Are the Wizards young players ready to step up?

Summary

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The Athletic NBA Daily – Episode Summary

Episode Title: Are the Wizards young players ready to step up?
Date: September 19, 2025
Host(s): Esfandiar Baraheni (Podcast Host)
Guest: Josh Robbins, Wizards/Orlando Magic beat reporter at The Athletic

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Episode Overview

This episode focuses on the Washington Wizards’ ongoing rebuild, examining the readiness and potential of their young players heading into the 2025-26 NBA season. Esfandiar Baraheni and Josh Robbins delve into the significant roster changes, expectations for player development, and strategic organizational goals. Discussion ranges from the impact of new and returning young talent, the role of recent veterans, the trade market, and the importance of next offseason’s cap space. The conversation offers insight into both the challenges and optimism surrounding this phase of the Wizards’ process.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Significant Offseason Changes (03:10)

• Major Transactions:
  • Wizards traded Jordan Poole and Sadiq Bey.
  • Acquired veteran CJ McCollum in return.
  • Drafted shooting prospect Tre Johnson with the 6th overall pick.
• Josh Robbins (03:14):

  "To move off of Jordan Poole and the extra year of salary that he had is big for Washington and it changes the way that offense runs. It's going to be more of a ball movement offense."

• Tre Johnson’s Upside:
  • Robbins projects Johnson as a possible Rookie of the Year candidate if he shoots well and if other top picks underperform (03:49).

2. Key Young Players and Their Next Steps (05:26)

• Main Names Discussed:

  • Bilal Coulibaly (entering year three)
  • Alex Sarr (second-year big, previous lottery pick)
  • Keyshawn George, Bub Carrington, A.J. Johnson, Corey Kispert, and recently acquired Cam Whitmore.

• Primary Focus: Bilal Coulibaly

  • Robbins highlights Coulibaly as “the key guy” whose development is critical, especially on offense:

    "To become a true foundational piece in a contending team down the road, you have to do it on both sides. And that remains the question with him." (05:26)

  • Noted the organization’s honest communication about his long-term project status at the time of his drafting.
  • Year three is regarded as a turning point for organizations to decide on extensions (06:49).

• Concerns with Coulibaly:

  • Robbins is not troubled by Eurobasket performance but more by periods of offensive regression last season, some of which he attributes to surrounding teammates and context (07:14–08:08).

• Alex Sarr’s Development:

  • Key questions about his offensive identity (09:17–10:59):

    "He's a difficult player to pigeonhole... When you're a young player on a team filled with young players who receive heavy minutes, it's already tough to evaluate."

    • Debate over whether Sarr should be considered a 4 or a 5 and how that determines expectations and comparisons.
    • Robbins sees more unanswered questions with Sarr but less urgency than with Coulibaly (09:51–10:59).

3. Veteran Leaders & Roster Dynamics (14:39)

• Best Player on the Team:

  • Robbins selects Khris Middleton, acquired for his experience, but caveats limited minutes/availability due to age, injury history, and team direction:

    "I would have to say right now Khris Middleton is the best player on the team. With the caveat being that I don't anticipate him playing the same minutes he played when he, when Milwaukee was at its best." (14:39)

• Defensive Anchor:

  • Calls Coulibaly the team's best defender.

• Potential Offensive Leader:

  • Hosts note Tre Johnson could become the team's leading offensive talent over time (15:49–16:05).

4. Wizards’ Strategic Approach: Trades, Cap Flexibility, and Draft Capital (17:11)

• Trade Activity & Cap Situation:

  • Wizards projected to have $80–100 million in cap space for summer 2026; unlikely to target max free agents immediately.
  • More likely scenario is using cap flexibility to acquire additional draft picks, leveraging trade possibilities:

    "I anticipate they will use that cap flexibility to attempt to bring aboard another first round pick or first round picks," Robbins notes (17:27–18:13).

• Front Office Approach:

  • Praises the front office’s “optionality” and ability to create a flexible, strategic situation.
  • The critical caveat is that the value depends on how opportunities are executed (18:13–19:09).

5. Defining Success for 2025–26 and the Big Picture (19:09)

• Organizational Perspective:
  • Success is framed around young player development and building habits, but Robbins calls this “the bare minimum of what a true professional environment ought to be.” (19:31–20:05)
• Realistic Goal:
  • Robbins: "They have to do everything they can to give themselves the best chance to get the earliest pick possible in this draft." (20:49–21:03)
  • Argues that true turnaround will only come with securing a “blue-chip” prospect—“a perennial all NBA potential player” in the next draft (21:03–21:50).
  • Host agrees, emphasizing that the team is constructively positioned for such an addition, in the mold of what Orlando or OKC recently achieved with their stars (21:50–23:20).

