Will Riley is Forcing Wizards Hand Regarding Roster Construction

NBA Summer League is wrapping up, which means the majority of the Wizards' first and second-year players are shutting down. This ultimately should not be surprising, as the team usually does not risk injury to its top prospects. We have seen more than enough from players like AJ Dybantsa and Tre Johnson, but one player has really stood out.

Will Riley is the Future

Mar 25, 2026; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Washington Wizards forward Will Riley (27) shoots the ball before the game against the Utah Jazz at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Nicoll-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

While Will Riley may not be the player you build a team around, he is a player that every team is going to want in four years. He has the size to be a forward, the shooting ability to be a two-guard, the driving and finishing of a modern wing, and the playmaking ability of a point guard. This kid is truly special and one of a kind, and he is forcing the Wizards' hand into giving him ample minutes.

Finding a player who can do everything on offense, from shooting to passing, is rare. Oftentimes, you will find a guard who shoots and finishes but is a below-average facilitator. Sometimes you find a player who can facilitate and finish, but is only a 32 percent three-point shooter. With Riley, though, he excels at all those offensive facets of the game. With the team also needing that backup point guard, Riley is that player.

In the Summer League, he has shown off his playmaking ability. His assist numbers may not show that, but it's his ability to start the offensive set with his ball handling and awareness. He keeps control of the ball despite his large stature, and that height also allows him to see more of the court. It truly is something special to see, and it is why the team needs to play him as much as possible, and why he may be the sixth man this coming season.

Riley is Versatile as a Player

The best part is that Riley is not limited to one position. He can realistically play the one through four, but can slot in as a small-ball five in a five-out offensive set. This means no matter who the first to be subbed out for the Wizards is, Riley is the perfect replacement.

Let's say Alex Sarr gets into foul trouble early in a game, Riley can sub in and play the four, moving Davis to the five. Another scenario is that Trae Young is the first to be subbed, Riley can easily play the one guard and split those duties with Dybantsa and Kyshawn George. Finally, he can be the first to go in for Dybantsa and George, and then play his natural position at the forward spot.

The options are limitless with a player like Riley. He is the future of what a team wants in their sixth man. He has become a better defender, and on offense, he can do whatever needs to be done. He is basically a joker card, where he can be whatever you want him to be that night. Riley is the key to success with the bench unit, and he has shown it in his Summer League outings.

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