More analysts are bullish on the Washington Wizards chances to bounce back and become a playoff contender in 2026-27
The lull of the offseason has arrived for non playoff teams with ways to go until free agency begins while the draft order will remain not finalized until the NBA Draft lottery on May 10 in Chicago.
Ending the season with the league's worst record retained the Wizards top eight protected pick with all eyes on whether that materializes into the top overall selection, marking the first time for the organization since John Wall became the pick in 2010.
With a 14% to secure the top overall pick, a 27.4% chance to secure a top two pick and a 40.1% chance to secure a top three pick, the Wizards have a chance to add one of the draft's top talents to what is already a strong roster featuring now a blend of youth and veteran leadership.
That's why when taking a look around the league for which teams can make the jump, the Washington Wizards beat out the Utah Jazz for the top spot as the fanbase that should be most excited for the 2026-27 regular season.
"They have two All Star caliber talents coming in next year. They have Alex Sarr coming back, so they have a lot going on. And then they have also [the] potential to win the lottery this year," one of the hosts from the Numbers on the Board podcast said.
After averaging the seventh-most points among rookies after the All Star break, Will Riley also drew credit as someone who dazzled and can blossom into an impact piece on an eventual playoff Wizards team. Tre Johnson's three point shooting appeared to be the initial takeaway from the rookie class, while former second round pick Jamir Watkins may have ended his rookie campaign as the team's best defender where he adds value to elevate the talent level of the rotation.
While the Trae Young contract is its own question mark for the front office to address, maybe the biggest question will be if veteran Anthony Davis consistently shows he's all in on the Wizards hopeful turnaround where the former NBA champion is part of the recipe for a bounce back in 2026-27. Yet with the bulk of the current pieces in place for next year's roster, even others on the outside-looking-in of the Wizards rebuild see the light at the end of tunnel.
"The Washington Wizards are probably number one for me just because they have so much potential to be like a legit playoff team next season that it's kind of hard for me not to put them there. that's the team that would be going from the bottom of the east to now in the middle, at least, in the middle of the pack in the east."