A.J. Dybantsa, who is widely considered the favorite to be the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA draft, was in Paris this week for the NBA’s Global Games and got a first-hand look at 2023’s top pick, Victor Wembanyama. According to Brian Windhorst of ESPN, Dybantsa expressed a desire to team up with Wembanyama with the Spurs when he reaches the NBA.
“I think Victor is just ridiculous; the things he does are just crazy,” said Dybantsa, who has committed to play his college ball next season at BYU. “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.”
As Dybantsa acknowledges, the odds are against him ending up in San Antonio. The Spurs control their own first-round pick in 2026 and have the right to swap first-rounders with the Hawks, so they technically have two shots at the No. 1 overall pick. But both San Antonio and Atlanta appear to be on an upward trajectory and seem unlikely to be among the NBA’s very worst teams in 2025/26.
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Veteran NBA wing Justin Holiday will audition for the Italian club Virtus Bologna over the next several days, head coach Duško Ivanović confirmed (story via Eurohoops). The expectation is that Virtus Bologna will decide next week whether or not to sign Holiday to a contract. The 35-year-old swingman, who has appeared in 680 career regular season games in the NBA, spend last season with the Nuggets but has been a free agent since July.
- LeBron James and Bronny James of the Lakers turned down an invitation from the NBA to take part in the skills challenge at All-Star weekend as a father/son duo, according to NBA insider Chris Haynes (Twitter video link). Haynes adds that Bronny also declined an opportunity to be among the G League players competing in the Rising Stars event.
- Alexander Sherman of CNBC checks in on the NBA’s media landscape, writing that Kenny Smith and Shaquille O’Neal are on the verge of signing new multiyear contracts with TNT Sports, while both Amazon and NBC have spoken to Carmelo Anthony about the possibility of having him join their studio shows for the 2025/26 season.
LeBron like usual taking games and events off
2025 draft is Flagg easy at 1. Bailey is trash and needs major improvement to be considered at 1. Watched him today Michigan state got in his shirt and he wanted non of that. Also how do u average 34mins a night and average less than 1ast a game. His game needs lots of work.
Speaking of trash drafts, aside from Wemby and Amen Thompson, 2023 has the potential to be one of the worst drafts in history.
You and Philly should date. I’m sure you have a lot in common
I doubt you know the players in that draft.
The draft for any sports league. Is the lifeblood of the sport. Doesn’t matter how good it is. You wouldn’t know difference if it was good or you Fanatic.
2023 draft is good just for Wemby genius. Why do you do you lol. Clowney at 21, Whitmore at 20, Podziemsky at 19, Jaquez at 18 OOoohhhh …..
must be 18 n 19 right. Yeah
Flagg will be a bust just like Reed, Shepherd, and Dillingham who y’all claim were NBA ready? Neither one of them can play defense and they can’t stand being knocked around. Duke played nobody once they get into the meat of the conference they’ll start losing. Flagg will be a GM killer. The GM that drafts him will be fired within two years. Flagg will be in the G league never to return to the NBA. I’m sorry that is the truth. I have studied his game intently. He is no better than Anthony Bennett. I’m sorry a lot of you were gonna be upset, but that’s what’s gonna happen. A Canadian team is going to draft him in their draft just in case he doesn’t make it in the NBA. I told his parents the Puerto Rican league might be better for him than the Canadian league which they agreed they don’t expect him to be an NBA superstar. They expect him to be the 11th or 12th guy off the bench. They said they’re tired of the hype from Jay Bilas . They said he is ruined many of players confidence by over rating them and they’ve asked ESPN to have him removed which this may be his last draft. His whole routine he’s sneaky quick he can jump out of the gym. He sees the whole floor. He’s a streaky shooter who can get hot sometimes he’s a rim protector. I’ve gotten so tired to him him and I almost got in a fight in Orlando because I told him off right at the magic game.
Dillingham not a bust
AJ Dybantsa is the latest on the overhyped train. Dybantsa is the NBA equivalent of R.J. Barrett. Right now, he is very mature and is more physical and athletic than most opponents. He is a slightly bigger version of R.J. Barrett. He struggled at the HoopHall event against elevated and coached competition.
How does Ace Bailey average 1 assist in 34 minutes??? Bailey is already a professional basketball player. He is playing his NBA role. Shoot 3’s. Bailey has the ability to do more. He can handle and make decisions. Has the potential to develop into a Scottie Barnes-type player. If he is drafted by a team that has a ball-dominant decision-maker, he will be primarily a 3-point shooter. If he gets drafted by a team that is starting over like Brooklyn …. His chances of developing into a Scottie Barnes-type player improve greatly. Bailey’s frame still hasn’t developed yet.
Cooper Flagg still can’t shoot the 3-ball. 1-6 tonight. His 3-point percentage is actually “up” to 33%. NBA 3-point line is further back with most opportunities being contested. In today’s NBA, if you can’t shoot the 3-ball …. You can’t be any type of a “franchise” difference-maker unless the ball is in your hands, and you are making decisions, and getting to the line 12-14 times per night. Cooper Flagg ain’t a 3-point shooter, and he ain’t the guy who you initiate your offense through. He will be a wonderful “marketing” tool for a team to be able to raise prices and sell out tickets ahead of his rookie year.
Oh the French revolution is coming.
Good for Bronny man, he knows he doesn’t belong at all-star weekend, and doesn’t want to be a distraction. It will help him to avoid any negative blowback so he can focus on becoming a rotation-level NBA player.