Dybantsa Injury Scare: Wizards' No. 1 Pick Rolls Ankle in Preseason Finale

The moment that stopped the Smoothie King Center

AJ Dybantsa, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, suffered a mild ankle sprain during the Washington Wizards' preseason finale against the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday night, casting a shadow over the franchise's most eagerly awaited debut in over a decade.

The injury came in the second quarter at the Smoothie King Center. Dybantsa rose for a midrange jumper, landed awkwardly on his ankle and collapsed to the court in visible pain, grabbing at his leg as a hush fell over the building. He was helped to his feet and limped to the locker room, mouthing that he was fine, and did not return.

He finished with 12 points in 15 minutes, shooting 4-of-8 from the field with 1-of-3 from three-point range and 3-of-4 from the line, along with a blocked shot. The Wizards went on to lose 107-106, a single point short despite a furious fourth-quarter rally.

Precaution, not panic

Wizards head coach Brian Keefe told sideline reporter Chase Hughes that Dybantsa had sustained a mild ankle sprain and was held out for the rest of the evening purely as a precaution. Further testing was planned, and as of Saturday morning no additional update had been provided on the extent of the injury.

"We'll look at it more when we get more information," Keefe said.

There were reasons for cautious optimism. Social media footage showed the 19-year-old walking down the tunnel under his own power and mouthing "I'm good" to concerned onlookers. Ankles rolled in mid-October are an unwelcome sight for any fanbase, but nothing about the scene suggested a long-term setback.

A preseason to remember — and a finale to forget

Across four preseason appearances, Dybantsa averaged 12 points, four rebounds and one assist while shooting 43 percent from the field — solid numbers for a teenager finding his way against NBA veterans. Washington finished the exhibition slate 2-2, outscoring the Pelicans 36-26 in the fourth quarter on Friday night to nearly erase a deficit that stood at 81-70 entering the final period.

It was not the way the Wizards wanted to close the preseason. After leading a nation-best 25.5 points per game scorer through his lone college campaign at BYU, Dybantsa had been the centrepiece of every Wizards plan for 2026-27, and the franchise now faces a wait-and-see weekend with the games that actually matter about to begin.

Why it matters: the tank that landed the prize

Dybantsa is the Wizards' first No. 1 overall pick since 2010 — and players have acknowledged the franchise actively tanked last season to land the BYU forward. Washington has not been a serious contender in years, and the arrival of a 6-foot-9 scoring prodigy was supposed to change the maths of everything.

That context is what turns a routine preseason ankle tweak into a franchise-wide holding of breath. When a team reshapes its entire short-term future around one teenager, every step he takes on a training-room floor is news. The Wizards' medical staff will be in no hurry; nothing about the next 82 games matters more than the long-term health of the player at the centre of the rebuild.

Built to be protected

The encouraging news for Washington is that Dybantsa does not need to carry the franchise on day one. The Wizards extended Trae Young to a four-year, $212 million deal this offseason and open the season with a roster full of established veterans, including Anthony Davis, Khris Middleton, Deandre Ayton, Alex Sarr, Bilal Coulibaly, Kyshawn George, Bub Carrington and Tre Johnson.

Dybantsa himself has been at pains to say so. At media day, he noted that his situation differs from that of most No. 1 picks because he can learn from established stars and Hall of Famers rather than being thrown in to carry a heavy load from the opening tip.

"I have All-Stars and Hall of Famers on my team that I can really get some knowledge from, (such as) Khris Middleton, Trae Young, AD (Anthony Davis), DeAndre Ayton, so I don't have to come in and carry this huge load," he said. "I think I can just kind of bond with these guys, learn it slowly and learn how to play the right way instead of just getting put into a situation where I have a lot on my back."

What comes next

Washington opens the regular season on Wednesday against the visiting Milwaukee Bucks at Capital One Arena, with tip-off scheduled for 7 p.m. ET. Whether Dybantsa is in uniform for it will be decided by the scans and the swelling, not by sentiment.

The Wizards have waited since 2010 for a No. 1 pick to build around. A few more days of caution, if that is what the ankle requires, will be a small price for the years they hope to get from him.