The Washington Wizards aren’t predicted to have the greatest season from a win-loss perspective. The team is clearly in a rebuilding year, and ESPN has the Wizards finishing with the worst record in the Eastern Conference. While this is great for trying to acquire a talent like Cooper Flagg or Dylan Harper, it isn’t great for Wizards fans who just want to watch exciting basketball. Still, even with lots of losses likely on the way, there are some notable things with this team. Here are five Wizards storylines to keep an eye on for the 2024-25 season.
5 Wizards Storylines to Keep an Eye On for 2024-25
5. Who Gets the Last Roster Spot?
This is a storyline more for the beginning of the season than throughout it, but I still think it warrants mentioning. The Wizards waived Eugene Omoruyi a few days ago, which means they have 16 players competing for 15 roster spots. The players who are most likely to be cut after training camp are Patrick Baldwin, Anthony Gill, and Johnny Davis. There’s a chance it could be someone else, but these three are the most likely.
While it won’t have a large impact on their season, seeing who the Wizards cut at training camp is newsworthy. Gill is a fan favorite in DC, so cutting him would definitely not be the popular choice. Baldwin and Davis are both young and were supposed to have more value at this point in their careers than they do already. It’ll be interesting to see how training camp progresses for this team.
4. Will Poole Improve or Deteriorate?
At times, Jordan Poole has been an All-Star caliber player. At other times, he’s proven why he was named 2024 Shaqtin’ A Fool MVP. It’s never clear which version of Poole will show, making him one of the most inconsistent players in the NBA. General trends seem to show that he does better as a sixth man than a starter. However, he seems too good to be coming off the bench. Last season, Poole averaged 17.4 points, 4.4 assists, and 2.7 rebounds on inefficient shooting.
Poole’s been working on his game over the offseason, but will that translate to games? What will stay the same from last year? Poole’s production and efficiency are something that’ll keep Wizards fans guessing over the course of the season.
3. Will Kuzma Get Traded?
The rumors started earlier in the offseason, especially as free agency opened up. However, when the dust settled and all the big signings and trades had been completed, Kyle Kuzma remained a Wizard. There are still those who believe he’ll end up with a new team soon. However, I think he’ll be around for another year or two since Deni Avdija was traded to Portland, but it’s not 100% clear if Kuzma is on the Wizards’ timeline. Seeing his level of production and if he stays with the squad through the 2025 trade deadline is another interesting Wizards storyline.
2. How Will Carrington and George Develop?
Aside from Alex Sarr, the Wizards have two other rookies who were drafted in the first round: Carlton Carrington and Kyshawn George. Carrington is a 6-foot-6 guard, and George is a 6-foot-8 wing. It’s not clear what level of production the Wizards will be getting from either of these players this season. However, both showed promise in college and in the summer league. Carrington, as a one-and-done player from Pittsburgh, wowed with his three-point shooting and playmaking in the summer league. Especially with Tyus Jones gone, he’ll likely be splitting minutes with Poole at guard. His development will be exciting to watch.
George, on the other hand, will be splitting play time with Kuzma, Corey Kispert, and Bilal Coulibaly. It’ll be tougher for him to get minutes, so he is expected to have a more limited role than Carrington. Still, it’ll be exciting to watch him develop as well.
The #1 Wizards Storyline: Is Sarr a ROY or Bust?
Sarr became the talk of the NBA for a week during summer league. In his debut he looked tremendous, swatting four shots with ease. However, after a great first game, Sarr went cold. Like, really cold. So cold that his shooting slump ended up being the worst in summer league history. Through two games, Sarr went 1-for-21, which equals a lot of missed shots.
Now, it’s been proven that summer league success or failure doesn’t always correlate to the NBA. However, that game definitely alarmed fans across the NBA. Sarr has showcased potential besides that one summer league game that indicates he’ll be a defensive nightmare in the paint for years to come. His shot is likely to improve, and he should be an all-around great player for the Wizards. But, there’s also the chance that the cold streak was a preview of what was to come. The Wizards haven’t always drafted the best talent in the past; after all, in 2001 they did select another big man (Kwame Brown) with a top-two pick. While I think Sarr is more likely to be a Rookie of the Year candidate than a bust, his development is certainly something to keep an eye on.
