Wizards Among NBA's Worst Cores

The Washington Wizards stars don't stack up well against the rest of the NBA.

Nov 15, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Washington Wizards guard Bilal Coulibaly (0) attempts to shoot against Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson (1) during the first quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images / Jordan Godfree-Imagn Images

The Washington Wizards are a rebuilding team with four first-round picks from the past two drafts, so it should not be a surprise that the core is one of the worst in the league.

ESPN writer Tim Bontemps identified each team's three best players and ranked them against the rest of the league. The Wizards' core, featuring Bub Carrington, Alex Sarr and Bilal Coulibaly, finished at No. 27 on the list.

"If this is a list for the next five years and beyond, Washington would be much higher, as rookies Carrington and Sarr and second-year forward Coulibaly have all shown flashes this season. The Wizards are going to lose a lot of games and are set to add another high lottery pick to this mix again next June, but there's a lot to like about the long-term potential of this group going forward," Bontemps writes.

The only teams to rank lower on the list were the Portland Trail Blazers with Scoot Henderson, Shaedon Sharpe and Donovan Clingan, the Chicago Bulls with Coby White, Josh Giddey and Patrick Williams, and the Brooklyn Nets with Nic Claxton, Noah Clowney and Cam Thomas.

Carrington, Sarr and Coulibaly were all taken in the lottery over the past two years, so they are ideally who the Wizards want to build around. Considering all three players start, the Wizards have shown a commitment to the youth movement, which is a good sign for the rebuild.

While the Wizards will likely add players with higher ceilings than the three of them in the next draft or two, the entire trio has the chance to be part of the next great team in Washington in some capacity.

The Wizards are back in action tomorrow as they take on the defending champion Boston Celtics in the NBA Cup.

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