Few basement-dwelling franchises have worked harder to rebuild over the past few years than the Washington Wizards. That mojo continued through this past offseason. It's easy to write the Wizards off because they're the Wizards. At the same time, all of these changes might actually work out.
Even at their best, the Wizards have remained one of the worst franchises in the league over the past three decades. There have been brief moments of relevancy, from 2005 to 2008 and from 2014 to 2018. Otherwise, Washington hasn't accomplished much after leaving the Bullets moniker behind.
The Wizards have undertaken a significant rebuild project. That included using the draft to pick up top prospects like Alex Sarr at number two in 2024 and AJ Dybantsa at number one in 2026. They've also used that time to make some major additions to the roster, some more impressive than others.
Washington has added All-Stars Trae Young, Anthony Davis, and Khris Middleton, as well as growing their depth. That includes incorporating Deandre Ayton, Bilal Coulibaly, Bub Carrington, Kyshawn George, and more into a growing system. The question is what the Wizards can do with this talent.
Washington could shock the NBA this season
There is a lot of potential on this roster if they can get it together and find a rhythm as a team. This is especially true if their projected starting lineup of Young, George, Dybantsa, Davis, and Sarr starts building momentum. It's a genuinely respectable crew that could surprise people this season.
All of that being said, there remain a couple of dark clouds in the Wizards' blue sky. Their head coach, Brian Keefe, is generally rated as one of the worst in the league. All the talent on the court doesn't matter if the bench boss can't make good use of it. A change may be coming here.
The other issue is Davis. He's chronically injured, and reportedly wants out of Washington. Apparently, he would rather be on the injured reserve for a team ready to contend right now. Given how expensive his contract is, Davis should get used to the scenery in D.C. for now.
As it stands this season, the Wizards are actually in danger of being relevant in the East. That's assuming they find a better head coach and can work around whatever injury will keep Anthony "Mr. Glass" Davis from playing in this campaign. Regardless, the potential of this team is real.
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