Wizards’ AJ Dybantsa and Darryn Peterson get marquee Summer League billing in Las Vegas

The NBA Summer League’s Las Vegas schedule has been set, and the first major story line is straightforward: the Washington Wizards are expected to spotlight their top draft picks early and often. According to the league’s released matchups, the Wizards will feature No. 1 overall selection AJ Dybantsa in an opening-day matchup against the Utah Jazz, while No. 2 pick Darryn Peterson is also slated to draw national attention on July 9.

The marquee billing is part of a broader design for the event, which serves as the NBA’s primary showcase for rookies and other young players. For Washington, having two consecutive top selections headlining the first day is more than scheduling trivia. It indicates how quickly the organization plans to evaluate what it has received in the draft, in a setting that is built for rapid learning and repeated looks against live, game-speed opponents.

The schedule released for the Las Vegas portion runs July 9 through July 19, with all 76 games played at two venues, the Thomas & Mack Center and the Pavilion. That compact timeframe and the high number of games are part of the Summer League formula: coaches can run multiple lineups, players can show more than one skill set, and teams can compare prospects side-by-side in a controlled environment.

While the most prominent early matchups involve the Wizards’ top-two selections, the league’s release also frames the rest of the slate as a showcase for the league’s top incoming talent. The coverage notes that the top four draft picks are each receiving marquee billing, meaning the first wave of games is expected to draw particular attention not just from local fans in Las Vegas but from front offices and scouting groups watching for early indicators of how rookies handle NBA pace and spacing.

For fans and evaluators, the opening-day games between Washington and Utah are likely to be watched as a preview of roles. Summer League is not a substitute for the regular season, but it can clarify how quickly a player adjusts to the demands of NBA rules, defensive schemes, and more structured offensive sets. In that sense, Dybantsa’s and Peterson’s early appearances are positioned as an initial test of both readiness and fit.

What to watch next is simple: the Wizards’ lineup choices and the way their young players are used. Summer League often reveals which prospects are asked to carry primary creation duties and which are tasked with specific, repeatable responsibilities. If Washington uses those first-day games to stress-test that balance, the early schedule could quickly narrow down what the team’s coaching staff views as the most natural path for integrating its newest players.