BYU's AJ Dybantsa posts 'perfect' workout, but may be snubbed from the top pick

AJ Dybantsa has been the projected number-one pick by most mock drafts, analysts, and other individuals with eyeballs for most of the offseason. He enjoyed a phenomenal season at BYU, where he averaged the highest points per game of any player in the nation and put his NBA-ready skill set on full display night after night.

With Kansas' Darryn Peterson being the only likely competition for Dybantsa's top spot, the former Cougar seemed a safer option with no off-court drama, strong leadership skills, and the certainty that in Dybantsa, an NBA franchise can confidently usher in a new era of propserity. And winning. Lots and lots of winning.

According to Brett Siegel, AJ Dybantsa conducted a workout with the Washington Wizards, the owners of the number-one overall pick, and it went perfectly.

"Dybantsa recently worked out for the Wizards and met with the team's leadership at the end of last week, and everything went perfect."

But he added a caveat that forced many to wonder if this report has been released not to boost Dybantsa's reputation, but rather his trade stock: "There's a small chance that the Wizards could trade the pick."

An odd way to juxtapose the initial report, backing up the idea that while Dybantsa seems to be an optimal pick at number one, the Wizards won't be turning off their phone for any other teams hoping to jump to the top of the order.

Washington has been on record stating that they don't believe they need a player of Dybantsa's talent, or any of the elite prospects at the top of the class. They don't need a savior, in their eyes, as Trae Young and Anthony Davis should be enough to push their young core forward.

This all gets more confusing with reports that Darryn Peterson and his camp feel entirely confident he will be the top pick in the draft, not Dybantsa. So confident, in fact, that he's canceled his workout with the Utah Jazz leading into the home stretch before the draft.

Both Dybantsa and Peterson feel certain that they're the number-one pick, but only Peterson has gone all-in on his bid. That fascinates me.

AJ Dybantsa could slip to the number-two pick after all. If Peterson slides, I believe the Jazz wouldn't hold this decision against him -- this isn't an Ace Bailey situation, where the team's top draft target's representation has been on the record that he doesn't want to play in Utah, though that turned out to be untrue and led to that agent's termination.

Every day, it becomes more and more clear that we have no idea what's going to happen in this year's draft. This should be fun.

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