AJ Dybantsa’s NBA comps swing between two stars

With draft night looming, AJ Dybantsa is being mapped to NBA ceilings and floors through comparisons that keep flipping between elite-wing expectations and realistic caveats—especially Jaylen Brown at his best and RJ Barrett after his first adjustment period.

Three weeks from draft night, AJ Dybantsa’s future is no longer a distant question. It’s a pick—either Washington Wizards at No. 1 overall or Utah Jazz at No. 2—and the comparisons attached to his name have started to feel like blueprints.

ESPN released player comparisons for this year’s draft prospects, giving Dybantsa both a high-end and a low-end match. On the high end, ESPN writers Tim Bontemps and Jeremy Woo likened him to a “supercharged Jaylen Brown.” On the lower comparison, they put him closer to a “supercharged RJ Barrett.”

Woo’s explanation goes straight for the thing scouts can’t stop talking about: Dybantsa’s build. “Dybantsa comparisons are tricky because his physical profile is off the charts,” Woo wrote. He added that Dybantsa can “play on the perimeter with power forward-caliber tools. ” that he’s “an exceptionally coordinated driver at that size. ” and that his college production was “miles ahead” of Brown’s at the same stage. Even in the cautious scenario. Woo’s bottom line was clear: if Dybantsa doesn’t make a major leap as a shooter or on defense. he should still clear players such as Barrett.

That framing matters because Brown is no quiet benchmark. Brown is coming off what ESPN is essentially calling his peak form: he averaged 28.7 points. 6.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game for the Boston Celtics. He’s a five-time All-Star, a career 20-points-per-game scorer, and he earned Finals MVP honors in 2024.

Bontemps also leaned on the “bigger, longer Brown” idea. “Multiple scouts and executives compared Dybantsa to a bigger, longer Brown,” Bontemps wrote. He described it as a “pretty good outcome. ” pointing to how Brown has made several All-Star teams. was named to his second All-NBA team. and won both a conference finals and an NBA Finals MVP trophy.

Then comes the other end of the spectrum—Barrett, a player whose story begins as proof that adjustments take time.

Barrett was the No. 3 overall pick in 2019. His first half decade as a New York Knick was inconsistent, and at times it felt underwhelming. But the picture sharpened after being traded to Toronto. There, Barrett enjoyed a significant resurgence, posting averages of 19.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists while shooting 49% from the field.

Woo’s notes on Dybantsa in that “Barrett-like” zone are direct about what still has to click. “Dybantsa is still learning his craft and needs to improve reading the floor. stretching his range and becoming a more consistent defender. ” Woo wrote. He added that while a straight comparison is “tricky. ” there’s a “realistic pathway” for Dybantsa to become “one of the NBA’s best and most physical wings in time.”.

A separate scoreboard of comparisons sits on the NBA Draft Net website, where Hall of Famer Tracy McGrady, six-time champion Scottie Pippen, and 2025 No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg are listed as matches for Dybantsa.

Dybantsa’s scouting report on that site paints a layered ceiling and a specific kind of versatility. “His combination of size. shot creation and playmaking gives him true superstar upside. with shades of Tracy McGrady as a scorer and Scottie Pippen in his versatility and ability to impact the game across multiple areas. ” reads the report. It also lists “similarities to Cooper Flagg in terms of positional versatility. feel for the game. and long-term upside as a point forward who can influence every phase … If his perimeter shooting consistency and defensive engagement continue to improve. he has legitimate All-NBA and perennial All-Star potential.”.

The draft hype has followed Dybantsa into how he talks about the game, too. He has embraced the McGrady comparison. often referencing their similarities and saying he studied much of the two-time scoring champ’s film. “When I went back and watched (McGrady’s film). I was like. ‘Yeah. that kinda (looks) like me. ’” Dybantsa said on an ESPN appearance this past November.

On ESPN’s big board, Dybantsa is currently rated as the No. 1 prospect.

Woo’s projection—written with both hope and guardrails—lands on the same core tension that the Brown-versus-Barrett comparisons bring into focus. “Whether he hears his name called by Washington at No. 1 or lands with Utah at No. 2 (a scenario that would likely thrill both parties). he’ll enter the NBA as a potential franchise-level talent thanks to the strides he has made as an all-around offensive player. ” Woo wrote. “There are still several key areas for improvement for Dybantsa in the long term. particularly his 3-point shooting. ballhandling and level of defensive engagement. Although he’s not a two-way player yet. wings with his caliber of tools and competitive makeup tend to become positive defenders over time. It helps that those weaknesses are all actionable areas for development for whichever team drafts him.”.

It’s the kind of draft forecast that makes the countdown feel personal. If Dybantsa becomes the “supercharged Jaylen Brown. ” it’s because the jump is bigger than a normal rookie progression—shooting and defense shifting at the same time. If the “supercharged RJ Barrett” path shows up instead, it won’t be because he lacked talent. It’ll be because the league is asking him to learn. adjust. and arrive—gradually—like so many players before him.

Either way, the comparison list makes one thing unmistakable: Dybantsa isn’t being picked as a simple role player. He’s being treated like a difference-maker whose exact shape will show up in the details—how fast those strengths become NBA instincts, and how quickly the holes close.

AJ Dybantsa NBA draft Washington Wizards Utah Jazz ESPN comparisons Jaylen Brown RJ Barrett Tracy McGrady Scottie Pippen Cooper Flagg BYU