The Jazz have a strong chance to keep their lottery pick in the 2026 NBA Draft and fans are hoping this is the year that they finally move up in the draft and potentially have the first overall pick for the first time ever.
A.J. Dybantsa is arguably the best prospect in this upcoming draft and with his connections to the state of Utah, there would be no surprise if the Jazz took him if they had the first pick.
After moving to Utah to play his senior year of high school basketball at Utah Prep, Dybantsa then committed to play basketball at Brigham Young University, the alma mater of both Jazz owner Ryan Smith and front office exec Danny Ainge.
Dybantsa, who grew up in Brockton, Massachusetts, has been linked to the Jazz all throughout his lone season with the Cougars due to the connections Smith and Ainge have to the university and in their potential role in originally bringing Dybantsa to Utah.
For as close as the Jazz are to competing in the Western Conference, drafting Dybantsa would give Utah the best player available and someone who many fans have already become attached to.
Dybantsa led all of college basketball in scoring as he averaged 25.5 points while also adding 6.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists. Dybantsa showcased plenty of skills at BYU and he proved he could play in a variety of situations and do a bit of everything.
A harsh reality would emerge
Adding Dybantsa to a group of players that includes Keyonte George, Lauri Markkanen, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Ace Bailey would add even more length and scoring to the Jazz lineup.
There could be one small problem – what would the selection of Dybantsa mean for the future of Lauri Markkanen?
Markkanen had his most prolific scoring season after averaging 26.7 points per game and he is under contract for the next three seasons.Â
However, with his salary increasing in both the 2027 and 2028 seasons and with a couple of other guys like George due for contract extensions, Markkanen’s future could be in doubt.
It would be hard to imagine Utah moving Markkanen as early as next season but that could be a topic of conversation the front office has if they do add Dybantsa.
With Markkanen and Bailey already in the fold, the Jazz would have a log jam at the small forward position and with the amount of money Jackson is making on his max extension, Markkanen might be the easiest to move off of.
There’s no guarantee that Utah will choose to make this move but anything is possible, especially in today’s NBA.
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