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The Washington Wizards Have Finally Found A Purpose

Esfandiar Baraheni Written by Sports EditorEsfandiar Baraheni
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Alex Sarr, Bub Carrington - Washington Wizards

Rebuilding from the ground up is a difficult task in the NBA. It’s even harder when you’re the Washington Wizards and instead of having any sort of ground to work from, you actually were in six feet of dirt with a small beach shovel to try and dig yourself out. 

That was the predicament team president Michael Winger and general manager Will Dawkins inherited when they took over in the summer of 2023. But they have, slowly but surely, continued to dig themselves out of that dirt, meticulously compiling assets, young players and future cap space. What is that, do I see sunlight? Are we finally out of the dirt? 

For the first time in a long time, it seems like the Wizards — which have toiled between mediocre and downright terrible much of the last decade — finally have purpose and a sense of direction for what might come. 

And while it’s hard to make any bold proclamations about their future, one thing is certain: there’s promise. 

Building For The Future

The Wizards have operated with the long-term in mind recently. They traded away Bradley Beal, Kristaps Porzingis, Deni Avdija, Kyle Kuzma and Jonas Valanciunas, stockpiling their cupboard full of draft capital, movable contracts and young players. 

It’s not Oklahoma City Thunder levels of a treasure chest, but the Wizards now have 11 future first-round picks through 2032, 16 second-round picks, a projected $100 million in cap space next summer and nine players 21 years or younger. 

Both Khris Middleton and CJ McCollum are veterans on expiring salaries who could, theoretically, fetch a return at the 2025-26 trade deadline. Corey Kispert is on a healthy deal that pays him the mid-level exception the next three seasons. He could be traded for assets or involved a larger trade down the line (they could also keep him, as he’s a good player). 

They’ve taken low-cost swings on young players like AJ Johnson, Cam Whitmore, Malaki Branham and Dillon Jones. While we’ll have to wait and see if any of those players become part of their long-term vision, some of them, mainly Johnson and Whitmore, have shown flashes of being real NBA players. 

The Wizards’ process has been good. They’ve been holistic in their approach, mindful of the future and are now armed with a level of flexibility that would make most rebuilding teams jealous. 

Of course, none of this matters without the players on the court eventually becoming good. 

A Budding Young Core

There isn’t much lineup data I can pull from the 2024-25 Wizards that would leave one overwhelmingly optimistic about their young players together. But individually, each player provides some intrigue. 

Bilal Coulibaly, who’s just about to turn 21, took strides in his second season. He flexed more muscle as a shot creator and Washington endlessly experimented with him as a pick-and-roll ball-handler. He was not particularly good in that department: over 200 possessions, he averaged a measly 0.645 points per pick-and-roll.

Yet it’s undeniable he showed more comfort with the ball in his hands as the year progressed. Not to mention, he’s already a wildly versatile defender who can play in transition and has learned to use his athleticism to be a formidable off-ball weapon. If the scoring and outside shot develop, he could eventually be a Most Improved Player candidate. 

Alex Sarr wasn’t efficient in his rookie season. Shooting just 39 percent from the field as a 7-footer is not a home run. He shot just 30 percent from three and 45 percent on twos. There is considerable room for improvement offensively. That said, he still nearly averaged a double-double, finished fourth in Rookie of the Year voting and showed prowess as a rim protector, which will pair well with Coulibaly’s defensive acumen. Like his fellow Frenchman, if Sarr can take steps offensively, he could turn into a star. 

Bub Carrington stepped in as the Wizards’ de facto starting point guard and flashed brilliance as a shot creator and playmaker. In 28 games after the All-Star Break, he averaged 11.3 points, 5.7 assists and 4.5 rebounds.

While his efficiency leaves much to be desired, Carrington’s growth as a facilitator throughout the year was tangible and, at the very least, demonstrated he is an NBA-caliber guard. Whether he can become a starter for a good team (or more) depends on his defensive consistency and the development of his scoring efficiency.

Elsewhere on the wing, the Wizards have a wealth of intrigue with Coulibaly, Kispert, Whitmore, Johnson and Kyshawn George. But none of them provide as much excitement as the sixth pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, Tre Johnson. 

Thanks to his scoring prowess, ridiculous shot-making upside and underrated playmaking chops, Johnson could be the swing piece for this Wizards core. He’s currently third or fourth in Rookie of the Year odds ahead of next season and the way he dominated Summer League — averaging 19.5 points on 69 percent true shooting in two games — only adds fuel to the fire of intrigue. 

Most of these players are a few key steps away from becoming stars in the NBA, and stars are what the Wizards need more than anything else. But like their asset management, there’s a through-line in the vision they’re building with all of them. 

In Sarr, Coulibaly and George, they’re leaning on length and defensive prowess amid an NBA landscape where ground coverage has become increasingly important to defend effectively. With Carrington and Tre Johnson, among others, they’re doubling down on rostering multiple playmakers and ball-handlers in the rotation — another prevailing league-wide trend.

The Wizards’ Next Steps

The Wizards aren’t going to be making any significant noise next season. They’re not ready to compete for the Play-In Tournament, even in what looks like a down year for the Eastern Conference. But they’ve positioned themselves well to become intriguing over the next few seasons. 

Of course, good fortune can accelerate the process. If the Wizards luck into a top lottery pick for the stacked 2026 Draft, maybe they’ll have their North Star, the missing puzzle piece to connect everything else. At that point, their young nucleus and valuable long-term flexibility become launching pads for the possible makings of a perennial playoff contender. 

They can also push forward the timeline by using their cap space, signing veterans to complement their youngsters, akin to what the Houston Rockets and Detroit Pistons have done in recent years to earn 2024-25 playoff berths. Or, they could remain entirely patient and trust in the development of their core to lead them into the postseason.

At the very least, they have options and a path ahead, which is much more than can be said for where Wizards were just a few seasons ago. That’s a good place to start. 

Esfandiar Baraheni Written by Sports EditorEsfandiar Baraheni
Esfandiar Baraheni is an NBA writer, host and reporter who hosts the Athletic NBA Daily, creates social videos for Bleacher Report, and has written for places like Forbes, Swish Theory and TheScore in the past.
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