AJ Dybantsa says he’s “super confident” he’ll go No. 1 in the 2026 NBA Draft, even as he admits Barclays Center could bring “crazy stuff” on June 23. With the Wizards holding the top pick and Utah on deck at No. 2, their front offices are preparing for very di
When AJ Dybantsa looks toward the 2026 NBA Draft, he isn’t imagining a calm, scripted moment. He’s imagining everything going sideways.
The former BYU star, who says he’s confident he will be the No. 1 overall pick, also knows the reality of draft night: it can swing fast, even for a player who feels destined to hear his name first. The draft is set for June 23 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
In a one-on-one conversation, Dybantsa told that he is “super confident in myself being the No. 1 pick,” but added that “you never know” because there has been “crazy stuff that happens on draft night.”
The uncertainty starts with the decision looming in Washington. The Washington Wizards won the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA Draft Lottery, but what they do with it is still not settled. The franchises that will bookend the top two selections—Washington at No. 1 and Utah at No. 2—have been busy with pre-draft work, and that groundwork has sharpened, not erased, the questions.
Dybantsa is not alone in the conversation. ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that the NCAA scoring champion has conducted pre-draft workouts with both the Wizards and the Utah Jazz.
Utah’s other top contenders have different paths. Charania reported that Kansas guard Darryn Peterson has only visited with the Wizards and does not plan to grant any other franchise a workout.
Both players, Charania reported, expect to hear their name called at No. 1 overall.
Dybantsa said he chose to visit with both teams selecting at the top. even though the most direct path could have been to focus on one. He pointed to the value of comparing options across franchises. “You never want to just be too stuck on just on going to visit one team, in my opinion. You want to visit different teams and see what they have to offer,” he explained.
His connection to Utah is also more than a talking point. The Julius Erving Award winner has long ties to the Jazz through his own history: he played collegiate basketball at BYU. where Jazz governor Ryan Smith and CEO Danny Ainge are alumni and boosters. and he attended Utah Prep Academy for his final year of high school.
A family message—sent in real time from his dad—also landed amid the pre-draft noise. On an episode of The Hoop Collective podcast, Brian Windhorst shared a photograph that AJ’s father, Ace Dybantsa, sent him via text message. The picture showed a T-shirt for both the Wizards and Jazz.
Behind the scenes, the timing of the decisions may be the sharpest contrast between the teams. Washington’s front office will control the cards and is reportedly not expected to make a final decision on its preferred pick until closer to the night of the draft. Utah’s front office, by contrast, will have an immediate decision to make when they’re on the clock.
The Jazz’s internal process appears especially unsettled. Per The Athletic, Utah is “genuinely torn” between Dybantsa, Peterson, and national collegiate player of the year Cameron Boozer. The report said the Jazz “won’t hesitate” to select Peterson if they determine he’s the best fit. even though he did not conduct a pre-draft workout with the guard.
While Dybantsa understands that teams ultimately steer the draft. he framed his own approach as repeatable—bringing the same skill set regardless of where the draft places him. “You’re not really in control. The team’s in control,” he said. “Any team I go to, I’m going to bring a bunch of versatility, offensively and defensively. If it’s the number one team. if it’s the number ten team. I’m going to bring the same thing.”.
In the end. the suspense won’t just be about whether Dybantsa’s confidence matches what happens at Barclays Center on June 23. It will also be about how quickly the Wizards commit and how decisively the Jazz make the call when the pick arrives—because in a draft built on momentum. it’s the moments right before the announcement that can define everything.
AJ Dybantsa Washington Wizards Utah Jazz 2026 NBA Draft No. 1 pick Darryn Peterson Barclays Center Shams Charania Cameron Boozer Julius Erving Award Brian Windhorst