NEW YORK (AP) — With the NBA draft just hours away, basketball fans were searching for any hint about where top prospect AJ Dybantsa might land — but his Father’s Day social media post turned out to be no clue at all.
Dybantsa posted a tribute to his father, Anicet Dybantsa Sr., known as “Ace,” on X, and one of the photos showed a young AJ being held by his dad in front of the White House. Since Washington holds the No. 1 overall pick in Tuesday night’s draft, many wondered if the image was a subtle hint about his destination.
It wasn’t. Dybantsa explained Monday that the photo choice came down to something much simpler — modesty.
“Actually, it was just a random photo that I found,” Dybantsa said. “I was going to do one and I was a baby, but I was naked, so I didn’t want to do that one. So the next one to the right just happened to be in front of the White House.”
Still, there’s a solid chance Dybantsa is indeed Washington-bound. The 6-foot-9 forward from Boston dominated college basketball in his single season at BYU, leading the entire country with 25.5 points per game. Scouts have compared his combination of size and skill to Kevin Durant — who also happens to be Dybantsa’s favorite player.
Washington could also look at other top-tier one-and-done prospects, including Darryn Peterson of Kansas, college player of the year Cameron Boozer of Duke, or North Carolina forward Caleb Wilson. A talented group of scoring guards rounds out the rest of the top of the draft.
“I think this draft top to bottom is elite. I think you look at guys even outside of the top group, guys in the 16-to-20 range, those are all great players,” Boozer said. “I think our draft is really strong, stronger than a lot of classes that came before us. I guess we’ll see how strong we really are in a couple of years from now, but I am super excited for sure.”
The Utah Jazz hold the second overall pick, followed by the Memphis Grizzlies and Chicago Bulls. If all four top forwards are off the board by then, the Los Angeles Clippers at No. 5 would be the first team to choose from a group of guards and other prospects that includes Keaton Wagler of Illinois, Darius Acuff Jr. of Arkansas, Kingston Flemings of Houston, and Mikel Brown Jr. of Louisville.
While Dybantsa’s impressive track record against elite competition makes him a difficult player to pass up, Washington must also weigh the upside of Peterson against what he was actually able to show during his time at Kansas.
A McDonald’s All-American coming out of high school, Peterson averaged 20.2 points per game last season and was one of the highest-profile recruits the Jayhawks have ever signed. However, questions linger about his health. He dealt with full-body cramping before the season that led to a brief hospital stay, and a series of injuries and illnesses caused him to miss 11 games while limiting his performance in several others.
The 6-foot-5 guard said NBA teams have not raised any red flags about his physical condition.
“Not at all,” Peterson said. “Every team’s got my medicals and I’m cleared, so there’s no issues.”
Peterson also says the uncertainty of not knowing his draft destination isn’t rattling him heading into draft night at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
“Oh, it’s been my life for a while now,” Peterson said. “I went to three different high schools. I’ve been on the move my entire life, so no problem at all. That’s part of the process and I’m embracing it.”
The Brooklyn Nets, who are hosting the draft as the No. 6 pick holders, are hoping to generate some excitement in a city where they’ve felt increasingly overshadowed — especially after the Knicks captured their first NBA championship since 1973.
Dybantsa was actually in the building for Game 4 at Madison Square Garden — the other photo in his Father’s Day post was taken at the NBA Finals — when the Knicks pulled off the largest comeback in Finals history by overcoming a 29-point deficit.
“Craziest game I’ve ever watched in real life,” he said. “Like, it was so loud in there.”
Now Dybantsa is focused on being the one who gets the crowd on its feet. Washington’s championship drought nearly matches the one the Knicks just ended — the franchise last won a title in 1978, when the team was still called the Bullets.
If Washington selects Dybantsa to help rebuild the franchise, he says he’s more than prepared for the weight of those expectations.
“Obviously, it’s going to be a little bit more pressure probably, target on my back,” Dybantsa said. “I mean, I’ve been No. 1 my whole life and people gunning after me, so it’d be a bigger motivation for me going into the league.”
