The Washington Wizards won this year’s NBA draft lottery, but the Utah Jazz weren’t far behind. With the second pick, they will have an enormous pool of young prospects from which to develop their next star.
The only problem for the Jazz is that their top choice, BYU’s AJ Dybantsa, is the one player who is not expected to be available. As the top prospect right now, Dybantsa is favored to be the first name picked on draft day, but that doesn’t mean the Jazz will just give up trying. In fact, according to league insider Marc Spears, they are already trying to negotiate a deal to move up in the draft, to ensure that they are the ones who end up with AJ.
“Dybantsa is the top prospect in the draft, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Woo. The Jazz have reached out to the Washington Wizards, who have the No. 1 pick, about potentially trading up to land the former BYU standout,” wrote Andscape’s Marc Spears.
In a historically deep draft class, the Jazz could easily find a high-impact player with the second pick, but they are determined to sign Dybantsa. At 6’9″ and 210 pounds, he’s a versatile young athlete who provides a major boost on the wing. Known as an elite shot creator and highly efficient scorer, he has the potential to be a leading star in the NBA.
For the Jazz, what sets him apart (aside from his talent and on-court potential) is his desire to play in Utah. Unlike so many other young stars in the game, he doesn’t have a preference for playing in big-market cities like New York, Los Angeles, Miami, or Chicago. From his tenure at BYU, he developed ties to Utah and wants to stay put rather than move his family across the country.
From the perspective of Jazz CEO Danny Ainge, the mission is clear: bring Dybantsa to Utah at any cost. The only question is, will the Wizards consider moving down? While AJ is currently leading most draft boards, the Wizards are reportedly not as sold on the idea that he can be the savior of their franchise. So, unless the Wizards change their mind on Dybantsa, it makes sense for them to swap places with Utah and squeeze whatever assets they can from the Jazz. In the process, they can add to their own stockpile (which now also includes Trae Young and Anthony Davis) while still ensuring they can land a stop prospect in this year’s draft.
Ultimately, it has the potential to be a win-win for both sides, but only Dybantsa’s development will determine his value. If he’s even half as good as the scouts claim, the Wizards could come to regret giving him up. Then again, there are plenty of other worthy prospects to choose from.
Meanwhile, in Utah, AJ could join an already stacked young team with players such as Lauri Markkanen, Walker Kessler, and Keyonte George. While they might not be ready to compete right away, the Jazz would be set for the future with a young core that rivals some of the best in the league.
