I'm sure you've heard the rumors by now, and if you haven't, I'm even more certain that what I'm about to share will not surprise you in the slightest.
According to Andscape's Marc Spears, the Utah Jazz have already touched base with the Washington Wizards about potentially swapping spaces in the 2026 NBA Draft.
I'll give you a moment to scrape your jaw off the floor.
"The Jazz have reached out to the Washington Wizards," said Spears. "Who have the No. 1 pick, about potentially trading up to land the former BYU standout."
The Jazz have reportedly reached out to the Wizards about trading up to draft AJ Dybantsa, per @MarcJSpears pic.twitter.com/k6x5P7I20r
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) May 14, 2026
The Jazz have been tied to AJ Dybantsa for years now, with Ryan Smith, a notable donor to his alma mater, Brigham Young University, importantly being the owner of the Utah Jazz. Dybantsa has been viewed the prize of this draft class for quite some time (though some would still argue that Kansas' Darryn Peterson is the superior prospect, but that's neither here nor there), and is the favorite to come off the board first this summer, when Adam Silver takes the stage of the Barclays Center.
When Washington lucked into the first overall pick at the Draft Lottery, and the Utah Jazz directly behind them with the second pick, the narrative practically formed itself: the Jazz would move heaven and Earth to keep their guy in-state.
Ok, maybe not quite to that degree, but Dybantsa has been groomed as the face of the Utah Jazz for years now, enrolling in prep school down in Hurricane for his senior season of high school before spending his freshman year at BYU. The Cougars' star has been outspoken in his love for the Beehive State, with his family likewise becoming comfortable in the community since joining their son on his path.
But the price for the number-one overall pick is never cheap, and I'd argue that Utah is much better off simply selecting whoever the Wizards don't, be that Peterson or Dybantsa.
I don't pay too much attention to the fact that Utah discussed trading up -- any team in their position wouldn't be doing its due diligence had they not considered moving to the top spot -- AJ Dybantsa is a built-in fan favorite, and the perfect superstar for the Utah Jazz's new era of not being horrible at basketball. There are questions about Darryn Peterson's competitive drive and injury concerns. But still, at his best, Peterson could be just as good, if not better, than his counterpart from Provo.
So yes, the Utah Jazz are making calls about AJ Dybantsa. Of course they are. But they'd be fools to waste the assets when they still have a 50/50 chance of walking away with their guy for free.
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