Ricardo SandovalWed, April 29, 2026 at 7:42 PM UTC·2 min readWarriors land AJ Dybantsa in shocking mock draft that would make Stephen Curry delighted originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Golden State Warriors don't have the highest odds to land the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.
However, in Bleacher Report's latest NBA mock draft, Zach Buckley projects the Warriors landing the No. 1 overall pick and selecting BYU star forward AJ Dybantsa.
"[AJ] Dybantsa just feels on a different tier from those prospects, offering perhaps the highest ceiling and the fewest risks. He has both elite tools and drool-worthy talents. His scoring punch is knockout-powered at every level, his decision-making and table-setting are in perpetual states of improvement and he has the blueprint for becoming a versatile, disruptive defender.
"He would be a break from the norm in terms of Golden State's system—assuming things run the same with Steve Kerr's future unsettled—but maybe that gives him missing-piece potential. The Dubs have desperately needed someone who can create their own advantage and get a bucket, and that might be Dybantsa's sharpest skill entering the Association."
The Warriors' chances of landing the No.1 overall pick are 2.0 percent. Golden State's odds aren't high, but we've witnessed crazier things happen in the lottery.
Following the Warriors' play-in exit, they hold the 11th-worst record, giving them a puncher's chance at winning the lottery in mid-May.
There is a 77.6 percent likelihood that they remain with the No. 11 overall pick.
If the Warriors were to land the No.1 pick, Dybantsa has the case for being the first player taken this summer.
Dybantsa is an elite ball player, with exceptional physical tools, a modern wing archetype, high-end scoring production and a growing skillset that suggests he can be a franchise-level player.
Any team would be lucky to have Dybantsa, and if the Warriors were to land the top pick, it would launch them to the new era of Golden State basketball.
Warriors superstar Stephen Curry would get some help, albeit from a rookie. Nevertheless, Dybantsa could immediately step foot in the NBA and be a great player from the jump.
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