<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/washington-wizards/wizards-news-bilal-coulibaly-expected-miss-beginning-season-thumb-surgery');   ga('set', 'title', 'Wizards’ Bilal Coulibaly expected to miss beginning of season after thumb surgery');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Bilal-Coulibaly-of-the-Washington-Wizards-1.jpg"><figcaption>John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Wizards’ Bilal Coulibaly expected to miss beginning of season after thumb surgery</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-12T10:35:32-07:00">September 12th, 10:35am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-12T10:35:32-07:00">September 12th, 10:35am</time><address><a>Benedetto Vitale</a>Benedetto Vitale is an avid sports writer who is an expert at covering the NFL, college football, NBA, and UFC. He graduated from the University of Oregon in 2016 with a film degree but has since dedicated his career to sports writing.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The upcoming NBA season tips off on October 21. In the meantime, teams around the league are preparing for training camp, which begins in late September. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/washington-wizards/washington-wizards-2025-26-season-predictions-nba-schedule-release">The Washington Wizards are a young team</a> to keep an eye on as the organization continues to rebuild. However, they may be without one of their key contributors in Bilal Coulibaly, to begin the season.</p><p>Reports indicate that Coulibaly, who is 21 years old, <a href="https://x.com/ShamsCharania/status/1966546100430438419" rel="noopener">underwent surgery on his thumb</a> on Friday, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. Bilal Coulibaly was forced to repair a torn ligament in his thumb that he injured during the FIBA EuroBasket competition playing for Team France.</p><p>“Washington Wizards guard Bilal Coulibaly underwent surgery Friday to repair a ligament tear in his right thumb and is likely to miss time into the regular season, sources tell ESPN. Coulibaly sustained the injury with the French national team during FIBA EuroBasket play.”</p><p>It’s not entirely clear how many games Coulibaly could miss for the Wizards. But it could be a good chunk of the beginning of the 2025-26 season, as the recovery time for the surgery he received can take up to three months. If that’s the case, Bilal Coulibaly may not see the court until sometime in December.</p><p>The former first-round pick is deemed one of the marquee players the Wizards are building around. After a roller coaster of a rookie year, he seemed to settle down and show improvement in his second season. Bilal Coulibaly ended the 2024-25 campaign averaging 12.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game while shooting 42.1% from the floor and 28.1% from beyond the three-point line.</p><p>It’ll be interesting to see <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/washington-wizards/wizards-news-wiz-kids-offering-fans-hope-overseas-tournaments">how the Wizards navigate</a> the first portion of the regular season without Coulibaly. It may mean that rookie Tre Johnson sees an extended amount of playing time right out of the gate. Other rookies who could make an impact for Washington this season include Will Riley and Jamir Watkins.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Wizards’ Bilal Coulibaly expected to miss beginning of season after thumb surgery

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/washington-wizards/washington-wizards-2025-26-season-predictions-nba-schedule-release');   ga('set', 'title', 'Washington Wizards 2025-26 season predictions after NBA schedule release');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Washington-Wizards-center-Alex-Sarr.jpg"><figcaption>David Banks-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Washington Wizards 2025-26 season predictions after NBA schedule release</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-04T06:03:23-07:00">September 4th, 6:03am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-04T06:03:23-07:00">September 4th, 6:03am</time><address><a>Rohan Brahmbhatt</a>Rohan Brahmbhatt is an adventure-driven sports writer, passionate footballer, mountaineer, and photojournalist. Rohan blends firsthand experience with storytelling—capturing the intensity of sport and the thrill of exploration. Whether on the field, a mountain trail, or behind the lens, he brings authentic, high-energy narratives that connect readers to the heart of the action.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>There comes a time in every rebuild when patience must finally pay off. For the Washington Wizards, the 2025-26 NBA season represents a crucial checkpoint in their long and often painful reset. After bottoming out at 18-64 last season, the worst record in the Eastern Conference, the Wizards have undergone a transformational summer. They shed bad money, gained cap flexibility, and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/washington-wizards/washington-wizards-2025-nba-draft-grades">injected intriguing young talent</a> into their roster. On paper, the franchise looks more coherent than it has in years. But as the schedule for the new season drops, the lingering question remains: will these moves finally translate to wins, or are the Wizards destined for another year of futility?</p><h2><b>How will the Wizards navigate the 2025-26 NBA schedule?</b></h2><p>The NBA schedule rarely does rebuilding teams any favors, and Washington’s early slate is unforgiving. They open with road games against Milwaukee and Dallas, both legitimate playoff teams. Within the first month, they’ll face Philadelphia, Oklahoma City, Boston, and Cleveland. Even a vastly improved Wizards squad will struggle to emerge from October and November with momentum.</p><p>That said, the schedule does provide opportunities. Matchups against Charlotte, Orlando, and Detroit offer winnable games if Washington plays with discipline. Later in the season, a series of home stretches against rebuilding or mid-tier opponents: Portland, Indiana, Brooklyn, and Utah, could give the Wizards a chance to stack modest win streaks.</p><p>But there are landmines everywhere. Back-to-backs against contenders, long road trips in January and March, and a brutal West Coast swing through Phoenix, Sacramento, Denver, and Golden State could all derail progress. If the Wizards can stay afloat through those stretches, it will signal a newfound resilience.</p><h2><b>Why did this offseason sparked hope?</b></h2><p>Few summers in recent Washington history have carried as much significance as the 2025 offseason. The decision to trade Jordan Poole to the New Orleans <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-orleans-pelicans/pelicans-wizards-trade-grades-for-jordan-poole-cj-mccollum-swap">Pelicans for veteran guard CJ McCollum</a> was more than just a roster shuffle; it was a financial exorcism. Poole’s bloated deal had become a millstone, threatening to lock the Wizards in cap purgatory for years. By moving him, Washington not only secured short-term relief but also opened up meaningful cap space for the summer of 2026.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">the wizards really got TRE JOHNSON, KYSHAWN GEORGE, BUB CARRINGTON, BILAL COULIBALY, ALEX SARR, CAM WHITMORE AND AJ JOHNSON</p><p>dont forget champagnie, watkins and vukcevic + $100 mil in cap space + another top pick next season</p><p>this team is gonna be great soon <a href="https://t.co/WgHwD57cfj">pic.twitter.com/WgHwD57cfj</a></p><p>— WizardsMuse (@WizardsMuse1) <a href="https://twitter.com/WizardsMuse1/status/1947826214762385811?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 23, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/washington-wizards/wizards-news-khris-middleton-makes-33-3m-contract-decision">inclusion of Khris Middleton</a> and Marvin Bagley III as veteran presences further cemented the strategy. Both are on expiring contracts, giving the team the freedom to either extend them at reasonable rates or allow them to walk, preserving financial flexibility. For a franchise often criticized for retaining expensive, underperforming players, this represents a significant shift in philosophy.</p><p>Then came the opportunistic strike: acquiring Cam <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/washington-wizards/wizards-acquiring-cam-whitmore-in-trade-with-rockets">Whitmore from the Houston Rockets</a>. At just 21 years old, Whitmore is a raw but tantalizing prospect, a scoring wing with explosive athleticism and real star potential if developed properly. Adding him into the mix gave Washington not only short-term excitement but also a longer-term piece to evaluate alongside Bilal Coulibaly.</p><p>For once, the Wizards’ offseason felt strategic rather than reactive. They weren’t just hoarding draft picks or patching over mistakes. They were building a runway toward something bigger.</p><p>Context, however, is essential. Washington cannot escape the shadow of last year’s 18-64 debacle. The team ranked among the league’s worst in both offensive efficiency and defensive rating, collapsing in nearly every meaningful statistical category. They lacked consistency, identity, and, frankly, watchability.</p><p>That record placed them firmly at the <a href="https://www.nba.com/standings" rel="noopener">bottom of the Eastern Conference</a>, behind even rebuilding teams like Detroit and Charlotte. The scars of that season will not disappear overnight. The Wizards’ new additions must do more than simply exist; they must actively shift the culture of losing that has plagued this roster.