The Washington Wizards have multiple young players on the roster that could very well make or break the team's rebuild moving forward.
Washington has done a great job stacking young talent, but so far none of their young players have emerged as a bonafide future star.
Looking at team's over the last few seasons like the San Antonio Spurs with Victor Wembanyama and the Orlando Magic with Paolo Banchero, it was clear each squad has a cornerstone to build around.
For the Wizards, that's not exactly clear yet.
Looking ahead, here's a look at which of the Wizards sophomores are the most likely to make a leap in year two.
1) Alex Sarr
Alex Sarr is arguably the one player the team is desperately hoping to develop into a cornerstone for the Wizards.
The French product was taken with the No. 2 overall pick in last year's NBA Draft and with plenty invested into his development, all eyes look at the 7-footer heading into year two.
Obviously, Sarr started his tenure with the Wizards rough with a poor Summer League showing and rough stretches to start the regular season. However, the big man seemingly started to find his rhythm down the stretch on offense and proved that his potential as a two-way star was well worth the risk at No. 2 overall.
Sarr finished his rookie campaign with NBA All-Rookie First Team honors, averaging 13 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.5 blocks on the season.
Heading into year two, Sarr has the best chance to make a leap.
2) Bub Carrington
Bub Carrington was also selected in the lottery by the Wizards last offseason, and he very well could be the one to blame for the Wiz missing out on Cooper Flagg courtesy of his game-winner against the Miami Heat in the regular season finale. Nonetheless, that's a story for another time.
Carrington is talented, but he's a raw prospect. Although being a raw prospect has its pros and cons, for a player in his position, there's plenty more pros to look at.
The Pitt product has the opportunity to truly focus on his development on a rebuilding team like Washington and considering the tools he has, there's a very high ceiling for the type of player he can become.
Carrington finished his rookie season averaging 9.8 points, 4.4 assists and 4.2 rebounds. Heading into year two, if the guard can slow things down and develop a more consistent jumper, he could turn some heads.
3) Kyshawn George
Kyshawn George showed enough in year one that it wouldn't be a shock for the Wizards to already have him pencilled in as a core piece to their rebuild.
The 21 year old's stats may not be flashy, but his versatility and high-IQ is exactly what any team would want in a key role player, even on championship squads.
George can defend multiple positions with his 6-foot-8 frame. He's shown flashes of his potential on offense as a scorer, but most impressively, his potential as a playmaker is what's the most appealing to me.
Heading into next season, George slots in at No. 3 in terms of most likely to make a leap, but it wouldn't be a shock to see him exceed expectations once again.
4) AJ Johnson
AJ Johnson was drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks with the No. 23 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft as a raw developmental prospect.
The guard found himself involved in deal at the trade deadline in February that landed him in Washington. Although being traded months after being drafted may not be a great feeling for Johnson, he may have landed in the best position for his career.
Johnson managed to see extended minutes for the Wizards down the stretch of the season and he showed flashes of why the Bucks were comfortable letting him develop on the end of their bench.
Heading into year two, it will be interesting to see just how much of a leap Johnson is able to make. Regardless, the talent is there and his potential is one to monitor.