The Washington Wizards have a pair of young wings who have added notable size this offseason in Kyshawn George and Will Riley
Ahead of an unresolved rotation for head coach Brian Keefe and the coaching staff to sort through during training camp into preseason, the Washington Wizards have watched a pair of young wings make notable offseason gains.
Kyshawn George said during Monday's media day that he put on eight pounds of lean muscle this offseason, but simply getting stronger wasn't the sole reason for the growth before year three kicks off. Ahead of a season with elevated expectations, George pointed to the improved durability to sustain a season spilling into the playoffs while helping George become a versatile defender capable of guarding multiple positions.
"I think we've all watched the playoffs actually, see how physical it was, so I think having that weight could only help," George said.
The former first round pick is coming off a season where he showcased his scoring impact while his length adds intrigue to the defensive makeup of the Wizards this upcoming season, making him the obvious candidate to round out the starting lineup. Head coach Brian Keefe pointed to George among the options capable of initiating the Wizards' offense, a vote of confidence in the 6-foot-8 scorer. Yet for a Canadian wing looking to rise to stardom alongside multiple established stars, George isn't the only young Canadian wing on Wizards coming off an offseason with notable gains.
Months removed from a breakout second half of his rookie season after weighing in at 186 pounds during the NBA Draft Combine, Will Riley noted that he is up 15 pounds since the start of the offseason.
"The guys are a lot stronger, taller, bigger. They're going to go right at your chest on offense. So you've got to be able to take that and stay balanced and stay in front," Riley said.
With a depleted roster, Riley stared over the final two months of the regular season having posted a pair of 30-point performances in consecutive games in April. It's why Riley is among the batch of players who Keefe and general manager Will Dawkins have pointed to as a versatile piece in the lineup capable of playing on and off the ball. Yet the offseason gave him an opportunity to round out his game after pointing to multiple sessions in the weight room each day, along with working on and off the ball with all eyes on the former two-way wing cementing an integral role in the rotation.
Whether Riley gets a chance to play more on the ball like Summer League and the end of the 2025-26 regular season showed remains to be seen, but he adds to the multiple scoring options along the Wizards' rotation that adds to the depth that the staff and roster is confident in.
"I feel like it's going to be very hard for other teams to guard, especially [since] we have so many guys who can create and score," Riley added.
"It's going to be hard."
The Wizards kicked off training camp on Tuesday, the first of five practices set for this week including the open practice, set for this upcoming Thursday beginning at 6 PM inside Capital One Arena.
