Wizards Should Sign EuroBasket Champion

Isaac Bonga made quite a statement during EuroBasket, showing that he deserves an NBA contract. There was a time when Bonga was with the Wizards for two seasons, but he did not look quite ready for the NBA. The most points he averaged with the squad was five per game. Everywhere else, he looked lost and confused, like he did not know what the NBA level of play would be like. He later signed a contract with the Toronto Raptors after Washington did not extend the qualifying offer.

After his lone season in Toronto, Bonga went to Europe to improve his game. During that time, he made improvements, but no one took notice of him. His vast improvements were not noticed until the 2025 FIBA EuroBasket, where Germany won gold in the tournament.

Bonga ended up scoring 20 points and went perfect from behind the arc in the win. He was also named the EuroBasket Final Player of the Game. During the whole tournament, he looked like a great player, averaging 9.9 points on 45.2 percent shooting from three. He also played solid defense, averaging 1.4 steals and 0.7 blocks per game. Overall, he was the X-Factor in so many games for Germany, and without him, they may not have won the tournament or made it to the Final.

Now it is time for him to potentially make an NBA comeback, similar to what Guerschon Yabusele did during the 2024 Paris Olympics. The Wizards should definitely consider bringing him back to the squad. The problem is that this would require Washington to get rid of two players now instead of one to cut the roster down to 15 players.

The best course of action for this would be to release Champagnie, as he is on a non-guaranteed deal, and then trade one of the veterans to a contender for picks. The most likely trade partner is the Golden State Warriors, as they have stayed quiet this offseason and need to fill out their roster. This could open up a scenario to trade CJ McCollum (would be more difficult due to his contract) or Corey Kispert. Kispert is obviously the more likely player to be traded in this scenario, contract-wise. He should also be able to get the Wizards a first and second-round pick in return.

Ultimately, the team needs to lose games and get the first overall pick, and while doing so, they can give a young player like Bonga another chance. It is a low-risk, high-reward scenario for the squad. If Bonga does not work out, they can easily replace him with a rookie. If he does, the Wizards have a cheap role player for the future. It is a risk worth investing in for the team.