BYU’s AJ Dybantsa declares for NBA draft, joins conversation for No. 1 pick

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. ” MORE: NBA Playoffs Power Rankings for the remaining teams 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.