6. Deep Dives: Keyshawn George & Cam Whitmore (23:20–25:55)

• Keyshawn George:
  • Robbins commends George’s advanced feel, shooting potential, and size at 6'9", noting he may quietly have the highest ceiling among last year’s rookies (24:15–24:31):

    “Of all the people they had…he actually might have the highest ceiling.”

• Cam Whitmore:
  • Brought in for a low cost, Whitmore is described as potentially the most athletic Wizard besides Bilal Coulibaly. Robbins describes him as a “fascinating flyer” due to his tools and open questions about defensive engagement and offensive fit:

    “Will he play defense at the level that he is capable of? And offensively, will he fit into a ball movement system? ... It’s a fascinating flyer.” (25:20–25:52)

7. Closing Thoughts: Why the Wizards’ Rebuild Matters (26:11–26:40)

• The hosts agree that Washington's approach—stockpiling prospects and skill sets for multiple “bites at the apple”—makes them compelling to follow for fans interested in long-term team building.

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Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On Offseason Moves:

  • "To move off of Jordan Poole and the extra year of salary that he had is big for Washington..." (Josh Robbins, 03:14)

• On Coulibaly’s Window:

  • "In year three, he needs to make some additional progress on offense. Preferably a lot of progress because oh by the way... is decision time." (Josh Robbins, 06:49)

• On Strategic Goals:

  • "They are tremendously strategic. They try to give themselves...optionality. And that's something that they have now that they did not have when this front office took over..." (Josh Robbins, 18:13)

• On Defining Success:

  • "If I'm being truly honest... they have to do everything they can to give themselves the best chance to get the earliest pick possible in this draft." (Josh Robbins, 20:49)

• On Player Intrigue:

  • "He's another fascinating player on a team full of fascinating players." (Josh Robbins on Keyshawn George, 24:15)

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Key Segment Timestamps

• 02:03 – Show intro; why Wizards are intriguing in 2025–26
• 03:13 – Josh Robbins on biggest offseason changes
• 05:26 – Most important Wizards young player to step up: Bilal Coulibaly
• 09:17–10:59 – Discussion on Alex Sarr’s development and positional questions
• 14:39 – Who is the Wizards’ best player? (Middleton/Coulibaly/Johnson)
• 17:11–19:09 – Cap flexibility/trade market/team’s strategic approach
• 19:09–21:50 – What success looks like for the Wizards in 2025–26
• 23:20–25:52 – Deep dive on Keyshawn George and Cam Whitmore
• 26:11–26:40 – Why the rebuild approach is compelling

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Tone & Style

The episode is conversational, insightful, and candid, balancing optimism about Washington’s talent development with realism about the challenges of rebuilding. Both host and guest use accessible language while engaging deeply with the nuances of team-building and player progression.

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Transcript

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[Podcast Host]

Good morning and welcome to the Athletic NBA Daily. Coming up, we have got Josh Robbins of the Athletic to break down the Washington Wizards. Esperahina here joined by Joshua Robbins at the ATH covers the Washington Wizards for us. Also the Orlando Magic. We're going to get to those guys in a little bit but I do want to start with the Washington Wizards who honestly maybe this is just me nerding out. I am very excited to watch the Washington Wizards next year. Not what you typically say about a team that has been at the bottom of the league in terms of win record for the last couple of years, but I think when it comes to what they've developed, the players that they've drafted, the identity that they're trying to establish, I think it's a very interesting team at the very least just because of what they might have ahead of them. What do you think was their most impactful change this offseason? Because they did, they have shuffled the deck a little bit in terms of the depth chart and their rotation.

[Josh Robbins]

Twofold. Twofold. And thanks for having me.

[Podcast Host]

Of course.

[Josh Robbins]

