“I’ll play for this guy who developed Kevin Durant, but I’d also like $7 million”: AJ Dybantsa’s college decision shocks Dan Patrick
AJ Dybantsa made headlines when he committed to the BYU Cougars on Tuesday. His choice surprised spots analyst Dan Patrick.
In a segment of the "Dan Patrick Show" uploaded to YouTube on Wednesday, Patrick was shocked to learn Dybantsa's decision to go with BYU over other program offers he had.
"Saw that news yesterday, and I go, wait, wait, wait, wait, hold on. This is the number one recruit for next season; he's going to BYU. And I go, I'll be d***ed. Danny Ainge got them to spend some money," Patrick said.
Dybantsa is the top-ranked prospect in the Class of 2025. He used this to his advantage by commanding his NIL deal worth $7 million and the ability to play for a coach who helped develop Kevin Durant.
"I'll go there and play for this guy who developed Kevin Durant, but I'd also like $7 million," Patrick said.
AJ Dybantsa explained why he chose BYU
AJ Dybantsa had plenty of national attention with the talent he possesses at Utah Prep High School, garnering multiple offers from powerhouse programs.
He received interest from blue-blood teams like North Carolina, Kansas, Duke, Kentucky and UConn. He also had offers from Alabama, Kansas State, Auburn, Arkansas, Houston and Illinois among others.
However, Dybantsa wished to remain in his home state as he believed it was the best pathway for him to reach the NBA while being coached by Kevin Young. Young was the associate head coach of the Phoenix Suns from 2021 to 2024, where he coached Kevin Durant.
“My ultimate goal is to get to the NBA. I went on my visit and the head coach all the way down to the analytics guy and analytics guy all the way down to the dietician is NBA staff. Even the strength coach. If it’s all NBA and I’m trying to get to the NBA, I think it’s going to be the best development program for me,” Dybantsa said.
AJ Dybantsa is the projected No. 1 pick of the 2026 NBA Draft, being the first five-star recruit from the United States to join BYU straight out of high school.