Wizards Release Former MVP

The hard part about the start of the NBA Regular Season is the decisions that have to be made behind closed doors. These are the decisions that no one wants to make or even deliver to the recipients. Late in the season last year, the Washington Wizards brought in a player from Australia who has won the MVP Award in the Australian League, Xavier Cooks.

With a resume like this, NBA teams should be lining up to trade draft picks for Xavier Cooks… pic.twitter.com/RY9AE32R5R
— Martin Gorthot (@washedwiz) October 22, 2023

Cooks was one of those guys that you simple had to take a flyer on. He didn’t log a lot of minutes. He was buried on the bench. However, when he did get in the game, he averaged four points per game for the Washington Wizards. This preseason didn’t help his case and the Washington Wizards ultimately decided to release Cooks.

The Washington Wizards have waived Xavier Cooks and Taj Gibson, a league source told @TheAthleticNBA. The Wizards had to waive two players to reach the 15-man roster limit.
— Josh Robbins (@JoshuaBRobbins) October 23, 2023

This news come with the releasing of Taj Gibson as well. The Washington Wizards are looking for guys that fit what they’re trying to do. What they are trying to do is run the floor and space the floor too. Taj Gibson, at age 38 isn’t going to have the legs to run the floor. Xavier Cooks on the other hand is a strong and energetic player who brings it defensively and at the rim. He isn’t someone you can consistently count on to stretch the floor however and that may be the reason of his departure from the team. Bringing on rookie Bilal Coulibaly doesn’t help Xavier Cook’s case either. Also, the Washington Wizards just extended Deni Avdija as well so minutes just aren’t there for Xavier Cooks and the Washington Wizards.