The idea of playing with Victor Wembanyama might one day attract other stars to the San Antonio Spurs, but he’s already drawing the next generation of players.
That’s the message from A.J. Dybantsa, the nation’s top-rated high school player and potential No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA draft. Dybantsa, who committed to BYU in December, traveled to Paris this week for the NBA’s Global Games and to get a close look at Wembanyama. He told ESPN that he hopes the Spurs will draft him next year so they can play together.
“I think Victor is just ridiculous; the things he does are just crazy,” said Dybantsa, whose Utah Prep (Hurricane, Utah) high school team had the week off.
“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.”
The Spurs are already close to matching their win total from last season, and with Wembanyama continuing to improve, the chances of the Spurs being at the top of the 2026 draft when Dybantsa is expected to be picked are unlikely. So, the possibility of them playing together isn’t very high right now.
Dybantsa, who stands 6-foot-9 and turns 18 on Wednesday, is in Paris for this week’s games, which reminds him of two years ago when a 19-year-old Wembanyama sat courtside at a Detroit Pistons-Chicago Bulls game. Wembanyama was the main attraction in Saturday’s game against the Indiana Pacers, and Dybantsa hopes to follow that same path.
“That’s the goal,” Dybantsa said.
Last weekend, Dybantsa scored 25 points in a loss to Monteverde Academy in a showcase game in Springfield, Massachusetts. He’ll soon return to the U.S. to continue working on his game. It’s still unclear what position he might play in the future, but Dybantsa has shown he can play both on and off the ball.
“I’m working on improving my shot. I’m trying to shoot 40% from the 3-point line,” he said. “Obviously I’ve got to extend my range because the farther up I go, the farther the [3-point] line gets.”
