What happened: The Washington Wizards signed AJ Dybantsa to a four-year, $66.91 million rookie-scale contract, the team announced Thursday. The deal carries a team option on the final two seasons. Dybantsa's cap hit starts at roughly $14.7 million in 2026-27 and climbs to about $20.5 million by 2029-30.
Why it matters: Dybantsa is the centerpiece of Washington's rebuild after going No. 1 overall in the 2026 draft, and locking in his rookie-scale number sets the franchise's books for the rest of the decade. With his cap hit accounted for, the Wizards retain roughly $13.6 million in tax room and the full non-taxpayer mid-level exception to spend in free agency.
By the numbers: Cap hits per Spotrac: $14,748,000 (2026-27), $15,485,760 (2027-28), $16,223,040 (2028-29), $20,457,254 (2029-30), for a $16.725M average annual value across the four years.
What to watch: Dybantsa is set to make his Wizards debut July 9 at 9 p.m. ET, when Washington opens Summer League against the Utah Jazz.