AJ Dybantsa takes next Nike step ahead of likely No. 1 pick in NBA Draft

Two months ahead of the 2026 NBA Draft, Nike is already treating former BYU star AJ Dybantsa as the No. 1 overall pick.

Dybantsa has been with the iconic shoe brand since January 2024, when he inked a lucrative NIL deal as the top-rated recruit of the 2025 freshman class. The two sides are now upgrading their partnership to a pro basketball contract, ESPN reported.

“It means everything,” Dybantsa said about the new deal, via ESPN. “They’ve been with me since Day 1. It’s been a great partnership and we’re looking forward to keep building for the long term.”

The NBA Draft lottery has yet to determine which team will have the No. 1 overall pick, but regardless of the outcome, Dybantsa is widely expected to be the first name announced in June. Opinions varied on Dybantsa and Kansas star Darryn Peterson throughout the 2025-2026 college basketball season, but Peterson’s late-season struggles allowed the BYU star to emerge as the near-consensus top prospect.

Dybantsa briefly hinted at a potential return to Provo for his sophomore season, saying he had promised his mother a college degree, but he eventually made the decision everyone expected of him and declared for the 2026 NBA Draft. He is currently training for the draft in Los Angeles.

Dybantsa is currently projected to go first overall in nearly every mock draft, including those of ESPN and ‘The Athletic.’

Wherever he lands, Dybantsa will be rocking Nike-branded sneakers. The 19-year-old teased his own signature shoe down the line, which he said would have “Spider-Man colorway for every number.”

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