The NBA is under fire for an unprecedented level of tanking.
The reasons are multifold, and tanking is not a new issue in the NBA, but the motive for tanking this season in particular seems to be wanting the best odds at landing Kansas guard Darryn Peterson, BYU forward AJ Dybantsa, or Duke big man Cameron Boozer, the son of former NBA All-Star Carlos Boozer, in the 2026 NBA Draft.
But one of them might not be in this summer’s draft at all.
Deseret News McKay Coppins sat down with Dybantsa recently, and Coppins asked the 19-year-old if he cares about going No. 1 overall. Dybantsa said he wants to go No. 1, but he added, “Well, I might not leave.” Predictably, this threw Coppins off and opened the door for a flurry of follow-ups.
With a wide smile, Dybantsa said, “I might not leave college. I’ve just got to get to the end of the season.” Coppins pushed for clarification as to whether Dybantsa has made up his mind about declaring for the 2026 NBA Draft, to which Dybantsa said, “Nah, because my mom wants me to graduate, so I might not leave. But I might leave. I don’t know. The fans might get into my head, talking about one more year [or] maybe three more years. I don’t know. But, like, I’m going to have to talk to my mom.”
Dybantsa explained that his mother wants him to get his college degree because “as a mom, she’s thinking post-basketball, and, God forbid, if anything happens to me, I should always have a back-up plan.”
In February, ESPN NBA Draft analyst Jeremy Woo ranked Dybantsa as the second-best prospect should he officially join the 2026 class. He sits behind Peterson. Woo’s evaluation of Dybantsa reads as follows:
“NBA execs widely view Dybantsa as Peterson’s most direct competitor for the No. 1 spot because of the forward’s combination of positional size, strength, and explosiveness coupled with strong production,” Woo wrote. “Dybantsa’s style of play isn’t always aesthetic, and he’s still developing as a jump shooter, but he draws fouls in bunches and wields a greater physical advantage than most players in the draft. He also is beginning to show growth as a decision-maker, improving in recent weeks, finding teammates and being patient.
His long-term potential has earned him the benefit of the doubt from many evaluators, while Big 12 teams continue to pack the paint and throw tough defensive looks at him. He’s in the midst of one of his best stretches of the season, with excellent showings against Oklahoma State, Houston, and Baylor.”
More recently, Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman projected Dybantsa to go No. 1 overall to Sacramento in his latest mock draft published on Tuesday.
As Dybantsa said, he’s focused on finishing out his freshman season with the BYU Cougars. Currently, BYU is 20-10, and ESPN’s Joe Lunardi considers them a lock to make the NCAA Tournament. The 6-foot-9 Dybantsa leads the team with 24.8 points per game. He’s also averaging 6.7 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.1 steals in 34.1 minutes across 30 games.
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