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Jan 30, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) on the court against the Washington Wizards during the second half at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-Imagn Images Brad Mills-Imagn Images

LeBron James Intrigued by Wizards Rebuild

Originally posted on Washington Wizards on SI
By Henry Brown | Last updated Feb 19, 2026 3:14 PM ET

The Washington Wizards' recent string of moves may not have impressed every evaluator, but those with experience against their current on-court iteration are already getting excited at the possibilities that lay ahead for the aggressive organization following their trade deadline extravaganza.

This is the sort of testimony that's been thrown around increasingly following the franchise's choice to pair proven quantities in Anthony Davis and Trae Young with their homemade prospect pool, and they added a powerful co-sign exiting the All-Star break. LeBron James, going on a quarter-century as the most powerful and influential figure as the NBA's frontman, is interested in what the Wizards are building.

Now, he's not sure of what it is exactly that they're constructing, but no one can be while Davis and Young continue rehabilitating from the respective injuries they accumulated prior to their separate trades. But James, who has plenty of personal experience with former longtime teammate Davis and 4x All-Star Young, trust that star-power to guide the inspiring young core.

"I’m very intrigued and I’m very interested to see what happens and how this all comes about obviously next year," he told co-host Steve Nash on his "Mind the Game" podcast.

"I think AD’s out, and I think it’s already been said maybe that Trae is not gonna play this year as well. But I’m interested to see what they do and how it all comes together. With AD obviously we know the talent level is out of this world. And Trae with his ability to play pick-and-roll game, his ability to shoot the ball, his lob threat," he continued.

The Wizards' Young Base

He'd be correct in assuming that those two household names will play sparingly, if at all, over the remainder of the 2025-26 season, giving the next generation of contributors time to grow into a more competitive situation. And even though he's never squared off against any of Washington's various rising stars in practice or in an All-Star Game, they, too, have made his ears perk up over previous matchups.

"I love the young kid from France that they have on their team too, [Alex] Sarr," he said. "We just played them two weeks ago great touch, great feel for the game. Love the kid [Kyshawn] George as well, young kid, pretty good player. And then also the rookie kid they got from Texas, Tre Johnson. They have some pieces, and I think for the first time in a few years we can say that Washington has grabbed some pieces."

Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

Now, when James calls someone a kid, he means it, as each of the three prospects the all-time leading scorer name-dropped were born after he was already drafted to the league. And as much as he's encountered, he hasn't seen a high-ceiling Wizards operation since he was still leading the Cleveland Cavaliers overtop John Wall and Bradley Beal in the playoffs nearly a decade ago.

Ever since he's crossed into his 40s, though, he's already pocketed a few run-ins with the young up-and-coming Wizards. He's mostly mopped the floor with the players old enough to be his sons, memorably doing in sleepwalking to 20 points in last month's dominant 142-11 victory in D.C., but that's not to say that they won't develop into real challengers with the guidance of the aforementioned hired guns.

Nash certainly sees Washington's vision, and he's similarly amped to watch the squad balance their two timelines. "

If you look at Tre [Johnson]'s weakness, it would be defensive impact. But when you have AD, and you have Sarr...Sarr can stretch the floor, AD obviously can roll and duck in and do all those things, they've got some support. And they've got some wing size and length and defenders, too, there's more support for him there. You know how brilliant he can be offensively, so it is interesting to see if they can keep that thing together," Nash said.

They know they'll have to wait to watch the puzzle's pieces come together, but the team's growth and potential clearly has the legends of the game dreaming about the future right alongside local couch-surfing fans. Even without much hope (or reason) to continue winning games over the next few months, they're providing plenty of reasons to keep coming back to watch and report.

This article first appeared on Washington Wizards on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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