Wizards monitor AJ Dybantsa after ankle sprain

Washington Wizards rookie AJ Dybantsa sustained a mild ankle sprain during the team’s preseason finale against the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday, putting the No. 1 overall pick under evaluation days before the regular season begins.

Head coach Brian Keefe said Dybantsa was removed from the game as a precaution and will undergo further testing to determine the extent of the injury.

“We’ll look at it more when we get more information,” Keefe told sideline reporter Chase Hughes.

Dybantsa landed awkwardly following a midrange jumper and fell to the court before limping to the locker room.

The rookie forward finished with 12 points in 15 minutes before leaving in the second quarter of Washington’s 107-106 loss to New Orleans.

The timing of the injury puts added attention on Dybantsa’s status as Washington prepares to open its regular season Wednesday against the visiting Milwaukee Bucks.

The 6-foot-9 Dybantsa enters the NBA after one college season at BYU, where he led the nation in scoring at 25.5 points per game.

Selected first overall by Washington in the 2026 NBA draft, Dybantsa is expected to begin his rookie season as one of the central pieces of the Wizards’ young roster.