AJ Dybantsa kept it simple on Thursday, April 23, when he did the expected and declared for the NBA draft.
“See y’all on draft night,’ Dybantsa, a BYU freshman, posted on X.
Along with the announcement, Dybantsa shared a letter he wrote as a 7-year-old first-grader. “When I grow up,” it read, “I would like to be a basketball player.”
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The 6-foot-9, 210-pound forward has become one of the nation’s top basketball players. And come June 23, he may well be the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.
Dybantsa sits atop ESPN’s NBA draft rankings, just ahead of the Kansas Jayhawks’ Darryn Peterson and the Duke Blue Devils’ Cameron Boozer. Scouts praise his rare blend of size, athleticism and skill.
Last season, he led the nation in scoring at 25.5 points per game and carried the Cougars to the NCAA Tournament. The Brockton, Massachusetts, native held a press conference on Thursday in his hometown. In fact, he addressed reporters at his elementary school, Edgar B. Davis Community School.
“Now the work starts again, all over again,” Dybantsa said, per NBA.com. “I’ve had a lot of NBA players tell me that it kind of restarts once you get there. I’m just looking forward to that next step, being a rookie and learning from all the vets.”
Dybantsa said he will remain enrolled at BYU while he pursues his NBA career. Consequently, he hopes to graduate with a mass communications degree.
“My mom wanted me to stay in college to graduate,” Dybantsa said. “But I told my mother that I’m going to declare for the draft and also finish and get my degree online. I’ll probably finish within the next four years.”
Dybantsa added 6.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists in his lone season at BYU.
It is unclear which NBA team will hold the first pick in the draft. The NBA Draft Lottery is set for 3 p.m. ET May 10 on ABC. The Washington Wizard, Indiana Pacers and Brooklyn Nets have a 14 percent chance to earn the top pick.
Still, it doesn’t matter to Dybantsa where he ends up.