Aj Dybantsa Scores 27 Points In Summer League Debut, Darryn Peterson Gets 24 In Matchup Of Nba's Top Draft Picks

AJ Dybantsa, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, made his Summer League debut for the Washington Wizards on Thursday.

Adding to the marquee value of Dybantsa's professional premiere was being matched up against the Utah Jazz and No. 2 overall pick Darryn Peterson. Peterson was playing in his third Summer League game.

In their first matchup since they faced each other in a Jan. 31 matchup between BYU and Kansas during the college basketball season, Dybantsa won on the scoreboard. He finished with 27 points and seven rebounds in his Summer League debut, and Washington took a 92-88 victory in Las Vegas.

However, a head-to-head comparison might not be completely fair. Dybantsa looked for his own shot aggressively from the start, consistently taking the ball to the basket against Wizards defenders. His ambition was rewarded with a poster dunk over Utah's Justin Harmon, followed by a flex.

Meanwhile, Peterson concentrated more on point-guard duties than he did during his first Summer League action in Salt Lake City (when he scored 28 points), especially early on. Bringing the ball up on each possession allowed the Wizards guards to defend Peterson tightly.

Yet he also looked to create and distribute, working the pick and roll and floating several lob passes to Jazz big men. With seven turnovers, Peterson probably didn't take care of the ball like Jazz coaches would prefer.

Peterson trailed Dybantsa in points at halftime, 11 to 5. But the 2026 No. 2 pick focused more on scoring in the second half, helped in part by some Wizards turnovers. Eventually, he finished with 24 points, 2 rebounds and 3 assists to lead the Jazz. Putting a punctuation mark on the night, Peterson hit a logo 3 as time expired.

Dybantsa also demonstrated his versatility, bringing the ball up on a few possessions while also defending Jazz point guards as they brought the ball up the court. The 6-foot-9 forward added 2 assists, 2 steals and a block.

Most importantly, Dybantsa showed he could take defenders off the dribble and finish at the basket. As the Wizards tried to be more physical with him in the second half, he powered through contact to score. Dybantsa left the game with 1:22 remaining, complaining of leg pain. He told ESPN afterwards that he felt "leg soreness."

Tre Johnson followed Dybantsa with 26 points and Will Riley added 18 for the Wizards. On the Utah side, Cody Williams contributed 16 points while Trey Alexander scored 13. Both players grabbed 5 rebounds.

Read more about the 2026 NBA Summer League, including the daily schedule, competition format, players to watch and more.

Follow along with updates and highlights from Yahoo Sports' live blog of the matchup between this year's first and second overall picks in NBA Summer League action from Las Vegas: