If the Chicago Bulls were to land the top pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, it's hard to predict who they would select. But we have a pretty good idea that it would likely be one of four prospects in that range in Caleb Wilson, Cam Boozer, Darryn Peterson, and AJ Dybantsa. If the Bulls were making the pick today, there is a great chance that BYU's Dybantsa would be the pick. 

Dybantsa stands at a chiseled 6-foot-9 and 210 lbs. with a reported 7-foot wingspan. He can man either of the forward spots or play the 2-guard at the next level. It's quite easy to imagine Dybantsa succeeding right off the bat in Chicago, being allowed to play next to (at least) Matas Buzelis and Josh Giddey. But when assessing the Bulls current needs--of which there are many, to be clear--I would go as far as to say Dybantsa is a perfect fit in  Chicago.

I will be doing a series of these posts, looking at the fit of some of the top 2026 NBA Draft prospects with the Chicago Bulls and giving them a score (out of 10) as we head into the NCAA Tournament.

Dybantsa's seamless fit in Chicago starts with his offense. The Bulls--under Billy Donovan--want to be a fast-paced, up-tempo, offensive-minded team that still plays tough on the defensive end. Chicago wants to light up the scoreboard every single night and that alone, almost makes Dybantsa a perfect fit.

At the time of this writing, the Bulls are 23rd in Offensive Rating, scoring 112.6 points per 100 possessions.

For BYU, Dybantsa is scoring 41.1 points per 100 possessions.

Dybantsa is scoring 25.3 PPG, 29.2 points per 40 minutes, good for a total of 859 points over 34 games. 

Dybantsa can flat out score. He is shooting 56.8% on 2-pt FGs and 34% on 3-pointers. 

He is currently posting a massive 33.5% usage rate and a 60.2% True Shooting Percentage despite the high usage. 

Picturing Dybantsa in the current Bulls offense is quite easy. Despite having some nice, young pieces, the specific piece that Chicago is lacking is the engine of the offense. Giddey is an excellent passer who has become a capable outside shooter, but he isn't the type of play finisher that functions as a true No. 1 at the NBA level.

Dybantsa's off the dribble creativity and ability to bludgeon defenses on drives to the basket would allow Giddey and Matas Buzelis to scale down a bit in terms of their offensive roles, likely leading to a more efficient offense as a unit.

There was a point in February per No Ceilings where Dybantsa was 2nd among the top NBA Draft prospects in Drive %, with Dybantsa driving on 24% of his possessions. 

When Dybantsa is at his best, he is driving to the rim and drawing so much attention that there are wide open shooters at the top of the key, and wide open players cutting to the rim. He is improving rapidly at making those reads--4.2 APG over his last five games--since he creates advantageous positions for his teammates so often with his aggression level on offense.

At the NBA level, Dybantsa will still be able to leverage his unique blend of speed and strength, especially when he draws a mismatch as a result of the frequent switching in modern hoops. Chicago's franchise cornerstones of Buzelis and Giddey would thrive both feeding Dybantsa for looks and receiving clean shots off of the attention he draws from defenses.

And there will be plenty of attention drawn by Dybantsa at the NBA level, especially if he lands in Chicago. The Bulls are 6th in the NBA in points in the paint and 4th in pace, injecting AJ Dybantsa into that environment would very clearly allow him to play to his very clear strengths on offense.

If you draft AJ Dybantsa, it's not for his defense. You may believe that his 6-foot-9, 210 lb.-frame and long arms indicate someone who will one day be a great defender, but today is not that day. All that being said, Dybantsa is a passable defender considering his massive offensive workload.

The lack of steals and blocks are definitely a legitimate concern, but not enough of a concern to stop me from moving Dybantsa to No. 1 on my personal Big Board over Kansas star Darryn Peterson. 

Dybantsa is averaging 1.1 steals and 0.4 blocks per game, but he has kicked up a notch as of late with 1.6 SPG over his last three games.

Despite possessing incredible physical tools, Dybantsa doesn't block many shots. He can rack up steals in a hurry despite not possessing gaudy numbers. He has great anticipation when jumping in passing lanes, which is especially devastating when combined with his ability to get to the rim in the open court with his long strides. Dybantsa might not ever be the guy who is your lockdown defender, but I also don't see him being a player that opponents target as a weak link (especially in Chicago). 

10 out of 10 fit. 

This is, of course, my opinion and I truly believe Dybantsa would be a perfect fit with the Bulls current core. Buzelis (6-foot-10) and Giddey (6-foot-7) are big players that would allow Bulls head coach Billy Donovan a lot of flexibility with match ups when on the floor with the 6-foot-9 Dybantsa. In Chicago, the fact that Dybantsa is better at guarding smaller players would work well with Giddey, who isn't laterally quick but has the size and toughness to handle a decent amount of wings. 

And offensively, the fit is clear. AJ Dybantsa would act as the No. 1 scoring option. He can post up smaller defenders, bully like-sized defenders, and hit off the dribble jumpers over bigger defenders. He's the total package on offense, an advanced isolation scorer who would get some of the easier looks of his career playing with Giddey in an up-tempo system.