What happened: Washington downgraded the same Tre Johnson who drained four first-quarter triples in preseason after omitting him from the initial game-day injury list. Forward AJ Dybantsa is cleared to play despite entering Wednesday questionable with a left ankle sprain.

Why it matters: Justin Champagnie (right foot injury), Tristan Vukcevic (left hip impingement), and Jamir Watkins (left ACL surgery) also remain sidelined, depleting the Wizards' wing and frontcourt depth. That places a heavier scoring load on Dybantsa as Washington looks to protect its .500 mark early in the 2026-27 regular season.

What to watch: Washington's starting lineup before tipoff will show how the backcourt rotation adjusts without Johnson against Cleveland.