2025 first round picks Will Riley (27) and Tre Johnson will join 2026 No. 1 selection A.J. Dybantsa on the Wizards’ summer league team (All Pro Reels)
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The Washington Wizards spent every offseason since 2023 building a roster young enough to develop and bad enough to lose 60-plus games.
After finally landing a franchise cornerstone with the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, general manager Will Dawkins enters this offseason with a different objective: surrounding that young core with enough competent veterans to compete in a crowded Eastern Conference.
Washington’s 15-man roster is nearly complete because the front office essentially handled its biggest free-agent business months ago, acquiring Trae Young — the player the organization viewed as the top 2026 free agent — and Anthony Davis before February’s trade deadline.
The current roster:
Guards
Trae Young
Tre Johnson
Bub Carrington
Jaden Hardy
D’Angelo Russell
Wings
AJ Dybantsa
Kyshawn George
Bilal Coulibaly
Will Riley
Jamir Watkins
Forwards
Anthony Davis
Justin Champagnie
Cam Whitmore
Centers
Adding a veteran center behind Sarr and Davis remains the most obvious need.
So does creating another roster spot, potentially by waiving Russell or negotiating a buyout. The veteran guard, part of the Davis trade with the Dallas Mavericks, exercised his $5.9 million player option earlier this month despite never reporting to Washington.
That doesn’t mean the Wizards are planning an aggressive summer.
The organization believes a roster built largely through its own draft picks — supplemented by All-Star veterans acquired via trade — is ready to take the next step.
It may be a relatively quiet offseason in Washington, but it’s still an important one as the Dybantsa era officially begins.
Here are the key dates before free agency opens at 6 p.m. ET on June 30.
The first domino falls with Washington’s decision on Jamir Watkins’ $2.15 million team option for the 2026-27 season.
The No. 43 overall pick in the 2025 draft averaged 7.4 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.1 steals across 50 games as a rookie.
His physical on-ball defense and switchability at 6-foot-6, 210 pounds fit Dawkins’ defensive philosophy. While his outside shot (29.7 percent from three) remains a work in progress, Watkins finished the season on a high note with 24 points and five made 3-pointers in the finale.
The Florida State product turns 25 on July 6.
After beginning last season on a two-way contract before earning a standard NBA deal, Watkins is expected to remain in Washington. The question is whether the Wizards simply exercise the option or negotiate a longer-term contract.
June 29 is also the deadline to extend a qualifying offer to two-way guard Sharife Cooper, who averaged 8.1 points and 3.0 assists in 41 appearances.
Other candidates for Washington’s two-way contracts include Julian Reese, Leaky Black and Okpara.
Washington’s biggest moves are already behind it.
Still, don’t expect Dawkins to spend the week on vacation.
The Wizards clearly need another dependable frontcourt player.
Davis and Sarr project as the starters, with Vukcevic and Okpara behind them. Vukcevic continues to show offensive promise but posted a 118.5 defensive rating, while Okpara remains an offensive project entering the league.
Dawkins acknowledged that need during Okpara’s introductory press conference, identifying another veteran big man as the organization’s top offseason priority.
After agreeing to Young’s four-year, $212 million extension and selecting Dybantsa first overall, Washington still has financial flexibility.
The case at No. 1 for A.J. Dybantsa, the scoring threat who blends star appeal with the safest profile in the draft2026-27 salaries
Anthony Davis — $58,456,566
Trae Young — ~$49,186,509
AJ Dybantsa — $15,200,000
Alex Sarr — $12,370,680
Bilal Coulibaly — $9,240,012
Tre Johnson — $8,649,600
Jaden Hardy — $6,000,000
D’Angelo Russell — $5,969,250
Cam Whitmore — $5,458,310
Bub Carrington — $4,900,560
Will Riley — $3,688,320
Kyshawn George — $3,108,000
Tristan Vukcevic — $3,000,000
Justin Champagnie — $2,667,944
Jamir Watkins — $2,150,917
Total salary: $190,046,668
Luxury-tax space: $10,953,332
First apron space: $18,953,332
Second apron space: $31,953,332
Washington also owns the full non-taxpayer mid-level exception (approximately $15.05 million) and a $13.45 million trade exception that expires July 9.
The bottom line: The Wizards have the financial flexibility to add an experienced backup center.
Marvin Bagley III remains an intriguing reunion candidate after spending parts of the previous three seasons in Washington, followed by stops with Memphis and Dallas.
In 38 games with the Wizards last season, Bagley averaged 10.1 points and 5.7 rebounds while shooting 62.6 percent from the field.
Other unrestricted free-agent centers include:
Mitchell Robinson
Nikola Vucevic
Jusuf Nurkic
Zach Collins
Robert Williams III
Those players would likely command salaries in the $10-15 million range and, therefore, are unlikely targets unless a Davis trade looms.
Less expensive alternatives include a pair of former Wizards:
Moritz Wagner
Nick Richards
Kevon Looney
Thomas Bryant
Dwight Powell
Drew Eubanks
July 1: Bilal Coulibaly and Cam Whitmore become eligible for rookie-scale extensions.
Washington previously extended Deni Avdija and Corey Kispert before eventually trading both. An extension for Coulibaly, Dawkins’ first draft selection as Wizards general manager, appears far more likely than one for Whitmore, who missed most of last season after developing deep vein thrombosis in his shoulder.
July 6: Free agency officially begins.
Teams may agree to contracts starting June 30, but signings cannot become official until the new league year opens on July 6.
July 9: Dybantsa’s Summer League debut.
The Wizards open Summer League at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN against Darryn Peterson and the Utah Jazz.
Washington’s roster is expected to feature Dybantsa, Johnson, Riley and Okpara, giving fans their first extended look at the organization’s next wave of talent.
The scheduled matchups and expected opposing headliners are:
Thursday, July 9: vs. Utah Jazz at 9:00 PM ET (No. 2 pick Peterson)
Sunday, July 12: vs. Sacramento Kings at 8:00 PM ET (No. 7 Darius Acuff)
Tuesday, July 14: vs. Chicago Bulls at 8:00 PM ET (No. 4 Caleb Wilson)
Wednesday, July 15: vs. Los Angeles Clippers at 10:30 PM (No. 5 Keaton Wagler)
A fifth game will be scheduled, depending on the results in the first four matchups.
Greg Finberg is entering his fifth season covering the Washington Wizards. He’s spent the last three years as a staff writer and editor at Bullets Forever while earning his bachelor’s degree in digital and print journalism from Penn State University and covering the Nittany Lions football team for the Philadelphia Inquirer. You can find Greg’s Wizards coverage on X (@GregFinberg) and on YouTube @TheWizardsPodcast.