The Washington Wizards are rumored to be interested in signing DeMar DeRozan, and it should have fans questioning the front office. They want to win, but that will take actual roster building. The Wizards wisely bought low on Trae Young and Anthony Davis to help them get back in contention, but there is only one ball. DeRozan is an elite scorer, but he makes Washington’s shooting and defensive questions worse. DeRozan doesn’t fit.
The Wizards just drafted AJ Dybantsa number one overall. He profiles to quickly become an elite scorer, but there are questions about his jumper. Anthony Davis is a below-average shooter who is expected to play the four. Alex Sarr and Deandre Ayton aren’t spacing the floor. Washington already has shooting issues, and wants to add another non-shooter.
DeRozan turns 37 before opening night and just produced his worst full-season value over replacement player (VOPR) since 2015. Washington wants to get back into contention. The Eastern Conference got significantly better this offseason, and adding DeRozan would just further make the Wizards roster look like something straight out of NBA 2K.
DeMar DeRozan doesn’t fit on the current Wizards
Washington wants to win, but they can't give up on developing their young talent. Dybantsa could be one of the best players in the world. The Wizards have seen flashes from Kyshawn George, Bub Carrington, Alex Sarr, Bilal Coulibaly, Tre Johnson, and Will Riley. They must find out if those are all key role players on a future contending roster. That means giving them minutes and letting them make mistakes.
The Wizards already acquired Khris Middleton as the veteran former All-Star to help mold the young talent. They traded for Deandre Ayton to give them a quality big man option. Washington has the vets to balance out the young talent.
The pressure is on the front office. They traded for two All-Stars and have already given Trae Young a massive extension. Anthony Davis could soon be next. With two stars leading their roster, it is time to start winning.
DeRozan literally doesn’t help with that. He is an elite scorer. There is no questioning that, but he hasn’t played in the playoffs since 2022, and his team hasn’t won a playoff series since 2018. Suddenly, he is going to help a young squad that doesn’t fit around him win? That seems extremely unlikely for a 37-year-old.
Wizards fans were surprised by the Young and AD trades. Acquiring Khris Middleton came as a shock. This is a young team that just drafted a number one pick. Dybantsa won’t be impacting winning from day one. Even elite talents have an adjustment period.
The Wizards need to build a roster around him. Adding multiple All-Stars that don’t fit or help maximize his skill set doesn’t make sense.
Michael Winger and Will Dawkins have lost the plot. They think this is NBA 2K where you just want the five most talented players on the floor. The Washington Wizards must build a roster that maximizes AJ Dybantsa.
DeMar DeRozan shouldn’t be part of that. The front office must focus on building a team. Not just adding the most talented players and praying it works. It won’t, and the Wiz should avoid a DeRozan signing for just that reason.
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