has put fresh numbers and names around AJ Dybantsa’s draft case, comparing the BYU forward to a supercharged Jaylen Brown at the top end and a supercharged RJ Barrett at the lower end. The release landed three weeks before draft night, when Dybantsa is already being viewed as a possible No. 1 overall pick.
That timing matters because Dybantsa is not some late riser trying to force his way into the conversation. He arrived at BYU last year as a candidate to go first, and now has him rated as the No. 1 prospect on its big board. If Washington takes him at No. 1, or Utah grabs him at No. 2, these comparisons will shape the way fans and front offices talk about him from the moment his name is called.
Jeremy Woo, who helped write the breakdown with Tim Bontemps, called Dybantsa’s comparisons tricky because his physical profile is off the charts. He said the 6-foot-9 wing can operate on the perimeter with power forward-caliber tools, and that his college production was miles ahead of Brown’s at the same stage. Brown, of course, is a five-time All-Star, a career 20-points-per-game scorer, and the 2024 Finals MVP after his best season reached 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists a night for Boston.
Bontemps added that multiple scouts and executives have already compared Dybantsa to a bigger, longer Brown. That is the kind of comp that can raise expectations fast, but it also comes with real history behind it: Brown has made several All-Star teams, just earned his second All-NBA selection, and owns both a conference finals run and an NBA Finals MVP trophy. In other words, is not just saying Dybantsa has star tools; it is measuring him against a player whose résumé already stretches deep into the league’s elite tier.
The Barrett comparison sets a different floor. Barrett was the No. 3 overall pick in 2019 and, after being traded to Toronto, posted 19.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists while shooting 49% from the field. Woo said Dybantsa should still clear players like Barrett if he does not make a major leap as a shooter or on defense, which is the part of the scouting report that keeps the praise from turning into a blank check.
Dybantsa has heard some of this before. This past November, he said on an appearance that when he went back and watched Tracy McGrady’s film, he thought, “Yeah, that kinda looks like me.” NBA Draft Net has also listed McGrady, Scottie Pippen and Cooper Flagg among its comparisons, noting shades of McGrady as a scorer, Pippen in his versatility and Cooper Flagg in positional flexibility and long-term point-forward upside. That broader range is the real story here: teams are still deciding whether Dybantsa is headed toward a Brown-like wing star, something closer to Barrett, or a version of the prospect mix that already has scouts talking about a top pick. Washington and Utah will get the first say on draft night.
