Wizards’ Michael Winger: Trae Young alone raises our ceiling

Wizards president Michael Winger is preaching patience. But he is also making one thing clear — the Wizards expect to look better next season, especially with Trae Young running the show.

Winger said he is not putting a hard benchmark on what success looks like in 2026-27. Still, he believes a full season of Young, paired with internal development, should naturally raise the team’s floor.

“My expectation is that particularly with Trae Young on the basketball team and the development of our young players, we are going to be better next season than we are this season,” Winger said, via Gene Wang of The Washington Post. “How much better remains to be seen, but Trae by himself will put us in more competitive basketball games.”

Even with a four-time All-Star now in the fold, Winger emphasized the Wizards are not ready to floor the accelerator.

He called the Young acquisition a move with “gas-pedal implications,” but said the organization is not ready to go all-in just yet, noting the front office plans to remain “opportunistic.”

“We are not pursuing short-term success,” Winger said. “We believe that mediocrity is frankly easily achievable, but there’s a very low ceiling of hope.”

The Wizards plan to spend the next six to 18 months evaluating which young players can become meaningful long-term contributors. Cap space flexibility is also a major focus.

“Whatever we do with that cap space, it might evaporate in the next two weeks,” Winger said. “We just don’t know, but we’ll do something creative.”

Winger also voiced support for head coach Brian Keefe, citing player development and culture despite the team’s struggles.

In short, Washington sees Young as a catalyst. But the rebuild is still moving on its own timeline.