Stephen Curry logo threes. Caitlin Clark’s assists. And Bryce James NIL. These were considered to be the three infallible things in the 21st century in the basketball world. While the first two still present a scope of debate, the third has in fact proven to be a thing of the past. It was considered a temporary change in order when AJ Dybantsa suddenly rose in NIL valuation, making him the top-ranked high school basketball NIL athlete.

At that time it was believed that Bryce would make a fierce comeback, taking back his throne. However, contrary to popular belief, Dybantsa has further improved his valuation, only enlarging the gap between him and Bryce, making it more difficult for LeBron James’ younger son to catch up with his rival.

Dybantsa is the top player in the class of 2025 which has got him a major fan following. On the NIL front, the 17-year-old has signed deals with major brands such as Nike at a young age, which enhances his chances of being marketed as one of the most dominant ballers in recent years. The result of which was reflected on Dybantsa’s NIL on Tuesday.

AJ Dybantsa rocks and rolls ‘some more money’

The 2026 NBA mock draft’s No. 1 pick saw an increase in his NIL from approximately $2.05 million to $ 2.2 million, an exact change of $142K. While the exact cause for this surge is not known, it is estimated that this has been a result of Dybantsa’s recent marketing through podcasts, marking his presence in the balling circuits.

With this, Bryce who is stranded at $1.3 million in NIL, will have to cover $900,000, if he dreams of leveling up to Dybantsa. The Utah Prep School star was already positioned at the top spot in the NIL circuit for around a month. And this new increment makes him a little more unreachable for his peers.

The last time Dybantsa had a major surge in NIL value was when he rose from 951K to $1.9 million in October. That was speculated to be a result of the Brockton-born being estimated to getting “a ton of money, like a ton of money… Somewhere in the, it could be $7 to $9 million range,” according to Field of 86 podcast host Jeff Goodman.

Notably, he has received more than 30 offers and has narrowed down his choice to 7 schools: Alabama, Auburn, Baylor, BYU, Kansas, Kansas State, and North Carolina. In fact, he has received so much acclaim of late that he is targeting the Hall of Fame according to his own admission. All this Dybantsa’s ever-increasing NIL just looks to hit Bryce’s value.

Bryce James’ continues to be stranded

At one point, Bryce James was the undisputed king of the high school NIL basketball. Being The Chosen One’s son, he had a lot of media coverage in his growing-up years. But unfortunately, Bryce failed to capitalize on the exposure given to them. As of now, he stands in fifth place in the high school basketball NIL behind Cameron Boozer, Darryn Peterson, and Nate Ament.

Though Bryce has a vast social media following of 3.4 million with 2.1 million on Instagram, his performances have failed to match up to his online clout. Although in his brother’s recent G league debut, he proved his dedication to Sierra Canyon High School’s tip-off event, critics say that he is nowhere when compared to Bronny James. Initially, he was also compared to LeBron James for his court vision and scoring skills, but alas Bryce didn’t perform well in his tests.

Hopefully, Bryce will make progress and close the gap between him and Dybantsa. Till then, the latter can continue enjoying his top position, and commit to a college program.