Jazz Have the Pieces to Trade For Wizards No. 1 Pick, Keep AJ Dybantsa In Utah? BYU Expert Says So!

Jazz Have the Pieces to Trade For Wizards No. 1 Pick, Keep AJ Dybantsa In Utah? BYU Expert Says So!

May 12, 2026



Jazz Have the Pieces to Trade For Wizards No. 1 Pick, Keep AJ Dybantsa In Utah? BYU Expert Says So!

On this segment of the Pete Sousa Show, Pete is joined by Jake Hatch of the Locked On Cougars and KSL SportsZone to break down the growing belief that the Utah Jazz could aggressively pursue the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft to select BYU superstar AJ Dybantsa and keep the future face of basketball in Utah.

Jake explains why there’s legitimate buzz around Danny Ainge potentially putting together a massive trade package to move up in the draft and why Dybantsa’s unique combination of talent, marketability, and local ties could make him the perfect centerpiece for the Jazz rebuild.

The conversation also dives into Ainge’s relationship with Dybantsa and whether Utah’s front office may ultimately decide against sacrificing valuable young players and draft assets in a blockbuster trade. Jake Hatch discusses why the Jazz could instead stay patient and target Darryn Peterson out of Kansas, believing Peterson may offer elite upside without forcing Utah to completely empty its young core.

Pete and Jake also debate which prospect better fits the long-term direction of the franchise, what the Jazz front office may prioritize moving forward, and how Utah is positioning itself for one of the most important drafts in franchise history.

🔥 Topics Covered:
• Could the Jazz trade up to No. 1 for AJ Dybantsa?
• Danny Ainge’s relationship with Dybantsa
• Why Utah may hesitate to give up young players
• Darryn Peterson vs. AJ Dybantsa debate
• The Jazz’s long-term rebuild strategy
• What Utah’s front office could do on draft night

📺 Subscribe to the Pete Sousa Show for NBA Draft coverage, insider analysis, interviews, and basketball conversations from around the sports world.

View Comments (32)

  1. Great show Pete! I’ve met AJ twice. People are seriously reaching about the whole look thing. The second time I met him the dude gave me this look beforehand that would have seemed like sheer hatred, but I knew better and approached him anyway. Behind that often intense appearance is a super chill good dude that honestly doesn’t care what people think and isn’t gonna alter his expressions to please them.

