Sharife Cooper Making Most of Opportunity in Wizards' Rotation

With the trade deadline passed and the Washington Wizards’ roster almost completely reconstructed, lots of questions have opened up about how the team will look long term. Washington, of course, has a couple of staple players who will be safe and sound no matter what situation the team ends up in in the foreseeable future, but as for the rest of the team, there are a lot of questions about how things will turn out.

With the Wizards having a plethora of young talent showing out, it has been easy for some guys’ impressive play to fly under the radar. The sample may be small, but one Wizard who is having an extremely underrated stretch of games is Sharife Cooper.

Promising Past

The once highly touted five-star recruit has spent the entirety of his NBA career bouncing around from team to team, spending most of his time in various G League situations. Cooper spent just one year as a member of the Auburn Tigers, averaging 20.2 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 8.3 assists. His play was good enough to warrant serious NBA draft buzz, with some even considering him to be a first-round talent.

Washington Wizards Guard Sharife Coope — Feb 5, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Washington Wizards guard Sharife Cooper (13) dribbles against the Detroit Pistons during the first quarter at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Reginek-Imagn Images | David Reginek-Imagn Images

However, when draft night came around, Cooper took a slide, falling all the way to the second round, where the Atlanta Hawks scooped him up with the No. 48 overall pick. He didn’t see the floor much as a part of Atlanta, playing in just 13 games before being released the following offseason. Since then, Cooper had yet to see the floor in an NBA game until this summer, when he signed a two-way deal with the Wizards.

Secret Stellar Play

Since Cooper landed in Washington, he hasn’t seen the floor much. He has spent most of his time down in the G League with the Capital City Go-Go, but some recent injuries and trades have opened up an opportunity for him to prove himself — and prove himself he has.

Over his past three games, Cooper has posted averages of 10.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 3 assists per game, on shooting splits of 58.3% from the field and 37.5% from three. The 24-year-old has been thrust into the largest role of his career and taken advantage of it to the fullest, proving that he may be worthy of consistent playing time moving forward.

FINAL | WAS 126, DET 117

Riley: 20 PTS
Cooper: 18 PTS
Champagnie: 14 PTS

The Wizards rested most of their starters for nearly all of the second half against top-seeded Detroit & somehow found a way to win another game.

Will Riley and Sharife Cooper were nails down the stretch.
— Greg Finberg (@GregFinberg) February 6, 2026

With Cooper being on a two-way deal, there is no guarantee that Washington will invest in him in any way moving forward. However, with the Wizards looking ready for one final tanking stretch to close out this season, the perfect opportunity may have opened up for him to prove himself not only to Washington’s organization, but to others across the league who may be in search of a new point guard.

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