BYU star AJ Dybantsa makes it official: 2026 NBA Draft awaits

PROVO (KSL.com) — AJ Dybantsa is officially on his way to the NBA.

The BYU basketball star announced on Thursday that he was declaring for the 2026 NBA Draft. He made the announcement one day before the early-entry deadline for the NBA Draft in his hometown of Brockton, Massachusetts, at Davis School, where he attended through fifth grade.

Dybantsa is viewed as the No. 1 pick for the upcoming draft, in a class that is one of the deepest in the past 25 years.

AJ Dybantsa declares for the 2026 NBA Draft

The 6-foot-9, 212-pound do-it-all wing was a matchup nightmare for opponents that faced BYU this season.

Dybantsa was the nation’s leading scorer, averaging 25.5 points per game.

The former No. 1 recruit scored 894 points in total for BYU this past season. It was the second-most points scored in a season by a freshman since 2000, trailing only Kevin Durant, who scored 903 points for Texas in 2007.

He put together two 40-point games, including a BYU freshman record 43 points against rival Utah in January.

Along with his scoring ability, Dybantsa averaged 6.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game.

Dybantsa was the winner of the Julius Erving Award, given to the nation’s best small forward in college basketball.

He finished as a Consensus All-American and earned First Team All-Big 12 recognition. Dybantsa also earned Big 12 Freshman of the Year and set the Big 12 Tournament record for most points scored.

“I love this place. I’m happy I chose here. I definitely made the right decision. I knew coming in, I made the right decision,” Dybantsa said on his season playing at BYU. “Ever since my visit with the coaching staff, it’s just a family atmosphere, talking to the academic adviser, everything about this place, I’m just happy.”

Dybantsa started and played in all 35 of BYU’s games this past season, averaging 34.8 minutes per game.

BYU to the NBA

He is set to give BYU a second consecutive year of producing a first-round NBA draft pick. Last year, Egor Demin was selected No. 8 overall by the Brooklyn Nets.

“In terms of AJ coming to BYU, man, it’s been tremendous. Egor (Demin) came in and set the foundation. AJ kind of took the torch,” said BYU head coach Kevin Young last month. “It’s cool to hear him say how much he’s enjoyed being here. He’s going to be a Coug for life. That’s what is awesome.”

The 2026 NBA Draft will take place in Brooklyn, New York, at Barclays Center from Tuesday, June 23 to Wednesday, June 24.

Who will take Dybantsa is the question now.

The order of the 2026 NBA Draft will be decided on Sunday, May 10, when the NBA Draft Lottery is revealed.