With the regular season in the rearview, the Washington Wizards have an offseason full of roster decisions ahead. The team will look not only to build through the draft but to make smart trades as well, collecting assets along the road to building a title contender.
When approaching trade talks this offseason, it will be key for general manager Will Dawkins to properly evaluate the pieces the team has and understand which are expendable and which should remain off the table.
Despite the ugly record, there were several players who made notable progress towards becoming effective NBA scorers and defenders for Washington this season. These players should be made untouchable in trade discussion this summer as the team works to assemble the right team to return successful basketball to the District.
Bilal Coulibaly
No surprise here; the Wizards' 19-year-old forward is an untouchable member of this roster. After an impressive rookie season, which unfortunately came to an abrupt end in March after he had been discovered to have fractured his wrist during a game against the Chicago Bulls, Bilal Coulibaly has cemented himself as a cornerstone piece for what the Wizards' new-look front office is working to build.
The development Coulibaly underwent between his NBA debut in October and February when he became a routine starter for Washington was a strong example of his coachability and potential in this league. ESPN's Zach Lowe listed Coulibaly as an honorable mention for his All-Rookie team predictions, describing him as a strong defender with more juice on offense than other defensively-inclined players in his class.
When he returns from his recovery process, the 6'6" forward projects to be a key member of the Wizards' rotation. As a French native, Coulibaly has spoken about the possibility of joining NBA stars such as Victor Wembanyama and Rudy Gobert on France's national team during the Olympics. Bilal has said he will choose between participating in the Olympics or playing for the Wizards' Summer League team in Las Vegas.
Deni Avdija
Considered by many to be the 2023-24 Wizards' most valuable player, Deni Avdija is not going anywhere. The 23-year-old forward put pen to paper on a four-year, $55 million rookie contract extension last October, a proactive signing by Dawkins that locks in the team's longest-tenured player through the 2027-28 season.
Avdija's season was filled with career bests, setting new per-game highs in points, rebounds, and assists. The Wizards' coaching staff worked pointedly with Avdija to improve his outside scoring ability, raising his 29.7 percent three-point shooting mark from last season up to 37.4 percent by the end of this year's campaign.
The addition of a respectable three-point shot has forced teams to meet Deni beyond the arc, allowing him to blow past his primary defender with a quick first step and score through contact at the rim. The Wizards began to involve Avdija as a playmaker in their late-season scoring approach as well, working to round out the fourth-year forward as a complete offensive weapon.
His tireless motor and unusual combination of size and speed has made Avdija a beloved addition to this team, connecting with the fans as they have grown accustom to seeing him lead the way in the team's winning efforts.
Looking forward, Dawkins and the rest of the Wizards' front office must not budge on any trade proposals for Avdija or Coulibaly this summer. The two have become integral pieces in the Wizards' rebuild and will hopefully become key players on the new contending team in Washington.