Guess Who Was At The Kansas-BYU Game This Past Weekend? NBA GMs, Of Course

For fans of college hoops, Saturday evening was an event as no. 14 Kansas took on no. 13 BYU. This wasn’t just a showdown of two high-profile teams in the Big 12; it was a much-anticipated meeting between Darryn Petersen and AJ Dybantsa, who are projected to be taken as the top overall picks of the 2026 NBA Draft.

So, naturally, a bunch of people with big decisions to make were in attendance. As Petersen’s Jayhawks and Dybantsa’s Cougars slugged it out inside Allen Fieldhouse, multiple NBA executives looked on with keen interest.

At one point, Brooklyn Nets GM Sean Marks and Indiana Pacers president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard were spotted having a conversation. While there’s no telling what these two gentlemen were talking about, the same thing is weighing on their minds: By virtue of their subpar records, the Nets (13-34) and the Pacers (13-36) both have a high probability of securing the number one pick in the NBA Draft this year.

San Antonio Spurs GM Brian Wright was also in the live crowd on Saturday. The Spurs (32-16, third in the Western Conference) are less likely to end up with either of the top two selections. Outside of a trade, the only shot they have at Petersen and Dybantsa would be via pick swap. 

In this year’s Draft, the Spurs will keep either the Atlanta Hawks’ first-round selection or their own first-round pick, depending on which one is more favorable. If the Hawks end up in the lottery, there’s a slim chance that the Spurs will be making yet another selection within the top two after Victor Wembanyama and Dylan Harper.

In addition to Marks, Pritchard, and Wright, OKC Thunder GM Sam Presti was spotted at the Big 12 Game. The Thunder’s own pick will almost certainly be in the late first round, but through masterful moves made over the years, Presti also holds protected picks from the Utah Jazz and the Philadelphia 76ers.

Could one of Presti’s picks turn into Petersen or Dybantsa? Either one of those blue-chip recruits would help the Thunder become even more of a long-term threat to the rest of the league. That much is at stake in this year’s NBA Draft, and Petersen and Dybantsa need to get used to the eyes of executives watching their every move.