The Washington Wizards are hoping to build something special, and the 2024 NBA Draft could be a huge turning point for them, as they landed Alex Sarr, Bub Carrington, and Kyshawn George.
Those threes are going to be major focal points of Washington’s rebuild alongside Bilal Coulibaly. But they aren’t the only players on the team.
Jordan Poole, who joined the team last offseason via a trade with the Golden State Warriors, wasn’t great in his first season with Washington, but he put together a nice stretch to end the year.
Now, the 25-year-old hopes to be a part of the team’s young core moving forward. They could roll out a fun lineup of Carrington, Poole, George, Coulibaly, and Sarr.
Jordan Poole talks about future on Wizards with Alex Sarr after Summer League
And Poole is very excited to play with Sarr, who was the No. 2 pick in this year’s draft. He caught up with Damian Burchardt of The US Sun at Summer League and commented on a potential future playing next to Sarr.
"Really excited to start something in DC"Jordan Poole on Alex Sarr
Sarr did not play well in Summer League. In five appearances, he averaged 5.5 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 3.3 assists while shooting just 9-of-27 (19.1%) from the floor and 2-of-17 (11.8%) from beyond the arc.
But he’s only 19 years old, and coming into the draft, it was clear that his offensive game was going to be raw. The Wizards will have plenty of time to develop him, and Poole is pumped up to see what the rookie can become.
"Really talented, a lot of potential... He's coming over to our team at the right time. We're excited just to have him play his game and all grow together and learn... He's athletic. He's lengthy. He can run. He's a really good shot blocker."Poole said of Sarr
Both players will be looking to bounce back next year. Poole will want to bounce back from his first year in Washington, and Sarr will want to prove that he’s much more than what he showed in Summer League.
Together, alongside the rest of the young core, they will attempt to push the Wizards forward into the future. That won’t happen right away, but that’s okay.
Washington is going to be a bad team next year. They’re going to finish toward the bottom of the Eastern Conference. But that’s what they want. That’s what will help them land a Cooper Flagg or Ace Bailey.
Then from there, the world is their oyster.