  5. OK, I’m gonna squash this idea for you once and for all in Jazz nation to finally get you the point to understand this trait is never gonna happen. I’m gonna lay it out the facts straight up for you then you’ll stop speculating. They’re just they shouldn’t get your fan base. I’ll rub up. You get a chance to get AJ cause it’s not gonna happen. The wizards are not trading the pic and there’s several reasons why it won’t happen one the fan base of washing it wants AJ and our owner wants buttons in the seat and they draft AJ and he becomes the Face the franchise which he would then it’s day one sellouts that’s what the owner wants. They will be on and they will be on Christmas Day games I guarantee and in the playoffs, which is what our owner wants to and here’s the main fact that you guys don’t understand. The witches franchise is the one franchise that can’t afford to mess this pick up. They’re the one franchise you can’t OK if you look at the history of the wizards getting the first pic we’ve had it three times in our existence. The first time they drafted Kwame Brown OK who ended up being a bust that’s why they’re not gonna trade down and draft Williams because Williams has Kwame Brown written all over him freak ass athlete who ended up being a bust and his upside is not Kevin Garnett’s that’s not who he is. His upside is Shawn Kemp. A great player, but not the face of a franchise. OK that’s his upside downside hands are being Kwame Brown. They can’t take that risk on that high such a situation. They just can’t not under the circumstances then you look ok then you look at Peterson need to look at the facts if even if he was taking creatine and creatine was draining them, but that’s what’s causing the cramps that is the problem is that there isn’t that it just brought the underlying issues to the surface that’s all I did. He’s gonna have issues with health in his career in his life. It’s just that that stuff just brought it to the surface. There’s some underlying issues there and the wizards can’t afford to take that chance on that OK because they care to take a chance that he ends up being the next. The next Derrick Rose are as much as we love John Walden next John Wall superstar Face the franchise point guards whose care in early because of injuries they can’t do it. The wizards just don’t have that stability in the fan base to take that chance you talk lease lay on the fact that they have a history of winning they’ve had in the last 30 years of consistent winning all those years with Carl Malone and John Stockton the couple years ago when they’re the best record they have that on their balance sheet, the wizards don’t and when it comes to boozer, I like boozer, but they’re not going he’s not a franchise. He’s not a Face of the franchise player who boozer is is a little more offensive minded Draymond Green great All-Star player, but not the face of the franchise bottom line is the only player in this draft. The wizards can forward the draft and there’s only one of the player that I think it’s got a chance to be a franchise player and that’s a little that is at that little point guard out of Arkansas but the promise he’s an undersized point guard which the wizards already have in Young so that’s not gonna be the pick who I think has to keep building in the next AI. I will give him that but they’re not gonna draft him because of circumstances already they already have Trae Young so the bottom line is the only one player in this draft. The wizards can afford to draft that would be a top five pick and that’s AJ so I’m sorry it doesn’t matter who you trade try to trade the whip to the wizards it doesn’t make sense for the wizards. I don’t care if you were a trade you’re big man ace Bailey and seven first round draft picks. It doesn’t make sense for the wizards because the wizards are at the point they have to go for it they can’t be looking to rebuilt. It’d be one thing if they were still in the middle of a rebuild you might consider it, but they’re not they’re at the point they have to go for it. That’s why they made the trade for Davis and Young so you need to stop it stop a speculation. Don’t get your fan base in hype that you may get AJ a tray down it’s just not gonna happen start figuring out which one player that you want to draft at number two or possibly trade down yourself but that’s this is not Boston when Boston made the tree down because they had a history of winning so they had a little more cachet with their fan base to do it

  10. I would hate to do it but I would give the Wizards Ace Bailey for AJ and a back of chips. Regardless the Jazz is in a good position either way

  12. Jake is overly biased. Typical BYU fan. So weird as a Jazz fan to want a BYU player so badly you'd trade away important assets when you don't have to

  15. A BYU expert says make the trade? Well by all means let’s do it I mean he’s a freaking so called BYU expert. Never mind the real experts, you know the ones that run the Jazz.

  18. You guys are talking like your getting aj just cause yall want him. Please look at yourselves in the mirror and accept that wizards are drafting first and the jazz are drafting second. Just last year everything was set for bailey to fall to us at 6th overall and guess what we were drafting behind the jazz and couldn’t do anything about that fact. We as wizards didnt cry when it happened. We didnt ask, we just accepted our fate just like you guys have too

  21. It’s crazy how one of the main talking points is always “how comfortable is a player and his family living in the state of Utah” (speaking of a young black man) or, how well can they “tolerate” living in the state of Utah.. you would never hear that as a main talking point in literally any other NBA city fan base.

  22. The Wizards are gonna let Danny Ainge and Utah twist in the wind until draft night. Ace Bailey made it clear he didn't want to play in Utah and wanted to play in Washington, but Ainge picked him anyway. Sorry Danny, the Wizards hold all the cards this time around. The haul it would take from Utah to move into the #1 spot would potentially mortgage the Jazz's future.

  24. Jazz really don’t have that much “beautiful”pieces that Washington will take with a smile. AJ is deff going to Washington. Ace wanted Washington and ainge didn’t pull to help Washington. Unless we get bunch of picks with ace and possibly collier

  29. AJ is from Massachusetts. He spent one year in Utah because they gave him a huge bag. The notion that he is now “in love,” with Utah, is frankly a little childish. I spent a decade in the Mountain West….its not for everyone.

  30. Native Washingtonian here & IF Danny was willing to trade Wessler that he doesn’t want to pay anyway plus a future first round pick This pick swap deal will get done!
    Wiz Need a young Center to grow with Sarr because AD is a 1 year rental.
    It makes sense for both parties.💯

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