Feb 19, 2023; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Team Luka point guard Sharife Cooper (2) drives around Team Scoot guard Scoot Henderson (0) during the first half at the Jon M. Huntsman Center. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Creveling-Imagn Images Christopher Creveling-Imagn Images

Two Point Guards Battling For Wizards Top Spot

Originally posted on Washington Wizards on SI
By Hans Themistode | Last updated Sep 25, 2025 7:00 AM ET

The Washington Wizards haven't had a good point guard in a long time, but that could change.

Sharife Cooper didn’t think his career would play out this way. He was a McDonald’s All-American, a 5-star recruit, and an immediate starter for a good Auburn college team.

Unlike some highly touted recruits who struggle at the next level, Cooper was unbelievable. He averaged 20.2 points, 8.1 assists, and 4.3 rebounds a night. But after playing in just 12 games, Cooper decided against returning for his sophomore year and jumped into the 2021 NBA Draft.

His decision-making on the court is terrific, but needless to say, leaving early wasn’t his best choice.

Once he was taken with the 48th overall pick by the Atlanta Hawks, Cooper was pretty much out of the mix. Winning the starting spot over Trae Young was never going to happen, so Cooper was forced to show out in the G-League and, most recently, overseas.

He’s bounced around a bit, but no matter where he’s been, he’s produced.

The Wizards, somewhat surprisingly, just got their hands on Cooper, signing him to a two-way contract just a few short days ago. The plan, ostensibly, is to have him compete for minutes at the lead guard position.

Bub Carrington, on the other hand, wasn’t as highly touted coming out of high school as a four-star recruit. He also didn’t completely light it up during his time with Pittsburgh, averaging a solid but not mind-blowing 13.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 4.1 assists.

Rhona Wise-Imagn Images

Yet, the Wizards saw enough out of him to take him with the 14th overall pick in last year's draft.

His rookie season? Somewhat up and down.

Carrington’s Rookie Numbers:

9.8 PPG, 4.4 APG, 4.2 RPG, 40.1 FG%

He did, however, play in all 82 games, 57 starts, and made the All-Rookie team. But was that enough to push him firmly as the team's point guard of the future?

Training camp is inching closer and closer, and the point guard spot is wide open. Both players will play a decent-sized role for the entirety of the season, but whoever emerges from that training camp battle as the starter might be exactly what the franchise is looking for.

Now, who exactly has the edge? That’s a coin flip, but we’ll find out in the next couple of weeks.

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

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