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Wizards Rebuild Has NBA's Attention
Dec 8, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr. (13) shoots the ball as Washington Wizards center Jonas Valanciunas (17) defends in the third quarter at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

The Washington Wizards are undergoing a total rebuild in hopes of building the best future imaginable, but it doesn't look quite like it at this moment in time.

The Wizards are 3-19 to start the season with a 16-game losing streak wedged right in the middle of the schedule, but people around the league are seeing and respecting the vision.

The Athletic conducted a survey of 40 NBA executives asking them to rank the top five front offices in the league. One voter gave Wizards president Michael Winger and the rest of the front office a fifth-place vote.

"They hired Michael Winger from LA in May 2023 to run their own flagging operation," The Athletic writes. "Winger’s down-to-the-studs rebuild is still in its early phases, but the moves (including trading Bradley Beal and Deni Avdija for draft capital) earned enough respect from at least one voter to make the list."

The Wizards' commitment to rebuilding comes after several years of riding the middle of the lottery and towards the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings. Now, the Wizards have fully committed to bottoming out, which will give them a better chance at nailing the top picks, much like they did in this year's draft when they took Alex Sarr with the No. 2 overall pick.

The Wizards aren't expected to be good anytime soon, but they are accumulating draft picks and have many opportunities for growth in the next few years. Given where the Wizards were, there's a very good chance that they will end up on the other side of the rebuild in a better place than they were before.

The Wizards are back in action tonight as they visit the NBA-best Cleveland Cavaliers. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET inside RocketMortgage Fieldhouse.

Make sure you bookmark Washington Wizards on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!


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

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