NBA2K27’s latest Wizards simulation gives Washington something it hasn’t had much of in the game’s universe: real traction. The roster gets respect right away, with multiple top-100 players and a 13th-place team rating, and the season that follows is built around a group that looks very different from the one fans know in real life.
The biggest curveball comes before the season even starts. Russell Westbrook is still listed as a free agent in the game, then somehow unretires and lands with Washington, echoing the original reports about his future. That ends up being the only preseason move the Wizards make in the simulation, and Westbrook is later waived and forced to retire so the game can stay aligned with current NBA moves.
Once the season opens, NBA2K slots Trae Young, Tre Johnson, AJ Dybantsa, Anthony Davis, and Alex Sarr into the starting five. Kyshawn George is the first man off the bench and works as a true sixth man, able to slide in for anyone. Bilal Coulibaly, Will Riley, DAndre Ayton, and Bub Carrington fill out the rotation, while Khris Middleton and Justin Champagnie get some run but never more than 10 minutes a night.
Washington’s best stretch in the Cup comes in the simulation, where it wins two games in group play. The Wizards beat the Atlanta Hawks and Charlotte Hornets, but dropped games to the Boston Celtics and Chicago Bulls. That leaves them short of the elimination stage, with Chicago’s better point differential - 42 points - earning the fourth seed instead.
The trade deadline is almost comically quiet. The Wizards make no moves at all, and the game says there were only three trades across the entire NBA. That’s not how the league usually works, but it does line up with the idea that Washington was content to roll with what it had.
By the deadline, the Wizards sit at 22-33 and hold the 10th seed in the East. There’s also one lineup tweak: Coulibaly moves into the starting five in place of Dybantsa. Outside of that, the rotation stays intact.
Young is Washington’s lone All-Star, and he also gets a spot in the three-point contest, where Tyrese Haliburton beats him in the final. The team also sends three players to Rising Stars: Dybantsa, Riley, and Johnson.
Dybantsa ends up as the only player to earn an accolade, landing on the All-Rookie second team. That comes despite a rough statistical line in the sim, where he averages 8.5 points and 4.8 rebounds per game. He does appear in all 82 games and starts 65 of them, but the scoring never really pops.
The numbers elsewhere tell a mixed story. Davis plays 80 games and averages 13.8 points, which is a surprise in itself.
Young logs all 82 and puts up 21.1 points per game while shooting 42 percent from deep. Johnson is the real scoring surprise, starting all 76 games he plays and finishing second on the team at 15.4 points per night.
Washington closes the regular season as the 10th seed with 33 wins, then heads into the play-in against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Wizards lose 111-108 and are bounced from the postseason, even with a healthy season and plenty of young talent in the mix.
The lottery, though, gives them a major break. Washington enters with the 11th-best odds at No. 1 overall, then jumps all the way to No. 2 - the highest spot it could reach. After falling short in the play-in, the Wizards at least get rewarded with a premium pick.
They keep it and select Jordan Smith Jr. out of Arkansas. The point guard is viewed as one of the top players in the class right now, though the simulation leaves room for him to slip outside the top five in the future. Still, as the game reminds you, it’s never wise to overlook a John Calipari guard.
Free agency brings a couple of smaller additions. Washington signs center Paul Reed, the 58th pick in 2020, and also brings back Julian Reese on a one-year minimum after his recent trade to the Denver Nuggets and subsequent waiver.
The final major roster decision involves Coulibaly. The Wizards don’t offer him an extension, making him a restricted free agent with two outside offers: three years and $95 million from the Golden State Warriors, and one year worth $15 million from the Milwaukee Bucks. Washington declines to match Golden State’s deal, and Coulibaly leaves for the Warriors.