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AJ Dybantsa dominates at MSG in front of potential Nets teammate Egor Demin
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- AJ Dybantsa dominates at MSG in front of potential Nets teammate Egor Demin
AJ Dybantsa dominates at MSG in front of potential Nets teammate Egor Demin appeared first on ClutchPoints . Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
The Brooklyn Nets are angling for another top draft pick this season and a chance to select a transformational player next June. They got an up-close look at one of the 2026 class' top players — BYU star AJ Dybansta — on Tuesday.
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With Nets point guard and former BYU star Egor Demin looking on, Dybansta turned in his best performance of the season at Madison Square Garden, leading the Cougars to a 67-64 comeback win over Clemson. The 6-foot-9 wing stuffed the stat sheet with 28 points, nine rebounds and six assists on 9-of-17 shooting from the field and 9-of-10 from the free-throw line.
BYU trailed by 22 in the second half before Dybansta took over to propel them to their fifth straight win. The performance surely caught the eyes of Nets General Manager Sean Marks , as well as dozens of other NBA executives in attendance.
AJ Dybansta dazzles at MSG in front of Egor Demin , Nets executives
Dybansta is one of three star prospects viewed as the prizes of the 2026 draft, alongside Kansas' Darryn Peterson and Duke's Cam Boozer. The BYU star has been as advertised early this season, averaging 20.3 points, 6.6 rebounds and 3.0 assists on .542/.364/.789 shooting splits across nine appearances.
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While Peterson is the consensus No. 1 pick in most mock drafts, performances like Tuesday's could lead Dybansta to challenge for the top spot as the season progresses.
The Nets operated this offseason with a tanking agenda in mind. They made an NBA-record five first-round picks in the 2025 draft and entered the season with exclusively rookies at point guard.
However, following a 0-7 start, a 6-10 stretch has dropped Brooklyn to sixth in the draft lottery standings. What level of tanking urgency the rebuilding squad shows as the season progresses will determine its chances of landing one of the 2026 draft's generational prospects.
Dybansta's showing at MSG is as good an advertisement as any for why the Nets should be sacrificing wins this season for a brighter future.
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