With massive draft capital and personal links to blue-chip prospects like AJ Dybantsa and Cam Boozer, Ryan Smith weighs local loyalty against the franchise's future.
It’s no secret that Utah Jazz owner Ryan Smith has close ties to two of the four top prospects in the 2026 NBA Draft. AJ Dybantsa, who is projected to go with the first pick to Washington, barring a blockbuster trade or a surprising change of course for the Wizards, is a BYU Cougar. Smith, who's also a prominent BYU alum, is a massive supporter of the Cougars’ basketball program and indirectly was a factor in the Provo program landing Dybantsa.
However, the Jazz also have strong links to Duke star Cameron Boozer. The projected third overall pick is the son of Jazz legend Carlos Boozer, who has also assumed scouting duties for the franchise. With Utah landing the second overall pick, they’re in a peculiar position that has a Darryn Peterson-sized “distraction” in the mix, presenting a slew of potential outcomes for the franchise.
Smith sat down with Bill Simmons on The Ringer to discuss these ties and the thought process behind such a defining decision.
“BYU is a mile from my house, it’s where I went to school, it’s where I played hoops,” Smith said.
“So it’s cool that a potential top pick or wherever it ends up is coming through here.”
“I’m sure all the Dukies feel the same way about Cam, and it’s kind of how it’s gone,” he continued.
“The amount of texts I get from everyone at Duke, and you know, there’s a lot of them, like, 'the decision is easy,’ and then you've got the BYU contingent, and there’s a lot of drama around this and a lot of insight and narrative.”
“It’s going to be an interesting 40 couple of days here,” Smith concluded.
Interesting is without a doubt the correct descriptor to describe the Jazz’s current situation, but it’s also a situation that most teams would envy. With enough capital to trade up to the first pick and get Dybantsa, or the ability to stay put and draft Peterson, Boozer or even Caleb Wilson, the mix of talent, close to Smith or not, is a luxury.
While it would be a full circle moment for Dybantsa and Boozer, in one way or another, close ties can’t be the swaying factor, especially if it means passing up on the best talent. Now, with that being said, the “best talent” is subjective, and the Jazz may view a player who isn’t mocked to them as the best player for their current roster makeup. And if they go in that direction, who's to fault them? They've clearly drafted well in the past, with much less talent at their disposal, and this draft presents them with a prospect pool unlike previous years.
Regardless, in these “40 couple of days” until the draft, the rumor mill will only churn faster, and the ties to Boozer and Dybantsa will only be magnified further. But whoever ends up with the Wasatch Front on their chest come gameday will be seen as the final piece of the puzzle. And if they so happen to have close ties… it makes that reality even sweeter.
