Can the Wizards Make the NBA Playoffs in 2026?

Washington Wizards forward Khris Middleton made a comment not too long ago indicating that he thought the Wizards could be a playoff team next season. Most fans wouldn't be mad at that prospect, but are they ready for that step?

The team does have a good young foundation, four first round picks in the next two drafts, and veterans with championship experience: what's not to like?

Too much is banking on the young talent progressing very rapidly

Wizards president of basketball operations Michael Winger and general manager Will Dawkins said from the beginning that they were not going to cut any corners. The rebuild was going to be long, and it was going to be done right. Next season will be the third year of the current rebuild and there are reasons to believe that this team could be better, but playoff better? Not quite.

For the Wizards to be a playoff team, the young core must take a giant leap and show massive progression into next season. That's a lot to ask young players to do in a short amount of time. While Alex Sarr, Bub Carrington, and Kyshawn George will get better going into their sophomore campaigns, they still have ways to go till they're finished products. There's a lot of pressure for Bilal Coulibaly to take a big leap and break out in year three, and while he has the drive to do so, the ball is in his court. Tristan Vukcevic is another player who is raw yet talented and could be a long-term answer at backup center.

Playoffs next year would require most, if not all, of the Wizards' young players to take massive steps forward in their development. Nobody would complain if they did, but it would be risky to rely on young players to develop faster for a playoff run. Why not take your time and wait till 2027? Give the core another year of development and then push for the Play-In/Playoffs.

You still don't know what you have in the veterans

You can go ahead and exclude Jordan Poole from this discussion because we know what to expect from him, All-Star level production. When you look at the rest of the vets, there have been glimpses but do we truly know what to expect going into next season?

Khris Middleton and Marcus Smart have brought leadership, experience, and toughness to the Wizards, but can they continue to be productive next season? Both have dealt with injuries, and while both have played well, they're not the players from their prime years. Richaun Holmes is another high-energy player, but is limited offensively in a league where centers are shooting 35% from three.

Saddiq Bey is a wildcard. With him coming back from a ACL injury and surgery, what can you expect? He can play at a high level and could be a solid two-way contributor for the Wizards, but what player can they expect, and how much did the injury change him, if at all?

For the Wizards to make a playoff run, they would need a lot to go right and that would be risky. They would need giants leaps forward from they're young core and for the veterans to maintain solid production just to have a chance. What's the rush? They should take their time and give the young core another year to develop. There is plenty of time for the playoffs and for winning the last game of the season.