The Wizards moved AJ Dybantsa from day-to-day to out on Tuesday's injury report with a left ankle injury. The 19-year-old forward will not make his debut Wednesday against the Bucks, with a return expected around Oct. 23.
What happened
AJ Dybantsa was listed as out on the Wizards' injury report issued Tuesday, Oct. 20, at 12:40 PM ET. The listed injury is his left ankle. He had been day-to-day since the ankle first appeared on the report on Friday, Oct. 16, and remained day-to-day on Monday, Oct. 19, before the downgrade. Josh Robbins of The Athletic reports that Dybantsa will not debut Wednesday against the Bucks. The report lists an expected return of Oct. 23. No further detail on the injury or the timeline has been announced.
What it means for the Wizards
The Wizards open the 2026-27 season Wednesday against the Bucks at 7:00 PM ET without the rookie forward. The season has not started, so there is no record with or without him and no season line to measure what he gives them. The minutes in his absence have gone to a deep group. CJ McCollum and Julian Reese have each averaged 30.9 minutes, Kyshawn George 29.0, Leaky Black 28.9, Bub Carrington 27.7 and Alex Sarr 27.2. Bilal Coulibaly and Alondes Williams round out the rotation at 26.2 and 25.2 minutes. Tristan Vukcevic (left hip) and Jamir Watkins (left knee) are also out.
What to watch
The next injury report will show whether Dybantsa stays on track for the Oct. 23 expected return. That date is the only timeline announced, and it has not been tied to a specific game. The first checkpoint is Wednesday's opener against the Bucks, which he will miss. Any change in his status before Friday, whether an upgrade back to day-to-day or a longer absence, would come through the report.
Is AJ Dybantsa playing vs Bucks on Wednesday?
No. Dybantsa is listed as out with a left ankle injury and will not make his debut Wednesday against the Bucks, per Josh Robbins of The Athletic.
When will AJ Dybantsa be back?
The injury report lists an expected return of Oct. 23. No specific game has been announced, and the Wizards have not given further detail on the ankle.