Wizards Need One More Year to Become Contenders

The Washington Wizards' young core has shown drastic improvement during the Summer League. Alex Sarr is looking like a complete player, Tre Johnson is a bona fide star in the making and Kyshawn George is making a case for a starting role. With all this said, the Wizards need another year to be contenders. They still need another draft pick along with time to develop.

The Wizards are one draft pick away from having the best young core in the NBA. Dropping back to the sixth pick in the 2025 draft where they had tried to secure the first overall pick to land Cooper Flagg derailed their future vision. Drafting Tre Johnson made for a great addition, but he still is not the pick to become the face of the franchise.

Thankfully, the 2026 NBA draft features three players with that kind of ceiling. Enter Cameron Boozer, Darryn Peterson and AJ Dybantsa. All of these players have All-Star potential and can lead a rebuilding team back to contention. The Wizards have one obstacle to overcome to acquire one of these products.

The Knicks own the Wizards' pick, and it is top-8 protected. General manager Will Dawkins is surely thinking of this pick, and he wants it. Due to this one draft pick, the Wizards may need one more year to add some young players. This is not a bad thing though, as it should lead to great developmental minutes for the young core.

Tre Johnson needs a season in the NBA before he can become a second or third option on a playoff team. He needs to get used to the pace and physicality. He should have no problem getting acclimated to the league. He has already put up some impressive performances in the Summer League, which is likely due to his experience playing in the SEC during college. It remains a mystery whether he will be the number one option or become a Robin to Batman. Still, what he has shown so far is impressive.

Then you have returners like Alex Sarr and Bilal Coulibaly. Sarr had a rough first game in the Summer League but then responded by breaking the Summer League record for blocks. He has improved on defense, looks more confident as a shooter, and is overall a solid co-star to Johnson. Coulibaly is a mystery, as he has no guaranteed starting spot on the team. With the addition of CJ McCollum and the rise of Kyshawn George, Coulibaly could be moved to a sixth-man role.

The team also had some surprises in the Summer League, specifically Kyshawn George. He has quickly become a fan favorite and someone that people think could start on opening night. He plays hard and doesn't stop until he hears a whistle. He is a great defender, which makes up for his offense when it is lackluster at times.

The Wizards also have depth, adding Cam Whitmore and NBA champion Dillon Jones this offseason. They might not be competing anytime soon, but the team will be exciting to watch. Even though fans will have to wait one more year before playoff basketball returns to Washington, it is for the best. Just one final year of a rebuild can solidify the Wizards as the next team up in the East.