Wizards https://www.washingtonsun.com/sports/wizards Wizards en-US Tue, 20 Oct 2026 16:51:28 GMT AJ Dybantsa Ruled Out of Wizards’ Season Opener With an Ankle Injury https://www.washingtonsun.com/sports/wizards/wizards-aj-dybantsa-ruled-out-ankle-injury Justice Covert Coach Brian Keefe said the No.1 pick will remain day-to-day. Tue, 20 Oct 2026 16:51:28 GMT https://www.washingtonsun.com/sports/wizards/wizards-aj-dybantsa-ruled-out-ankle-injury AJ Dybantsa AP - 26287105941605
Wizards rookie AJ Dybantsa will miss Wednesday's season opener. (Terrance Williams/AP)
Wizards rookie AJ Dybantsa will have to wait a bit longer before making his NBA debut after he was ruled out for Wednesday’s season opener with an ankle injury.

Wizards coach Brian Keefe said during a team practice Tuesday that the No. 1 pick will miss Wednesday’s meeting with the Bucks and remains day-to-day. Dybantsa sprained his left ankle during the second quarter of Friday’s preseason finale against the Pelicans.

After the Pelicans game, Keefe said pulling Dybantsa after his injury was precautionary and added that the team would “take it one day at a time” when asked whether Dybantsa would play against the Bucks.

On Tuesday, Keefe said Dybantsa was the only Wizards player ruled out for the opener.]]> What NBA Execs, Experts and Oddsmakers Are Saying About the Wizards https://www.washingtonsun.com/sports/wizards-2026-27-season-predictions Alex Schiffer Ahead of Wednesday’s opener, we compiled a range of opinions on the Wizards’ outlook this season. Tue, 20 Oct 2026 09:30:00 GMT https://www.washingtonsun.com/sports/wizards-2026-27-season-predictions Anthony Davis
Can Anthony Davis and the new-look Wizards compete for a playoff berth? Experts aren't so sure. (Terrance Williams/AP)
The new-look Washington Wizards open their season Wednesday against the Milwaukee Bucks, and the organization is looking to do something it hasn’t in recent years: win.

After years of tanking, the Wizards enter the season with the expectation that they will be competitive under coach Brian Keefe. Veterans Trae Young and Anthony Davis and No. 1 overall draft pick AJ Dybantsa (who is day-to-day with an ankle sprain and may miss the season opener) have been added to a young, inexperienced core, giving fans more reason for optimism than in the past several years.

But it’s no guarantee that the Wizards will be immediate players in a competitive Eastern Conference. Here’s how experts around the league are viewing Washington’s chances.

Around the League

The Washington Sun reached out to multiple NBA front-office executives across the league to get their opinions on the Wizards. The executives were granted anonymity to speak candidly about the Wizards since they don’t have permission to talk publicly about other teams.

The consensus was that while the roster is clearly more talented, it’s unclear if that can translate to a winning record.

“They have to prove they can win,” one executive told The Sun. “Do the young guys know how to do that?”

Another executive compared them to another local team coming out of a rebuild in the Washington Nationals, who outplayed expectations in the first half of the season but elected to stick with their young core (and traded away some veterans for future assets at the trade deadline) instead of competing for a Wild Card berth.

“They could overachieve in the first half of the season and still be sellers at the deadline,” the executive said. “If they win 44 games but Trae Young and AD are the main reasons why and not the young guys, is that a good season? But if the young guys take a major step forward and they’re trading Davis and some veterans at the deadline to give AJ and co. the keys at the cost of making the Play-In, isn’t that better?”

A third executive was higher on the roster than most.

“I think they’re onto something,” the third executive said. “They have an abundance of elite wings and youth; you can’t get enough of either in today’s NBA. AJ is a franchise player, and they’re huge — enough size to protect Trae on defense, and all of their young guys have improved. The roster is a little weird, but there’s enough there to where it might just work.”

The third executive disagreed with the second’s assessment of the trade deadline, adding that if Washington has a shot at the postseason it should do everything it can to get there after years of irrelevance.

“They should want to make the Play-In Tournament,” the executive said. “That feels like a reasonable goal.”

