AJ Dybantsa’s first two Summer League games have already put the Washington Wizards in a tricky spot.
The reigning No. 1 overall pick has given the franchise exactly what it has been hunting for: a potential face of the team. With Dybantsa in the fold, Washington suddenly has a young core that the front office believes can make a special run next season, with Trae Young and Anthony Davis expected to lead the way.
Young has already committed to the Wizards, and an extension for Davis appears to be on the table as well. But the trade chatter around Davis hasn’t gone away, with the Golden State Warriors still hoping to land the two-way big man as part of their push to acquire LeBron James in free agency.
Dybantsa’s emergence makes the case for keeping Davis in Washington stronger. At the same time, his early play has also raised a real question about how cleanly he fits next to AD.
The issue starts with shooting. In his first two Summer League games, Dybantsa has gone 1-for-11 from three, a continuation of the inefficient perimeter shooting he showed in college. That weakness doesn’t erase everything else he brings to the table, and there’s still room for that part of his game to improve with development and confidence.
But right now, he is not a threat from deep. And because so much of his game works inside the paint, pairing him with Davis could squeeze the offense in ways Washington can’t ignore. Davis is a career 29.5% shooter from three, which only adds to the spacing concern.
On paper, a starting lineup built around Dybantsa and Davis has obvious two-way appeal. The upside is easy to see.
Still, the fit isn’t perfect, and if it threatens Dybantsa’s growth, the Wizards may have to make the harder long-term call. That means putting their future first if a team is willing to meet the steep price Washington is asking for Davis on the trade market.
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AJ Dybantsa has barely gotten started in a Wizards uniform, but the franchise is already sorting through the kind of long-term questions that come with landing a player viewed as a centerpiece. In that conversation, rookie guard Will Riley has started to look like more than just another young piece, thanks to the way he has blended scoring punch with real playmaking feel.
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