The Washington Wizards are entering yet another year of their rebuild as the team desperately looks to get back in the mix of a loaded Eastern Conference.
Between countless swings in the NBA Draft, blockbuster trades to acquire the right mixture of veterans and free agency signings of former lottery picks hoping a change of scenery could tap into their potential, Washington still finds themselves searching for cornerstone pieces.
When the team selected Bilal Coulibaly, the hope was that the oversized guard could use his unique skillset and size to develop into a star for the team. And while that's still a possibility, all indications are that the 6-foot-8 playmaker's ceiling is a dynamic two-way role player.
Alex Sarr is another swing the Wizards hoped would pan out to be the cornerstone Washington desperately needed after being selected with the No. 2 overall pick in 2025.
However, after a struggle-some rookie season, there seems to be more pessimism about the hope that Sarr can be a star player than their is optimism about his chances being a cornerstone for the Wizards.
Which leads us to Tre Johnson, the Wizards most recent lottery pick who many expect to be the other part of the dynamic duo former between Sarr and the explosive guard.
Johnson has real potential to be the cornerstone that the Wizards desperately needed, but the duo opposite of him to lead the Wizards may not be Sarr after all.
Instead, one of the Wizards' most underrated additions of the offseason, Cam Whitmore, could be the player to step up alongside the incoming rookie.
Whitmore showed plenty of flashes during his time in Houston, but the lack of opportunity on a contending team limited what the former lottery-level talent was able to offer the Rockets.
Now, in what many expect to be a much larger role in Washington, the versatile forward could be poised for a breakout season to remind people why he was a coveted draft prospect a few years ago before a pre-draft injury caused his stock to drop.
Johnson and Whitmore could be the duo to get the Wizards one step closer to competing in the Eastern Conference and if one of the two, or even both are able to emerge as a cornerstone for Washington, Brian Keefe's squad could genuinely be a sleeper in the East.
A new duo could be on the rise sooner than expected,