In the middle of a Benihana, just off an Indianapolis strip mall, the past and the potential future of the Washington Wizards both sat crammed into a booth for a late lunch.<\/p>\n
On one side of the table was John Wall, the former top pick and D.C.\u2019s most iconic hoops star in a decade. On the other was AJ Dybantsa, a 6-foot-9, scrawny teenager seemingly destined to be the NBA\u2019s next great scorer. <\/p>\n
Dybansta very well could hear his name called when the Wizards, of all teams, make the first selection in tonight\u2019s NBA draft.<\/p>\n
But on that day, Wall had just attended an elite prospect camp and couldn\u2019t look away from the kid with the smooth fadeaway and gliding strides. An introduction led to hibachi, as Dybantsa peppered Wall about the league he dreamed of dominating.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe really liked my game. So, I picked his brain about how the NBA worked,\u201d Dybantsa said of the meeting. \u201cHe was giving me advice.\u201d<\/p>\n
As Dybantsa retold the story inside a swanky Chicago ballroom teeming with NBA executives at the scouting combine in May, the interaction seemed typical enough. A top prospect gleaning insight from a wily vet. <\/p>\n
That is, until Dybantsa leaned over and dropped his age.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was going into ninth grade at the time, I think,\u201d Dybantsa said. <\/p>\n
And that\u2019s when it all became clearer. <\/p>\n
Long before Dybantsa appeared on Nike campaigns and Times Square billboards, he was plotting how to rise to the sports\u2019 biggest stage. Prodding and questioning, Dybantsa acted like a man who always knew where his talent could take him. And he spent the last six years positioning himself to be the face of the league. <\/p>\n
He wasn\u2019t shy about it. When asked to put together his dream NBA lineup to play with, he had no trouble placing himself among the greats. <\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m going to get canceled for this,\u201d he said with a smirk. \u201cBut Lebron at the one. Jokic at five. I\u2019ll play the three. KD at the four. Curry at two. \u2026 But he is strictly a shooter.\u201d <\/p>\n
And with the Wizards drafting first, Dybantsa\u2019s pursuit could be vindicated (Kansas\u2019 Darryn Peterson and Duke\u2019s Cameron Boozer are other possibilities). Those road trips to Rhode Island, that detour in the Utah desert, that unconventional college stop in Provo. It all led him to be the darling of draft boards. <\/p>\n
But for Dybantsa, this is only step one.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt would mean a lot to go number one,\u201d he said. \u201cBut in terms of goals, yeah, I want to be a Hall of Famer.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/UMEJOM72DFGQBNPGPF73YA4BDM.jpg\")
The BYU Cougars\u2019 AJ Dybantsa reacts against the Texas Longhorns during the second half in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Men\u2019s Basketball Tournament at Moda Center on March 19, 2026, in Portland, Oregon. (Soobum Im\/Getty Images)A rise to the top<\/p>\n
The notification splashed across Dybantsa\u2019s phone one morning: a direct message from Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker.<\/p>\n
Dybantsa, then a senior in high school, had met Booker in Los Angeles the night before. He had sat courtside at a Lakers game as Booker cruised to 23 points. After the game, he popped over to the locker room to hear a mini recruiting pitch. <\/p>\n
Booker wanted Dybantsa to sign with BYU and his former Suns assistant Kevin Young. In Provo, Dybantsa would get an NBA education from the man who took Booker to the NBA Finals.<\/p>\n
Be a \u201cgroundbreaker,\u201d Booker said.<\/p>\n
Dybantsa didn\u2019t need to hear any more.<\/p>\n
For the longest time, he was willing to take the path less traveled to prepare for the NBA.<\/p>\n
It started back in Brockton, Massachusetts, as a 14-year-old playing against kids five years his senior. <\/p>\n
Word spread quickly about the eighth grader taking down Boston\u2019s biggest hoops juggernauts. In one of his first games, Dybantsa took off from the wing and caught a half-court lob to dunk over several defenders. For an encore four games later, he put up 30 points and went a perfect 16-for-16 at the line. <\/p>\n
\u201cHere\u2019s this young kid making plays like that. The whole gym didn\u2019t know how to react,\u201d his Boston coach Dave Hinman said. \u201cThese were the moments when I was like, \u2018Whoa, we\u2019re dealing with a different specimen here.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
With his status growing, Dybantsa took his game anywhere to find his level. He and his father, Ace, drove hours to Rhode Island to play against juniors and seniors. In the summers, he hit the AAU circuit hard. When they weren\u2019t on the road, Dybantsa adapted a grueling schedule. Wake up at 5, work out at 6:30 a.m., lift at noon and then have an evening session before dinner.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe came out of that summer a beast,\u201d Ace said.<\/p>\n
He also came out of that summer a national star.<\/p>\n
Dybantsa moved across the country to Napa, California, to play with the best prospects in the world. On a loaded roster at Prolific Prep, Dybantsa scored 21 points a night and led his team to a title. <\/p>\n
Before the confetti even landed, offers piled in for his next move. Team USA wanted him on its U17 team. The NBA\u2019s Top 100 camp extended an invite to him as the youngest player on the roster. Nike and Adidas warred for his services. <\/p>\n
Ace Dybantsa, meanwhile, was fielding NIL contracts from high schools. Montverde, the powerhouse academy in Florida, would fork over $1 million per season, Ace said<\/a>. Prep schools in New York and Texas were willing to match the offer.<\/p>\n But with an eye on the the NBA, Dybantsa wanted to carry a team on his own.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s how it\u2019s going to be when you get drafted,\u201d Ace said at the time.<\/p>\n