Washington Wizards rookie AJ Dybantsa has not played an NBA regular-season game yet, but he is already being positioned as one of the faces of basketball’s next generation.
Topps announced on September 28 that Dybantsa will grace the cover of its 2026-27 Topps Flagship Basketball product.
“NEWS: AJ Dybantsa graces the cover of 2026-27 Topps Flagship Basketball!” Topps announced on X.
The honor puts another spotlight on Dybantsa just three months after Washington selected him with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.
It also gives Wizards fans an early look at Dybantsa in his new uniform, with Topps’ promotional image showing the rookie on the front of the hobby box wearing Washington’s No. 4 jersey.
AJ Dybantsa Follows Cooper Flagg as Topps Cover Athlete
Dybantsa is following directly in the footsteps of another highly touted No. 1 overall pick.
Dybantsa is the second consecutive top pick to serve as the Topps Flagship Basketball cover athlete after Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg received the honor for the previous release.
Dybantsa told ESPN that appearing on a Topps product carried added significance because of the company’s history in the hobby.
“Topps has been in the business for such a long time, putting out cards before I was born,” Dybantsa said, adding that he was “very grateful and appreciative” for the opportunity.
The selection is another indication of just how prominently Topps plans to feature Dybantsa during his rookie season.
The 19-year-old headlines the rookie checklist for the 2026-27 Flagship set alongside players including Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer, Caleb Wilson and Keaton Wagler.
AJ Dybantsa Rookie Cards Headline New Topps Release
Dybantsa’s inclusion goes well beyond the box artwork.
Topps says its 2026-27 Flagship Basketball set will contain a 300-card base checklist, including 40 rookies. Dybantsa is among the players receiving their first official rookie cards in the product.
Collectors will also have several versions of those cards to chase.
The product includes Golden Mirror Image Variations, Team Color Border Variations, Player Number Variations and Wood Variations. Topps is also introducing Clear Variations printed on acetate and numbered to 10.
Autograph content includes Real One Autographs and several rookie-focused signature sets, while the Hobby Jumbo format guarantees one autograph and one relic per box.
For Wizards collectors, that could make Dybantsa one of the central chases of the entire basketball release.
When Does 2026-27 Topps Flagship Basketball Come Out?
Topps lists October 6 as the preorder date for 2026-27 Topps Flagship Basketball on its U.S. release calendar.
The product itself has an October 22 street date, according to Topps’ product guide.
That timing will put Dybantsa’s first flagship NBA rookie cards into collectors’ hands right around the beginning of his first season in Washington.
The Wizards selected Dybantsa first overall after his lone college season at BYU. He entered college as the nation’s No. 1-ranked high school prospect before becoming the centerpiece of Washington’s latest rebuild.
Now, before his first NBA season has even officially begun, he has another distinction to add to the list: the face of Topps’ flagship basketball product.
Wizards Rookie AJ Dybantsa Lands Major News Before NBA Debut