Why Veteran Presence is Important for Wizards

With the Washington Wizards well into what seams like a never-ending rebuild, they have seemingly taken a different approach heading into the 2025-26 season. The Wizards and their front office have done the part of bottoming out in the lottery and drafting young talent. Heading into this season, they have taken a unique approach on how to develop that talent. Over the past calendar year, the Wizards have went out of their way to trade for and acquire veteran talent, with some of the more notable members of that group being CJ McCollum and Khris Middleton. Although McCollum and Middleton are past their prime years, they can still provide value to a rebuilding team.

The biggest thing that the veterans can provide is offensive stability. Both men have lost their burst and athleticism with age, and as a result their defense and impact have gone downhill. Despite their athletic limitations, both players have proven to be still capable of handling offensive loads.

McCollum has held steady as a 20+ point-per game scorer for the past decade and has shown no signs of slowing down. He has proven in the past to have the ability to handle a hefty load en route to leading a productive offense. Not only can McCollum provide stability, he will also help take a lot of pressure off of the Wizards' young guards, allowing them to thrive within their skillsets.

Middleton, on the other hand, has seen a noticeable decline in production over recent years. However, that is not to say he brings nothing to the table. One of the more impressive things that Middleton did last year was accepting that he isn't the same player he once was. Instead of him hunting isolation touches and shots, Middleton let the game come to him and thrived within his role. A large part of Middleton's dip in production last year was due to him shooting a career low 27.7% from three, which isn't indicative of the shooter is. Expect Middleton to return to the near 40% mark that he has sat at for the majority of his career.