The league's annual GM survey also gave the Wizards some recognition. The team finished second to the Pacers for which team GMs think will be most improved, with 23% of the vote, while Dybantsa tied with Chicago’s Caleb Wilson for which rookie will be the best player in five years (both received 33% of the vote).

From the Media

The Wizards open the season in the bottom third of The Athletic’s power rankings and are projected to finish the season 11th in the Eastern Conference and miss the playoffs. While acknowledging an improvement in talent, The Athletic cites the potential lack of cohesion, shooting and playmaking outside of Young as factors that could derail the season.

ESPN ranks Washington an identical 22nd in its power rankings, while The Ringer views the Wizards’ prospects as much bleaker, placing them 28th in its power rankings. The outlet called the Wizards “a disgracefully impatient excuse for a basketball team” and questioned the decisions to add veterans such as Khris Middleton and Deandre Ayton to a young roster.

The Oddsmakers

The sportsbooks also don’t expect much from the Wizards this season. Both DraftKings and FanDuel have the Wizards’ odds of winning the NBA championship at 150-to-1 to open the season, while BetMGM has the Wizards’ over/under for wins at 34.5.

FanDuel has the Wizards’ odds of avoiding the Play-In Tournament and clinching the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference at 22-to-1 and their odds of clinching the eighth seed and final spot in the playoffs at 13-to-1.

Sign up for The Washington Sun Metro newsletter for essential coverage of the D.C. region.]]> Bilal Coulibaly and the Wizards Fail to Reach a Contract Extension https://www.washingtonsun.com/sports/bilal-coulibaly-wizards-contract-extension Alex Schiffer Washington’s second-longest tenured player was eligible for a new four-year deal. Mon, 19 Oct 2026 23:04:21 GMT https://www.washingtonsun.com/sports/bilal-coulibaly-wizards-contract-extension Bilal Coulibaly AP - 26051813920319
Guard Bilal Coulibaly is entering his fourth season with Washington. (Nick Wass/AP)
Bilal Coulibaly will be a free agent at season’s end.

The Wizards’ second-longest tenured player failed to reach an agreement with the team ahead of Monday’s 6 p.m. deadline for rookie extensions.

Coulibaly was eligible for a four-year extension at the end of his current rookie deal. Given Coulibaly’s status as a role player, his extension would have likely looked similar to the deals Washington gave to Deni Avdija in 2023 (four years, $55 million) and Corey Kispert in 2024 (four years, $54 million).

Coulibaly was asked about his contract situation at media day last month and said he wasn’t worried about it.

“I'm just focused on basketball,” Coulibaly said. “Just being out here with the guys, it's gonna build chemistry and stuff like that. … I'm not really thinking about everything that comes around, all the talking. Just focused on bettering myself and making the team better, too.”

The 22-year-old is the first player of the Wizards’ young core to be extension eligible. Drafted No. 7 overall by the Pacers in 2023, his rights were traded to the Wizards for Jarace Walker (the No. 8 pick) and two second-round selections. Coulibaly was the first pick made by Monumental Basketball President Michael Winger and Wizards GM Will Dawkins, who were hired a month before the draft.

When Coulibaly was drafted, the 6-foot-7 wing was more known for being the other draft prospect from France’s Metropolitans 92 — his teammate, Victor Wembanyama, went No. 1 overall. In three NBA seasons, Coulibaly has averaged 10.8 points on 43% shooting, but he’s shot just 31% from 3-point range. He’s one of the Wizards best on-ball defenders on a team that has consistently ranked among the league’s worst defensive squads. Coulibaly has also faced injury issues, reaching 60 games played just once in three seasons.

He will make $9.2 million this season in the final year of his four-year, $30 million contract he signed as a rookie. He will be a restricted free agent as long as the Wizards make him a qualifying offer at the start of 2027 free agency. That qualifying offer would be worth $10.3 million.

