AJ Dybantsa made his Wizards debut as Washington defeated the Utah Jazz 92-88 to open 2026 Las Vegas Summer League play.
The Wizards’ starting lineup — Will Riley, Tre Johnson, Dybantsa, Jamir Watkins and Felix Okpara — was comprised of all five of their selections from the previous two NBA Drafts.
Riley opened the game at point guard, while Dybantsa played on the wing and Okpara manned the paint.
Johnson scored from all three levels for a quick nine points on 3-3 FG. He ended the half with 18 points on 7-11
FG and finished the game with 26 points.
Dybantsa’s first points came off a contested reverse layup. A minute later, he got to his spot and drilled an and-1 mid-range jumper. Then came the boom.
Washington’s No. 1 pick got into the lane and posterized a Jazz defender, flexing as the crowd inside Thomas & Mack Center rose to its feet.
Dybantsa flashed his elite first step and relentless rim pressure while drawing contact at will. He ended the first half with 17 points on 4-12 FG.
Watkins assumed the Darryn Peterson assignment and defended him well. The second-year wing, who recently signed a two-way contract, held Peterson to just 17 points on 4-for-13 FG, 1-for-6 3PT and seven turnovers. He committed 9 fouls (the Summer League foul limit is 10), but overall, his defense made Peterson work for every point.
Dybantsa shook off a quiet start to the third quarter with a pair of impressive finishes, the first a one-legged mid-range jumper as the shot clock expired. The next was an acrobatic, English-filled layup that came off a tough drive.
The BYU product missed all five of his 3-point field goals. And despite creating impressive separation on a few turnaround jumpers, he left most of those short as well.
But as far as Summer League debuts go, it appears Dybantsa’s couldn’t have gone much better. He finished with 27 points — tied for the most by a No. 1 pick in their Las Vegas Summer League debut — seven rebounds and two steals on 7-for-18 FG.
Dybantsa exited the game with one minute remaining with what he called “leg soreness,” but he said on the ESPN broadcast he is okay.
NBA Summer League’s new rule limits free-throw attempts to just one shot, no matter the type of shooting foul or bonus situation. Dybantsa shot 7-for-8 from the line, but if standard rules applied, he would’ve attempted a whopping 15 free throws.
Will Riley used a mean spin move and an and-1 finish to propel the Wizards to a narrow victory. He finished with 17 points on 5-for-12 FG.
