One Position Group the Wizards Shouldn't Needlessly Bolster

The team-building notion that "you can never have enough wings!" has heard very little pushback over recent years, and understandably so.

The 2010s were a decade dominated by multi-positional forwards and big guards- LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Kawhi Leonard combined to win eight Finals MVP awards between 2012-20. And while all of those legends have progressed into different stages of their separate Hall of Fame-worthy careers, physicality, rim aggression and shotmaking gusto that's usually reserved for perimeter-lingerers are as important as ever.

With that being said, the game is as talent-laden as it's ever been. Among the last four Finals MVPs, two were clear-cut guards in Stephen Curry and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and one, Nikola Jokic, was a center. Teams are still stocking up on wing depth due to their theoretically-multifaceted nature, but for a team like the Washington Wizards, already sagging with rotational logjams to sort out along the wings, the position group isn't one worth augmenting just for the sake of building out the corps.

Former Kansas Jayhawks Guard Darryn Peterson and former BYU Cougars Forward AJ Dybantsa — Jan 24, 2026; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Kansas Jayhawks guard Darryn Peterson (22) looks to pass against BYU Cougars forward AJ Dybantsa (3) during the first half at Mizzou Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

They're saddled with the tough, if enviable, task of leading off next month's NBA Draft, where Washingtonians can enjoy the opportunity to add a headlining prospect to add to Washington's present talent pool.

The Wizards have no shortage of needs; they could use better defenders out of their guard room and functional backup bigs, but it's worth counting how many players on the squad's returning roster who'll see their roles get sapped by yet another forward added to the mix.

This is, by no means, a fully-functional argument to talk your way out of AJ Dybantsa, the favorite to lead off the summer's draft class. He'd be the best prospect of the bunch by a mile as a creative bucket generator with all of the physical tools required of NBA stardom, but anyone with comparable or less upside than the remainder of the Wizards' band of tall guards and versatile forwards must be seriously considered from a fit perspective by the time the team is on the clock again deep in the second round.

Which Wizards can Anticipate the Most Competition?

A few former first-rounders pop when conducting a skim through the Wizards' last few depth charts. Kyshawn George, Bilal Coulibaly and Will Riley are among the more obvious returning rotational contributors, well-deserving presences with winning habits and unique skillsets to add to a soon-to-be-competitive atmosphere.

Anyone who watched the 2025-26 Wizards closely could tell you that George was the second-best player to stick it out through the whole season, even if he's yet to completely win over the casual masses. The forward is a meticulous three-level scorer in his own right with the broad shoulders, disruptive hands and instincts to compete on defense, helpful tools in an otherwise-flimsy lineup of lanky athletes.

He's worthy of returning to his starting role, no matter who Washington selects at No. 1.

Washington Wizards Forward Kyshawn George and Center Alex Sarr — Jan 29, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards forward Kyshawn George (18) celebrates with center Alex Sarr (20) during the first half against the Milwaukee Bucks at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images | Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

Coulibaly and Riley can similarly expect the benefit from the in-house politics game, having each enjoyed strong closes to this past campaign after the franchise spent months, or in Coulibaly's case, years worth of resources investing in their development.

The third-year Wizard has the quick-twitch defensive tools to earn another batch of regular minutes, and his willingness to remain active away from the ball promises to pair well with Trae Young's passing game. Riley isn't quite as gifted as a disruptor, but his own playmaking upside and ability to improve and impress in a variety of team contexts should result in rapidly-growing trust from the organization.

And the wing depth doesn't come close to stopping there, even if Coulibaly and Riley remain long shots to lock up opening night starting gigs.

Justin Champagnie is among the more popular Wizards among devoted fans, having worked his way into Washington's good graces through a completely different method than just about any other member of the young 20-somethings. Through sheer hard work and the willingness to fill Washington's needs for a hustling play-finisher and relentless board horse, he's stamped himself as a winning two-way talent, and the defensive-minded Wizards simply couldn't justify leaving the scrapper out of their 2026-27 rotation.

justin champagine 20/7/1s/1b vs brooklyn pic.twitter.com/siLZ8xoLk8
— riley ｼ (@rileyr_) January 3, 2026

And by that same token, Jamir Watkins is similarly-worthy of a full-time look. Even if he hasn't yet proven himself as a staple alongside the fully-healthy group quite like Champagnie has after two and a half years in D.C., the 24-year-old rookie is yet another fighter who refused to get swept up into the G League with his own brand of suffocating defense.

Now, it's important to point out that most of those pieces played their best ball in the barren portion of Washington's final few months, meaning that they'll have to prove themselves all over again when Young, Anthony Davis and friends are all healthy to start the fall. Sure, someone like Dybantsa would take precedent over the rest of the pack, but any lesser entrant is in for a tough fight for their minutes.

Make sure you bookmark Washington Wizards on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!

Add us as a preferred source on Google