No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, AJ Dybantsa, was forced to leave the Washington Wizards’ preseason matchup Friday, Oct. 16, against the New Orleans Pelicans after suffering an apparent ankle injury.
The injury happened when Dybantsa attempted a midrange jump shot and landed awkwardly on his ankle, causing him to collapse to the court in visible pain as he grabbed his ankle. He managed to get up and limped off to the locker room for further examination.
Prior to his exit, Dybantsa put up 12 points in just 15 minutes. Ultimately, the Wizards narrowly lost to the Pelicans, 107-106.
Wizards head coach Brian Keefe told reporters after the game that Dybantsa had sustained a mild ankle sprain and was taken out of the game as a precautionary measure. As of Saturday morning, no further update had been provided on the extent of the injury.
"We'll look at it more when we get more information," Keefe said on Friday.
The Wizards now face a wait-and-see approach to see if Dybantsa will be available for their regular-season opener, which is just four days away. Washington is set to host the Milwaukee Bucks at Capital One Arena on Wednesday, Oct. 21, with tipoff scheduled for 7 p.m. ET.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: No. 1 overall pick AJ Dybantsa exits Wizards' preseason game with ankle injury