BYU Cougars star AJ Dybantsa seemingly prefers to stick around Utah.
Multiple reports, including pre-draft analysis by Adam Finkelstein, show the 6-foot-9, 210-pound big man is far from spoken for when it comes to just who will land the projected overall No. 1 pick. Instead, the Washington Wizards, which hold the opening pick, will battle for Dybantsa behind closed doors.
Dybantsa is warm toward the Utah Jazz, which holds the No. 2 pick, and it’s not especially surprising, given his time at BYU and Utah Prep. It’s an obvious, long-term plan to lock down a tremendous talent for one of the NBA’s least successful teams in recent memory.
If Utah’s unable to trade up, Kansas guard Darryn Peterson and Duke forward Cameron Boozer are both available to the Jazz with the No. 2 pick.
That’s two years of his life, and much of it spent playing basketball on national television as a Cougar. If Utah can swing it, they’ll pull the Big 12 Freshman of the Year without a doubt – but can they pull it off?
Dybantsa can certainly decline a workout with the Wizards, as Finkelstein noted in his reporting, but where has that gotten first-round picks in the past?
Ace Bailey, the fifth overall pick by the Jazz in last year’s draft, seemingly sought Washington, D.C., of all places before Utah grabbed him first. Bailey, though, is averaging 13.8 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists in his rookie season, and is seemingly content with playing basketball in Salt Lake City.
Like Bailey, Dybantsa doesn’t seem like the type to hold a serious grudge against whichever franchise scoops him up. He’s a game-changer, get, and he’ll be paid like it on the other end of this year’s draft.
Utah could provide Washington with a trade package, but even bundling away Bailey or future picks could be a misstep to land Dybantsa. It’s hard to imagine a scenario where part of the young Jazz roster isn’t on the table here, but is it worth landing the state’s most popular player of the decade?
