Before the Washington Wizards landed the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, they were doing the right thing. Trading for Trae Young was smart because the Wizards had no idea how lucky they were about to get. The same goes for the Anthony Davis trade. Washington was sick of being a bottom-dweller, so it decided to do something about it.
In today's NBA, that's respectable. Trying to put a quality team on the court for your fan base, especially in an era where anything can happen, is smart. Unfortunately, the Wizards spent so long rebuilding through youth that they have a very young core around Young and Davis. Dybantsa only adds to that.
Now, the Wizards are going to invest a ton of money into Young and Davis when they should be waiting back and trying to use that money to build around Dybantsa and the rest of their young core.
Wizards made smart moves at the wrong time
The Young contract is bad. Plain and simple. The Wizards handed him way too much money for a guy who struggles on the defensive side of the ball and hasn't won at the highest level in five years.
Young is a good player. He's a good playmaker. Having him on the roster will help elevate Dybantsa in the short term because somebody will be able to set him up for easy buckets.
But with the CBA being what it is, especially with the second apron, overpaying a player is one of the worst things an NBA team can do. That's exactly what the Wizards have done with Young.
And if Washington ends up handing Davis a massive contract extension, they are going to be doing the same thing with him. He's a good player, but with his injury history, paying him a ton of money is a bad idea.
Had the Wizards not traded for Young and Davis this past season, they might actually be in a better spot. They would have Dybantsa, Alex Sarr, Tre Johnson, Kyshawn George, and the rest of their young players to build around.
But most importantly, they would also have a very cheap roster. They wouldn't be spending a ton of money on two veterans when they have one of the best young stars in the league leading the way.
Washington did the right thing. Trading for players to try to recoup their trade value is smart for a team that is stuck in the middle of nowhere. Young and Davis will help make the Wizards better.
Unfortunately, the timing was just really bad for Washington. The Wizards' luck finally came right after they decided to try to make their own luck.
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