Ryan Smith was asked if Utah would trade up to draft AJ Dybantsa. Here’s what the Jazz owner said
"The days of having someone on the opposite side of the front office who’s not smart are long gone," Smith said.
Ashley and Ryan Smith, co-founders of Smith Entertainment Group, sit with The Atlantic staff writer McKay Coppins to discuss the value of live sports in an AI-driven era, the evolving future of entertainment and their vision for revitalizing Salt Lake City as The Atlantic Across America tour — a three-year, 50-state event series delving into important topics of our day — partners with the Deseret News in Salt Lake City on Monday, May 11, 2026. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News Fresh off an appearance on the “Pat McAfee Show” and before boarding a plane to Chicago for the NBA Draft Combine, Ryan Smith peeled back the curtain just a bit on how the Utah Jazz intend to use the No. 2 overall pick in June.
Not “who” the Jazz would draft, but how the process will play out. On Monday, Utah Jazz and Utah Mammoth co-owners Ryan and Ashley Smith spoke about the upcoming draft, professional hockey in Utah and the power of live sports as part of the Atlantic Across America Utah event , presented in partnership with the Deseret News. Atlantic staff writer and Deseret Voices podcast host McKay Coppins led the discussion at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building in Salt Lake City Before taking the stage with Coppins, Smith appeared remotely on Pat McAfee’s show on ESPN, where the host floated the possibility of the Jazz trading up to take BYU product AJ Dybantsa, the presumptive No.
1 overall pick. Coppins posed the same question. And while Smith didn’t address Dybantsa directly, he shed plenty of light on the organization’s approach to the draft and how he views Jazz president of basketball operations Austin Ainge and CEO Danny Ainge .
“I think the next 40 days you’re going to see some madness in the NBA,” Smith said. “And, you know, it might or might not be with us, and maybe the best thing that Danny sees and Austin see is just the path of just to go and let’s draft the best player available. ” Here’s more from what Smith told Coppins: On trades and NBA front offices “Timing is really important in these things.