For once, the Wizards are at least worth discussing

Which way will the Wizards go in 2026-27? That honestly may be the question of the offseason. 

Now, before we get started, here’s a subtle reminder: Washington has not reached 50 wins in a single season since 1979. 

No, really. All those years with Gilbert Arenas, John Wall, Bradley Beal, even the legendary (albeit over-the-hill) Michael Jordan? Yep, never better than 48 wins.

They only reached 44 wins in 1978, the lone time they won the title. The next year, they hit 54 on the nose, but lost to the Seattle SuperSonics in the Finals.

What a run, huh?

OK, on to today. We can assume Trae Young will return. We can assume Anthony Davis will, too. (Though counting on Davis is a lot like counting on the stock market. As soon as things are starting to look really good, it crashes.)

Oh, and the Wizards also have the No. 1 pick in the entire NBA Draft. Welcome, AJ Dybantsa or Darryn Peterson or Cameron Boozer (unlikely) or Caleb Wilson (ditto). 

The Wizards also have former No. 2 overall pick Alex Sarr and several other reasons to believe. So, what should we make of all of it? 

Well, I have no idea. But at least there’s something surrounding D.C. basketball that we haven’t had in a long time. That would be none other than a morsel of excitement.

Nevertheless, ESPN has the Wizards ranked 28th in its latest way-too-early NBA power rankings, released just moments after the Finals.

“Washington hasn’t won more than 18 games in a season since 2022-23, but that benchmark should be easy to surpass next season,” wrote ESPN’s Zach Kram. “Trae Young played just five games for the Wizards after a midseason trade, and Anthony Davis didn’t play at all; add them plus the first overall pick, and the Wizards’ floor should be much higher than the 18-win range moving forward.”

OK, maybe that’s not so exciting. There isn’t a lot of buzz around, “We’ll probably win more than 18 games.” But Kram did leave room for hope.

“Continued development for Alex Sarr, Tre Johnson and Will Riley — as well as Davis’ health — could dictate whether the 2026-27 Wizards are a playoff contender or merely an improved lottery team,” he wrote.

So what’s the point of all this? Nothing, really. Other than a Wizards franchise that’s too often been a bottom-feeder looks like it could finally turn a corner — and fast.

When it comes to Washington and the NBA, that’s actually something.

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