Every few years, the country is blessed with prospects who are talented enough to actually reclassify forward instead of backward. Guys like Marvin Bagley, Jalen Duren, Karl Anthony-Towns, and various others have done this within the last decade. Generally speaking, the decision to reclassify up is a professional move for legitimate NBA prospects. These lines can get blurry quick, but the majority of prospects who attempt this practice end up spending real time in the NBA. Now, AJ Dybantsa (Prolific Prep/Expressions Elite) joins that highly prestigious group by moving into the Class of 2025.
This was an expected decision and very tongue-in-cheek waiting period for those who were anticipating the announcement. Arguably the top prospect in all of high school basketball, this move will be huge for the wing prospect and all the professional scouts salivating at the thought of getting him on the NBA regimen as early as possible. Whether the masses care to acknowledge it or not, the players who have the opportunity to develop as a teenager in an NBA organization tend to succeed far more than they fail.
In looking at Dybantsa’s actual identity, it’s easy to see how his game will ultimately transition to the professional ranks. Given his scoring instincts, shot-creation ability, and array of appealing physical tools, one could argue that his game is actually more built for the NBA as opposed to college. At 6-foot-8, Dybantsa can score from anywhere on the floor. It’s easy to notice his long arms, strong explosiveness, and craftiness as a scorer, but his energy and the way he moves is arguably as impressive as any individual trait. Obviously referring to any high school player as a “pro” or “NBA player” is going to receive some backlash, but at what point does the raw evidence take over' We’ve seen plenty of prospects follow a similar path, and one could argue Dybantsa is much better at this stage than a vast majority of those guys. Given his current trajectory, it’s difficult to envision a scenario where he’s not a surefire lottery pick and likely top-five selection in the 2026 NBA Draft. The kid is simply special.