The Washington Wizards are firmly in the midst of their rebuild with all signs pointing to the team prioritizing a top-8 pick in a loaded 2026 NBA Draft class.
Nonetheless, following the blockbuster trade to acquire four-time All-Star Trae Young from the Atlanta Hawks, it seems as if the Wizards have their sights set on potentially making a push for a playoff run sooner than originally expected.
Considering Washington's abundance of young talent and assets, mixed with the veteran contract of Khris Middleton and future financial flexibility, it doesn't come as a surprise to hear the Wizards rumored to be in the market to make additional trades ahead of the NBA trade deadline in February.
However, not all rumors should be taken serious.
In fact, most rumors should be taken with a grain of salt considering the amount of made up sources who tend to throw information against the wall hoping it sticks.
Nonetheless, this recent rumor may not be one to overlook considering it came from one of the most reliable sources covering the Wizards.
The early smoke from The Athletic's Josh Robbins report about the Wizards slight interest in another blockbuster trade definitely raises eyebrows and for that, it's worth talking about.
Wizards could be eyeing Zion Williamson
The New Orleans Pelicans have reportedly made it clear to teams that star player and former No. 1 overall pick Zion Williamson is off limits in trade talks.
Then again, New Orleans front office has been known to make some wild moves and with the dialogue clearly being consistent between the Pelicans and the Wizards (shoutout Jordan Poole), Robbins report doesn't exactly come as a total shock, especially after the move to land Young.
Some of the Wizards’ assets could satisfy the Pelicans in a potential trade for Zion Williamson, per @JoshuaBRobbins
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) January 20, 2026
“The Pelicans reportedly have told teamsthey’re not going to trade Williamson, Herb Jones, Trey Murphy III, Derik Queen or Jeremiah Fears. As it pertains to… pic.twitter.com/62NDFmanXU
Robbins report about the Wizards' potential interest in Williamson comes with a lot of information, but the one piece of intel that stands out the most to me is the fact that the insider felt the need to put the report out.
"To be crystal clear: The Wizards trading for Williamson appears to be an extreme long shot," Robins said. "But it was mentioned as a possibility by enough league sources that it at least should be mentioned here.”
The addition of Williamson would certainly come with risks, but the potential reward for a talent of his caliber using a fresh start to finally put it all together is the exact risks that could flip Washington's rebuild upside down.