Justin Champagnie Looks For Consistent Role on Washington Wizards

There are still questions for head coach Brian Keefe and the coaching staff before the Washington Wizards take the floor against the Milwaukee Bucks on Oct. 21 for the first regular season game.

With Kyshawn George the expected fifth and final starter after rounding out the lineup in each of the first three preseason games, the Wizards have had an opportunity to test different lineups and work through the inks as Kyshawn George pointed to the "crash test" available to the new-look team.

One of the questions is what role Justin Champagnie steps into in his fourth season with the organization, an aspect he admits is tough to prepare for.

Controlling the controllable and keeping his mind "as simple as possible," though his performance in Saturday's overtime win against the Detroit Pistons exemplified what he looks to add: energy. After checking in for the first time to begin the fourth quarter, Champagnie played the final 17 minutes to finish plus-four on the night and totaled 12 points on 50% shooting from the field, along with 2-of-6 from three. His three steals also marked a team-high while he turned one into a quick three that put the Wizards ahead by one with less than three minutes left.

Described by his head coach as one who makes "winning plays," Champagnie is coming off a 2025-26 season when he blossomed into an integral piece of the rotation with 8.7 points and 5.6 rebounds in 20 minutes per game.

That included a double-double against the Heat back on April 4, the last of four he recorded in 2025-26, in addition to scoring double figures in 14 appearances since the All Star break.

Champagnie cemented himself as a versatile and impactful rebounder with defensive versatility, a big reason why his 3.1 Win Shares led the Wizards to cement himself as one of the team's biggest success stories since the rebuild began.

Entering the season on year three of a four year deal worth $9.8 million, what Champagnie's production translates into along an upgraded 2026-27 rotation is the question that he looks to minimize with the feeling of "question marks around my name" ahead of his sixth season in the NBA.

"All I can do is continue to show up and be ready when my name and number is called and be there for my team, which I pride myself on doing," Champagnie said on Wednesday.