With the 2026 NBA draft right around the corner, most prospects have already completed several workouts to show off their game and impress the scouts. For five-star forward AJ Dybantsa, however, merely visiting the NBA cities was as far as he was willing to go this summer.
During a recent podcast appearance, the BYU star confirmed his limited pre-draft process and explained why he felt no need to work out for even a single team. To put it bluntly, he feels he’s already shown enough to justify going first overall this year.
“I didn’t work out for none, I just visited the cities,” said Dybantsa on Baseline Banter. “Take me to the facility, take me to dinner, talk. I don’t gotta workout. They know what I can do.”
Dybantsa is projected to be a top-three pick this summer, linking his future to either the Wizards, Jazz, or Grizzlies. The 6’9″ swingman played 35 games this past season, averaging 25.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.1 steals, and 0.3 blocks per game on 51.0% shooting and 33.1% shooting from three. He was the star of the show for BYU, leading them to a 23-12 record as he headlined scouting reports.
While Dybantsa is confident that the Wizards will draft him with the top pick, there’s no guarantee his name is the first one called. Darryn Peterson out of Kansas and Duke star Cameron Boozer are also drawing consideration for the top spots, but we won’t know the order for sure until draft day.
What we do know is that any decision to draft Dybantsa will be based purely on his college performance. Without giving teams much else to go on, AJ is taking the bet that his draft stock will not suffer from skipping team workouts. Instead, he treated this draft season like free agency, meeting with teams and hearing their pitch on how he might fit into their culture. It’s certainly unprecedented for a rookie, but he knows that teams won’t be able to resist giving him an opportunity this summer. Even if he falls in the draft, it will only be a matter of time before he’s picked on his talent alone.
While some fans are interpreting his actions as arrogance, others argue that he’s just someone who knows his worth. Either way, even in a loaded draft class, AJ Dybantsa stands above the rest, and it’s why he can afford to be so confident while still having so much to prove. In the end, the hope is that Dybantsa can validate his confident approach with strong play on the court, but achieving that balance is much easier said than done.
At the very least, AJ can take some comfort in knowing that he’s not the only young prospect to stir up controversy. Darryn Peterson’s maturity has been in question for months, while Darius Acuff Jr. has been making headlines over reports of poor leadership and a lack of work ethic. For AJ Dybantsa to avoid ending up like his peers, he might have to learn some humility as he adapts to the NBA speed and rhythm.