With Coulibaly’s contract situation settled for now, the Wizards can turn their attention to Anthony Davis, who has been eligible for a four-year, $275 million extension since August. ESPN previously reported that the Wizards and Davis were postponing talks until the quarter mark of the regular season. At media day, Davis said he would decide on his future with the organization “when the season is over.”
]]> AJ Dybantsa Is Still ‘Day-to-Day’ Ahead of the Wizards’ Season Opener https://www.washingtonsun.com/sports/aj-dybantsa-injury-wizards-opener Alex Schiffer The No. 1 pick sprained his ankle during Friday’s preseason finale against the Pelicans. Mon, 19 Oct 2026 18:10:37 GMT https://www.washingtonsun.com/sports/aj-dybantsa-injury-wizards-opener AJ Dybantsa AP - 26287118495372
AJ Dybantsa injured his left ankle in the Wizards' preseason finale. (Terrance Williams/AP)
AJ Dybantsa’s status remains in doubt as the Wizards prepare for Wednesday’s season opener against the Bucks.

The No. 1 pick in June’s NBA draft sprained his left ankle after landing awkwardly on a mid-range jump shot during the second quarter of Friday’s preseason game against the Pelicans. The Wizards lost, 107–106, to conclude the preseason with a 2–2 record. Dybantsa scored 12 points in 15 minutes before getting injured.

He didn’t return to the game, and Wizards coach Brian Keefe said on Friday that the decision to remove him from the contest was precautionary.

Asked on Sunday if Dybantsa would play against the Bucks, Keefe told reporters, “We’re just going to take it one day at a time.”

Dybantsa was seen shooting free throws at the end of the team’s practice on Monday, and Keefe said the 6-foot-9 forward’s status remains day-to-day.

The Wizards are expected to practice on Tuesday and have a traditional pregame shootaround, giving the coaching staff two more opportunities to evaluate Dybantsa before Wednesday’s opener.

Dybantsa proved durable last year in his lone college season at BYU, playing in 35 games while leading the nation in scoring at 25.5 points per game. His only known ailment with the Cougars was an illness he played through in a January game against TCU.]]> The New-Look Wizards Made a Good First Impression in Their Preseason Opener https://www.washingtonsun.com/sports/washington-wizards-knicks-preseason Alex Schiffer AJ Dybantsa, Anthony Davis and Trae Young all played in a win over the Knicks. Fri, 09 Oct 2026 14:33:08 GMT https://www.washingtonsun.com/sports/washington-wizards-knicks-preseason Trae Young AP - 26282082661041
Trae Young and the Wizards opened the preseason with a win over the Knicks. (Adam Hunger/AP)
NEW YORK — AJ Dybantsa remains undefeated at Madison Square Garden.

A year after rallying BYU to a come-from-behind win against Clemson at the storied arena, Dybantsa and the new-look Wizards won their preseason opener 111–109 over the defending champion Knicks on Thursday night.

“I told everyone coming here I was 1-0,” Dybantsa said after the game. “I just wanted to come in and go 2-0, which I did.”

NBA preseason games aren’t much different from those in the NFL: The starters only play so much, and the players who log the most minutes may not be guaranteed a roster spot. But for a team that had yet to see Dybantsa against NBA competition or star duo Anthony Davis and Trae Young play together, Thursday’s preseason opener held some importance for the Wizards.

“It’s good to finally get a game under our belt,” Dybantsa said of playing with Davis and Young. “See what we can do out there.”

Here are some first impressions from Thursday night:

Davis showed no rust after a long layoff.

Thursday was Davis’ first game in nine months, after he injured his hand in January and didn’t see the court after being traded to the Wizards in February. Despite the long layoff, he didn’t show any rust. Davis hit his first three shots, including a pair of 3s, and finished with a game-high 16 points in just under 17 minutes.

“I thought he was terrific,” Wizards coach Brian Keefe said of Davis. “Anchoring our defense, his communication, his ability to zone up on the back side and then you saw just his efficiency on the offensive end. He’s going to settle us down when we play through the post because he’s so comfortable down there.”

Keefe started Davis alongside Deandre Ayton, which allowed him to play power forward, his preferred position. The Wizards also used lineups with Davis as the center, and it’s easy to see Alex Sarr joining the rotation once he’s healthy and allow Davis to play both positions during a game. Ayton grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds while Davis added seven.

