The Washington Wizards have not been good in quite some time. The team has not had a winning record since the 2017-18 season, and since the trading away Bradley Beal in the Summer of 2023, they have actively been trying to lose as many games as possible -- failing to surpass the 20-win threshold in any of their last three seasons.
When you lose for that long, it can be hard to remember what the end goal is. When is it time to stop hoarding draft capital and get back to competing?
But after making two blockbuster trades and landing the first overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, it seems like the Wizards are finally ready to turn to Phase Two of their master plan.
Why the Washington Wizards could compete in 2026-27
Credit to the Wizards, even with all the losing they have been doing, they never lost the plot. Their rebuild was purposeful, and when opportunity knocked, they answered the door.
If you don't get where I'm going with this, I'm talking about the two times they saw an opportunity to buy low on two former All-NBA players: Trae Young and Anthony Davis. Last season, the Atlanta Hawks and Dallas Mavericks were both desperately trying to part ways with their bloated contracts, and the Wizards used this as a chance to get two proven players for cheap. Of course, they ended up paying Young way too much after the fact, but that is beside the point of this conversation.
Say what you will about Young and Davis, but if they can both stay reasonably healthy (big if, I know), that is a great one-two punch to center your team around. And thanks to their rebuilding, the Wizards have a whole cavalcade of young players to profit off the advantages they create and fill in their weaknesses.
Chief among them is AJ Dybantsa -- the headliner of what is projected to be a strong rookie class. The Wizards also have Alex Sarr, Kyshawn George, Bilal Coulibaly, Tre Johnson, Will Riley, Bub Carrington, Justin Champagnie and Jamir Watkins.
Dybantsa's size and scoring prowess will give the Wizards a different pitch when they aren't spamming Young/Davis pick-and-rolls. Sarr and George are entering Year Three, and flashed a great deal of potential during their sophomore campaign. Coulibaly will no longer be overtasked offensively, which allows him to focus on being a complementary two-way piece. Johnson and Riley are knockdown shooters. Watkins could be an All-League defender someday.
Khris Middleton is back and ready to act as a mentor to all these young bucks. And even at 35, he can still get you a bucket in a pinch. The Wizards wisely took a flyer on Tre Mann, nabbing him in the mega-deal that sent Peyton Watson to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Maybe he finally finds his footing in the nation's capital.
While far from a sure thing, the Wizards have a strong combination of reliable veterans, interesting young players, lineup versatility, and depth. In the past, many teams have used a similar recipe to guide them to the postseason.
In a loaded Eastern Conference, who knows if the same thing will happen to the Wizards. But at the very least, they are ready to try.
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