Kyle Kuzma, who averaged a career-high 21.2 points last season, will again be counted on to carry the offensive load.
After six straight years of finishing no better than eighth place, the Washington Wizards got a new front office. And that front office immediately blew up the roster, trading Bradley Beal and Kristaps Porzingis in deals that didn’t yield a lot in regard to young talent or juicy first-round picks.
The biggest name (and the biggest contract) the Wizards added was Jordan Poole, who has an opportunity to show what he can do outside the Golden State Warriors’ system, though team success might not have followed him to D.C.
What’s new?
- The Beal and Porzingis trades (once players and picks were re-routed) yielded Poole, Patrick Baldwin Jr., Danilo Gallinari, Tyus Jones, Mike Muscala, Ryan Rollins, Landry Shamet, a protected first-round pick, four pick swaps (with Phoenix), and eight second rounders.
- The Wizards also moved up from the eighth pick in the Draft to No. 7, where they selected Bilal Coulibaly, an athletic wing from France.
- Kyle Kuzma, who averaged a career-high 21.2 points per game last season, was re-signed to a four-year, $90-million contract.
How far can the Wizards go?
They have a lot of useful players, but the Wiz are lacking size and star power. If they can come together in the style of last year’s Utah Jazz (who also traded their two best players), they could compete for a Play-In spot in the Eastern Conference. But they’re most likely looking at a third straight trip to the Lottery.
1 player that must take a leap
Johnny Davis. The No. 10 pick of last year’s Draft played a total of just 62 minutes through the first 67 games of his rookie season. He was second on the team in minutes over the last 15 games, but registered an effective field goal percentage of just 44.4% (also shooting just 11-for-24 from the line) over that stretch. So Davis has a lot to prove in Year No. 2, and all the guards that the Wiz have acquired will provide competition for playing time.
In-Season Tournament
The Wizards are in East Group B. Here’s a refresher on how the In-Season Tournament works.
Upcoming free agents
The Wizards have 11 potential free agents in 2024:
- Deni Avdija (restricted)
- Jared Butler (two-way player)
- Taj Gibson
- Tyus Jones
- Danilo Gallinari
- Anthony Gill
- Mike Muscala
- Eugene Omoruyi (two-way player)
- Delon Wright
- Chase Audige (restricted)
- Jules Bernard (restricted)
As is the case with Davis, it’s a big year for Avdija, the No. 9 pick in the 2020 Draft. He hasn’t made much of an impact, averaging just 8.1 points and shooting just 31% from 3-point range over his first three seasons. Both Jones and Wright could be useful elsewhere, and the Wizards should have the opportunity to trade one or both for future assets.
Washington’s full roster can be found here.
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John Schuhmann is a senior stats analyst for NBA.com. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on Twitter.
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