“They controlled the game defensively,” Keefe said of his bigs. “You saw the rebounding by Deandre. We wanted to establish our size and physicality.”

Young played well both on and off the ball. 

While the Knicks entered Thursday off their first championship season in 53 years, Young is coming off one in which he played just 15 games after requesting a trade out of Atlanta and battling injuries.

But his status as a Knicks villain remains unchanged. Young was promptly booed after being introduced Thursday, and on the court he reminded fans why they dislike him so. He scored 15 points in 17 minutes, dished out four assists and added a pair of steals. Young went 3 for 6 from behind the arc. He shot one triple on one foot, which Wizards assistant Patrick Ewing might have an opinion on.

https://x.com/washwizards/status/2108349495117295816?s=46&t=oKtVAS4CgKYhV-P9_DfngQ
Young started the game off the ball as Kyshawn George initiated the Wizards offense off the opening tip and had a game-high five assists. But Keefe played Young both on and off the ball and gave him extended run with the reserves as he led the second unit as a scorer and a playmaker.

“We’ve got a lot of guys who can make decisions,” Keefe said. “We think that’s going to be the best way forward for us to reach where we want to go to. He’s just so unselfish. Kicking the ball ahead. Looking for his teammates, that stuff just brings energy to your team.”

Dybantsa settled in and provided a few highlights. 

The No. 1 pick had a rough start to the preseason, missing his first few shows from the field. But he got better as the game went on, stuffing the stat sheet and showing why teams spent the past year hoping for a shot at his services.

Dybantsa finished with 11 points on 5 for 11 shooting and added a pair of rebounds and assists. He missed all three attempts from 3. Defensively, he was a pest, using his 7-foot wingspan to deflect passes and disrupt the Knicks offense.

https://x.com/washwizards/status/2108354220118135059?s=46&t=oKtVAS4CgKYhV-P9_DfngQ
“The biggest thing I thought with him was that he had four steals,” Keefe said. “His effort on the defensive end, cutting people off, playing in the passing lanes, and then you saw him getting out in transition, getting easy baskets. Pretty good first showing.”

Dybantsa admitted he felt sped-up early on as he adjusted to the pace of the NBA. He said playing alongside Ayton and Davis allowed him to be more aggressive defensively because he knew he had two centers behind him if he got beat.

In addition to the defense and scoring, Dybantsa showed some playmaking ability, too. Knicks wing OG Anunoby started on Dybantsa, and the rookie held his own against one of the NBA’s best defenders. In the first quarter, Dybantsa drove on Anunoby and threw a pretty lob to George.

https://x.com/WashWizards/status/2108355859562533295“There’s going to be a lot of opportunities where I can get easy assists if I just slow down a little bit,” Dybantsa said of his performance. “And defensively, just play without fouling. There was a couple of dumb fouls I got.”

One more note: The Wizards were without four players Thursday, but Keefe expects that number to drop to two in the near future. Sarr sat out as he continues to recover from a fractured foot, which occurred in a June workout, and Khris Middleton didn’t play as he continues to ramp-up as well, but Keefe said both players are on pace to play in the preseason. Jamir Watkins (ACL recovery) and Tristan Vukčević (hip) were also out.
]]> The Wizards Keep Sort of Admitting They Tanked Last Season https://www.washingtonsun.com/sports/wizards-bub-carrington-tanking Alex Schiffer Washington earned the worst record in the NBA, before winning the draft lottery and selecting top prospect AJ Dybantsa first overall. Fri, 02 Oct 2026 19:13:14 GMT https://www.washingtonsun.com/sports/wizards-bub-carrington-tanking Bub Carrington
Wizards guard Bub Carrington. (Terrance Williams/AP)
The Wizards continue to say the quiet part out loud in regards to last season: Yes, we were tanking.

“We haven't been told to be the best version of ourselves,” Wizards guard Bub Carrington said in an interview with WUSA9 on Monday at the team’s media day, in a clip that began circulating more prominently later in the week. “We were held back because we were trying to get AJ Dybantsa. That's no secret.”

