Deandre Ayton hasn’t been front and center for the Wizards this season, but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t mattered. In a rotation that has put Anthony Davis and Alex Sarr ahead of him, Ayton has settled into a quieter role and given Washington exactly what it needed: reliable minutes, steady production, and a center who can handle a bigger job when called upon.
That matters more because of how the Wizards got him. Over the offseason, Washington sent Jaden Hardy and two second-round picks to bring in Ayton, a move that looked a little odd at the time.
So far, though, it’s making plenty of sense. The Wizards were thin behind Davis and Sarr, with Tristan Vukcevic and Anthony Gill as the only other bigs on the roster.
Vukcevic hasn’t played this season because of a hip injury, and Gill is more of a locker room presence than a real on-court option.
With that in mind, Ayton has been a strong return on a modest investment. He’s given the Wizards a dependable big man who can step into the lineup without disrupting things, and he’s also become important insurance if Davis or Sarr has to miss time.
That was on display Monday night, when Sarr sat out with knee soreness and Ayton made his first start of the season. Washington didn’t skip a beat.
Ayton finished with four points, six rebounds and a +4, and the bigger takeaway was how comfortable he looked filling in as a starter. For a backup center, that kind of readiness is a real asset.
The box score hasn’t exactly shouted his name. Ayton is averaging 5.4 points and 4.6 rebounds in just 14.3 minutes per game. But when those numbers are stretched to per-36-minute production, they jump to 12.4 points and 10.4 rebounds - the profile of a solid starting center, even if that’s still a projection rather than a nightly reality.
And this isn’t coming out of nowhere. Ayton has produced solid numbers at every stop in his NBA career, and his career averages of 15.7 points and 10 rebounds per game line up pretty well with what he’s showing in Washington when the minutes are adjusted.
The Wizards are likely going to need him again. Davis missing time feels like a matter of when, not if, and the frontcourt has its share of injury concerns already. That makes Ayton’s presence more valuable than the spotlight he’s getting.
For now, he’s been exactly what Washington needed: a steady backup center who has bought into the role and delivered when asked. And if the Wizards need more from him later, he’s already shown he can handle it.
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AJ Dybantsa Is Already Raising The Wizards Ceiling
AJ Dybantsa has wasted little time changing the conversation around the Wizards, and not just because of what he has done with the ball in his hands. The No. 1 overall pick has been a real factor in Washingtons recent wins, bringing a two-way presence that has already shown up in the details, from limiting key scorers to making timely defensive plays.
What makes it even more intriguing for Washington is how quickly the staff is starting to think bigger with him. Dybantsas versatility gives the Wizards a chance to experiment with lineups that look far more dangerous on both ends, especially alongside Anthony Davis, and the early returns suggest this is more than just a developmental detour. [Read more 🡒]
Brian Keefe Is Giving The Wizards Something They Desperately Needed
Brian Keefe has spent three seasons as Washingtons lead assistant, but early in the 2026-27 campaign hes starting to look like the steady hand the Wizards have been missing. With the team off to a 4-3 start, the most encouraging part has not been the record itself so much as the way the defense has tightened up and the rotations have looked more organized, even with the roster dealing with injuries and other lineup shuffling.
Keefes influence has shown up in how Washington is using its players and adjusting on the fly, a welcome change for a group that has spent too much time searching for structure. The larger question now is whether this early progress can hold once the schedule gets tougher and the lineup is whole again, because the Wizards have already shown enough to make their defensive improvement feel real, even if the full picture is still coming into focus. [Read more 🡒]
Wizards May Have Found A Formula That Can Actually Hold Up
The Wizards win over Orlando offered a reminder that there may be something sturdier taking shape on the defensive end. Washington kept the Magic under 100 points for the second straight game, a level of consistency the franchise has not managed in a back-to-back stretch like this since early last season, and it came with notable offensive help from Anthony Davis and rookie AJ Dybantsa, who both cleared 20 points.
Deandre Ayton also made his starting debut and gave Washington a useful blend of rebounding and ball movement, the kind of low-drama contribution that can help a lineup settle in. For a team still searching for an identity, the bigger question is whether this version of the Wizards can keep stacking nights like this once the schedule and the matchups get less forgiving. [Read more 🡒]