Washington's Future Is Taking Shape After a Busy Offseason
The outlook for the future of the Washington Wizards has changed drastically in a short amount of time. Just last week, they weren't sure if Trae Young was going to remain on the team, and they were shopping offers for Anthony Davis.
A few days ago, Trae Young signed a four-year, $212 million extension to stay in Washington, solidifying his role as a key piece of firepower in the Wizards' future.
What the future looks like for Anthony Davis is uncertain, but at the moment, he remains on the team as another key piece in the Wizards' rotation.
Of course, the biggest move of all is drafting AJ Dybantsa with the first overall pick in the NBA Draft. The Big 12 Freshman of the Year was projected by some to slide to pick two, but the Wizards feel they have found their guy.
A Rare Prospect in Dybantsa
Dybantsa is a rare type of player that we don't see very often. He has that LeBron James type of build and style. Obviously, he has a long time before even being considered to be on that level of superstardom, but he certainly has the raw talent to be an all-time great in the league with the right motivation and coaching.
The First-Team All-American is six feet eight and a half inches tall and weighs in at 217 pounds with a seven-foot wingspan. He's rare because he's one of those guys that is big, long, and strong, but has a guard's athleticism and ball handling. He's a true point forward and he can make some serious noise right out the gate.
Coming into the league at only 19 years old, AJ will start immediately and have his chance to put the league on notice. He has elite physical tools to go along with his size, a polished go-to shot with the effortless ability to stop on a dime with his pull-up jumpers, and if he's going to the rim, it's scary what he can do through contact.
The Veteran Question Marks
Washington has found the face of their future, but what about their other key pieces? Trae Young has always been known as an elite shooter and a great passer, never averaging less than eight assists per game. However, his season was cut short to 15 games due to quadriceps injuries.
Young is 27 years old, so with the past few months and the next few months he had/has to get healthy, there's no reason he can't have a big bounce-back year next season.
Anthony Davis. Here's a guy who no one knows what to think about. When healthy, Davis is an elite rim protector and offensive bully. He's strong, physical, and athletic. That's just it, though, WHEN he's healthy. The issue lies with his ability to stay on the court.
The five-time All-NBA big man has played just 62 games in the past two seasons. He's appeared in 70+ games only ONCE in the past eight seasons. Everyone knows what he can contribute when he's on the court, but he has a tendency to spend a lot of his time off of it.
Despite various trade speculations this offseason, the Wizards have indicated they envision Davis as part of their plans moving forward. In a recent post on the team's official Instagram account, team officials expressed their confidence in Davis remaining with the organization, reinforcing the idea that Washington expects him to play a significant role if he can stay healthy.
When it's all said and done, the pick-and-roll threat with AD and Trae is lethal, and having Dybantsa as what should end up being the main scoring option makes this team a serious threat.
The Supporting Cast
Washington has multiple young pieces that fit nicely around this trio. Wing Kyshawn George took a real step forward this past season, averaging just under 15 points per game while adding rebounds and playmaking before an elbow injury ended his year early. Rookie guard Tre Johnson, the sixth overall pick in the 2025 draft, brings scoring and perimeter shooting, and with Bilal Coulibaly and Alex Sarr also developing, the Wizards have a promising young core to grow alongside their new franchise cornerstone.
A lot can happen between now and the start of next season, but if AD can stay healthy, Trae can find his groove again, and AJ lives up to the hype, the Wizards could be looking as far as a play-in spot for the 2027 season.