Three Winners of the Wizards Season's Final Chapter

A few young Washington Wizards benefitted from the low-stakes developmental opportunity they were presented with over the last month.

Mar 27, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Washington Wizards guard Bilal Coulibaly (0) dribbles against the Golden State Warriors during the first quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Neville E. Guard-Imagn Images | Neville E. Guard-Imagn Images

The Washington Wizards didn't have much to gain from padding their late-season win-count, as least from the franchise's big-picture perspective. As far as forwarding the rebuild went, this Wizards season was all about bringing their protected pick back home and maximizing their odds of winning the draft lottery, which they did in clinching the NBA's worst regular season record at 17-65.

Players, though, don't tank. The majority of Washington's roster is still playing on their rookie contracts, each having plenty to gain from strong showings to close out the league's calendar. The team has been leaking parts since the All-Star Break, seemingly bidding goodbye to a new player every week as injuries and tank incentives consumed the warped lineup, thereby opening up opportunities for non-starters to strut their stuff in bigger minutes.

Not every fringe-Wizards held up when heightened responsibilities kicked in, but a few standouts made their respective cases for similar high-leverage roles in a fully-healthy Wizards situation come this fall.

Bilal Coulibaly

Four players on the Wizards' returning roster stand out as clear starters, with Trae Young, Anthony Davis, Alex Sarr and Kyshawn George each looking steps ahead of their D.C. counterparts. Bilal Coulibaly's yet to solidify himself alongside the proven All-Stars and his fellow prospects, but he played like a man possessed over the first fully-healthy NBA action of his young career.

Mar 22, 2026; New York, New York, USA; Washington Wizards guard Bilal Coulibaly (0) secures the ball during the second half against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

He was afforded more on-ball opportunities than he'd ever been left alone with, and he capitalized with the most aggressive scoring approach he's flashed since going pro. He averaged 15.4 points on 44.6% shooting from the field over 17 games dating back to the start of March, largely fueled by a breakout 3-point shot that settled into a 38.2% hit rate on four and a half nightly attempts.

As basketball fans know, the numbers that bench players rack up once league-wide opponents start letting go of the rope must be accepted with a grain of salt, but Coulibaly needed to demonstrate some confidence.

His usually-tentative offensive approach manifested wasn't going to last in a Young-led attack that will need the athletic wing's floor-spacing and rim-running to be at its best, and his timely heater couldn't have arrived at a more convenient juncture in the eyes of Washington's financial decision-makers. Coulibaly's up for his rookie extension this summer, and he's now armed with an intriguing stretch of recent play to dangle during his in-house negotiations.

Will Riley

As if the Wizards' prospective wing rotation wasn't deep enough as it was between the ascending Coulibaly, the versatile George and the always-helpful Justin Champagnie, the team's late-first round draftee further challenged his coaching staff's rotational choices with some of the most creative on-ball play that Washington fans have seen out of any rookie in years.

Will Riley may have required some time to settle into the physical league around him, but he has all of the crafty counters required to score in any setting. His crafty footwork, steadily-growing outside jump shot and near 6'10 frame thoroughly impressed locals and outsiders alike, fueling multiple 30-point outbursts over his final month of play.

Apr 10, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards guard Will Riley (27) shoots the ball as Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo (13) defends in the second half at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

A reserve scoring role could be just the beginning for Riley, whose floor vision and playmaking chops lend themselves well to a jumbo point guard role should Washington look to continue testing their All-Rookie candidate. All signs point to a more competitive situation for him and his fellow Wizards to fit into in 2026-27, and the unique Riley's at least earned a shot at factoring into the group's opening night equation.

Julian Reese

All of the talented forward-sized prospects who double as flexible perimeter weapons are fun, but that tilt in the depth chart has left a center room that looks barren behind Davis and Sarr. Tristan Vukcevic is more interested in scoring as soon as he catches the ball as opposed to holding his ground on defense, and the older Anthony Gill can't be depended upon in roster planning as he prepares to enter free agency.

But the Wizards' interest in giving various G Leaguers sniffs at real minutes introduced a new name to the pool of big men to consider for the summer and onward. Julian Reese knew that Washington needed rebounding, and offered his niche skillset over one of the most out-of-nowhere spring finishes that any rookie enjoyed during the regular season.

Apr 5, 2026; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Washington Wizards forward Julian Reese (15) drives to the basket against Brooklyn Nets forward Chaney Johnson (31) during the first quarter at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

He's a pure board horse, someone who's all in on maximizing possessions with active hands and a simple shot diet that's mostly limited to putback attempts at the rim. Reese recorded at least 15 rebounds four times over his 13 in-season appearances and an average of 4.2 offensive boards over the small sample size.

A low-maintenance deckhand to clean up when shots go awry and convert on the occasional entry pass certainly couldn't hamper offseason game-planners already concerned with Davis' inconsistent availability and lingering questions surrounding Sarr's physicality.

Reese has the motor and the sense to play with his hands to the sky for spot minutes at a time, helpful tools that are sure to aid his case to join the Wizards sometime during their next crack at the rest of the league. He only debuted a little over a month ago, but the two remaining years of two-way eligibility for the undrafted piece already has the organization enticed for the local product's future.

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