CJ McCollum joined the Club 520 Podcast and broke down why the Washington Wizards are rebuilding the right way.
The Washington Wizards were able to end 2025 in style after Alex Sarr's fourth block of the game set the stage for CJ McCollum to hit the fading baseline jumper, lifting them over the Bucks in a 114-113 win.
Though the Wizards enter 2026 just 8-24 overall, the game winning jumper also moved Washington to 5-4 over their last nine games. While some of the fan chatter has since shifted to whether the recent success now hinders the Wizards' chances of getting the top overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft with the future the focus under general manager Will Riley, veteran guard CJ McCollum sees the front office "hand-picking the right guys."
"I think they're going after the right types of players -great character," McCollum said on the Club 520 Podcast with Jeff Teague in late December.
"They are big on development, big on the work, big on progressing. AJ's always in the gym...loves the game. The kids that they drafted - Will [Riley] is always in the gym."
McCollum also broke down the Wizards young trio, starting with Alex Sarr, who has made a strong case for most improved in his draft class this season.
"Big fella [Alex Sarr] asks a lot of questions. Obviously he's a [seven] footer, super skilled. Obviously he's making a jump. He's progressing back from an injury now but like you can just see the tools - the footwork, he's got the turn fade. Not LA but the way he plays and moves, the fluidity, the touch. You start to see the levels of he could be a two-way guy, rim protector, can guard, can switch out one through five, can play the drop, the level, good touch around the basket, can shoot the three," McCollum said. "Still a baby, like still young."
While he's missed the last three games including Friday night against Brooklyn with what the team called a left hip flexor, the second-year forward posted a pair of 20-point games within a week before being sidelined with McCollum noting, "I think the sky is the limit for him."
"Damn near [6-foot-10], he can play the point. We played against Dallas, he guarded AD. He has range, one through five. He can play every position offensively, versatile scorer, [mid-range jumper is] getting better, learning how to stop and just raise. Can shoot the three, shooting low 40s, he was at 45 [percent] from three [in early December]."
McCollum pointed to Bilal Coulibaly as " super talented, athletic" while also noting the work ethic of third-year local point guard Bub Carrington, fresh off a 20-point performance behind a season-high six threes.
"Bub is always in the gym. Whenever I go on a late night, I see him in there. He works...Baltimore guy, he's tough, can guard, he's tall, he's got size."
The question will now turn to whether the Wizards maintain momentum, and with the trade deadline looming on Feb. 5, what the roster will look like in the second half of the season. But McCollum's comments adds credence to the vision of the franchise that wasn't always easy to see.