The Washington Wizards concluded their 2024-2025 season with the second-worst record in the NBA for the second consecutive year. After another season of rebuilding, the Wizards will use this offseason to expand the potential of their youth. This is The Black & White’s outlook for the Washington Wizards’ 2025-2026 season.

Nail the draft

The Wizards have struggled to find a young centerpiece in past NBA drafts. Johnny Davis, their first-round pick in 2022, struggled in his first three seasons in the NBA, playing an average of 7.1 minutes per game in the 2024 season before being traded to the Memphis Grizzlies. Bilal Coulibaly, the Wizards’ first-round pick in 2023, has shown promise with his improved playmaking and rebounding, but he still hasn’t yielded the results the coaching staff had hoped for. The team saw more success in the 2024 draft, as top pick Alex Sarr averaged 13 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. Bub Carrington, another first-rounder, proved to be a willing passer, demonstrating his effectiveness as a point guard despite some inconsistency. 

This upcoming draft is vital for the Wizards to advance out of their rebuild. The Wizards unfortunately ended up with the sixth overall pick in the draft lottery — the NBA’s selection process to determine the order for teams in the draft. Since the Wizards likely won’t be able to get top players like players Cooper Flagg, Ace Bailey or Dylan Harper, they should aim to draft the player with the highest ceiling.

Rather than just bringing in a solid starter, General Manager Will Dawkins must focus on drafting a player who could become the next NBA superstar. A good option, if available, would be Baylor guard VJ Edgecombe, who has impressive physicality and elite defense. Another strong pick would be Texas shooting guard Tre Johnson, a 6-foot-6-inch sharpshooter with elite scoring ability and ball-handling skills. Regardless of who the Wizards decide to draft, they must make the most out of their first-round pick by avoiding prospective busts like Davis or players with low ceilings like Coulibaly.

Stay patient

When exiting a rebuilding period, NBA general managers tend to make massive signings or unnecessary trades. These moves occur when teams aren’t ready to contend for a championship but fear another losing season. For example, in 2019, the Dallas Mavericks traded for Kristaps Porzingis to pair him with Luka Doncic. The same year, the Los Angeles Clippers gave up Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and five first-round picks for Paul George while also signing Kawhi Leonard. These hasty actions were ineffective for both teams, as the Mavericks traded Porzingis just three seasons later and the Clippers have only reached the conference finals once since their untimely moves. 

Instead of making irrational decisions, the Wizards should give themselves time to reconstruct by continuing to develop their young players. Improving rising players will allow the team to foresee individual talents and team dynamics. Whether it be Carrington, Sarr, Coulibaly or their upcoming lottery pick, the Wizards must ensure their young players gain more experience in order for them to reach their maximum potential without interference from an expensive, inefficient player.

Don’t trade Jordan Poole

In 2023, the Wizards traded Chris Paul to the Golden State Warriors in exchange for Jordan Poole and other assets. Poole was one of the few bright spots for the Wizards this past season, averaging 20.5 points and 4.5 assists while shooting 88% from the free-throw line. After a disappointing 2023-2024 season, Poole stepped up, becoming a leader for the young team and a better playmaker and teammate. Poole had more points, rebounds and assists per game than in his 2023-2024 campaign, exemplifying his growth. He was also much more efficient, with a higher field goal and three-point percentage.

Many Wizards fans and analysts have been urging the team to trade Poole, believing his contract is too heavy and his trade value is at its maximum. However, trading Poole could be a catastrophic move, as he has developed into one of the Wizards’ figureheads, guiding younger players like Coulibaly and Sarr. Trading Poole may also insinuate a lack of care for effective leadership, giving star players a reason to avoid joining Washington. Trading Poole would only hurt the Wizards, as the team needs a powerful identity to escape the barrage of losses in the past four seasons.

Although the Wizards may currently be in a difficult situation, by nailing the draft, staying patient in the market for star players and keeping Jordan Poole the team can be set up for future success.