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BYU star AJ Dybantsa is a surefire top-5 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.
The Brockton, Massachusetts native’s offensive fluidity, shotmaking, and nonstop defensive activity/physical tools would make it impossible for him to land outside that range. That said, it was unclear which direction Dybantsa was leaning toward entering on Thursday.
Would the 19-year-old freshman phenom shock the world by returning to BYU for his sophomore campaign? Or would he declare for the draft and say goodbye to the Cougars for good? Thanks to Dybantsa’s recent NBA Draft announcement, we now know what the No. 1 scorer in basketball plans to do.
“BYU's AJ Dybantsa -- the potential No. 1 pick -- has declared for the 2026 NBA draft,” ESPN’s Shams Charania reported on X/Twitter.
Dybantsa’s decision doesn’t come as much of a surprise. As much as the ex-McDonald’s All-American would have loved to spend another year under Kevin Young at BYU, taking his talents to the pros was a no-brainer move for the future multi-time All-Star.
Dybantsa averaged 25.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.1 steals per game last season, shooting 51.0% from the field and 33.1% from beyond the arc on a BYU squad that reached the NCAA Tournament (lost to Texas in the Round of 64).
Simply put, Dybantsa made the right move before the upcoming NBA Draft early entry deadline (Friday).
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