Wizards Nightly

AJ Dybantsa, the 19-year-old rookie forward wearing No. 4, rolled his left ankle in the preseason finale, as ESPN reported. He is listed as out with an estimated return of October 23, which means he would miss the opener against the Bucks and could be back for the Raptors game two nights later. That is the best case. Tristan Vukcevic is out with a left hip injury and is not expected back until November 2. The long-term loss is Jamir Watkins, the 25-year-old forward on a two-way deal, who is out with a left knee injury and an estimated return of April 2, 2027. That is essentially the whole season. Reece Beekman was converted to a two-way contract on October 17, which gives the front office another guard on the depth chart while Watkins sits.

Anthony Davis is 33, in his 14th season, and he is the anchor. Last season he played only 20 games for Washington but averaged 20.4 points and 11.1 rebounds in 31.3 minutes. Trae Young, 28, played 15 games with the Wizards last season and put up 17.9 points and 8.0 assists in 25.6 minutes. Khris Middleton, 35 and also in year 14, averaged 10.2 points in 22.8 minutes across 63 games last season and shot 36.0 percent from three. Deandre Ayton, 28, started the most games of the three bigs last season: 72, with 12.5 points and 8.0 rebounds and a plus-minus of -0.1, the best on the team. How the minutes split between Davis, Ayton and Alex Sarr at center is the first rotation question the coaching staff has to answer.

Alex Sarr, 21, is the third-year center who averaged 16.3 points and 7.4 rebounds last season in 48 games. Kyshawn George, 22, was the most productive of the young wings last season: 14.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 38.1 percent from three in 48 games. Bub Carrington played all 82 games last season at 10.7 points and 4.6 assists and shot 40.8 percent from three, the best mark among the regulars. Tre Johnson, 20, averaged 12.2 points in 60 games as a rookie. Will Riley, 20, played 74 games at 10.3 points. Bilal Coulibaly, 22, averaged 11.7 points in 56 games. Coulibaly's name showed up in Josh Robbins' Eastern Notes on October 9, and Dybantsa was in Robbins' Southeast Notes on October 20. The rotation has six players 22 or younger with real NBA minutes behind them.

The 2025-26 Wizards went 17-65. The offensive rating was 109.7 and the defensive rating was 121.5, a net of -11.8. The team scored 112.9 points per game at a pace of 102.5, with an effective field goal percentage of 53.5 and a true shooting percentage of 56.6. The shooting was not the problem. The defense was. Every regular except Ayton finished last season with a plus-minus below -2.0, and Carrington was at -9.1 across those 82 games. Davis and Young only played 20 and 15 games respectively for Washington last season, so the sample with the current core together is small. A full season of those two, plus Ayton's 72-game durability, is the simplest path to a better defensive rating.

The departures from last season's group are mostly end-of-bench names. Cam Whitmore is now with the Nuggets and Jaden Hardy is with the Lakers. Julian Reese is with the Pelicans and Leaky Black is with the Kings. D'Angelo Russell is unsigned. Sharife Cooper, Kadary Richmond and Skal Labissiere are also unsigned. Labissiere was waived October 11 when Washington signed Alondes Williams, but Williams is no longer on the roster either and is listed as unsigned. The 18-man group now runs from the rookies, Dybantsa and center Felix Okpara, through veterans Anthony Gill and Justin Champagnie, with Tre Mann and Beekman giving the backcourt depth behind Young, Carrington and Johnson. Capital One Arena is home, and the Southeast Division is the neighborhood.