The NBA Draft’s top prospect, AJ Dybantsa, has publicly expressed his desire to stay in Utah following his time at BYU. However, the draft lottery threw a monumental wrench in that wish as the Washington Wizards came away with the first pick, while the Utah Jazz secured the second. Normally, this result would be a nail in the coffin, but the connection Dybantsa has with Jazz owner Ryan Smith, alongside the assets the Jazz have at their disposal, draft night could get interesting. 

As the draft draws nearer, the rumor mill surrounding Dybantsa, the Jazz and the Wizards grows daily, much to the dismay of Washington fans. From the Jazz trading up to Dybantsa simply making himself undraftable in the eyes of the Wizards organization, there are multiple ways Utah could land its final piece of the puzzle. 

To many, Kansas’ Darryn Peterson seems to be a more pro-ready prospect than Dybantsa, and his combine performance only further solidified his case. While Dybantsa still finds his name at the top of almost every mock draft, the Wizards could go with the former Jayhawk in what would be a surprising yet understandable choice. Considering Dybantsa’s desire to stay put amongst the Wasatch Mountains, Washington’s GM Will Dawkins may feel it’s not worth the potential of a one-and-done stint in DC and, in turn, will look towards Peterson as a safer, yet still incredibly talented option. 

This scenario obviously benefits the Jazz the most, as they would get their guy without giving up a haul just to move up one spot, but the Wizards won’t want to make it that easy. In the chance that Utah is willing to give up a haul for Dybantsa, Dawkins will want to play his cards right to maximize his return and further accelerate the Wizards' rebuild. 

This scenario has been floating around all over social media, and it seems to be the most likely way the Jazz secure the former BYU Cougar. As mentioned in the previous paragraph, Washington won’t make it easy for the Jazz to draft Dybantsa and rightfully so. The Wizards have been bottom feeders since 2019, and they won’t lay out the red carpet for Utah simply because Dybantsa in a Jazz uniform has been written in the stars. Luckily for Danny Ainge, it seems like Will Dawkins is open to offers, and with the stockpile at Utah’s disposal, a draft-night deal could be in the cards. 

With the consensus haul being the second pick in this draft, Ace Bailey and a future top pick or picks, it’s a steep price to pay to move up only one pick for a 19-year-old, but if anyone is going to do it, it's the Jazz. Fans are growing restless, and with a roster that is finally starting to take shape, Ainge and co. can’t let this opportunity slip away if they truly believe Dybantsa is the final piece. 

This scenario seems the least likely of the bunch, but since the possibility has been thrown around, it’s worth a look. Now, Dybantsa doesn’t seem like the type of person to pull such a stunt, but if he truly wants to stay in the Beehive State, sabotaging his draft stock is a proven option. This option seems to be unsavory to most fans, especially considering the opportunity presented to these players, regardless of where they land, but Dybantsa has the power to pull such a move and have it make complete sense. 

A strong connection with the franchise owner, a fanbase that watched his game grow from Utah Prep Academy to BYU and a strong love for the state as a whole are all valid reasons to employ the nuclear option. But again, this scenario seems to be a far-fetched hypothetical as opposed to a genuine possibility, and if Dybantsa is going to rock the Delta Center next season, it’ll most likely be a result of the scenarios above.