The Washington Wizards haven't been given the best street cred over the last few years.
Washington's struggles as of late have given them such a bad reputation, that playing in D.C. wasn't exactly on any player's bingo card.
There's no denying the constant cycles of losing gave the organization a bad look and the team's former regime's failure to face reality and his the restart button when a rebuild was needed put them behind the eight ball.
However, the Wizards are slowly but surely back on the come up and they've done a great job putting the right pieces of the puzzle together to turn things around for the future.
Between the culture general manager Will Dawkins has made it a point to instill in the DMV, the hiring of head coach Brian Keefe to lead the charge and the aggressive moves to bolster the roster with as much talent as possible, the Wizards future is looking brighter by the day.
Of the variety of moves Washington's made this offseason, the Wizards haven't waved on their mission to provide adequate veterans to mentor the team's young roster.
One move in specific the Wizards made this offseason that opened eyes was the addition of CJ McCollum, who landed in Washington in a blockbuster trade with the New Orleans Pelicans.
McCollum, at 34, didn't seem like a player who would exactly be thrilled about joining a rebuilding team at this point of his career.
Despite that, the guard has made it clear that he's more than willing to take on his new role as the vet on the roster and do whatever he can to help the team while he's here.
Not only will his mentorship for the young players on the roster leave a lasting impact, but his positive praise about the team's organization could be exactly what the Wizards need to turn the narrative around.
CJ McCollum told me that the Wizards are one of the most “organized organizations” he’s been a part of. He mentioned their variety of resources and how they care about every player on the roster, not just the top guys. pic.twitter.com/wlevv9WHJk
— Joshua Valdez (@joshvaldez100) October 7, 2025
McCollum's praise of the Wizards organization may not seem major, but in the future, this comment could be looked back on as the defining moment that free agents and players around the league began to change their opinions about potentially playing for the Wizards.
With one of the most respected veterans in the league openly coming out to make it clear that not only are things organized in Washington, but the team's resources and priority to make a connection with each player is the exact combination of selling points that could help the Wizards get back on the map.