Washington Wizards Forward Kyshawn George (18) Matthew Smith-Imagn Images

Wizards Winning Streak Signals End of Rebuild

Originally posted on Washington Wizards on SI
By Lane Mills | Last updated Jan 1, 2026 3:55 PM ET

For an NBA team - especially one so entrenched in losing culture as the Washington Wizards - no better way exists to usher in a new year than with a cutthroat, in-conference win on the road. The team from D.C. did just that, taking down the Milwaukee Bucks in dramatic fashion, 114-113. The Wizards are 0-0 in 2026, coming off of a seismic win.

At 8-24 overall, the victory may still seem insignificant from the outside looking in. But it's when you consider what the team was supposed to be this year that the triumph of their recent successes come into view and, especially for the sake of head coach Brian Keefe, make more sense.

This wasn't supposed to be another down-and-out year for Washington; after adding veterans CJ McCollum and Khris Middleton, drafting Tre Johnson and continuing to develop the likes of Alex Sarr, Kyshawn George and others, the Wizards were expected to show improvement.

Changing the Outlook

Starting the season with the worst opening stretch of any team in the league did little to inspire hope in the fanbase, though, and all sights had been set on the 2026 NBA Draft up to this point. Then, Washington won five out of their last nine games. 8-24 is much better than 3-20; the outlook may have now officially changed.

I understand the Wizards need a bottom-4 record to guarantee they keep their pick, but I would take this 5-4 stretch every day of the week.

They’re getting big contributions from Sarr, George, Coulibaly, Carrington, Johnson & more and are still 3.0 games inside the bottom-4.
— Greg Finberg (@GregFinberg) January 1, 2026

The franchise, given their ever-mounting success as of late, now exists torn between two possibilities; continue to climb in the Eastern Conference, building towards a respectable record and trusting the group currently in rotation to find a way.

Or, inversely, getting back on the blowout loss train on a regular basis, perhaps signaling the end of both the aforementioned Keefe's vision and putting whatever stock still remains in Washington in another young draft pick and an entirely new regime.

That's a torn decision, but either way, it may signal the end of the Wizards' rebuild as we currently know it.

The End of the Rebuild

For fans who have endured two of the worst records in franchise history over the last two seasons (18-64 and 15-67), that reality is a comforting one regardless of how it is attained. With young talent mounting - and continually proving their worth - the team's recent winning nature is an indicator that brighter days in D.C. are closer than ever before.

The rest of the 2025-26 season, now, looks more intriguing than worrying; postseason success isn't in the picture now, but at this rate, Washington appears fast-tracked for a return to that former "norm" sooner rather than later.

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

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