AJ Dybantsa drops 27 points in summer league debut

Given how well Dybantsa played in his two appearances in Las Vegas, this was the expected conclusion for the first overall pick in last month’s draft. The 6-foot-9 forward totaled 50 points in his two appearances, most recently recording a 23/7/2/3/2 line in Sunday’s win over the Kings. Dybantsa being ruled out for the rest of summer league will allow the other young Wizards more room to show what they can provide. Fantasy-wise, Dybantsa should be one of the first rookies off the board in drafts, regardless of league format. Will Riley and Tre Johnson are also done for the summer.

Dybantsa entered the 2025-26 season as one of the top prospects in this draft class, and his lone season at BYU did no harm to that status. The 6-foot-9 wing averaged 25.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.4 three-pointers last season, earning consensus first-team All-America honors. Dybantsa shot 51.0 percent from the field, 33.1 percent from three and 77.4 percent from the foul line. An excellent athlete who can score on all three levels and provide some playmaking, Dybantsa needs to become a more consistent three-point shooter. That said, he projects to be a franchise cornerstone for years to come. He’ll join a core in Washington that features young studs Alex Sarr, Tre Johnson and Kyshawn George, as well as veteran stars Trae Young and Anthony Davis. Dybantsa should start from day one and be a strong scoring option.

Acquired from the Hawks in early January, Young appeared in five games for the Wizards before being shut down in mid-March. Had he opted into the final season of his contract, the point guard would have earned nearly $49 million. And this may not be a case in which Young is opting out to negotiate a deal with the Wizards that would give the team more cap space. According to the report, there’s a belief that “multiple teams” will show interest in signing Young. Washington is perceived to be the favorite to sign Young, but that isn’t guaranteed. The question is whether this will affect how the Wizards view the first overall pick in next week’s draft. BYU’s AJ Dybantsa is considered the favorite to go first, but Kansas’ Darryn Peterson has refused to work out for any team other than the Wizards.

While Peterson is one of the top prospects in this draft class, most have assumed that BYU’s AJ Dybantsa will be the first overall pick in next week’s draft. However, the former Kansas guard is reportedly operating as if he only has eyes for Washington, refusing to meet with the other teams at the top of the draft lottery. Utah, which picks second, dealt with a similar situation last summer, but it did not keep them from selecting Ace Bailey fifth overall. Whether Washington’s acquisition of Trae Young will affect their thinking regarding Peterson is unknown, but the most recent reports make it clear that the 6-foot-5 guard wants to hear his name called first overall.