</p><h2><b>What are our predictions for the Wizards’ record?</b></h2><p>The Wizards are not about to morph into contenders overnight. Their roster, while more balanced than in years past, is still flawed. They lack a true superstar to anchor both ends of the floor. Still, improvement is expected. The floor has been raised, and the days of 18 wins should be behind them. A healthier mix of veterans and developing players, combined with a coaching staff that has a clearer mandate, should translate to incremental growth.</p><p>The prediction here is that Washington finishes with a record of 28-54. That represents a ten-game leap from last year, modest in the grand scheme of the NBA, but significant for a franchise trying to climb out of the basement.</p><p>The Eastern Conference hierarchy remains steep. Cleveland, Knicks, Milwaukee, and Hawks are entrenched at the top, while teams like Miami, Detroit, Orlando, and Chicago provide strong middle-class stability.</p><p>For Washington, that means the ceiling is low. A 28-win campaign likely slots them around 12th or 13th in the East, above only the likes of Charlotte or Philadelphia. They’ll be far from the play-in mix, which generally requires at least 37 to 39 wins.</p><p>This positioning reflects the reality: the Wizards are not chasing the postseason this year. They are chasing credibility.</p><h2><b>What does the long-term picture look like?</b></h2><p>The beauty of Washington’s current situation is flexibility. By clearing Poole’s contract and stockpiling expiring deals, the Wizards have set themselves up for a transformative summer in 2026. They’ll have the cap space to chase marquee free agents or absorb contracts for future picks. Combined with their own draft assets and developing young core, they finally have multiple paths forward.</p><p>The 2025-26 season, then, should be viewed less as a quest for wins and more as a bridge. If Whitmore flourishes, Coulibaly develops, and the veterans either provide stability or net trade value, Washington can confidently head into the next phase of the rebuild with clarity.</p><p>The Washington Wizards are not going to shock the NBA world this season. They will not jump from 18 wins to playoff contention. But they will, for the first time in years, begin to look like a franchise with direction. A predicted record of 28-54 will not excite casual fans, but within the walls of the organization, it will mark progress.</p><p>More importantly, the moves made this summer, financial liberation, veteran balance, and the addition of Cam Whitmore, represent the foundation of something greater. The Wizards may not be relevant in 2025-26, but they are planting the seeds to become relevant soon.</p><p>Patience remains the hardest sell in sports, especially for a fanbase that has endured decades of mediocrity. Yet for Washington, this season may finally be the start of the end of that cycle.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Washington Wizards 2025-26 season predictions after NBA schedule release

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/washington-wizards/wizards-news-wiz-kids-offering-fans-hope-overseas-tournaments');   ga('set', 'title', '‘Wiz-Kids’ offering Wizards fans hope during overseas tournaments');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Wizards-news-Wiz-Kids-offering-fans-hope-during-overseas-tournaments.jpg"></figure><h1>‘Wiz-Kids’ offering Wizards fans hope during overseas tournaments</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-02T14:44:16-07:00">September 2nd, 2:44pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-02T15:30:05-07:00">September 2nd, 3:30pm</time><address><a>Joshua Valdez</a>Joshua Valdez started his journalism career as the Sports Editor for the Rutgers University newspaper before becoming an associate editor and Washington Wizards/Mystics reporter for ClutchPoints. He is a diehard Yankees, Jets, Knicks, Rutgers, and Tottenham Hotspur fan. When Joshua is not either watching a game or writing about one, you can find him in an art-house movie theater or working on a screenplay.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Mini-Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>August is typically the slowest part of the year for NBA fans, but the Washington Wizards’ faithful were spoiled this time. 2023 No. 7 overall pick Bilal Coulibaly and 2024 No. 2 pick Alex Sarr have gotten minutes with <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/portland-trail-blazers/eurobasket-news-deni-avdija-gets-100-real-shocking-france-upset">France in the EuroBasket tournament</a>, while 2024 No. 24 pick Kyshawn George competed for Canada in the FIBA AmeriCup.