Danny Ainge, you are on the clock.
Someone needs to save AJ Dybantsa from the doom of playing for the hapless Washington Wizards after they won the NBA Draft lottery. Ainge, the Utah.Jazz CEO, two-time NBA champion and former three-time All-American at BYU could do one of his fellow Cougars a solid and figure out how to keep Dybantsa in Utah and playing for a franchise that wants to win and compete for championships. Even former NBA coach Avery Johnson said the Jazz should do whatever it takes to get the top pick.
[NBA] Coach Avery Johnson thinks the Jazz should go ALL IN to trade up with the Wizards and keep AJ Dybantsa in Utah. The pick swap conversation is heating up, per @CBSSports pic.twitter.com/Z0ep6kQGv8
— ThePressBoxHQ (@ThePressBoxHQ) May 10, 2026
"I don't know if this is possible, but I'm on the phone right now with the Wizards," Johnson said. "How can we make a deal? We desperately need to get this No. 1 pick to keep this guy that was at BYU, AJ Dybantsa, in the state of Utah."
Danny Ainge might be AJ Dybantsa's best hope to win in the NBA
There's no reason to think the Wizards would deal the No. 1 pick unless they like one of the other consensus top four players -- Kansas point guard Darryn Peterson, Duke forward Cam Boozer or North Carolina forward Caleb Wilson, which is possible albeit unlikely. They are all great players, but Dybantsa is a generational talent.
But it should be worth the time for Ainge to try. If that means offering anything on the roster and future draft picks, so be it. There isn't a basketball fan in the world that wouldn't trust Ainge to figure out how to build around Dybantsa and put together a team that will be competitive over the long term over whatever is going on with the Wizards.
Plus, Ainge understands the value of box office and Dybantsa would be massive business for the Jazz. He's played at BYU. He played for Utah Prep. Everyone in the state has been following him for the past few years and having him in the lineup for opening night would pack the Delta Center. And the jersey sales? Oh my goodness. Everyone is going to want that Jazz jersey with 'Dybantsa' on the back.
And the Jazz have some pieces. There's Ace Bailey, Lauri Markkanen, Jaren Jackson Jr. and they have plenty of drafts. If the Wizards are willing to talk, there's a deal to be made. It's time for Ainge to work the phones.
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