Washington Wizards fans will have to wait to see the team’s No. 1 overall draft pick take the floor.
Rookie AJ Dybantsa was ruled out for the team’s season opener on Wednesday against the Milwaukee Bucks due to an ankle injury.
Wizards head coach Brian Keefe said Dybantsa is day-to-day after suffering an ankle sprain in the team’s preseason finale against the New Orleans Pelicans last week. Dybantsa had scored 12 points in 15 minutes before landing awkwardly following a jump shot in the second quarter.
The next chance for Dybantsa’s regular season debut will come on Friday at home against the Toronto Raptors. After that, the Wizards will head out for a three-game road trip against the Chicago Bulls, Charlotte Hornets and Cleveland Hornets before returning to D.C. for a home game against the Hornets on Friday, Oct. 30.
Washington selected Dybantsa with the first pick this summer after lucking out in the 2026 NBA Draft Lottery. The Brockton, Massachusetts, native played one collegiate season at BYU, where he earned first-team All-American honors and scored an NCAA-leading 25.5 points per game.
Dybantsa joins a new-look Wizards roster headlined by former All-Stars Anthony Davis and Trae Young, as well as offseason additions Khris Middleton (who started the 2025-26 season in Washington) and Deandre Ayton.