It was indeed no secret.

The Wizards were 3-26 after the All-Star break to finish with the league’s worst record of 17-65. But the Wizards' efforts paid off. After getting the good fortune of winning the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA draft lottery, the team selected Dybantsa, the top prospect in what is considered one of the deepest drafts in years.

That’s not to say that the team was openly discussing its attempt to tank, even if it was obvious to anyone paying attention, which is why Carrington’s quotes got plenty of attention on social media. However, The Athletic reported that Carrington will not be disciplined for his comments.

The team’s efforts, or lack thereof, along with those of several others, led NBA Commissioner Adam Silver to introduce new anti-tanking measures that further flatten the lottery odds and punish teams for being in the bottom of the league’s standings.

Wizards general manager Will Dawkins said at his preseason availability that the rule change’s timing coincided with the team’s pivot to be more competitive, which worked out to their advantage.

“I think we were fortunate when we first got here,” Dawkins said. “I talked about how we wanted to establish our foundation, kind of lay a plan to build. And it just kind of aligned with these last couple of drafts. After that, we wanted to start building a little bit, and the rules just kind of fell in our favor. So we were planning on being better before those rules, or trying to be better, more importantly trying to be in those competitive games.”

Carrington’s comments came the same day that Trae Young was asked about playing just five games for the Wizards last season after he came over in a midseason trade, and whether he might change his workout or conditioning in light of his lack of availability last season. Young responded by hinting that he may have been healthier at times than the injury report indicated.

“I’m not really changing too much up in terms of what I do in terms of taking care of my body,” Young said. “I feel like last year was one of those years. I’m actually very grateful for what happened last year because if we didn’t, we don’t necessarily have AJ Dybantsa.”]]> Anthony Davis Is Waiting Until After the Season to Decide on the Wizards’ Future https://www.washingtonsun.com/sports/anthony-davis-wizards-media-day-trae-young-aj-dybantsa Alex Schiffer Plus more takeaways from Wizards media day on Monday. Tue, 29 Sep 2026 12:15:11 GMT https://www.washingtonsun.com/sports/anthony-davis-wizards-media-day-trae-young-aj-dybantsa Anthony Davis
Davis will make $58.4 million this coming season and has a player option for next season worth $62.7 million. (Nick Wass/AP)
Anthony Davis plans to let the Wizards season play out before figuring out his contract situation with the team.

Davis spoke to reporters Monday at Wizards media day, which marked just the second time he’s done so since being traded to Washington in February. The 33-year-old has yet to play for the team after injuring his hand shortly before being traded.

In August, Davis became eligible for a four-year extension worth up to $275 million. Both the Wizards and Davis’ agent, Rich Paul, elected to postpone negotiations until after the Wizards season starts, according to ESPN, and resume talks after 20 to 25 games. Davis indicated on Monday that he won’t decide on a long-term future with the organization until next year.

“When the season is over,” Davis said. “I’m going to go through the season, and kind of do what I do at a high level, and then, when it’s over, you know, sit down and have those key conversations again with the front office.”

Davis will make $58.4 million this coming season and has a player option for next season worth $62.7 million. Should the Wizards give him the maximum his extension allows, his new deal would average roughly $69 million annually. Should he decline his player option, Davis would become an unrestricted free agent. Injuries have limited him to just 71 games the past two seasons, which could impact his market.

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Shortly after he was traded, Davis said he wanted to see what the Wizards' plans were to be more competitive after three years of tanking. On Monday, Davis said the team’s signings of Deandre Ayton and Khris Middleton in addition to drafting AJ Dybantsa were indications the organization is trying to compete quickly.

“We’re trying to win,” Davis said. “Trying to change the narrative around the Wizards.”

Trae Young’s Got Jokes

Trae Young was entertaining in his session with reporters. The four-time All Star played just five games for the Wizards after being traded by the Hawks in January. Asked if last season’s injuries to his back and quadriceps caused him to change his workout process, he hinted that he may have been healthy enough to play at times, but was held out to help the team’s draft positioning.

