Dybantsa, top NBA prospect in ’26, hopes to play with Wembanyama
PARIS – The desire to play with Victor Wembanyama may someday draw fellow stars to the San Antonio Spurs but he’s already attracting the next generation.
That was the message Saturday from A.J. Dybantsa, currently the nation’s top-rated high school player and potential No. 1 overall draft pick in the 2026 NBA draft. Dybantsa, who committed to BYU in December, traveled to Paris this week for the NBA’s Global Games and to get an up close look at Wembanyama, telling ESPN he’d like the Spurs to draft him next year so they can pair up.
“I think Victor is just ridiculous, the things he does are just crazy,” said Dybantsa, whose Utah Prep (Hurricane, UT) high school team had the week off.
“I just think we would’ve been a crazy duo. Now the odds of that happening are very slim. But I mean, it was just a thought that came up in my mind when he got drafted. But you never know.”
The Spurs have nearly equaled their win total from last year already and with Wembanyama improving, the odds of the Spurs being at the top of the 2026 when Dybantsa is projected to go do make the short-term chances of the pairing a little hard to see at the moment.
The 6-foot-9 Dybantsa, who turns 18 next Wednesday, coming to see these Paris games this week is a reminder of two years ago when a 19-year-old Wembanyama sat courtside at a Detroit Pistons-Chicago Bulls game. Saturday Wembanyama was the central attraction in the game itself, a progression Dybantsa would like to follow.
“That’s the goal,” Dybantsa said.
Last weekend, Dybantsa scored 25 points in a loss to Monteverde Academy in a showcase game in Springfield, Mass. that was televised on ESPN2. He’s soon to return to the U.S. where he is working on his game. It’s still a little unclear what position he might play at the next level but has shown a talent for playing both on and off the ball.
“I’m working on improving my shot, I’m trying to shoot 40% from the 3-point line,” he said. “Obviously I’ve got to extend my range because the farther up I go, the farther the (3-point) line gets.”
Source: espn.com