AJ Dybantsa is Emerging as the Player Every Team Wants to Draft

The NBA postseason is in full swing, and there’s plenty of action to catch between now and June. But, that doesn’t take away from the excitement of the NBA draft, which is on the way.

In a piece out on Saturday, May 9, Gary Parrish of CBS Sports paints a picture of what to expect during this draft. The NBA Draft Lottery, of course, is set for Sunday, May 10, and that’s when we’ll find out who’s picking first, second and further down the line.

“The Washington Wizards, Pacers and Nets have the best chances to secure the first pick — but it could also go to the Jazz, Grizzlies, Hawks, Mavericks, Bulls, Bucks, Warriors, Heat, Hornets or … Thunder,” Parrish states. “Yes, Oklahoma City really could get the No. 1 pick, crazy as that sounds. If it happens, Monday will make for an incredible day of sports talk.”

Parrish has AJ Dybantsa as an easy No. 1 favorite in this draft.

“Partly because he had an incredible freshman year, partly because Peterson did not, Dybantsa, again, has emerged as the favorite in the betting markets to be selected first next month,” he states. “He’s a jumbo-sized wing and natural scorer who led the EYBL in points per game after his freshman season of high school and the entire nation in points per game during his freshman year at BYU.”

He adds: “Based on that trajectory, and Dybantsa’s awesome physical tools, it should surprise nobody if he also someday leads the NBA in scoring.”

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My Hot Take: AJ Dybantsa is the Fernando Mendoza of the NBA Draft

Much like everybody knew that Fernando Mendoza would be selected first by the Las Vegas Raiders, it’s becoming clear that Dybantsa is going first in the NBA draft by whichever team gets the No. 1 pick. So, we could call him the Mendoza of the NBA.

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Dybantsa is a rookie who’s ready to go from the start, and that’s rare. He’s in a unique position to make a difference in his first year in the NBA with any team that picks him.

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This story was originally published May 9, 2026 at 3:45 PM.