AJ Dybantsa, the projected No. 1 pick this summer, has declared for the 2026 NBA draft, he announced on YouTube on Thursday.
In the video, Dybantsa read a letter he wrote when he was 7 years old and hoping to become a basketball player one day. Now, the BYU star will enter this summer’s draft as the top prospect, according to ESPN. He will likely battle Kansas star Darryn Peterson for that top spot.
“See y’all on draft night,” Dybantsa said in the video.
Dybantsa led the nation in scoring last season and carried BYU to the NCAA tournament after Richie Saunders suffered a season-ending injury in January.
In multiple interviews prior to his announcement, Dybantsa had hinted that he might stay in college for another year. He said his mother wanted him to graduate from college, which could have influenced his decision before he ultimately chose to enter the draft.
During a news conference Thursday in his hometown of Brockton, Massachusetts — held at Edgar B. Davis Community School, where he attended elementary school — Dybantsa said he still values education and hopes to use it in the future.
“Even if you’re not a famous actor or athlete, you can still do great things with education,” he said.
He said his goal is to enjoy the same fame that Rocky Marciano and Marvin Hagler, both Hall of Fame boxers who called Brockton their hometown, had as they represented the city.
“It feels good. I’ve had a lot of NBA players tell me that it really starts when you get there,” Dybantsa said. “I’m looking forward to just being a rookie.”
The Utah Jazz could end up with the No. 1 pick, positioning Dybantsa to potentially become a star only an hour’s drive from where he played college basketball in Provo.
But he said Thursday that he doesn’t have a preferred destination in the NBA.
“Whatever team drafts me,” Dybantsa said.
