Wizards’ Key Assets Taking Center Stage Entering Trade Season

The Washington Wizards have made it to mid-December, which is right when trade negotiations start hiking up across the NBA.

Few teams have so clearly defined which pieces are for sale as Washington has, having compiled a roster that's cut neatly between older veterans and the young draftees who are expected to lead the next generation of Wizards basketball forward. Just as they have in previous rebuilding seasons, their front office is expected to deal for other expiring contracts around the league, so long as they arrive alongside precious draft capital.

That's the sort of method that landed them CJ McCollum and Khris Middleton, the two most glaringly-obvious pieces of trade bait in DC, and the team expects to continue flipping them for picks going forward.

"The Wizards have the expiring contracts of CJ McCollum ($33 million) and Khris Middleton ($30.7 million) to use in potential trades," ESPN's Bobb Marks wrote. "With the last-place Wizards likely retaining their first-round pick in 2026 — they keep it if it falls inside the top eight — there is no incentive to keep either past the deadline, besides retaining their veteran leadership."

Washington Wizards Forward Khris Middleton — Nov 12, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Washington Wizards forward Khris Middleton (22) handles the ball against the Houston Rockets during the third quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images | Erik Williams-Imagn Images

"The Wizards are still in the early stages of rebuilding, and despite having a projected $80 million in cap space this summer, they should be aggressive in flipping either player, even if that means taking back money that stretches into 2026-27."

Determining the Veterans' Value

McCollum's set to earn a tick more than his fellow expiring scorer in Middleton, but he's the more desirable asset of the two if we're including on-court results.

He's bounced back from an inaccurate start to the season to bounce right back to 18.9 points per game, having yet to miss a game while knocking down over 40% of his 3-point looks. He's been a valuable floor-spacer and professional bucket-getter when the Wizards have needed someone to look like an adult against any matchup, though the growing sentiment that his on-ball reps would be better-suited in the hands of Kyshawn George and Bub Carrington have only strengthened with time.

Washington Wizards Forward Kyshawn George and Washington Wizards Guard Bub Carrington — Oct 24, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Washington Wizards forward Kyshawn George (18) celebrates with Washington Wizards guard Bub Carrington (7) during the second half against the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Middleton is 34 years old, just like McCollum, but he looks less capable of handling a regular dosage of minutes. He's making a hair under 50% of his shot attempts behind that reliable pull-up jumper and passing well out of his penetrations, but the Wizards' recent shift to a younger, defensively-intense rotation has left the more seasoned contributors looking like the odd-men out.

They aren't the lone Wizards that other teams are expected to check in on, with experienced wings like Justin Champagnie and Corey Kispert favored to attract attention of their own as shooters and do-it-all-hustlers. Washington's impressive assortment of draft picks will continue building their own value while the squad's records suffer, but those 30-somethings are unquestionably headlining any outgoing trade package as long as the development-oriented timeline prevails.

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