Top NBA Prospect AJ Dybantsa Reportedly May Switch from Nike for Mystery Shoe Contract

AJ Dybantsa's allegiance to Nike might be wavering, according to ESPN's Brian Windhorst.

"The scouts were telling me that the word on the street is he's wearing Nike right now, but I don't know the status of the contract," Windhorst said starting at the 11:28 mark in the newest episode of his Hoop Collective podcast. "But the scouts were telling me that there's a chance there's going to be a shoe flop, shoe swap."

Nike signed Dybantsa to an NIL deal in January 2024, which the 6'9" forward called "a no-brainer" to Boardroom's Nick DePaula.

"Growing up, watching people that inspired me wear Nike — to now being part of the same team is an opportunity I don't take for granted," he said. "I can't wait to see what we can mix up on and off the court."

For sneaker companies such as Nike, the dawn of the NIL era presented an opportunity to bet even earlier on top amateur stars.

Dybantsa, who will debut for BYU against Villanova on Nov. 3, was an obvious candidate to target as he ranked No. 1 overall in 247Sports' composite rankings for the 2025 class. Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman projected him to go third in the 2026 NBA draft.

AJ Dybantsa Highlights

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But the Washington Post's Jesse Dougherty reported Dybantsa's Nike pact ended in June, which is around the same time eagle-eyed fans noticed he was wearing New Balance gear.

The Dybantsa family is leaning into the intrigue.

Dougherty cited Nike, New Balance, Skechers and Li-Ning as possible options and wrote how Ace Dybantsa, AJ's father, "is wearing something from each brand, claiming to have Li-Ning underwear on when he gets AJ from practice."

New Balance scored a coup when it signed Cooper Flagg ahead of his freshman season at Duke. Poaching Dybantsa from Nike would be another sign of the company's commitment to expanding its basketball portfolio.