WIZARDS RULE OUT AJ DYBANTSA FOR SEASON OPENER

Washington Wizards coach Brian Keefe said on Tuesday that AJ Dybantsa will miss Wednesday’s NBA season opener against the Milwaukee Bucks because of a sprained left ankle. Dybantsa injured the ankle during the second quarter of Friday’s preseason finale against the New Orleans Pelicans. He landed awkwardly after a mid-range jump shot, and teammates helped him towards the locker room. Keefe said the Wizards removed him from the game as a precaution. The team lists Dybantsa as day-to-day.

Dybantsa, the first overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, scored 12 points and made one block in 15 minutes before leaving the game. Accounts of his rebound total differ, putting it at two or three. The former BYU forward made four preseason appearances, averaging a reported 12 points, four rebounds and one assist while shooting 43 per cent from the field. Washington selected him after a 2025–26 season in which the team recorded 17 wins and 65 losses. The Wizards finished 15th in the Eastern Conference, according to the season figures cited.

Dybantsa’s next opportunity to make his regular-season debut comes on Friday, when Washington hosts the Toronto Raptors. Keefe gave no date for his return when he ruled him out of the Milwaukee game. Speaking after Friday’s injury, Keefe said: “We’ll look at it more when we get more information.” Dybantsa had said at a media day that he expected to learn from teammates including Khris Middleton, Trae Young, Anthony Davis and Deandre Ayton. “I don’t have to come in and carry this huge load,” he said.