AJ Dybantsa’s first two Summer League games have given the Washington Wizards exactly the kind of early look they wanted.
The No. 1 overall draft pick followed up his 27-point debut against the Jazz with another strong outing Sunday in Las Vegas, finishing with 23 points and seven rebounds in a 104-85 win over the Sacramento Kings. Through two appearances, he’s averaging 25.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists while shooting 40% from the field.
What stood out most against Sacramento wasn’t just the scoring. Dybantsa made his presence felt on the defensive end, piling up two blocks and three steals without committing a foul. That kind of activity helped define his night as much as the points did.
He got rolling early, scoring 17 of his 23 points in 14 first-half minutes before easing off after the break and then finding his rhythm again in the fourth quarter. Dybantsa finished 6 for 15 from the floor, including 4 of 8 in the first half, and went 5 of 6 at the line while adding two assists.
His 3-point shot is still a work in progress. After missing all of his attempts from deep Thursday, he went 1 of 6 from long range Sunday. Even so, the parts of his game that made him such a force at BYU were on display again - getting to his spots, drawing free throws and working through traffic to attack the rim.
The production has been steady enough to match the buzz. Dybantsa’s 23-point night came on the heels of his 27-point opener, leaving him with a 25 points per game scoring average in Summer League, just shy of the 25.5 points per game he posted at BYU this past season. He also finished plus-18 in 24 minutes against the Kings.
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For Utah fans, the name still carries plenty of weight because Daley became one of the nations most disruptive defenders before his injury interrupted what had been a breakout campaign. His recovery has been trending in the right direction, and with a new chapter ahead, he is expected to be a major defensive piece wherever he lands next season. [Read more 🡒]
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ESPN Just Sent BYU A Clear Message About Its 2026 Ceiling
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For Utah, the early read is encouraging enough to keep the playoff conversation alive, but not so strong that anything feels settled this far out. ESPN has the Utes in the mix behind the leagues top two contenders, and their standing underscores how crowded the middle of the Big 12 could be once the season starts to sort itself out. In a conference where the playoff path may be narrower than it looks, every weekly result is likely to matter. [Read more 🡒]