WASHINGTON — Following their stunning trade for Anthony Davis on Wednesday and their trade for Trae Young in early January, the Washington Wizards’ front office has created a new path to success that the franchise did not have one month ago.
The Wizards’ most promising youngsters — Alex Sarr, Kyshawn George, Tre Johnson, Bilal Coulibaly, Bub Carrington and Will Riley — will have a level of on-court support next season that they have not yet had.
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If Davis and Young remain relatively free from injury and fully embrace their roles, the so-called “Wiz Kids” almost certainly will develop in a way fundamentally different from how they’ve developed so far. In a best-case scenario, the Wizards won’t be abandoning their draft-and-develop plan. They’ll be supercharging that draft-and-develop plan.
For a few years now, Monumental Basketball president Michael Winger, Wizards general manager Will Dawkins and coach Brian Keefe have raved about the value of game experience in helping young players develop. They haven’t been wrong. Youngsters such as Sarr, George and Johnson have indeed improved during their brief tenures in Washington.
Left unsaid, however, is that the value of reps during a season with a disproportionate number of uncompetitive games (like this season) likely pales in comparison to the value of reps during a season filled with competitive games.
Davis and Young ought to carry the load next season — and, if everything goes right, play central roles in helping Washington at least compete for an Eastern Conference Play-In spot.
The Wizards’ front office has always known that a team can remain bad for only so long before the youngsters’ development is negatively impacted.
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For much of this season — despite Sarr’s obvious improvement and positive signs from almost everyone else — it was fair to ask a nearly existential question about the rebuild: If the all-important 2026 NBA Draft Lottery goes poorly, and the Wizards miss out on drafting a cornerstone player, do they need to spend the 2026-27 season tanking yet again and, in the process, hurt the growth of their existing nucleus?
Having Davis and Young in the fold should insulate the franchise from that worst-case lottery scenario. Of course, it will still change the Wizards’ world if they wind up with the first, second or maybe even the third or fourth pick in the upcoming draft.
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But in case of a lottery disappointment, Davis and Young should make the going easier for Sarr, George, Johnson and the remaining Wiz Kids to develop while they play games that matter.
Davis, who will turn 33 in mid-March, may not be the player he was at the peak of his powers, but he and Sarr should be able to complement each other defensively.
A quartet of Davis, Sarr, Coulibaly and George has the potential to be a switchable and explosive defensive juggernaut good enough to withstand Young’s defensive deficiencies.
On offense, Young ought to help Sarr and Davis shine in pick-and-rolls. If Young can make Clint Capela into one of the league’s most feared lob threats, then imagine what Sarr and Davis can accomplish cutting to the hoop.
In addition to Davis, Wednesday’s trade also included guards Jaden Hardy, D’Angelo Russell and Danté Exum going to Washington. Make no mistake, the centerpiece of this deal from the Wizards’ perspective is Davis, a four-time first-team All-NBA selection and 10-time All-Star.
The Wizards will send forward Khris Middleton, guard AJ Johnson, center Marvin Bagley III, guard Malaki Branham, two first-round picks and three second-round picks to the Mavericks.
But here’s the thing: The outgoing first-round picks have minimal value as far as first-round picks go. The 2026 first-round pick will be the least favorable among the Houston Rockets’, Los Angeles Clippers’ and Oklahoma City Thunder’s first-round picks, meaning that it most likely will land at No. 30.
The other first-round pick might not convey. It stems from the 2023 Chris Paul-Jordan Poole trade between the Wizards and Golden State Warriors. It’s the Warriors’ 2030 pick, and it will convey only if it lands between Nos. 21-30 in the draft order.
Note that Washington is not parting with any of its own picks. Note, also, that Davis is recovering from a finger sprain on his left hand. It’s safe to assume that Wizards officials won’t rush him back and jeopardize their chances for the upcoming draft lottery.
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To put it bluntly: The Wizards didn’t part with any significant portion of their future, unless those outgoing picks could have been packaged for a better deal.
The Young trade was a similar move because of its low cost. Washington sent CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert, but no draft picks, to Atlanta for Young. Both McCollum and Kispert are solid players, but they didn’t figure into Washington’s long-term future.
To be sure, there are many ways the Wizards’ moves over the last month could go wrong. Davis might remain injury-prone, and it’s possible he won’t buy into the Wizards’ plan. Young’s defense could remain a hindrance, and it’s possible his new teammates will dislike his ball-dominant ways.
At the same time, Davis and Young will have an opportunity.
Washington and its surrounding region ought to be one of North America’s most ardent fan bases for professional basketball, just like the region was one of the most ardent fan bases throughout the 1980s for college basketball.
If the Wizards’ plan goes right, Davis and Young could lead the franchise back to relevance and lead the young nucleus along with it.
The Wizards were headed on a promising path when this season began, but the franchise remained irrelevant nationally.
Its pathway back to relevance is now clear, and it has Davis and Young leading the way.