5 Wizards players who could end up on a new team by the trade deadline
By Tyler Watts
The Washington Wizards are still in the early stages of a rebuild. They added three first-round picks to their roster in the 2024 draft and are trying to amass young talent. It will be a slow process in the nation’s capital, but there is already excitement about one of the teenage talents.
The Wizards’ Jordan Poole problem is not going away. The 6’4 guard has three years left on his contract and was rated as one of the worst players in the NBA last season by several advanced metrics. Washington is years away from contending and will likely have to wait for Poole to come off their books.
Expect the franchise to be active before the deadline. They would love to turn some of their veterans into draft capital, and there will be plenty of competition for the number one overall pick in the 2025 draft. Washington owes their pick to the Knicks with a top-ten protection, so expect them to finish near the bottom of the standings. Here are five current Wizards who could be on the move before the Feb. 6 trade deadline.
5. Richaun Holmes
The Mavericks traded Holmes and a 2024 first-round draft pick to Washington for Daniel Gafford before the 2024 deadline. Gafford played a key role in Dallas’s run to the NBA Finals as Holmes found additional playing time in Washington. He struggled to get consistent run for two straight years, but the 30-year-old averaged 7.1 points and 6.1 rebounds in 18.7 minutes per game over 18 contests with the Wizards.
The franchise kept him around this offseason. He had a $12.9 million player option, but he declined it in favor of a two-year $25.9 million extension. Holmes is guaranteed just $250,000 in the 2025-26 season but will earn $12.6 million this year.
The Wizards will explore using the 30-year-old as a salary-matcher in a trade. Richaun Holmes isn’t going to be the opposition’s primary target. Washington signed Jonas Valanciunas as their starting center, but Holmes could be key in making the math of a deal work.
He is far from the only veteran the Wizards will make available before the deadline as the franchise attempts to stockpile assets.