After the Washington Wizards drew buzz as one of the clear winners at the NBA trade deadline, we take a look at the updated outlook of the franchise beyond the 2025-26 season after acquiring Trae Young and Anthony Davis
By: Tyler Barberis, Ahmed Ghafir, Ben Strober
After trades that sent both Trae Young and Anthony Davis less than one month apart, the Washington Wizards have revamped the outlook of the roster rebuild with 14 All-Star appearances between the two a signal in the shift from rebuild to contender as general manager Will Dawkins and the front office look to guide the team to their first playoff appearance since the 2020-21 season.
Ben’s take: Washington’s moves to add two former All-Star Talent gives the young core a much-needed experience next season
Washington’s record under the new front office’s leadership is obviously poor. As the team focused on drafting and developing its core, plenty of losing was always expected — it was a welcomed result.
The Wizards’ 47-167 record since Michael Winger and Will Dawkins took over isn’t a reflection of poor management. The Wizards felt their timeline reflected a three-year bottoming out phase, which is common for NBA rebuilds. Washington’s stunning move to acquire Anthony Davis signals they are ready to enter the next phase of the rebuild.
With a young core firmly in place, the Wizards aim to get them in a situation that will lead to more meaningful games. That’s something players like Kyshawn George, Alex Sarr, Tre Johnson, Bilal Coulibaly, and Bub Carrington haven’t experienced yet. The first three years saw zero expectations to win. Instead, the Wizards viewed this as an opportunity to let their young players weather the storm that comes when adjusting to the NBA level.
The additions of Young and Davis will change this dynamic. These players know what it takes to win in this league, and the young core needs to learn. The only way to get that experience is by playing on a team that has the talent necessary to do so. A hopeful jump in competitiveness for the Wizards will reveal a lot about the youth. Some will rise to the occasion, some may falter and find themselves out of the picture when the team is ready to go all-in. Either way, this is something that had to happen. Losing a lot was part of the process and plan, but it can’t be a permanent aspect of player development. The Wizards are trying to establish their culture. Some of the cultural foundation is beginning to reveal itself, but playing winning basketball is the only way to truly establish it.
Tyler’s take: Being a top six seed in the east is more likely than not
It’s come to no one’s surprise that the Eastern Conference is extremely weak this year. The Indiana Pacers are without star player Tyrese Haliburton and are last in the east, the Milwaukee Bucks are weaker without Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo, and the Boston Celtics are without Jayson Tatum. However, we have yet to see a team step up and assert themselves as the BEST team in the conference. I believe that this leaves the door open for Washington to burst on the scene next season and become a top six seed in the east. Anthony Davis and Alex Sarr are the best defensive frontcourt in basketball, Trae Young will create open looks for shooters Tre Johnson and Kyshawn George, and Washington is expected to land a top five draft pick. Things are trending up for Washington, and with how weak the eastern conference is right now, this team could make some legit noise in 2026-27.
Ahmed’s take: Washington has juice, optimism for the first time in years
Juice. The Wizards have juice. Fans haven’t seen the Wizards eclipse .500 since 2017-18 and haven’t felt tangible hope around the fanbase since John Wall departed in 2020. The brief Russell Westbrook season gave highlights and some reason for fans to tune in, but frankly, it hasn’t been the same. For fans who grew up watching the original ‘Big Three’ in Gilbert Arenas, Caron Butler and Antwain Jamison, who had hope that the Bradley Beal-John Wall tandem would eventually crack through the top of the Eastern Conference, the moves to acquire Davis and Young add a similar level of hope to the franchise.
The difference? The young talent around now around the starpower. The rise of Alex Sarr has been well-documented as he approaches the All-Star break sitting second to only Victory Wembanyama in blocks (2), while Kyshawn George has showcased his multi-faceted scoring touch in his second season. Will Riley is the latest to capitalize on an expanded role after scoring 17 or more points in four of his last five games. Add in a hopeful top pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, it’s easy to understand why there’s optimism in the future of the franchise. Washington inches closer to the offseason in arguably its most intriguing spot to rebuild its roster in the last 15 years, but the star power elevates fan interest along the way. Like Ben said, adding two All-Star players adds much-needed experience around the young core. Like Tyler said, Washington could enter the 2026-27 season as a realistic playoff contender. And for the first time in years, rising fan interest in the process is clear as general manager Will Dawkins navigates the final stage of the rebuild after Michael Winger declared the deconstruction phase is complete.