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/washington-wizards/wizards-alex-sarr-suffers-concerning-calf-injury-at-eurobasket">Sarr sustained a calf injury</a> on Saturday that will keep him out for the rest of the competition, but he was productive in both games he played. The seven-foot, 205-pounder notched seven points (3-5 FG, 0-2 3 PT) with four rebounds in 17 minutes against Belgium on Thursday before tallying 12 points (5-6 FG, 1-2 3PT) with five rebounds, two blocks, and one steal across 22 minutes against Slovenia on Saturday. France won the first game 92-64 and the second 103-95.</p><p>Meanwhile, Coulibaly was similarly efficient in the first two contests before tapering off over the most recent two. The two-time NBA Rising Star recorded 12 points (5-11 FG, 0-4 3 PT) with seven rebounds, two blocks, and one steal against Belgium, followed by a 13-point (5-8 FG, 2-4 3 PT), four-rebound, one-assist, and one-steal outing against Slovenia. He combined for just seven points (2-6 FG, 0-4 3 PT) and nine fouls over the next two games against Israel and Poland, but he still has time to get back on track for his native country. France’s final group stage game will be against Iceland on Thursday.</p><p>Lastly, George was a crucial piece to Canada’s semifinal run. The 21-year-old led the team with 13.5 points per game (51.9 percent FG, 46.2 percent 3 PT) to go with 4.2 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.2 steals. He was named to the AmeriCup <a href="https://x.com/AmeriCup/status/1962377263678197966" rel="noopener">All-Star Five as a result</a>, via the competition’s social media.</p><p>All three players have Wizards fans excited online ahead of NBA training camps.</p><p>“I’m so serious when I say we should build around him [George],” <a href="https://x.com/DMVdive/status/1962533356056273295" rel="noopener">@DMVDive said</a>.</p><p>“On everything I love Kyshawn George is already better than Kyle Kuzma. Ky is the truth,” <a href="https://x.com/WizardsMuse1/status/1962626481168773285" rel="noopener">@WizardsMuse1said</a>.</p><p>“Bilal looking good [fire emojis],” <a href="https://x.com/ravenwizardd/status/1961205309026030010" rel="noopener">@ravenwizardd said</a>.</p><p>“[Sarr] finished +23 across those two games, showcasing much more physicality around the rim on both ends of the floor while demonstrating better aggressiveness as a finisher,” <a href="https://x.com/pointmadebball/status/1962935935550853538" rel="noopener">@pointmadebball said</a>.</p><p>“Can’t wait to watch [George] this year in the NBA. Feel like he is not talked about enough with Wizards’ young core,” <a href="https://x.com/bruihl2nance/status/1960208914173108465" rel="noopener">@bruihl2nance said</a>.</p><p>International action guarantees nothing for their NBA careers, but each of these three players has progressed this summer.</p><h2><b>Kyshawn George, Alex Sarr build on Summer League</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Jordan-Poole-praises-Alex-Sarr-2_16x9.jpg"><figcaption>© Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Both George and Sarr also played two games each in the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/washington-wizards/biggest-washington-wizards-overreactions-from-2025-nba-summer-league">2025 NBA Summer League</a>, which took place from July 10-20. It was their first time playing <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/washington-wizards/washington-wizards-biggest-tre-johnson-concern-2025-nba-summer-league">alongside rookies Tre Johnson</a>, Will Riley, and Jamir Watkins, which produced mixed results.</p><p>Sarr led all Summer League players with 5.5 blocks per game to go with a team-high eight rebounds and 15.5 points on 48 percent shooting, but he shot just 20 percent from deep and averaged four turnovers against two assists. On the other hand, George replicated Sarr’s rebounding average despite being four inches shorter, while adding 17 points (41.2 percent FG, 23.5 percent 3 PT) with four assists, 3.5 turnovers, and four steals.</p><p>Between Summer League and EuroBasket, Sarr has shown that he’s growing into an elite rim protector while improving on his two-point shooting efficiency (39.4 percent FG as a rookie). However, the 20-year-old is still not making three-pointers consistently after shooting 30.8 percent from deep last season, which limits his floor-spacing ability.</p><p>On the other hand, George was productive in all facets of the game this offseason despite also struggling from beyond the arc in Summer League. The former Miami Hurricane improved in that area during the AmeriCup, which was a continuation of his second-half improvement from last season. For example, he shot 44.4 percent from long range in February after shooting 26.7 percent in December.</p><p>All in all, it’s fair to say that George’s stock is the highest, especially considering Coulibaly’s inconsistent play for France entering his third NBA season. However, each of them has displayed the talent that convinced Washington to draft them, and these summer reps are crucial for their development as training camp approaches.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

