After years of what many fans considered to be bad luck, the Utah Jazz finally landed the second overall pick in this year’s draft.
The last time the Jazz were given the No. 2 overall pick was in 1980, when they drafted Darryl Griffith.
With this year’s incredibly talented draft class, and riding high on its redemption from the 46-year draft drought, Utah can’t go wrong with who they pick.
The only problem is, they know exactly who they want.
And he is just out of reach.
AJ Dybantsa became something of a hometown hero during his time in Utah. A Brockton, Massachusetts, native, Dybantsa chose to spend his senior year of high school at Utah Prep.
Later, he signed with BYU, where he spent his first and only year playing college basketball.
Now Dybantsa has entered the NBA draft and is likely to go No. 1 to the Washington Wizards.
And in Salt Lake City, many Jazz fans are in a frenzy.
They want Dybantsa. And they are calling for Utah’s front office to do anything they can to get him.
And, according to Adam Finkelstein of CBS Sports, Dybantsa himself has expressed a desire to stay in Utah.
When asked by Deseret News reporter McKay Coppin about trading picks in order to draft Dybantsa, Jazz owner Ryan Smith said, “We’re trying to win a championship. So everything should be on the table.”
He continued, “I know that they [the Jazz front office] don’t draft just based on fit. They are of the mindset to always take the best player available and we’ll figure out how to make them fit.”
So with all of these rumors flying around about whether Dybantsa will end up with the Jazz, a few important questions need to be answered.
Does Dybantsa even fit with the Jazz? Who would the Jazz have to trade in order to get their hometown hero? And would Darryn Peterson be a better match?
The Utah Jazz have been slowly rebuilding their franchise over the last few years and have put together a loaded roster including Lauri Markkanen, Walker Kessler, Keyonte George, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Ace Bailey. Now they are in a prime position to bring on the last piece of the puzzle.
While Dybantsa could be that piece of the puzzle, it may not be the best place for him to land.
The Washington Wizards, much like the Utah Jazz, have rebuilt a strong, experienced roster and need a well-rounded player to complete it. Dybantsa is most likely that player.
The Wizards currently feature Trae Young and Anthony Davis as their top NBA talent. Their skill sets, Young at the point and Davis around the rim, complement Dybantsa’s ability to create space and knock down shots from mid-range.
Dybantsa at the small forward position works really well for what the Wizards need moving into next season.
The Jazz, on the other hand, don’t need a new player at the small forward position. They already have budding star Ace Bailey.
Bailey had a slow start to his rookie season due to injury and illness. However, Bailey finished the season averaging 13.8 points per game, 4.2 rebounds and shooting 44% from the field.
While Jazz fans are raving to get Dybantsa, the reality is they don’t need him. Bailey already has NBA experience and by the end of the season proved that he has a very high ceiling.
Now, a major talking point around the Jazz trying to trade up to get the No. 1 pick is who on their roster they would have to sacrifice.
“The Jazz would likely have to trade pick two and other assets for No. 1 and I believe that package would start with Ace Bailey,” said Jaxon Wynder, sports writer for The J-Notes, a Utah Jazz-focused news site.
This presents a major problem; the Jazz don’t need to get rid of Bailey. If he was a total bust or didn’t live up to their expectations, then sure, go ahead and trade him away and get Dybantsa.
But, the Jazz know what they have with Bailey and would be hard-pressed to trade him away.
As good as Dybantsa is, he has never played in an NBA game. Trading away a skilled, up-and-coming player like Bailey for a college athlete who has yet to step on an NBA court is a risk, no matter how good Dybantsa looks.
“If Ace is moved in the trade for the first pick, AJ would immediately slide into the shooting guard spot as part of a big Utah lineup … He would immediately become the team’s most marketable player,” Wynder said.
This presents another problem; moving Dybantsa out of the small forward position, which is his bread and butter. Most marketable, yes, but is the shooting guard position really the best spot for Dybantsa?
Could there, perhaps, be another star player in this year’s draft that already plays in that position?
Enter Peterson.
Peterson has sparked some controversy and doubt this past season. He missed 11 games and took himself out of games early, averaging under 30 minutes per game. This practice of self-benching had many calling his work ethic into question.
However, when Peterson was on the court he showed proof of his undeniable talent. He finished the season averaging 20.2 points per game and shooting 43.8% from the field.
Peterson also shot 38.2% from behind the arc, compared to Dybantsa’s 33.1%.
Now, if you just read that and thought, “But that stat isn’t fair, they played in completely different positions!”
I rest my case.
Asking Dybantsa to move positions in a scheme that doesn’t really need him there in the first place is not the smartest move.
Plugging in a clearly talented player who is experienced at the guard position, on the other hand, is a pretty smart move.
It is clear that the Utah Jazz have a tough choice to make, but in some ways an obvious one. Do they try to get their hometown hero and risk trading away a proven player? Or do they pass up their “most marketable player,” and go with the guy that fits in with their roster?
Only time will tell.