“I’m not really changing too much up in terms of what I do in terms of taking care of my body,” Young said. “I feel like last year was one of those years. I’m actually very grateful for what happened last year because if we didn’t, we don’t necessarily have AJ Dybantsa.”

Young signed a four-year extension with the Wizards in June worth $212 million despite his short on-court stint last season. The deal raised eyebrows across the NBA, given that Young is limited defensively with his 6-foot-2 frame and his ability to impact winning has been questioned throughout his career.

Young said several factors went into his decision to stay with the organization.

“Playing against these guys as an opponent I knew what they brought to the table as far as a competitive standpoint,” Young said. “When I got here I kind of knew that. And being as embraced as I was to the city I just felt like it could be another home for me. So it was a no-brainer.”

The 28-year-old point guard praised Dybantsa’s skill set as a 19-year-old rookie, while finding a way to compliment himself. Both Young and Dybantsa led the nation in scoring in their lone years of college basketball.

“AJ averaged 25 as a freshman in college,” Young said. “There’s not very many of us.”

Dybantsa Not Feeling the Pressure

A few questions after sitting down at the podium, a reporter asked Dybantsa if he was feeling any pressure as the organization’s first No. 1 overall pick since John Wall in 2010.

“None,” Dybantsa said. “I’m good.”

Dybantsa is one of three players on the Wizards roster who has been selected No. 1 overall along with Davis and Ayton. Assistant coach Patrick Ewing was the top pick in the 1985 NBA draft, too.

All three players were quick to point out the uniqueness of Dybantsa’s situation as a top pick joining a team that isn’t expecting him to immediately be the face of the franchise.

“I feel like there’s not a lot of pressure on me because I have such a great team around me,” Dybantsa said. “A lot of No. 1 picks come into a situation where they are the guy, everything is kind of set up around them. But I have All Stars on my team that I can really get under and get some knowledge from. So I don’t have to come in and carry this huge load.”
]]> The Wizards Expect Alex Sarr to Be Ready for Opening Night https://www.washingtonsun.com/sports/wizards-will-dawkins-alex-sarr-trae-young Alex Schiffer Plus more notes from GM Will Dawkins’ Thursday news conference, including a “motivated” Anthony Davis. Thu, 24 Sep 2026 18:46:53 GMT https://www.washingtonsun.com/sports/wizards-will-dawkins-alex-sarr-trae-young Alex Sarr
Nick Wass/AP
The Wizards expect to have Alex Sarr available on opening night against the Milwaukee Bucks, as the former No. 2 overall pick is recovering from having fractured his right foot in an offseason workout in June.

General manager Will Dawkins said Thursday in his annual preseason news conference that Sarr will be a “partial participant” in training camp, but should be healthy by Oct. 21 when the team opens the season at home. Sarr improved in his second year of the NBA, averaging 16.3 points and 7.4 rebounds per game.

The injury news isn’t as good for Jamir Watkins, who tore his ACL in the team’s summer league opener. Dawkins said that Watkins is still recovering, and there’s no timetable for his return. Watkins was one of the Wizards’ best perimeter defenders as a rookie and was expected to compete for minutes this season before getting hurt.

“He’ll be out a good amount of time,” Dawkins said of Watkins.

Here are more takeaways from Dawkins’ session with reporters:

Anthony Davis is “motivated.”

Dawkins declined to discuss Davis’ contract situation, after both sides decided to postpone extension talks over the summer and wait until after a quarter of the regular season has gone by before resuming. Davis will make $58 million this season and has a $62 million player option for next season.

Since August, he’s been eligible for a four-year, $275 million extension that averages nearly $69 million per year. But Davis, 33, has played in just 71 games combined the past two seasons due to injuries. He didn’t play for the Wizards at all last season after being traded by the Mavericks in February because of an injured hand.

“[Davis] is in a great frame of mind,” Dawkins said. “He’s focused and ready to start the season. He’s very much a motivated player right now. And I expect AD to remind the basketball world who he really is.”
Will Dawkins Trae Young (7334x4890, AR: 1.50)Dawkins is bullish on Trae Young.

