Washington Wizards 2025 NBA free agency grades for every signing

Bagley won’t transform the team, but at this price point, he offers frontcourt depth and a reclamation opportunity. His short-term deal preserves the team’s financial flexibility for future moves.

Grade: B+

Khris Middleton

Middleton is the biggest name Washington added this summer, a proven champion, playoff-tested scorer, and locker room leader. At age 33, he may no longer be a consistent 20-point threat, but he brings invaluable veteran presence to a young team.

The contract’s shorter length is smart: it front-loads leadership while giving Washington the flexibility to pivot in 2027. If Middleton stays healthy and accepts a mentorship role, this will be money well spent.

Grade: B

Tristan Vukčević

Vukčević flashed intriguing stretch-big potential during the latter part of the 2024-25 season. A capable pick-and-pop shooter with fluid mechanics and improving defensive instincts, the Serbian big man projects as a modern 4/5.

The Wizards have committed to giving him a longer leash this year – a smart developmental bet. He could thrive next to a playmaker like CJ McCollum or in lineups featuring spacing from Whitmore and Coulibaly.

Grade: B+

The Cam Whitmore trade

Perhaps no move better encapsulates Washington’s newfound savvy than their trade for Cam Whitmore. Once considered a top-five talent in the 2023 NBA Draft, Whitmore fell due to medical concerns but showed explosive potential in his limited time with Houston. After the Rockets acquired Kevin Durant this offseason, the wing rotation became too crowded, leaving Whitmore marginalized.

The Wizards seized the opportunity, acquiring him for the low cost of two future second-round picks. That’s it, no major assets lost, no over-leveraging of future flexibility. In Whitmore, Washington, gains a dynamic athlete with a scorer’s mentality, elite transition ability, and All-Star upside. In a vacuum, this is a steal. In the context of a rebuild, it’s potentially a cornerstone.

Cam Whitmore is the crown jewel of Washington’s offseason. Landing an explosive, athletic, shot-creating wing for just two second-rounders is the definition of asset arbitrage. In D.C., Whitmore will get a green light and a runway to develop. If he blossoms into the All-Star many projected, this could go down as one of the biggest heists of the summer.

The C.J. McCollum trade

In one of the more under-the-radar but impactful trades of the offseason, the Wizards struck a three-team deal with the Pelicans and Thunder that netted them veteran guard C.J. McCollum, stretch big Kelly Olynyk, and a future second-round pick. In return, Washington sent Jordan Poole and Saddiq Bey, both on multi-year deals, to New Orleans.

C.J. still has plenty in the tank. He averaged 21.1 PPG last season and brings a calming presence to a young locker room. For a team focused on development, he’s the perfect veteran to steady the ship without hijacking possessions.

The only downside? Losing Poole, who, despite his inefficiency, was still a 20+ PPG scorer and just 26. But Washington made a calculated choice: clean the books, set the foundation, and let the kids grow without a volume scorer hijacking development.

What truly separates this offseason isn’t just the sum of its parts – it’s the strategic coherence. Every move aligns with the central goal: build organically, protect flexibility, and develop youth. They’ve avoided flashy signings in favor of substance over spectacle.

This isn’t a teardown. It’s a transformation. And it’s working. Between the Cam Whitmore heist, the McCollum-Poole swap, and a series of shrewd signings and retentions, the Wizards have repositioned themselves as one of the smartest franchises in the NBA’s rebuilding class. They’re not rushing. They’re not tanking. They’re threading the needle – and doing it beautifully.

If this continues, the Wizards won’t just be relevant. They’ll be dangerous.