Here's what the Jazz's owner had to say about swirling AJ Dybantsa rumors.
Nov 10, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz general manager, left, Jazz owner Ryan Smith, middle speak with Minnesota Timberwolves guard Mike Conley, right, before the game at Delta Center.
Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | Rob Gray-Imagn Images's jump up to the second-overall pick, lingering buzz has already started linking to the team being in play to make a daring trade up to the top selection, and select The potential connection brewing between Dybantsa and the Jazz is easy to see. With Dybantsa stemming from prep school in Utah and attending BYU right down the street, there's a chance that, in a perfect world, the Jazz would love to keep their projected top pick within the state to select him and build around him for the foreseeable future.
And while he didn't exactly shoot down the idea, he did have some pretty interesting thoughts on the matter.
"Contrary to popular belief, we don't control that," Smith said of a potential trade up in the draft, "We're trying to win a championship. So everything should be on the table. Austin and Danny have also been known to do some pretty crazy stuff on draft night.
" "The next 40 days, you're going to see some madness in the NBA. And it might or might not be with us, and maybe the best thing that Danny and Austin see is just the path of where to go and let's draft the best player available. I know that they don't draft just based on fit. They are of the mindset: 'always take the best player available.
We'll figure out how to make them fit.
"In an upcoming episode of the "Deseret Voices," podcast, Utah Jazz and Utah Mammoth co-owners Ryan and Ashley Smith sit down with "Deseret Voices" host…. He's keeping all of his and the front office's options open, and is wired towards doing what it takes to get the best players and win a championship. But as mentioned by Smith, the Jazz's destiny of trading up to the top pick isn't all within their hands.
, would have to be willing to move out of that top spot and down to second with Utah. That all depends on their desire to move down, and what the Jazz are offering up to move forward one spot. Mar 18, 2026; Portland, OR, USA; BYU Cougars forward AJ Dybantsa passes the ball during a practice session ahead of the first round of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Moda Center.
Mandatory Credit: Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images | Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images Clearly, investing a premium move up is at least a possibility for the Jazz. That's what keeping "everything on the table" entails.
But if the Wizards aren't willing to pivot from that top spot without a massive haul, the logical side of Utah's decision-making might just be to stick and pick Darryn Peterson or Cameron Boozer at two; which in a class as talented as this one is, that's far from a poor consolation prize. Needless to say, fans should buckle up for the next 40 or so days before the Jazz are officially on the clock in June.
As to whether they decide to push their chips in for the first pick, though, remains to be seen. Jared Koch is the deputy editor of Utah Jazz On SI. He's covered the NBA and NFL for the past two years, contributing to Denver Broncos On SI, Indianapolis Colts On SI, and Sacramento Kings On SI. He has covered multiple NBA and NFL events on site, and his works have also appeared on Bleacher Report, MSN, and Yahoo.
Please follow us on Google to support us United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Jazz Owner Ryan Smith Leaving Options Open at No. 2 PickUtah Jazz owner Ryan Smith isn't ruling anything out for his newest No. 2 pick.
Read more »
2026 NBA Draft odds, lottery order: AJ Dybantsa is still the consensus No. 1 overall pickWithout further ado, let’s take a look at the full NBA draft lottery order and odds of who could be drafted No. 1 overall.
Read more »
The CAT 6 Mini: A must-have tracker for every cat ownerTractive Smart Tracker, the Tractive CAT 6 Mini is a collar tracker designed for cats weighing 3-8kg. It offers real-time location tracking, location history, smart health monitoring, and early health alerts. The battery lasts up to seven days, and the collar includes bright LEDs and a ringtone feature, allowing you to detect it easily even in low visibility conditions.
Read more »
Divorcée accused of blackmailing billionaire Bucks owner Wesley Edens was bailed out by Chinese foreign agentToday's Video Headlines: 05/12/26
Read more »