Young hasn’t played much more than Davis and appeared in just five games for the Wizards last season after being traded by the Hawks. Despite that brief tenure, Dawkins gave Young a four-year, $212.8 million contract that raised some eyebrows across the NBA.

“Bringing back Trae Young was very, very important to us,” Dawkins said.

Dawkins said Young “really liked the young talent around him” and expects his starting point guard to embrace the challenge.

“I think he’s read a lot of things that were said about him,” Dawkins said. “He probably didn’t like how last season went in terms of injury and health, and he’s here to prove that he’s healthy and he hasn’t changed who he is as a player and can have an impact in making others better at a high level.”

The Wizards expect AJ Dybantsa to help right away.

The 19-year-old No. 1 overall draft pick steps into a unique situation where he isn’t expected to be the focal point of the team right away, given the presence of Young, Davis and Washington’s other young contributors.

Dawkins said Dybantsa’s work ethic has impressed him so far, but tempered expectations for how much the 6-foot-9 forward is going to impact winning as a rookie.

“He’s definitely going to help us now,” Dawkins said. “But more so in the future.”

On the whole, Dawkins, who is entering his fourth season running the front office, told reporters that the team believes it “is starting to construct something that is going to be sustainable” and is expecting to “increase the moments of competitive basketball we play in.”]]> Ted Leonsis Discusses Contracts for Jagr and Ovechkin in New Book https://www.washingtonsun.com/sports/ted-leonsis-david-rubenstein-book Alex Schiffer In conversation with Orioles owner David Rubenstein, Leonsis details a big early mistake and a call from the NBA’s David Stern. Sun, 20 Sep 2026 12:43:23 GMT https://www.washingtonsun.com/sports/ted-leonsis-david-rubenstein-book Ted Leonisis
mpi34/MediaPunch/IPx
Ted Leonsis is giving fans a peek at his life as a sports owner in an interview for a new book, including details on a pair of high-profile contracts.

The 69-year-old owner of the Capitals, Mystics and Wizards is part of an upcoming book by Orioles owner David Rubenstein titled, “Inside the Owner’s Box: Conversations on Power and Leadership in Sports.” The book comes out Tuesday and includes conversations with several team owners, as Rubenstein attempts to make sense of the profession.

In the book, Leonsis, who bought the Capitals in 1999, expressed regret over how he handled the team’s pursuit of Jaromir Jagr in 2001. The Capitals signed Jagr to a seven-year, $77 million deal, which was the largest contract in NHL history at the time, after his 11-year run with the Penguins, which included two Stanley Cups. Both Jagr and the Capitals failed to live up to expectations, and the team traded him to the Rangers in 2004 while continuing to pay part of his salary.

It was an early lesson in ownership for Leonsis.

“I advocated maybe a little more enthusiastically than I should have,” Leonsis said to Rubenstein in the book. “We brought Jaromir here, and that was a disaster. I made a mistake.”

But Leonsis also goes into some of his success stories. In 2008, Capitals executive Dick Patrick convinced Leonsis to give Alex Ovechkin a 13-year contract. At the time, the Capitals star was in the final year of his rookie deal. Ovechkin went on to become one of the league’s greatest players.

Ovechkin’s contract led then-NBA commissioner David Stern to call Leonsis and offer his two cents.

“Thirteen years is the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard,” Stern said, according to Leonsis, who added that his only regret was he didn’t add more years to the deal.

Did Stern ever admit to Leonsis he was wrong?

“No, but they changed the rules, so you can’t give deals like that anymore,” Leonsis told Rubenstein.

On Wednesday, the NHL collective bargaining agreement changed to make deals even shorter, from eight years to seven. Perhaps drawing from previous experience, Leonsis and the Capitals signed two second-year players to eight-year extensions just before the deadline changed.]]> AJ Dybantsa Understands the Assignment https://www.washingtonsun.com/sports/aj-dybantsa-wizards-summer-league-debut Jesse Dougherty The Wizards’ No. 1 pick dominated in his summer league debut, showing he’s well aware of expectations. Fri, 10 Jul 2026 13:12:30 GMT https://www.washingtonsun.com/sports/aj-dybantsa-wizards-summer-league-debut Dybantsa Summer League AP - 26191106701620
AJ Dybantsa, the first overall pick in last month's NBA draft, scored 27 points in his summer league debut. John Locher/AP Photo/John Locher
So he gets it. More than anything, that’s what we can take from AJ Dybantsa’s summer league debut, a game that, for Wizards fans, was like a giant bowl of water in the middle of a desert. Or a fountain, really. Or a whole damn river.