So they trade Jordan Pool and Sadiq Bay and they bring aboard CJ McCollum. All due respect to CJ, that move really. And CJ's a good, solid veteran and. But to move off of Jordan Poole and the extra year of salary that he had is big for Washington and it changes the way that offense runs. It's going to be more of a ball movement offense. And then they draft Trey Johnson 6 overall and he could be a Rookie of the Year candidate. If everything fires right and with him and he shoots light, lights out, which is not out of the realm of possibility and Cooper Flag doesn't do what Cooper Flag is expected to do, then look out, he could be a Rookie of the Year candidate.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah, I agree. I, I think Tre Johnson was probably, if not my favorite, one of my favorite prospects in this draft class just because of how dynamic he is as a scorer. I mean, you mentioned the shooting, but I really do think he has all the other skills to eventually become a three level guy. Maybe that doesn't happen in his rookie season, but he just has so much that could be offered on an NBA court because of the versatility that he provides offensively. We'll see how he matches and works defensively. I think that's a question moving forward. But you know, you look at this team and some of the guys that they've already drafted and are trying to develop, you look at their depth chart. Obviously Alex Sar from last year and his rookie campaign. Keyshawn George, Bub Carrington. That was their big crop of rookies from last year and they obviously have Bilal Koulibaly, Corey Kispert, another interesting player that they're, they're working on. They added AJ Johnson last year who, who sneakily had some interesting moments to finish the year with the Wizards after getting traded to the Bucks. Of that group, who is the most important to take a step forward for this team next year?

[Josh Robbins]

You asked some great questions because the answer is debatable. I would say it's Bilal. Right now he's entering year three. I think he has shown that defensively he Has a. He's already at least above average. Can he take it to a next level? But to become a true foundational piece in a contending team down the road, you have to do it on both sides. And that remains the question with him. Can he be a ball handler? Can he be a shooter? He showed that he could at times last year. But can he do it more often, more extensively? I would just add that when he was drafted, the Wizards made no secret of it and they were telling the truth that this is going to be a long term build with him. Yeah, they didn't expect him to get all the way there after year two or even year three. Having said that, in year three, he needs to make some additional progress on offense. Preferably a lot of progress because oh by the way, the year between year three and year four is a decision is decision time. You have to determine how are you going to extend. Are you going to extend him at that point and if so, for how much.

[Podcast Host]

Right.

[Josh Robbins]

Balal's I think the year ahead. Bilal is the key guy, followed by Alex Sar.

[Podcast Host]

So are you worried about any of the disappointing play in Eurobasket at all when it comes to Bilal?

[Josh Robbins]

No, because they're so different.

[Podcast Host]

True.

[Josh Robbins]

But yeah, what I would be worried about is that there were times last year, particularly after the first 10 games, where he looked not skilled enough to be a two way wing in the modern NBA. And there were times, the first, again, first 10 games last year he looked like he had taken a massive step and then for whatever reason the quality of his offense diminished. And that's not all on him. That's partly on Kyle Kuzma, it's partly on Jordan Poole. But at some point you have to take a step forward and year three I think is a fair year to say it's time for even someone who was thought to be raw coming into the league to, to take that next step.

[Podcast Host]

No, yeah, I, I agree with you and you, you know what, it's interesting because I remember us on this pod talking about Bilal to start the year and how impressive he was. The string of games that he had kind of had where you're like wow, the, the offense is getting to a good spot. He was getting into his mid range bag a little bit more frequently and like you could see there was, there was something there. I, I'm very curious to see what happens with Bilal moving forward. But also a big question for this team and you mentioned Alex Sar. I think he is a huge equation to what this team looks like not just next season, because we know they're not trying to win a ton of games next year, but for the long term outlook of this team. How he develops offensively, because I think he's a talent on the defensive end, but he was not an efficient scorer whatsoever. And that's fine. He was a rookie. That's. That's part of the game. But the three point shooting was not there. The finishing in and around the basket was. Was a struggle. Something. I think he finished out the year doing well for the most part. But what. What do you want to see from Saar as he heads into year two?

[Josh Robbins]

There's a lot. Yeah, there's a lot. And I don't mean that as a criticism, but there are more questions about him than even Bilal.

[Podcast Host]

Right.

[Josh Robbins]

It's just that in his developmental stage, he's got a little bit more time. They both have a lot of time, but he's got a year more. So he's a difficult player to pigeonhole. And when you're a young player on a team filled with young players who receive heavy minutes, it's already tough to evaluate.

[Podcast Host]

It's true.

[Josh Robbins]

Each person, and it's especially so in Washington because they're almost taking it to an extreme level. Level. Is he a 4? Is he a 5? Does it matter now? I would say yes. They. The Wizards would say no, not so much. I think it does matter because you're looking to be better offensively than your counterpart on the other team. If he's a 4 defensively. If he's a 4, then there are a whole bunch more players in the league who can do exactly what he was doing last year. He shoot from distance, drive off the dribble. And if he's a 5, well, there aren't as many fives who. Who have the natural talent to shoot from distance and to push the ball up court. So just because I say it's a critical year for ball doesn't mean it's a critical year for Alex, because I actually think Alex has more questions Right. To answer because he's more difficult to now project. Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah, there's. Yeah, that's a fair.

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[Josh Robbins]

Only.

