BYU forward AJ Dybantsa is widely considered one of the best prospects in this year's draft class, and he is a legitimate candidate to go No. 1 overall. But according to Dybantsa himself, it seems like there is a chance he doesn't declare for the draft at all this year and instead returns to BYU (h/t Deseret News on YouTube).
“I might not leave college. My mum wants me to graduate. But I might leave. The fans might get into my head, talking about one more year, maybe three more years. I don’t know," Dybantsa said.
The Massachusetts native has enjoyed a stellar season at BYU so far. In 30 games, he has averaged 24.8 points (which leads men's NCAA Div. 1), 6.7 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.1 steals while shooting 52.1% from the field and 34.7% from the field.
Dybantsa is incredibly gifted, and his ability to do a bit of everything at such a high level already is reason enough to believe his skillset can fully translate at the NBA level. And if the Pacers have the opportunity to, they would be thrilled to draft him.
But if there actually is a chance he returns to BYU and stays for at least one more year, then the Pacers may have to pivot.
AJ Dybantsa would be a fantastic Pacer
Right now, there are three legitimate candidates to get drafted first overall this year: Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, and Cam Boozer. All three of them are great for their own reasons, but I have long been the biggest advocate for Dybantsa. He is probably the safest pick considering how versatile and well-rounded he is, and in this league, having an elite shot-creating wing like him is always a plus.
And with Indiana specifically, he could really flourish.
Dybantsa would take a lot of pressure off players like Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam offensively, and because of his playstyle, he can complement everybody on the court. Think Bennedict Mathurin, except better all-around and a lot more upside. Additionally, if there's any team in the lottery that can get the most out of him, it's the Pacers.
Will the 19-year-old actually return to BYU? Probably not. It would be incredibly unlikely given that his draft stock might never be higher, and players of his caliber don't typically stay in college for a second year or longer.
Last year, Cooper Flagg, then a star at Duke, essentially hinted at the same thing. He was far and away the top prospect ahead of the 2025 draft, but he still spoke about the idea of staying in college for another year (h/t Brendan Quinn and Brendan Marks of The Athletic).
"[Expletive] I want to come back next year," Flagg said.
Ultimately, Flagg declared for the draft anyway, was selected first overall by the Dallas Mavericks, and would likely take home this year's Rookie of the Year award if it weren't for his college teammate, Kon Knueppel. And if history repeats itself, Dybantsa will be on an NBA roster next year... maybe even on Indiana's.