But first, what was your favorite highlight late Thursday night? Was it when Dybantsa, the No. 1 pick in June, put poor Justin Harmon on a poster with a thundering dunk? Was it when, late in the third quarter, Dybantsa beat one defender going to his left, hopped into the paint, then flicked in a layup while floating into the chest of a second defender? Was it when he hit a leaning, mid-range jumper while falling to the floor, the ball rattling in while the ref whistled for a shooting foul?Was it that you watched him for 27 minutes and only saw one turnover?

In the Wizards’ 92-88 win over the Jazz in Las Vegas, Dybantsa, a 6-foot-9 forward, finished with 27 points, seven rebounds, two assists, two steals and a block. He shot seven of eight at the line. He was not perfect, missing all five of his three-point attempts, and attacking some double teams when he could have used the attention to set teammates up. He also told ESPN that he sat the last minute because of some leg soreness, though assured he’ll be OK.

But the performance was everything the Wizards — and Wizards fans — could have hoped for and then some. Not because Dybantsa put constant pressure on the rim, though that was certainly promising. And not because he outshined Darryn Peterson, the No. 2 pick last month, though that was certainly an added bonus. No, it was because Dybantsa was entirely in character — which is to say that, in his first chance to prove he was the right choice, he seemed hell-bent, from the opening tip, on not leaving the faintest trace of doubt.

https://x.com/WashWizards/status/2075393776571564416
Making tough shots is one thing, in an exhibition or otherwise. Yet understanding the role and expectations of franchise player is what the Wizards will ultimately need from the 19-year-old.

Vegas was already an important place in Dybantsa’s basketball journey. In 2024, it’s where his family first met Brett Woodson, who was then co-director of Utah Prep. Woodson got to talking with Dybantsa’s dad, Ace, about whether Dybantsa might spend his final year of high school in Hurricane, Utah. Eventually they agreed on a lucrative name, image and likeness (NIL) deal that included an ownership stake in the school for Ace, according to multiple people familiar with the terms.

Many of Utah Prep’s leaders had connections to BYU, whether as grads or donors or both. Dybantsa, as we know now, would play his lone college season at BYU, earning more than $5 million in NIL money, according to a handful of people familiar with those terms. Before that, though, he starred for a Utah Prep team that barstormed around the country, including to Sin City. But about four hours before one game in Vegas, AJ unzipped his bag and found a problem: Nike had sent him the wrong-sized shoes.

Panicked, AJ called his dad’s hotel room. Ace was bunking with Tai Cecil, another team parent who would eventually become the president of Utah Prep. Cecil had driven them to Vegas, so the Dybanstas asked if he would now take them to the Nike store. Cecil did, of course, which ended with Dybantsa swarmed by people while trying to find the right pair.

“He was only 17, still a high schooler, but he was also a famous Nike athlete standing in the middle of a Nike store,” Cecil remembered. “And so he couldn’t just buy a pair of shoes to play in that afternoon without everyone trying to get photos, a handshake, any small piece of him.”

Familiarity is usually a prerequisite to comfort. For Dybantsa, this microscope isn’t new, just bigger and more expensive. And now Vegas is also where he introduced himself to the professional basketball world, no matter if it was only a scrimmage. Really, what’s a summer league game if not an excuse to overreact?

Even the most illogical fan brain knows that dunking over defenders in July is not the same as dunking over NBA defenders in February. It is, to bite off the tail end of a Mark Twain quote, the “difference between the lightning bug and the lightning.” But stirring real excitement is better than any alternative, as is somehow exceeding absurd amounts of hype. Then it all popped just a bit more because of what 27 minutes made clear: The teenager knows the job.
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