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But I'm your hype man. When you purchase an eligible Device, you get $25 off month for 12 months with credits totaling one year of free service, taxes extra for the device and service plan online only. Who is the best player on this Wizards team?

[Josh Robbins]

Now that's another fascinating, fascinating question. And I would have to say right now Khris Middleton is the best player on the team. With the caveat being that I don't anticipate him playing the same minutes he played when he, when Milwaukee was at its best. Right, Right. I can really envision a scenario where they choose to keep him out of one of the two games of back to back. I don't anticipate him playing 36 minutes a night even when he is healthy. Partly because they're trying to position themselves for the lottery. Partly because they want to play all these young guys and they got a ton of wings and they got a ton of three fours. But I still think he's the best all around player. The best defensive player I would say is Bilal.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah.

[Josh Robbins]

And. And the best pure offensive player. Well, that's, that's not as easy to answer.

[Podcast Host]

It might, it might end up being their rookie eventually. It might end up being Trey.

[Josh Robbins]

Yes. Well, eventually certainly it could be and maybe that's the best case scenario. That's a great scenario for him.

[Podcast Host]

Right.

[Josh Robbins]

The most. With apologies to Con Knippo, Trey Johnson was the best shooter, pure shooter in this past draft.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah. No, I agree. Yeah. And if you look at like so obviously the, the expectations for this season is to. To develop the young guys, give them opportunity. Some of the veterans in a Kris Middleton, a C.J. mill column, they clearly like there are tons of opportunities for trades for this Wizards team and they have over the last couple of seasons sort of acted as this. I don't how to describe it best, but just sort of like a churning thing for making transactions happen in the NBA. Whether it's to get a extra second round pick or first round pick or get another player. They've been greasing the wheels of other teams in terms of trades. They also have an opportunity to have $100 million in cap space next summer. What do you think they prioritize? Do you think they will be active on the trade market this season or will they just ride their chips out and have $100 million in cap space next summer?

[Josh Robbins]

I think it's more likely that they enter the summer with approximately 80 million. But you're exactly right, 100 is a possibility. Yes. I think they will be very active on the trade market.

[Podcast Host]

80 is still a lot.

[Josh Robbins]

That's a ton. I don't anticipate they're going to try and get to max free agents. I don't think they're, they're not at that stage and I don't think that that's what they don't want to lock themselves into some high price contracts. But they're probably also not at the stage where they could lure max free agents yet. I anticipate they will use that cap flexibility to attempt to bring aboard another first round pick or first round picks. That's not an un. That's a legitimate scenario in a world with the first apron and the second apron. So that's. They are tremendously strategic. They try to give themselves, as fancy people would say, optionality. And that's something that they, they have now that they did not have when this front office took over. And, but, and they deserve a tremendous amount of credit for that. They deserve a tremendous amount of credit for being able to move off a Beal and to get those pick swaps. But. And I guess there's always a but. It depends on what you do with it. You know, having it is a great achievement, but you have to follow it through to its conclusion. And yes, I expect they will be active as they can possibly be on the trade market to try to give themselves more first round picks because as you've noted, they're trying to get so many bites of the apple in terms of young talent and to see who sticks and who hits.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah. So this, this team won 18 games last year. Right. They what is a successful outcome for the Washington Wizards next season given the fact that they won 18 games last year?

[Josh Robbins]

Well, they're going to answer. They, the Wizards are going to answer it differently from how I'm going to answer it.

[Podcast Host]

Right.

[Josh Robbins]

If I know them correctly, they're going to say, well, did the young. Well, what they would really say is are they building habits? Are they getting a little bit better every day? Are they, are they getting into the gym each day and making that step forward? That's what they would say and it's true. But it's also cliche and I think it's also the bare minimum of what a true professional environment ought to be.

[Podcast Host]

That's true.

[Josh Robbins]

Now is it still important? Yes. Is it still a goal? Yes. Okay. But in my opinion that's the bare minimum. And yes, the young guys all have to take steps. Bilal, Alex Sar, Keyshawn George, who I hope we get to, by the way, to discuss Bob Carrington, Trey. Justin Champagne, A.J. johnson, Cam Whitmore. Cam Whitmore. I hope we get to. But if I'm, as Thor would said in Ragnarok, if I'm being truly honest, okay, the real Marvel devotees would know where I'm.

[Podcast Host]

Oh, I am. You don't see the Marvel stuff behind me.

[Josh Robbins]

So look, they have, in my opinion, have, have. Have to do everything they can to give themselves the best chance to get the earliest pick possible in this draft.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah.

