The Washington Wizards have made it clear since their rebuild began that a major part of the process would be bringing in veteran leaders that could play a pivotal role in the development of their young core.
Washington tried their hand at finding veteran mentors by trading for Malcolm Brogdon, signing Jonas Valanciunas, taking on the contracts of veterans like Khris Middleton and Marcus Smart ahead of last February's NBA trade deadline and most recently acquiring CJ McCollum.
Throughout the team's efforts, they have yet to find the one veteran that could make a lasting impact, at least not one that was noticable to the fanbase.
Obviously, each veteran's presence likely brought some sort of impact to the roster, whether that's with players learning how to approach the games, ability to be a professional or simply working on their game inbetween the lines.
However, not one veteran has made as big of an impact as the team's offseason signing.
Marvin Bagley III is the veteran Washington needed all along
The Wizards signed Marvin Bagley III this offseason giving him the opportunity of a second stint in Washington after the team opted to trade him to the Memphis Grizzlies last season.
A return for Bagley simply seemed like Washington was looking to bolster their frontcourt depth and it seemed like a good fit for the former No. 2 overall pick, who's proven that all he's looking for is a chance to make an impact.
After bouncing around the league, the Duke product has become a wise veteran throughout his trying NBA career and up to this point of the season, he's been impressive on the floor.
Averaging 8.5 points and 4.8 rebounds, while shooting 60.6% from field goal range and 44.4% from beyond the arc, Bagley has been a tremendous backup to sit behind Alex Sarr and even step up in spot starts for the Wizards.
However, the biggest impact Bagley has had on the Wizards since rejoining them is his ability to serve as a veteran mentor for Sarr and simply just do what he can to make things easier on the team's rising star.
When asked about advising Sarr throughout the season, Bagley's answer shows exactly why the Wizards brought him back to the DMV for another season:
“Whenever I see something or can help in any way, I pull him [Sarr[ to the side and talk to him,” Bagley said.
As a player who entered the league with high expectations and now finds himself as a backup after an injury plagued career, Bagley's presence for Sarr seems major for not only the short-term, but the long-term future of the Wizards big man.