#washington-wizards

#washington-wizards

Looking at young names like Bilal Coulibaly, Alex Sarr, Bub Carrington and Kyshawn George, Washington's fanbase have plenty of high upside prospects to keep their eyes on as the season approaches. And that's not even including the likes of newly acquired Cam Whitmore and AJ Johnson, who landed with the Wizards ahead of the NBA trade deadline last February. All that to say, the young talent on the Wizards has provided plenty of optimism about the future of the team's rebuild.

Bub Carrington may be one of the most overlooked players heading into next season for the Washington Wizards. The Pittsburgh product was drafted inside of the NBA Draft lottery by Washington in the 2024 NBA Draft after sending Deni Avdija to the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for Malcolm Brogdon and the pick that eventually landed the young guard in D.C. Carrington's arrival was overlooked by the team's loaded rookie class that feautured both Alex Sarr and Kyshawn George,

Entering the offseason, Beasley was expected to cash in on the open market after putting together a career-year in Detroit. The sharpshooting guard was one of the top candidates to win the Sixth Man of the Year award and was a huge reason for the Pistons' impressive regular season. Beasley averaged 16.3 points, while shooting 43% from field goal range and an extremely efficient 41.6% from beyond the arc.

The Washington Wizards have piled plenty of talent on the roster this offseason. Between veteran additions, a fully loaded incoming rookie class and multiple high upside swings on former first-round picks, general manager Will Dawkins has put in plenty of work. However, the abundance of moves don't mean the general manager's work is finished. In fact, his work is just getting started.

However, from being one of the most uninteresting teams in the league, to one of the most anticipated and fun groups to watch heading into next season, the turnaround for the Wizards can't be overlooked. Over the course of the offseason, Wizards' general manager Will Dawkins has proven that he's not scared to be aggressive and if he feels that a trade will benefit his team, he'll pull the trigger.

From being waived, spending countless hours in the G-League hoping to impress one of the 30 teams in the league and finally getting the call to show what he has to offer in D.C., Champagnie has a chip on his shoulder that only drives him to prove he belongs. However, proving he belongs isn't where his journey comes to an end and if it is, it would only go to show the chip on his shoulder wasn't big enough.

Washington has been aggressive this offseason and with plenty of roster shake up courtesy of general manager Will Dawkins' decisions, the Wizards will look vastly different when the regular season begins. With the additions of CJ McCollum and Tre Johnson in the backcourt, there's plenty of hype surrounding how good the Wizards' new-look backcourt could be. And while that's a fair thought to have, the team's retooled backcourt could be overshadowing just how impactful the team's new-look front court could be.

Giddey put together an impressive season during his first year in Chicago, looking like a player the Oklahoma City Thunder hoped he could become when they selected him in the lottery a few years back. The Australian product proved to be a savvy passer, underrated scorer and a player that could simply boost an offensive system in more ways than one.

Jonas Valanciunas has been missed since the NBA trade deadline in February, mainly due to how much of a consistent force he was on the court and the good vibes he brought in the locker room. Richaun Holmes still has teammates that wish he remained in Washington beyond this offseason. However, when it comes to the departure of Kyle Kuzma, there hasn't seemed to be any regret or remorse about the forward's departure.