The NBA Draft Lottery revealed the order on Sunday afternoon, with mock drafts showing the Washington Wizards selecting AJ Dybantsa at No. 1, the Utah Jazz taking Darryn Peterson at No. 2, the Memphis Grizzlies snagging Cameron Boozer at No. 3 and the Chicago Bulls picking Caleb Wilson at No. 4.
Scouts Question Dybantsa Pick as Certainty
But over the last 48 hours at the NBA Draft Combine, contrarian opinions have emerged. A high-ranking scout from another lottery team told CBS Sports they were surprised the broadcast made Washington's selection of Dybantsa seem like a foregone conclusion.
"Absolutely not," the scout said. "We were surprised the broadcast made it seem like such a foregone conclusion."
Dybantsa's own comments added intrigue to the top of the draft. The BYU star implied he was open to working out for more than one team—two to be exact.
Could Dybantsa Force His Way to Utah?
One of the most repeated pieces of intel floating around Chicago this week: Dybantsa was reportedly hoping to stay in Utah. He's been in Utah for two years—one season at Utah Prep and one season in Provo at BYU. His family is now with him in Utah, and they've grown to like the state.
This has led some to wonder whether Dybantsa could refuse to work out for Washington in hopes of forcing his way to Utah. The Wizards have been very willing to utilize that strategy themselves in recent years with both Alex Sarr and Ace Bailey, who is now in Utah.
By the end of Tuesday, those whispers had quieted down, as Dybantsa's camp had reportedly indicated they weren't interested in playing that game, despite their preference to end up in Utah.
What's Next for Utah at No. 2?
What will the Jazz do at No. 2, especially considering Cameron Boozer's dad, Carlos Boozer, currently works for the organization in a scouting role? Most expect Kansas guard Darryn Peterson to be the Jazz's pick here.
Sources around the combine speak with almost the same level of confidence that Peterson goes No. 2 as they do Washington taking Dybantsa at No. 1.
Peterson is not only a good fit for Utah's current roster, but some people wonder if some inside the Jazz front office might consider him to be a superior talent. The Ainges, Danny and Austin, have long been known to follow the top prospects in high school basketball.
While initial interviews and medicals with Peterson will be done in Chicago, the expectation is that Utah may not start hosting potential prospects at their facility until after Memorial Day.