Three Wizards Trae Young Can Help Most

The Washington Wizards have no shortage of players who'd benefit from the star point guard's upcoming debut.

Mar 2, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards guard Will Riley (27) loses the ball in front of Houston Rockets guard Reed Sheppard (15) in the first half at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Nearly two months after departing the only NBA team he'd ever known for a fresh start, Trae Young is set to make his debut as a Washington Wizard.

As strange as the All-Star's entrance will be for fans accustomed to following deep cuts whom only regular viewers would be familiar with, they've got nothing on how much of a shift his new teammates have to prepare for. The likes of Alex Sarr, Kyshawn George and Bilal Coulibaly have had to get the scoring and creating done by committee for years, but Young and his career-9.8 assist-per-game average promise to make his no co-stars' jobs much easier.

Feb 24, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Washington Wizards guard Trae Young (3) meets with the media during his first return to play the Atlanta Hawks at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Among the supplementary Wizards who'll appreciate his court vision, a few rising regulars stand out above the rest of the pack with the most to gain from a proven point guard running Washington's show.

Bilal Coulibaly

Arguably no selection is quite so obvious on this list as Coulibaly, the rawest prospect of the bunch with an archetype that's been known to pair swimmingly with a lob-thrower like Young.

The little guard can hold onto the ball for awhile, but that could benefit an athlete like Coulibaly who'll flourish as a play-finisher at the basket. Few defensive assignments can match his off-ball burst and verticality, as he spent the Wizards' 123-118 loss to the Houston Rockets living above the rim on numerous alley-oop dunks, and that's been alongside playmakers who won't be able to match Young's volume and accuracy.

Cutting and activity have sustained as elements that French forward's been intent on adding to his game, and his recently-awakened 3-point shot inspires some belief that he can flourish within a narrower role on offense. Young's style of play isn't for everyone, but a largely-dependent paint-crasher can feast within his system.

Bilal Coulibaly and Coach Keefe on Trae Young’s imminent debut and impact on the young forward, who knocked down a career-high five threes on the night: pic.twitter.com/AjVbx8Kam2

— Henry J. Brown (@henryjbr_sports) March 3, 2026

Will Riley

The Wizards' rapidly-ascending rookie is a much more comfortable and creative bucketeer than his slightly-older, defensively-tilted teammate, and the squad's willingness to let Riley run the second unit's scoring acts as another indicator of their willingness to let him grow on the fly.

He's 6'10 with the some of the best on-ball skills of any player in his class, and as if his still-developing defense wasn't enough to constrain him to a bench role, a true floor general in Young would have soaked up whatever touches would have remained from the starting unit. With that being said, Riley with another passer may prove to be a formidable recipe in the future.

This, to me, is how Will Riley can be best optimized as a secondary creator. Here a flare becomes a staggered screen from Bub + Juju, and while he didn't dust Eason upon making his turn into relatively-open space, he still forced the issue and earned some free throws pic.twitter.com/LaWDJ8qrFL

— Henry J. Brown (@henryjbr_sports) March 3, 2026

He could benefit from a set-up man before getting into his own actions. But unlike George, a thicker body who's already figured out where his best scoring spots on the floor are, the streakier Riley isn't yet consistent enough to earn regularly-heavy minutes.

The big wing's combination of off-ball intrigue and play-finishing may aid a sophomore explosion following a summer of chemistry-building and weight-training.

Alex Sarr

Where Coulibaly fits into the Young-centered scheme as the fast break-loving, rim-running forward, the Wizards' big man of the future slots in as the screen-setting center who'll live on the roll.

He, as well as Anthony Davis, will thrive as Young's favorite, biggest targets when everyone's finally healthy enough to share the floor. But while Davis already has 10 All-Star appearances under his belt in part due to his own talent as an inventive paint scorer, Sarr's been waiting for someone to feed him easy dimes on the interior.

Feb 8, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards center Alex Sarr (20) looks up during a free throw against the Miami Heat during the third quarter at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images | Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images

He entered his own second campaign set on improving his shot quality, adding strength with the intention of attempting more layups on heightened efficiency. Sarr's true shooting jump from 48.2% to 55.4% between an offseason that saw no other drastic change to the players passing him the ball can be directly attributed to his angling his game to where his size would be a greater help.

Both he and AD are hot-and-cold as shooters, though Sarr's more willing to hoist and a better shot when he takes aim. But if the budding prospect manages to pair his sky-high defensive potential with a pinpoint passer to ladle easy shots onto his palate, he may very well join his more experienced veterans on next year's eastern All-Star roster.

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