Three Wizards Who Could Hit This Summer's Trade Block

D'Angelo Russell is probably not remaining on the books through the summer, having never reported to D.C. after his midseason acquisition. His likely departure will free up space for the Wizards' upcoming first-round pick, as will soon-to-be free agent Anthony Gill should the team prioritize outside opportunity over the longtime veteran. Trades, though, could bring on considerably more opportunities should team managament look to avoid a few tough calls later down the line.

Is D.C. Hardy's Long-Term Stopping Point?

Jaden Hardy made for a nice story over the final third of the Wizards' otherwise-substandard season of on-court play, making the most of the dramatic career opportunity he was presented with.

The former stud prospect made a name for himself with the Dallas Mavericks before that franchise infamously stuck a twig between their own bike spokes, trading Luka Doncic in the dead of night in a short-sighted attempt at re-tooling that's since all-but-killed their own fan base. A year after that all-time self-sabotage, they sent Davis, the initial return centerpiece for Doncic, over to Washington in an attempt to scrub the mistake from their history, and they threw Hardy into the exchange alongside the All-Star in providing the scorer with the chance to start over fresh.

Hardy's always been more comfortable with the ball in his hands than most reserves as young as the former 2022 draftee, slotting into the Wizards swimmingly over his final 23 outings of this past campaign. He averaged career-highs in nightly points (12.6), field goal attempts (10.2) and 3-point success (42%), shining as a daring creator who could elevate the deferential prospects padding his lineups.

The Wizards are still on the hook for paying Hardy for up to two more years, assuming they opt into his $6 million club option in 2027-28. But if they look long and hard at next year's depth chart and deem that he's one needy contributor too many, he has the efficient upside, young age and movable deal to interest outside suitors, making this a possibility worth at least considering for a helpful player who lacks the same institutional ties as many of his home-developed peers.

The Colder Alternative

Part of what made Hardy work as well as he did as a limited-time Wizard was the squad's need for his archetype.

Most of Washington's other prospects lean more to the deferential side of scoring, lacking the physical frame and general selfishness to want to take over games as often as a contested shot-maker in Hardy. It's where Cam Whitmore was once envisioned to slot in, but it's been a long time since he factored into his team's results.

He hasn't seen the floor since 2025, when he was discovered with blood clots that abruptly ended his season without a strict timeline for return. Whitmore may have been inconsistent during his time as an on-court option, but Washington has missed his physical rim-challenging over the last four months.

He, like fellow 2023 draft classmate Coulibaly, is up for a first-round extension over the offseason, though the Wizards could just as easily lean into the team option they've already opted into in figuring out their next move with the former darling of a prospect.

Dealing a local guy in Whitmore 21 games into his injury-shortened homecoming wouldn't be the nicest move, but this is where fans must remember that the NBA is a business, and the more efficient and trustworthy Hardy could theoretically fill Whitmore's audacious niche as Washington looks to take the next step into their team-wide progression. The burly wing has yet to prove that he can meaningfully push winning forward on a serious team, forcing the front office into a subtly-hard decision over the coming months.

Potential Hometown Heartbreak

Still, neither Whitmore nor Hardy arrived through the Wizards' own scouting department. They were each brought aboard after their initial destinations opted to move on in exchange for more future assets, weaving paths that now bolster their inflated odds of being the first guys to go ahead of the front office's prized guys.

I left a name out of the Wizards' list of recent first-round swings who've already begun factoring into Washington's plan to take a step towards contention. Bub Carrington isn't a bad player, turning himself into a 40% 3-point shooter as a steadily-available sophomore, but the case for parting with the personable guard is getting harder to ignore.

His path to replicating the regular minute load he's enjoyed over two full Wizards seasons is looking more complicated than ever with a proven point guard in Young leading the way, and other starting spots are quickly drying up as his own classmates enjoy their own jumps to prospect stardom. Sarr and George have cemented themselves as token pieces out of the 2023 crop, already having earned more in-game opportunities while financially contending with Carrington entering next summer's extension deadline.

Carrington still has a chance to stick it out in D.C. as a fan-favorite floor-spacer, but he lacks the physical frame and general willingness to challenge the rim at his present developmental state. Even younger guys like Johnson and Riley have already closed the gap on the contact-averse Carrington, and that's to say nothing of whatever blue-chipper the Wizards end up picking in the top five of this upcoming draft.

This would be a tough call to make after building Carrington up as one of the faces of the rebuild. But this is the dilemma that meets any team that hoards and prizes draft assets like the Wizards have; not everyone will remain for the long run, and that opens the door for the overly-sentimental front offices to tell on themselves.