The Utah Jazz have strong odds to end up with a top pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. If they do, their choice is obvious: Aj Dybantsa deserves to go No. 1 overall, and he proved it yet again with his March Madness performance.
The Jazz have made it crystal clear that they are gunning for one more high draft pick before turning the corner and pushing for the postseason. Walker Kessler and Jaren Jackson Jr. are out for the year, and All-Star forward Lauri Markkanen has been sidelined for weeks with an injury of his own. The lineups they are trotting out scream one thing: TANK.
The reason that Utah wants to tank is obvious -- while they have multiple really good, lower-end All-Star players on the roster in Markkanen, Jackson and hopefully Keyontae George, they don't have a Top-10 player in the league who can deliver real championship equity to Utah. If the Jazz want to win a title, or even return to the NBA Finals for the first time since the days of Karl Malone and John Stockton, they need a true franchise superstar.
Who should the Utah Jazz draft?
That will come through the draft, and 2026 is the right year to go after such a player. The current college freshmen class is loaded with talent, and the entire Top 10 could be freshmen. The top 3 picks in particular look like can't-miss stars: Cameron Boozer, Darryn Peterson, and AJ Dybantsa.
Who should the Jazz pick if they find themselves with the No. 1 pick, something they currently have a 10 percent chance of doing? There are obvious ties to Boozer's family after Carlos Boozer starred for the team during his career and now works in the front office. He would love for Utah to draft his son.
Yet with all apologies to Boozer and electric scoring guard Peterson, there is only one choice for the Jazz if they land at No. 1: BYU's AJ Dybantsa.
Dybantsa has been dominating
In addition to playing college basketball just down the road in Provo, Dybantsa fits everything that the Jazz need in a player. He is an unstoppable force with the ball in his hands, bringing a mixture of skill and power to demolish opposing defenses. He just broke Kevin Durant's Big 12 scoring record for a freshman. Durant was tremendous in college; Dybantsa was just as good.
Dybantsa saved his best for last, playing Durant's alma mater Texas in the first round of the NCAA Tournament and doing everything he could to lead an injury-hindered Cougars team to victory. He played every minute, scoring 35 points and pulling down 10 rebounds while getting to the free-throw line for 12 attempts.
The Jazz don't need another good player; they need a great one. Dybantsa fits the bill. He led the nation in scoring as a freshman and looks like a future 30-point scorer in the NBA. He has a chance to reach the Utah Jazz pantheon of players. The choice is out of Utah's hands.
If they land the No. 1 pick, they have to listen to Dybantsa. They have to draft him first overall.