What the Indiana Pacers do if AJ Dybantsa does the Unexpected

The Indiana Pacers have an excellent chance at getting a top 4 pick in the 2026 NBA draft. They can add a piece that can push them back into title contention. There are two dynamic scorers at the top of the draft in Darryn Peterson and AJ Dybantsa.

That could be down to one. Aj recently said, “I might not leave college. My mom wants me to stay and get my degree. Those words echo’d across the social media landscape and would have a ripple effect throughout the entire draft.

“I might not leave college… my mom wants me to stay and get my degree.”

- AJ Dybantsa

(Via @Deseret) pic.twitter.com/gGGRb27QMe
— Fullcourtpass (@Fullcourtpass) March 3, 2026

AJ as a Freshman is averaging 24.8 ppg, 6.7 rebs and 3.8 assists per game. This level of production is hard to replace. Yes, there are other extremely talented players throughout the class but finding a 6’9 210-pound scoring wing is card to find. You would have likely target another position or trade down if you were looking to grab another wing.

Other options

Keaton Wagler

Here are some of the other notable wing options. Wagler is more of a shooting guard but could play either spot in the NBA. He isn’t very good defensively, but he is a legit scorer. He can finish at the cup using his 6’6 frame and craftiness. He is an excellent 3-point shooter at 42.3%. He also has an excellent feel for the game. He averages 5 reb, 4.3 assists, 6.3 free throws and shoots 81.4% from the free throw line.

Brayden Burries

Burries is another scoring guard. He is only 6’4 but is dynamite on and off ball. He averages 15.5 ppg, 4.9 reb and 2.7 ast per game. He is a straight-line drive kind of guy with serious speed. He shots the three ball at 36.9% on 4.3 attempts per game. He is a well rounded defender who isn’t afraid to stick his nose in there.

Tounde Yessoufou

Tounde is a dynamic two talents. He is just as good offensively as he is defensively. He already has a grown man body as a freshman. He is 6’5 215lbs of solid muscle. He averages 17.6 ppg, 5.7 reb, and 1.9 stls per game. He excels in the open floor and the mid post. He has a nice turn around fadeaway over his left shoulder. He is one of the best offensive wings in the country.

The issue with Tounde is his three-point shooting. He is only shooting 31.6% from deep on 5.3 attempts per game. He isn’t shy about attempting the shot but his mechanics need some work. He is a tireless worker so I do believe this will improve with more training.

Conclusion

We have seen this movie before. Just last year Cooper Flagg teased in February that he would like to come back to Duke. We all know how that played out.

“I want to come back next year”

— Cooper Flagg in an interview with the Athletic pic.twitter.com/aK1wR8WpeL
— College Basketball Report (@CBKReport) February 15, 2025

Ultimately it would be a tragedy for the Pacers to miss out on a talent like Aj but it isn’t the end of the world. If they took best player available and it happened to be a big. That is a good thing. Jay Huff is a nice player, but you would want a higher upside guy to replace him. If the organization really wanted a wing. There are plenty of options and recouping a pick along the way is never bad either.