Three B-Side Summer League Wizards to Watch as Impending Shutdowns Loom

Signs are pointing to the Washington Wizards' scaling back on their high-profile prospects, opening avenues for secondary contributors to rise into leading roles.

Feb 20, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards guard Kadary Richmond (19) during the first quarter against the Indiana Pacers at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

If recent history tells us anything, it's that we've likely seen the last of the Washington Wizards' remaining high-profile NBA Summer Leaguers.

Nothing's been announced just yet, but the franchise elected to pull their entire first round prospect-filled starting lineup this time last year, right in between games two and three. The intriguing rookies and rising sophomores had mostly proven that they're each worthy of the Wizards' attention as prioritized building blocks, and Washington's 2026 crop has been no different.

AJ Dybantsa has joined Tre Johnson and Will Riley in a summertime lineup that's thinner at the top than it's been in years past, but Dybantsa alone has raised the stakes on the patient rebuild. The No. 1 pick looked the part of a star-caliber scorer and athlete over his two performances, and odds (as well as the Wizards' quiet pivot to secondary, less-heralded Summer Leaguers in their advertising campaigns) point to he and Riley joining the already-deactivated Johnson on Washington's shelf.

Game 3️⃣

⏰ 8 p.m. ET
📺 @NBAonPrime & @MonSportsNet
🤝 Pres. by @MichelobULTRA pic.twitter.com/hXJNXdR0Uh

— Washington Wizards (@WashWizards) July 14, 2026

That wing trio will be missed by fans who enjoyed their professional skillsets and how dominant they looked compared to just about anyone they tipped off against, as the roster they're set to leave behind now completely lacks anyone who can match their own first round intrigue.

That's not to say that they're completely talentless, though; here are a few names to monitor over the squad's remaining three outings.

Felix Okpara, the Lone Remaining Draftee

This one is sort of cheating, as anyone who's followed the Wizards semi-closely over the last month knows that Dybantsa wasn't the only talent they brought aboard during this past NBA Draft.

While the electric Dybantsa impressed evaluators with his fluidity as a multi-positional playmaker and franchise cornerstone, Felix Okpara's ceiling in Washington is much more limited. If he's to make it as a second round gamble, it's by filling in as Trae Young's newest two-way lob threat.

Tennessee's Felix Okpara (34) celebrates on the courtduring a men’s college basketball game between Tennessee and Alabama at Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center, Saturday, March 1, 2025. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

He makes for an enticing athletic swing as a 6'11 leaper, and he's already demonstrated far more outside of the hammering dunks that pushed him into Washington's initial view.

The young center wasted no time in seizing multiple starting spots from the slightly-more seasoned Julian Reese thanks to his recovery speed and subtle defensive versatility. And Okpara hasn't let the absence of an obvious post-feeding point guard like Young hinder his impact on the other end of the floor, either, as he's consistently ran the floor in his hunt for rewarding entry passes.

One of the reasons Felix Okpara is going to stick in the NBA right here. Plus, he has really good hands and some legit footwork and touch around the rim. He even showed a nice baby hook tonight. I’m high on him as a rotation-caliber big. pic.twitter.com/xAuueMq7JS

— JPR (@Scouting_Col) July 10, 2026

Few other Summer Leaguers have much of a chance to crack the Wizards' main rotation for this upcoming season. For how dependent of a difference-maker he was thought to be before and during the draft, the well-fitting Okpara has a real chance to make the race for the fourth big behind Anthony Davis, Alex Sarr and Deandre Ayton interesting.

Kadary Richmond's Fresh Breath of Physicality

While Okpara and the rest of the centers will welcome some much-needed physicality to the rebounding and paint-scoring departments, the wing and guard rooms force bigger concerns for fans wondering how they'll stack up against older, rougher defenders over the slog of an 82-game regular season.

Even if rotational mainstays like Riley, Johnson, Kyshawn George and Bilal Coulibaly have made it a point to bulk up over the summer, the still-green teenagers and low-20-somethings will probably demonstrate the occasional growing pains in shifting their shot habits between seasons.

This is where Kadary Richmond, one of the Wizards' more unique experimental subjects, can rise into relevancy.

And this one is for the Kadary Richmond believers out there. I asked Wizards’ Summer League HC TJ Sorrentine about how the physical forward has impressed over his first pair of appearances, as well as where the coach wants to see Richmond stretch his wings. pic.twitter.com/V6vB0JL55U

— All Wizards Talk (@AllWizardsTalk) July 13, 2026

The 24-year-old wing may only have three games at the top professional level to show for himself, but Richmond has evolved into one of Washington's more enticing deep-cut blends of physicality and in-game feel as a prized member of the Capital City Go-Go. There, the former St. John's weapon averaged two stocks and 2.3 assists over a dozen G League outings during the 2025-26 campaign, moving the ball with strong awareness of his surroundings and where the scoring has to come from.

Still, no amount of rim attempts and swing passes can cover up for his still-ineffective jump shot. 62.5/50% shooting splits in limited Wizards action couldn't cover up for his 28% hit rate as a '25-'26 G Leaguer, and that reluctance to unload from 3-point land hasn't gone anywhere this summer.

Wizards' Summer League coach TJ Sorrentine said after that second game that he'd like to see Richmond creating more with the ball in his hands. With Dybantsa and Riley potentially changing into street clothes before game three, he may just get the open road to explore and make the case for himself as an option to keep note of should the main roster fixtures open the door for more big-league burn.

Reece Beekman's Two-Way Burst

Okpara was a fitting draft pick in the wide-open second round of draft options, but the Wizards' willingness to choose a big over a defensive-minded point guard to shore up the backcourt said a lot about the organization's rotational intentions.

The need for another small disruptor to clean up Young's potential defensive lapses won't be so much of a need if bigger contributors like Riley, George and Dybantsa are ready to act as shot-calling point-forwards during his absence. Still, should Washington opt to empower a true guard in that part-time, two way role, they may have their guy in Reece Beekman.

Jan 20, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Virginia Cavaliers guard Reece Beekman (2) shoots against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in the first half at McCamish Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Unlike most undrafted fringe-pieces looking for one more chance to make it back to the NBA, Beekman didn't overexert himself in a Wizards gameplan dominated by the aforementioned prioritized prospects. He's kept it simple to this point, shooting threes when he's open and playing hard-nosed defense on usually-threatening opponents.

He ran the floor well next to happy passers like Dybantsa in getting open on offense, making up for the unimpressive shooting splits he'd posted in limited outside NBA appearances with timely play-finishing with the summer Wizards. And on the defensive end of the floor, he seems to have enjoyed flexing the multiple ACC Defensive Player of the Year awards he secured as a four-year Virginia Cavalier.

Unfortunately for Beekman, as well as Richmond, the Wizards have already filled up their two-way slots in signing Okpara, Reese and Jamir Watkins as their three favorite part-timers. Barring a change of heart out of the front office and a subsequent shuffling of that deck, they'll have to keep impressing in Las Vegas assuming Washington doesn't just opt to take them home with everyone else as G Leaguers.

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