[Josh Robbins]

And the fans who follow the Wizards who have been tremendously patient and I, my hats off to them, would disagree with me on this too. They say at some point you have to win. And I agree with that. But I don't think it's this year. You have to come away from this upcoming draft with someone who you can say if everything goes right with this individual, he will be at his best, a perennial all NBA potential player. Because if they don't have people of that talent level aboard, then it's just going to get that much tougher to somehow do something to get people of that caliber.

[Podcast Host]

No, I completely agree. And you look at the roster and maybe I'm projecting forward here a little bit and we'll talk about Keyshawn George and Cam Whitmore a little bit. But they have the infrastructure there for a blue trip prospect to come in and really change the outcome of them long term because you can, you can. Even at the, the, you know, lowest floor, you can see Bilal Kulibali and Alex Sar becoming rotation players. You can see above Carrington eventually becoming a rotation player. You know, even the Keyshawn Georges and Cam Whitmores of the world, there is a world in which they can become rotation players on good teams. Yes, they have to develop to get to that point, but they're, they're the machinations there of like a solid infrastructure to be able to put in a blue chip prospect. You think of Orlando, they wouldn't be where they are without Paulo. Ben Caro and Franz Wagner. Oklahoma City would not be where they are without Jalen Williams and SGA and Chet Holmgren. You need to have those guys maybe, who knows, maybe one of those players that we've talked about, you know, Trey Johnson, maybe Bilal, maybe Alex R. Turn into one of those guys. There's the potential of that as well. But let's, let's talk about Keyshawn George. Let's talk about Cam Whitmore. Those, to me, they feel like swing factors for this team next season in terms of what their, you know, immediate ceiling could be as a team. But what intrigues you about those two wing players?

[Josh Robbins]

So. So I mentioned Keyshawn because. And you have to watch them almost every day to see it. And because they were an 18 win team with expectations that everyone knew the expectations people had for the Wizards were accurate and they were an 18 win team by design.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah.

[Josh Robbins]

That you're not gonna probably watch the Wizards every night on league pass. But if you did, you'd see someone who has an advanced feel for the game, who has the potential to be an upper level shooter, who can handle the ball, who actually is far more athletic than he was pegged for entering his draft to the point where he actually can guard top playmakers. And oh, by the way, he's 6 9.

[Podcast Host]

Right.

[Josh Robbins]

So I. There's an argument to be made that of all the people they had, of all their young guys last year, who they had or brought aboard by the end of the season, that he actually might have the highest ceiling.

[Podcast Host]

Right.

[Josh Robbins]

Yeah. Which is a fascinating development because he was drafted in the middle of the 20s, either 24th or 25th. And that's the example of a team scouting correctly moving the person forward and the player himself taking steps. So he's someone to watch. He's another fascinating player on a team full of fascinating players. And now Cam Whitmore, who they brought aboard for a song, you know, second round picks. Taking a flyer on someone who is supremely talented and yet athletic in his own regard too. Probably the most athletic. If he's not the most athletic player on the Wizards. Bilal is.

[Podcast Host]

Right. Yeah.

[Josh Robbins]

And so he's got all these tools. Will he play defense at the level that he is capable of? And offensively, will he fit into a ball movement system? I'm not suggesting. Yes, maybe he becomes the number one or number two scorer in time, but do it in a way that makes sense within the team concept. Those are the questions that he has to answer. And it's a fascinating flyer. It's a fascinating flyer.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah.

[Josh Robbins]

And another very intriguing young player. And not to sound Pollyannish, but he is one of many reasons from a player developmental aspect to watch Washington in the year ahead.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah, I agree. I completely agree. I think, you know, you mentioned it earlier in this podcast, but bites at the apple. And the Wizards have done a good job of trying to get as many bites at the apple as possible, banking on certain skills, whether it be the athleticism, whether it be a wild talent in terms of scoring or defense, and hoping that that comes along to a certain way. I'm very interested to see what happens with the Washington Wizards. They're they're in a good position to rebuild, but like you said, you kind of have to see it through to, you know, give them a grade in whatever rebuild looks like in two or three seasons. A big thank you to Josh Robbins of the Athletic for breaking down the Wizards for us. Thank you for listening to the Athletic NBA Daily. We will see you guys later. If you're a maintenance supervisor at a manufacturing facility and your machinery isn't working right, Grainger knows you need to understand what's wrong as soon as possible. So when a conveyor motor falters, Grainger offers diagnostic tools like calibration kits and multimeters to help you identify and fix the problem. With Grainger, you can be confident you have everything you need to keep your facility running smoothly. Call 1-800-GRAINGER click granger.com or just stop by Grainger for the ones who get it done.

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