‘Wiz-Kids’ offering Wizards fans hope during overseas tournaments

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/washington-wizards/wizards-alex-sarr-suffers-concerning-calf-injury-at-eurobasket');   ga('set', 'title', 'Wizards’ Alex Sarr suffers concerning calf injury at EuroBasket');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Washington-Wizards-center-Alex-Sarr.jpg"><figcaption>David Banks-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Wizards’ Alex Sarr suffers concerning calf injury at EuroBasket</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-02T12:15:16-07:00">September 2nd, 12:15pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-02T12:15:16-07:00">September 2nd, 12:15pm</time><address><a>Zachary Howell</a>Zachary Howell is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints focusing on creating premier MLB content. He is a big fan of the Yankees, Oklahoma City Thunder and the Syracuse Orange. In his free time, he likes to be outside or read.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>This year’s EuroBasket tournament features some of the premier players in the world representing their countries. As group play continues, France’s national team is one of the favorites. The team is headlined by <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/olympics/olympics-news-france-players-effort-vs-usa-has-nba-fans-making-urgent-requests">Olympic standout Guerschon Yabusele</a>, as well as young talent like Zaccharie Risacher and Alex Sarr. However, the Washington Wizards center’s tournament is over.</p><p>Sarr and France played against Slovenia on Tuesday, taking on one of the biggest stars in the tournament in Luka Doncic. The Wizards center left the game with a lower body injury and did not return to the floor. According to The Athletic’s Josh Robbins, Sarr’s <a href="https://x.com/JoshuaBRobbins/status/1962944181560561850" rel="noopener">tournament is over</a>. Fortunately, Washington does not think that he is going to miss the start of the NBA’s regular season.</p><p>“Although Alex Sarr will miss the remainder of the EuroBasket tournament because of a left calf injury, Wizards officials expect that he’ll be ready for the start of the season, a team source said. The injury will not require surgery,” Robbins said.</p><p>That news is a relief for Wizards fans everywhere. Sarr settled in during the second half of his rookie season and finished fourth in Rookie of the Year voting behind Risacher, Stephon Castle, and Jaylen Wells. However, any and all injuries are reason for concern for a player of his stature. Washington is unlikely to rush his recovery as the season looms on the horizon.</p><p>Sarr is an important player, both for France’s national team and the Wizards. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/washington-wizards/washington-wizards-2025-nba-draft-grades">Washington added even more young talent in this year’s draft</a> and are an intriguing team heading into next season. However, a lot of their plans rely on Sarr developing into a star down low comparable to fellow Frenchman Victor Wembanyama. His injury throws a wrench in that process for now.</p><p>Sarr is going to stay with his team and encourage Yabusele and the others as EuroBasket continues. However, his tournament came to a premature end after an unfortunate injury.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Wizards’ Alex Sarr suffers concerning calf injury at EuroBasket

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/nba-stories/eurobasket-news-slovenia-france-game-ends-in-bizarre-manner');   ga('set', 'title', 'Slovenia-France EuroBasket game ends in bizarre manner');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Slovenia-France-game-ends-in-bizarre-manner-.jpg"><figcaption>ClutchPoints</figcaption></figure><h1>Slovenia-France EuroBasket game ends in bizarre manner</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-30T11:56:58-07:00">August 30th, 11:56am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-30T11:56:58-07:00">August 30th, 11:56am</time><address><a>Julian Ojeda</a>Julian Ojeda is an Orlando-based sports journalist with 3 years of professional writing under his belt, specializing in both NBA and NFL coverage. A devoted Orlando Magic fan, he deftly balances fervent fandom with insightful reporting, possessing a keen eye for compelling narratives.