Whether it was from the Washington Wizards acquiring NBA 75 big man Anthony Davis in February, or LeBron James' unorthodox approach that landed him in Philadelphia as a 76er, a lot of Wizards fans had hopes of the former 4-time MVP joining the team.
These dreams of LBJ came to an end on Friday afternoon, though, when the player many consider the greatest of all time chose the aforementioned Sixers to play out the final chapter of his career.
For other teams that were in pursuit of “The Chosen One,” like the Golden State Warriors, or his hometown team that he won a championship with, the Cleveland Cavaliers, this could be seen as a time to panic that James decided to play elsewhere. For the Wizards, however, I think this could be great news in the long term.
This gives the Wizards a clear timeline
While Davis and four-time All-Star Trae Young will certainly be huge pieces of the puzzle in the short term for the team, not landing LeBron keeps players like Alex Sarr, Kyshawn George, Tre Johnson, Will Riley, and the face of the franchise going forward, the number one overall pick of the 2026 NBA Draft, AJ Dybantsa, at the forefront of the team’s vision and plans.
No matter how enticing getting a player of LeBron’s caliber, even at the age of 42, would have been, a long-term, drawn-out plan centered around the young core of this team will yield better results.
This allows big minutes early for Dybantsa and the other young talents. Putting players in big spots early in their careers will speed up their development.
Getting LeBron would have been too last-minute for the Wizards
This is not at all to tear down LeBron's legend, which is sure to be on display every night he is on the floor for the Sixers, but this trajectory the Wizards are on is multiple years in the making.
Slowly putting together the young talent they have by the great drafting of Will Dawkins, culminating in the selection of AJ Dybantsa, is what the coaches and roster are prepared for. LeBron going into year 24, however, is not.
Who’s to say if Will Riley, despite his immense talent, or Bub Carrington are ready to impact winning at a championship level right now? If LeBron were a Wizard, would there be an expectation to trade some of them for “win now guys”? Then, where does that get you in two years after the All-time great retires?
LeBron will continue to showcase his brilliance in Philly, but the Wizards are headed in a direction that is just fine without The King.
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