Wizards’ Sharife Cooper Continues Making Future Backup PG Bid

The Washington Wizards' team-builders find themselves in a unique, somewhat advantageous predicament that they would have dreamed about at the start of their rebuild.

They're ready to start taking the regular season seriously in 2027, having spent the last few months unloading many of their fringe assets for buy-low moves on proven stars in Trae Young and Anthony Davis. And they're not just loaded with prospects to pad the starting lineup — even their current bench options are impressing as potential depth pieces to monitor.

But not every member of the 2025-26 Wizards will survive to see the fall, especially with one last top-heavy class of upcoming rookies expected to round out Washington's talent pool. And with former second-round picks like Tristan Vukcevic and Jamir Watkins each earning a little bit more long-term security for themselves over recent weeks, vacant spots on next year's roster appear to be drying up.

Washington Wizards Guards Jamir Watkins and Sharife Cooper — Feb 20, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards guard Jamir Watkins (5) celebrates a play with guard Sharife Cooper (13) against the Indiana Pacers during the fourth quarter at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images | Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images

With those former two-way players each earning standard NBA contracts, Sharife Cooper looks to be the next Wizard to join his supplementary teammates. He, like fellow 24-year-old Watkins, has steadily come into his own within his role upon receiving the most clearest opportunity of his career, and has a prayer of maintaining his momentum through the foreseeable future at his present rate.

Returning to a Familiar Role

He's already appeared in 19 outings as a largely-garbage time point guard during his first season affiliated with the Wizards, setting a new career-high in games played in a single season. Granted, his competition in that department is flimsy, with the former star prospect getting held to 13 appearances with his hometown Atlanta Hawks during his 2021-22 rookie season.

A lot has changed around D.C. since then, most notably surrounding the player whom Cooper is set to back up through the regular season's remainder. After playing understudy to Young in Atlanta, the two-way contributor looks to demonstrate an advanced version of his game in performing behind that same star table-setter.

Former Atlanta Hawks Guards Trae Young and Sharife Cooper — Oct 9, 2021; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (left) talks with guard Sharife Cooper (2) during the second half against the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Cooper's come a long way from that Hawks stint, a 39-minute period in which he posted just seven points on 21.4% from the field. The second-round pick didn't last much longer than that in departing for a few overseas stops over the course of three seasons, and he's approached his time with the Wizards with a much more decisive vision for sort of player he wants to be.

He's shooting 51.9% from the floor and 39.4% from distance on admittedly-low volume, but just like many of the younger Wizards he's developing alongside, Cooper's only improving with more reps. Just this week, he notched a career-high 21 points in a surprisingly-competitive 123-118 loss to the Houston Rockets, punishing his opponents whenever he was left open by knocking down three triples while attacking multiple respected defenders with his pure speed and handle.

Wizards Sharife Cooper career-high 21 PTS (8-10 FG, 3-4 3P, 97% TS), 3 AST, 2 REB, 0 TO in 17 minutes vs. Rockets

All he needed was a chance https://t.co/Yxsd5eHyNJ pic.twitter.com/XlGfgTJNCX
— Role Player Performances (@BenchHighlights) March 3, 2026

He's the only true small guard in Washington's rotation, at least while Young counts down the days until his debut, so there isn't as much a need for him as a defensively-inclined Watkins or a stretch-big like Vukcevic, but he's undoubtedly talented enough to earn attention from NBA squads following the conclusion of the season.

Given that he only has two big-league seasons under his belt, he remains eligible for one more two-way deal should the Wizards or a competitor want to continue test-driving the scoring guard. He's fought hard-enough on defense and shot efficiently enough to earn a much-deserved invitation back to D.C. in the summer, potentially rounding out the end of Washington's bench of the future should he find the room and desire to stay put.

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