Washington Wizards 2025-26 Team Awards

The Washington Wizards wrapped up their 2025-26 season on Sunday night, losing their final game of the campaign to the Cleveland Cavaliers, 130-117. With the regular season now complete, let’s dish out some team awards.

Washington Wizards 2025-26 Team Awards

Throughout the season, plenty of Wizards put the league on notice. Alex Sarr led the NBA in blocks for a chunk of the season; Tre Johnson, Will Riley, and Jamir Watkins could see a selection or some votes for All-Rookie Teams; Kyshawn George dominated the first half of the season; and many others contributed heavily to the team.

However, only one player can come home with each award, so who gets the hardware?

Most Valuable Player

Winner: Alex Sarr

A major question mark this season was how Sarr would develop. Heading into his sophomore campaign, his inside game was labeled weak, but his defensive presence was elite. Now fast forward to April, and the Frenchman seems to be on his way to becoming one of the league’s best two-way paint players. The Most Valuable Player on the Wizards’ roster this season has to be Sarr.

The big man’s leap was incredible. Sarr finished his rookie season with averages of 13 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.5 blocks per game. Not only did he surpass every single stat mentioned here, but he also improved on his shooting splits, his free-throw percentage, and just about every other statistical category. What’s arguably more impressive is that Sarr’s minutes barely increased (0.1), but his numbers jumped massively.

For the Wizards, Sarr led the active roster in points per game at 16.3, second in rebounds with 7.4, fifth in assists with 2.7, while dominating in blocks with two per outing. Last season, fans saw glimpses of his elite two-way ability; this season, it was displayed essentially every single night.

Rookie Of The Year

Winner: Will Riley

Riley’s performance in the back half of the season needs to be studied. The wing came into the NBA with high upside, but he needed serious development. With injuries abundant in D.C, the Illinois product got major minutes after the All-Star break and easily became one of the season’s biggest surprises.

The forward lit up the box score night after night, eventually etching his name into some history books. After being an afterthought at the beginning of the season, Riley averaged 15.3 points per game in March, then put up 18 a night in April. His performances should line him up for a big role next season and possibly get him selected to an All-Rookie Team.

While Johnson was elite to start the season, his injuries and lack of consistency put Riley ahead of him. Johnson’s ability to shoot is undeniable, but Riley is a true three-level scorer while Johnson mainly sticks to the deep ball. Who knows what next year will bring? But for now, D.C should be rocking with Riley.

Defensive Player of The Year

Winner: Alex Sarr

Nearly sweeping the awards, Sarr also claims Defensive Player of the Year for the Wizards. As mentioned, Sarr’s two-block average was impressive, but he also led the league in swats for a considerable amount of time. He was by far the best defensive player for the Wizards, but let’s look at the numbers.

As mentioned, Sarr led the team in blocks, which would have put him second in the league if not for the 65-game rule. Sarr’s defensive rating finished tied with Julian Reese for the best on the team at 119, while owning the best defensive win share on the team at 0.9. He was also in the top half of the team for steals and finished second in defensive rebounds per game.

Now with Anthony Davis as his frontcourt partner, the duo can help Washington become a top interior defense next season. Both players are extremely gifted with a defensive mind and have great instincts around the rim and in help situations.