The Washington Wizards have enough talent to make people look twice, but that won’t matter much if they keep crowding out the young players who are supposed to be part of the answer.
Anthony Davis and Trae Young sit at the top of the roster as a high-end duo, and there’s no shortage of intriguing support around them. A.J.
Dybantsa, Kyshawn George and Alex Sarr headline a group that gives Washington real upside. But the way the offseason has gone, the Wizards have leaned hard toward veterans, and that’s where the warning signs start flashing.
Washington’s biggest splash was taking Dybantsa with the No. 1 overall pick, but the rest of the summer has been about adding proven names. The trade for Deandre Ayton and the signing of Khris Middleton brought in players who can help right away.
That makes sense on one level. The Wizards do need dependable production, and veterans are easier to trust than young players who are still learning on the fly.
Then came the rumors. Washington reportedly offered Russell Westbrook a two-year deal at point guard, and there’s also a possibility the Wizards go after DeMar DeRozan, who remains an unrestricted free agent. Those are the kinds of moves that can make a roster deeper, but they can also push the next wave of players to the margins.
That’s the real issue here: the Wizards can’t let a short-term chase for relevance in 2026-27 become the thing that slows down the people who actually need development.
Davis and Young are the headline names, but neither comes with zero risk. Davis has missed at least 30 games in four of the past six seasons, and Young is widely regarded as one of the worst defenders in the NBA.
Their talent is obvious. Their limitations mean Washington has to build in cover around them, not assume they can carry everything by themselves.
That’s why the younger core matters so much. Alex Sarr should be getting priority at center over Ayton, especially after the leap he made from .394/.308/.679 as a rookie to .482/.333/.692 in his second season. He’s already a competitive defender, and his offense has clearly moved forward.
The same logic applies elsewhere. Instead of searching for another veteran to fill the role they had in mind for Westbrook, the Wizards should make a real evaluation of Bub Carrington.
They also need to carve out real minutes and touches for Bilal Coulibaly, Tre Johnson, Will Riley and Kyshawn George. Each brings a different skill set, and each comes with questions.
That’s fine. Washington doesn’t need every young player to hit.
It just needs to find out which ones can grow with the stars.
Davis will turn 34 in 2026-27, and that makes the development piece even more important. He needs teammates who are getting better while he starts to feel the effects of age. And there’s another layer here: he may not be in Washington for the long haul anyway, since he’ll be eligible for free agency in 2027.
So the message is pretty clear. The Wizards can keep adding veterans, or they can make sure the future is actually being built while the present is being assembled. Stop looking for veterans who would deprive key up-and-comers of minutes.
In Other News...
Wizards Just Reshaped Their Backcourt In A Trade With Bigger Fallout
The Wizards were part of a multi-team trade that sent Peyton Watson from Denver to Cleveland, with Washington emerging from the deal with backcourt help and some extra assets. In the shuffle, the team also moved Cam Whitmore and Julian Reese, while adding a second-round pick and cash considerations to the mix, giving the front office a little more flexibility as it continues sorting out the roster.
The bigger wrinkle for Washington is what happened after the trade settled. Reese was waived by the Nuggets, which leaves a roster opening and a possible two-way lane for the Wizards to keep working the margins of their build. For a team still piecing together its guard rotation and long-term depth, even a small opening like that can matter. [Read more 🡒]