Will Riley Continues Ascending to No Surprise of Wizards' Outsiders

While the frontmen of the Washington Wizards' rebuild have spent the last few months bolstering the franchise's reputation as crafty developers, their overlooked depth pieces have quietly developed to strengthen the construction phase from the margins.

Will Riley didn't arrive in the NBA with the sort of lottery potential that netted the organization Alex Sarr, Tre Johnson or Bilal Coulibaly, nor has he yet been allotted the offseason's worth of time that Kyshawn George enjoyed amidst his own ascent. He was projected to take longer than his peers in coming into his own, with the physical limitations that go with his thinner frame viewed as something to overcome for the creative scoring and playmaking prospect.

Washington Wizards Guard Will Riley — Jan 27, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards guard Will Riley (27) dribbles the ball during the second half against the Portland Trail Blazers at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images | Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

But almost as quickly as he began blossoming into one of the Wizards' secret weapons, someone to put the bench unit on his back amidst Washington's thin post-trade season rotation, he became an open secret to casual box score skimmers.

The one-time fringe rookie is averaging 17.3 points over his last half-dozen outings, but some of those who received prior glimpses at his potential remained unsurprised at the player he's growing into.

Spo and Co. Know

His double-digit scoring streak was halted at five following his nine-point outing in the Wizards' 132-101 weekend loss to the Miami Heat, but he'd done more than enough to land a prominent place on Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra's scouting report.

As he pointed out following Miami's win, he worked Riley out pre-draft right alongside Riley's Illinois teammate, Kasparas Jakucionis. While the latter prospect would eventually go to the Heat at No. 20 in the 2025 NBA Draft, one spot ahead of his eventual Wizard of a teammate, Spoelstra remembers being impressed with what he saw and what he continues to witness.

"Riley had a good workout," he recounted. "He's played well since he's been given an opportunity, and he's making the most of his opportunities. You can see why [Riley and Jakucionis] were so dynamic when they were together at Illinois, so that's fun to see."

I got to speak with both Erik Spoelstra and Jakucionis himself on the Will Riley matchup. Neither sounded surprised at his recent heater; while Kas is happy for his former college teammate, Spo remembers the same skill from when he worked the rookie Riley out with the Heat. https://t.co/7ppkdWcB5m pic.twitter.com/p3fyQma9Bm
— Henry J. Brown (@henryjbr_sports) February 8, 2026

Jakucionis, too, was happy for the young Wizard. Spoelstra remarked on the playful banter between the two former Fighting Illini during the game, made the most of his many chances to analyze Riley's game during their one-and-done collegiate season, and had some idea of what to prepare for in the meaningful matchup.

"He's an incredibly talented player, a hard worker," Jakucionis said. "You always expect this from him, making shots, doing things for the team, creating for other players...we all know that he's gonna make really hard shots. He's aggressive shooting the ball, so he can shoot the pull-up three, midrange, floaters, everything. I think he has all three levels of scoring."

Former Illinois Fighting Illini Forward Will Riley and Guard Kasparas Jakucionis — Feb 8, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini forward Will Riley (7) and guard Kasparas Jakucionis (32) celebrate during the second half against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Williams Arena. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images | Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

Jakucionis may have had this day, notching a career-high 22 points in the Heat's rout, but he's fully aware of the player that Riley is at present and how high he threatens to peak.

It's a transition period for Washington's rebuild, and as win-now moves like acquisitions for Trae Young and Anthony Davis imply that the squad may be bracing for competitive basketball quicker than the fans may be anticipating, the young Riley continues leveraging latter-season highlights into his case to position himself at the core of the Wizards' long-term plan.

He's getting buckets and making complex passing reads against real competition, and while those out of the know are rapidly taking notice, familiar parties like several noteworthy Heat figures continue enjoying the development story.

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