AJ Dybantsa Scores 19 Points in NBA Debut

AJ Dybantsa made a good first impression this week. The former BYU Cougars star and No. 1 overall pick made his NBA debut for the Washington Wizards against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday night. He missed the first four games of the season due to a sprained ankle.

Dybantsa started the game alongside Trae Young, Anthony Davis, Alex Sarr and Kyshawn George for the new-look Wizards.

For the game, Dybantsa dropped 19 points on 8-for-12 shooting, along with two rebounds and two assists. It’s the most points for a Wizards rookie in their debut since Tom Gugliotta, who scored 20 on Nov. 2, 1992 against the Charlotte Hornets.

Dybantsa signed a four-year rookie-scale contract with Washington worth $66.9 million. The contract includes $30.2 million guaranteed, with the final two seasons operating as team options. Dybantsa will make $14.7 million this season, which is nearly double what his NIL deal was at BYU.

The 6-foot-9 wing continues to have one of the best calendar years. This is about carving a deeper path for his future. He went from being a one-and-done star to being the highest-drafted player in BYU history. Dybantsa was also the No. 1 high school recruit in the 2025 class.

Dybantsa has attacked many bucket list items while working towards getting a college degree as another one. Dybantsa was the second NBA lottery pick for BYU and coach Kevin Young during the course of his tenure. Egor Demin went eighth overall to the Brooklyn Nets last year. This is proof that the Cougars' NBA-ready blueprint is successful.

What set Dybantsa apart from the rest of this year's generational field was his athleticism and high basketball IQ. He was a consensus first-team All-American, averaging 25.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.1 steals. Not terrible considering he led the nation in scoring and had the third-most points as a freshman in NCAA history.

Dybantsa is the third Wizards player to be selected with the No. 1 pick. He joined Kwame Brown in 2001 and John Wall in 2010. As for BYU history, he's the only top pick, surpassing Shawn Bradley who went No. 2 overall in the 1993 NBA Draft.

Now that Dybantsa has started with the Wizards, he'll soon get to work with an NBA legend. Washington hired Patrick Ewing to take on an assistant position with the team. This marks his second stint with the franchise. The No. 1 overall pick of the New York Knicks in the 1985 NBA Draft joined his old team by taking an ambassador role.

After watching the dream of winning an NBA title fade away over the course of his 17-year career, Ewing won a ring with the Knicks before joining the Wizards.