Washington Wizards GM weighs in on BYU star AJ Dybantsa
May 12, 2026, 1:45 PM | Updated: May 13, 2026, 2:49 pm
Will BYU basketball star AJ Dybantsa be the number one NBA draft pick? The decision is in the hands of the Washington Wizards.
Washington won the NBA draft lottery on Sunday and is now on the clock to decide whom it will take at No. 1. Following the Wizards, the Utah Jazz are at No. 2.
On Tuesday, during the NBA draft combine, we heard from one of the key decision-makers in the Wizards’ front office, General Manager Will Dawkins, who shared his thoughts on Dybantsa.
Washington Wizards GM Will Dawkins shared his thoughts on AJ Dybantsa
Dawkins was on the set of ESPN’s NBA draft combine coverage for a few minutes. When Dybantsa popped up on the screen, Dawkins jokingly said, “Who do we got here?”
ESPN host Kevin Connors asked Dawkins, “What does AJ Dybantsa bring that might work in your organization?”
Dawkins, who is entering his fourth season as the Wizards’ General Manager, replied on the ESPN set, saying, “He’s a Massachusetts guy just like myself. So you can imagine, since he was 14 years old, we’ve been hearing he’s the next one out of our state. I’ve known AJ and his family pretty well, just based on being in Massachusetts basketball. But again, it’s people.”
Dybantsa is a native of Brockton, Massachusetts, while Dawkins hails from Springfield, Massachusetts.
“Charisma to him”
In his one season at BYU, Dybantsa led the nation in scoring with 25.5 points per game and was thrust into a leadership role in the BYU locker room when teammate Richie Saunders went down with an injury.
Dawkins highlighted the traits that catch his attention about the former BYU star both on and off the court.
“This guy has a charisma to him. He’s got a confidence to him,” Dawkins said of Dybantsa. “He’s been able to do it at every level that he’s stepped at, and increased his play. When you talk about basketball, he can score it, he can defend, he’s long, and he can make plays for others. He’s a high-level talent.
“So we have an opportunity to take a look at him and get to know him a little bit more. We got to interview him today, we’ll spend a little bit more time with him, hopefully in D.C. But again, true talent.”
Dybantsa measured in at the combine at 6’8.50″ with a 7’0.50″ wingspan.
The NBA draft combine runs until May 17, followed by the NBA draft taking place in Brooklyn on June 23.
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for KSL and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast daily on KSL Sports YouTube and KSL NewsRadio (SUBSCRIBE). Harper also co-hosts Cougar Sports Saturday (12–3 p.m.) on KSL NewsRadio.
Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU athletics in the Big 12 Conference on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram: @Mitch_Harper.
