AJ Dybantsa Is Heading to the NBA and the Draft Class Just Got Real

BYU's AJ Dybantsa announced Thursday that he's declaring for the 2026 NBA draft, and he's coming in as the projected No. 1 pick. No "maybe." No "I'll think about it." The guy just went on YouTube, read a letter he wrote when he was 7 years old dreaming of this exact moment, and said "See y'all on draft night." That's it. That's the moment.

The Nation's Leading Scorer Makes It Official

Dybantsa led the entire country in scoring last season and dragged BYU all the way to the NCAA tournament, even after Richie Saunders went down with a season-ending injury in January. Yeah, he had to carry that team. Everyone knew he was leaving. What matters now is that he's officially in the conversation with Kansas star Darryn Peterson for that top spot in this summer's draft, but right now the scouts have Dybantsa at No. 1.

There had been some real noise that he might stay in school another year. His mom wanted him to get his degree, and honestly, that almost seemed like it could've pulled him back to campus. But he made the call. He's going pro. The education? He'll get it done online while he starts his NBA career. During a news conference Thursday in his hometown of Brockton, Massachusetts at Edgar B. Davis Community School where he went to elementary school, Dybantsa made it clear he still believes in education even if you're chasing stardom. "Even if you're not a famous actor or athlete, you can still do great things with education," he said.

Utah Could Be His Landing Spot

Here's where it gets interesting for the league: the Utah Jazz could end up with the No. 1 pick, which means Dybantsa could potentially become a star just an hour's drive from where he played at BYU in Provo. That would be a storybook start. But when asked about his preferred destination, Dybantsa wasn't playing favorites. "Whatever team drafts me," he said.

The guy's got his eyes on the same kind of legacy that Rocky Marciano and Marvin Hagler, both Hall of Fame boxers from Brockton, built for themselves. That's the level of thinking here. He's ready. "I've had a lot of NBA players tell me that it really starts when you get there," Dybantsa said. "I'm looking forward to just being a rookie."

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.