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Atlanta Hawks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>A <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/eurobasket-news-watch-luka-doncic-drop-stunning-ankle-breaker">Group D clash between Slovenia and France at EuroBasket 2025</a> ended in chaos Friday after the final buzzer when a routine postgame handshake <a href="https://x.com/BSphere_/status/1961840584533897427" rel="noopener">turned into a brawl</a>.</p><p>As the last seconds ticked away in France’s 103-95 victory, players from both teams began shaking hands at midcourt. Among them was <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/eurobasket-news-luka-doncic-2025-26-mvp-candidate">Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic</a>, who exchanged a handshake with Sylvain Francisco. Moments later, Francisco picked up the ball from the floor and drove for a layup despite the game having already been decided. The act triggered a scuffle involving multiple players from both sides.</p><p>The incident overshadowed what had been a strong performance from Francisco, who carried France offensively. The guard finished with a team-high 32 points, seven rebounds and five assists while shooting 9-for-15 from the field. He went a perfect 12-for-12 from the free throw line in just 25 minutes and posted an efficiency rating of 40.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">WOW, what a situation. 😱😱😱</p><p>France and Slovenia players started to shake hands, and then Sylvain Francisco picked up the ball from the floor and went for a layup, which led to a brawl.</p><p>CRAZY MOMENT IN KATOWICE.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EuroBasket?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EuroBasket</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EuroBasket2025?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EuroBasket2025</a> <a href="https://t.co/7kb6GTEuJV">pic.twitter.com/7kb6GTEuJV</a></p><p>— Basketball Sphere (@BSphere_) <a href="https://twitter.com/BSphere_/status/1961840584533897427?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 30, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://instagram.com/embed.js"></script></p></figure><h2><b>Slovenia-France ends in scuffle after Luka Doncic, Sylvain Francisco exchange at EuroBasket 2025</b></h2><p>Washington Wizards guard Bilal Coulibaly added 13 points and four rebounds, while Wizards center Alexandre Sarr chipped in 12 points, five rebounds and two blocks. Atlanta Hawks forward Zaccharie Risacher scored 12 points with two rebounds, and New York Knicks forward Guerschon Yabusele contributed six points and seven boards.</p><p>For Slovenia, Doncic delivered a near triple-double in a losing effort. The five-time NBA All-Star recorded a game-high 39 points, nine assists, eight rebounds and two steals. He shot 8-for-20 from the field, connected on four of 10 attempts from beyond the arc, and made 19 of 20 free throws. His efficiency rating matched Francisco’s at 40.</p><p>The loss dropped Slovenia to 0-2 in group play, leaving the team searching for its first victory of the tournament. Slovenia will face Belgium on Sunday in hopes of turning its campaign around.</p><p>France improved to 2-0 with the win and will look to extend its perfect start against Israel on Sunday.</p><p>The bizarre finish added controversy to what had otherwise been a competitive matchup between two of Europe’s top basketball nations.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Slovenia-France EuroBasket game ends in bizarre manner

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/gaming/washington-wizards-nba-2k26-ratings-that-are-100-wrong');   ga('set', 'title', 'Washington Wizards NBA 2K26 ratings that are 100% wrong');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Washington-Wizards-NBA-2K26-ratings-that-are-100-wrong.jpg"></figure><h1>Washington Wizards NBA 2K26 ratings that are 100% wrong</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-28T10:35:17-07:00">August 28th, 10:35am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-28T10:35:17-07:00">August 28th, 10:35am</time><address><a>Rohan Brahmbhatt</a>Rohan Brahmbhatt is an adventure-driven sports writer, passionate footballer, mountaineer, and photojournalist. Rohan blends firsthand experience with storytelling—capturing the intensity of sport and the thrill of exploration. Whether on the field, a mountain trail, or behind the lens, he brings authentic, high-energy narratives that connect readers to the heart of the action.