AJ Dybantsa to make season debut for Washington Wednesday night in Cleveland

AJ Dybantsa, the No. 1 pick last June, will officially make his NBA debut Wednesday night in Cleveland.

No more waiting ⌛️ @AJ_Dybantsapic.twitter.com/XCZ65MiPho

— Washington Wizards (@WashWizards) October 28, 2026

Dybantsa, 19, missed the Wizards' first four games this season due to a sprained left ankle suffered late in training camp. He steps into a Wizards offense already loaded with firepower, including Trae Young and Anthony Davis, the latter of whom has had a couple of very impressive games to start the season.

Dybantsa comes to Washington as the hope for the future, the top pick who will change the fortunes of a long-middling (or worse) franchise. Dybantsa was a standout at BYU, averaging 25.5 points a game, and followed that with an impressive Summer League. Dybantsa looked like a rookie still finding his footing in the preseason, averaging 12.8 points per game, shooting just 18.2% from 3-point range.

But that's just the preseason. Starting Wednesday night, things get real.