AJ Dybantsa did not sound remotely interested in market size when he spoke to Jason Jones of The Athletic, and that matters on a draft day when the NBA’s worst teams are waiting to learn where the top prize lands. The BYU star made it clear he has already spent years building his own profile, no matter the city.
“Obviously being from Brockton, I’m not really from a big market,” Dybantsa said. “I’ve created my own path and my team. My parents have been doing a great job of just putting me out there. So, I’ve been in the spotlight for a long time.”
That mindset fits the path he has already taken. Dybantsa grew up in Brockton, Mass., then went through prep stops in Napa, Calif., and Hurricane, Utah, before choosing BYU in Provo, where he put up one of the strongest freshman seasons in the country.
He averaged 25.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 3.7 assists for the Cougars while shooting 51.0% from the field and earning a long list of honors. For NBA teams, that production only adds to the appeal of a player widely viewed as one of the elite names in the 2026 class.
The timing makes his comments even sharper. The 2026 NBA Draft Lottery is set for today, and the Wizards, Pacers, and Nets each enter with the best odds at No. 1 overall at 14%, followed by the Jazz and Kings at 11.5%.
Dybantsa is projected by many to go first overall, but the lottery still controls where he begins his NBA career. That means one of the league’s smaller or more volatile markets could still win the right to draft him, even if the destination is not a glamour city.