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Washington Wizards enter the 2025-26 NBA season as one of the league’s most intriguing rebuilding projects. Their roster blends aging veterans like C.J. McCollum and Khris Middleton with promising young talents such as Alexandre Sarr, Bilal Coulibaly, and rookie sharpshooter Tre Johnson. Add in recent additions like Marvin Bagley III and a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/washington-wizards/washington-wizards-2025-nba-draft-grades">strong Wizards draft class</a>, and you have a team that, at least on paper, should be competitive enough to push for growth in the Eastern Conference. The Wizards were finished at the bottom of the Eastern Conference with an 18-64 record. But when it comes to NBA 2K26, the video game franchise didn’t exactly nail its evaluation of this Wizards squad.</p><p>Some players appear underrated based on their skillset and potential, while others were overrated despite inconsistent production. Let’s break down the five Wizards players whose ratings simply don’t make sense.</p><h2><b>Alexandre Sarr: Overrated at 81 OVR</b></h2><p>Sarr is undeniably one of the most exciting young players on the Wizards’ roster. At 7’1”, his blend of mobility, rim protection, and offensive versatility makes him the kind of modern big man teams crave. However, giving him an 81 OVR already feels like an overcorrection.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">DENIED! 🚫 <a href="https://t.co/Cf1HCAPY3D">https://t.co/Cf1HCAPY3D</a> <a href="https://t.co/ZXT5RATFQD">pic.twitter.com/ZXT5RATFQD</a></p><p>— Washington Wizards (@WashWizards) <a href="https://twitter.com/WashWizards/status/1944585558434488423?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 14, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Sarr has yet to prove himself across a full NBA season. His offensive consistency is still in question, and while his defensive upside is real, he hasn’t shown the dominance that would justify being tied with C.J. McCollum for the team’s highest rating. A more realistic number would be in the 77-78 range, giving him room to grow as he develops into a franchise cornerstone rather than prematurely crowning him as an established star.</p><h2><b>Khris Middleton: Underrated at 79 OVR</b></h2><p>Middleton’s 79 OVR feels like a slap in the face to his proven track record. Yes, injuries have slowed him in recent years, but when healthy, he remains one of the league’s most reliable two-way wings. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/washington-wizards/wizards-news-khris-middleton-makes-33-3m-contract-decision">Middleton is still an elite shooter</a>, a steady secondary playmaker, and a veteran presence for a young roster badly in need of experience.</p><p>Placing him in the range of Sarr, Kispert, and Bub Carrington is difficult to justify. Middleton has a far more complete offensive package than Kispert, a better defensive impact than Carrington, and a résumé that dwarfs both. Realistically, Middleton should be rated in the 82-83 OVR range, cementing his status as Washington’s best current player until Sarr or Tre Johnson prove otherwise.</p><h2><b>Corey Kispert: Overrated at 79 OVR</b></h2><p>Kispert is a valuable role player, a floor spacer who has steadily improved since being drafted. His 85 three-point rating makes sense, given his shooting efficiency. However, giving him a 79 OVR overall places him on the same level as Middleton, which is an overstatement of his impact.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/washington-wizards/wizards-rumors-washington-draft-plans-corey-kispert-trade-speculation">Kispert struggles defensively</a> and doesn’t bring much off the dribble, making him more of a specialist than a true all-around contributor. His offensive gravity is important, but he’s still more of a mid-70s OVR type player, closer to 75-76, rather than a near-80 overall.</p><h2><b>Bilal Coulibaly: Underrated at 78 OVR</b></h2><p>One of the bright spots in Washington’s youth movement, Coulibaly showed flashes of becoming an elite wing defender <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/player/1641731" rel="noopener">last season in 59 games</a> for the Wizards. His athleticism, length, and defensive instincts already allow him to guard multiple positions effectively. Pair that with a steadily improving offensive game, and you have a player who should be rated higher than 78.</p><p>The 85 dunk rating is fair, but limiting him to a 75 three-point rating feels too low, especially given the strides he made last season as a perimeter shooter. Considering his two-way potential, Coulibaly deserves to be in the 80-81 OVR range, ahead of players like Kispert and Carrington.</p><h2><b>Tre Johnson: Underrated at 75 OVR</b></h2><p>This is the rating that truly misses the mark. Tre <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/washington-wizards/washington-wizards-biggest-tre-johnson-concern-2025-nba-summer-league">Johnson was one of the top shooters</a> in the 2025 NBA Draft, taken at No. 6 overall by the Wizards. His offensive skill set that consists of a smooth shooting stroke, ability to create space, and range extending well beyond the arc should translate quickly to the NBA.