Wizards might be setting up for Davis to leave. Instead, Ayton is expected to come off the bench.
Ayton’s career has never quite matched the billing that came with being a top pick, and Washington will be his fourth team. He was the last No. 1 pick to be traded by the team that drafted him before Risacher, and neither move came as much of a shock.
Risacher’s exit from Atlanta followed a rough second season. The Hawks took him No. 1 in 2024, but he underwhelmed, saw his role shrink in his sophomore year and barely appeared in the 2026 playoffs. Quin Snyder clearly wasn’t sold on him, and Dallas will hope a change of scenery gets more out of him.
He’ll now join Flagg, the Mavericks’ No. 1 pick in 2025, who won Rookie of the Year and has already looked every bit the part of a future star. Dallas had three No. 1 picks on its roster last season as well - Flagg, Irving and Davis - but Irving’s injury kept that group from ever taking the floor together.
The final name on the current list is Dybantsa, the Wizards’ 2026 No. 1 pick. He put up 50 points across two Summer League games, and the talent is obvious. Whether he becomes a superstar is still a question for later.
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