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">No. 6 pick Tre Johnson looking SLICK in his Wizards threads 🤩 <a href="https://t.co/zyhGkLYkpU">pic.twitter.com/zyhGkLYkpU</a></p><p>— NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1945587752382468299?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 16, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Yet 2K saddled him with a 75 OVR, which doesn’t reflect his draft pedigree or shooting ability. While it’s understandable not to inflate rookies’ ratings, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/washington-wizards/biggest-washington-wizards-overreactions-from-2025-nba-summer-league">Johnson should realistically be closer</a> to a 77-78 OVR, especially since his shooting instantly fills one of Washington’s biggest needs. His game-breaking ability as a scorer should be properly represented, particularly given that he was one of the most polished offensive players in his draft class.</p><h2><b>Other notable cases where the 2K26 ratings were off</b></h2><p>C.J. McCollum at 81 OVR, while he’s still a capable scorer and playmaker, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/washington-wizards/way-too-early-washington-wizards-trade-candidates-2025-26-season">McCollum’s defense and durability have declined</a>. An 81 OVR is slightly generous, but at least justifiable given his résumé. Meanwhile, the new addition, Marvin Bagley III, was rated at 75 OVR, a fair rating for an inconsistent big man whose athleticism often overshadows his lack of defensive awareness. In addition, Justin Champagnie at 78 OVR feels slightly high for a player who has yet to carve out a consistent NBA role.</p><h2><b>The Wizards’ 2K26 outlook</b></h2><p>The Wizards’ NBA 2K26 ratings reflect a roster in flux. Veterans like McCollum and Middleton bring stability, while the franchise’s future clearly rests on Sarr, Coulibaly, and Johnson. But the ratings fail to capture the balance between proven production and raw potential.</p><p>If 2K adjusted these evaluations, the Wizards would look less like a lopsided collection of misjudged ratings and more like the intriguing, balanced rebuild they actually are.</p><p>The Wizards may not be contenders yet, but their young core and strong 2025 offseason moves should have fans excited. NBA 2K26, however, didn’t quite capture that trajectory. Players like Middleton and Coulibaly deserve more respect, while rookies like Tre Johnson should be spotlighted for their immediate impact.</p><p>As it stands, the Wizards’ 2K26 ratings are a mix of missed opportunities and questionable boosts. Fixing these five ratings alone would give fans a more accurate picture of Washington’s present, and a clearer window into their future.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Washington Wizards NBA 2K26 ratings that are 100% wrong

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/nba-stories/nba-news-kendrick-perkins-gets-real-dark-side-nba-retirement');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA news: Kendrick Perkins gets real on dark side of NBA retirement');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Kendrick-Perkins-gets-real-on-dark-side-of-NBA-retirement.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA news: Kendrick Perkins gets real on dark side of NBA retirement</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-21T11:53:20-07:00">August 21st, 11:53am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-21T15:10:29-07:00">August 21st, 3:10pm</time><address><a>Erik Slater</a>Erik Slater is the credentialed Brooklyn Nets beat reporter for ClutchPoints. He's a graduate of Lehigh University and the Newhouse School of Communications at Syracuse University, as well as a Lehigh Football and Syracuse Football alum.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Los Angeles Lakers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>John Wall’s <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-news-john-wall-announces-retirement">decision to officially retire from the NBA made headlines</a> on Wednesday. The five-time All-Star announced his decision during a video on his social media accounts. Wall is the latest star to hang up his shoes as <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/sources-lebron-james-retirement-plan-offseason-lakers-rumors">many anticipate LeBron James’ potential retirement</a> after this season.</p><p>With Wall receiving his flowers following a decorated career and James’ retirement looming, Kendrick Perkins <a href="https://youtu.be/cPNUjMULhU0?t=2308" rel="noopener">opened up on</a> the dark side of NBA retirement.</p><p>“It’s not easy. Like the mental, this is all you’ve known your entire life. It’s the only thing you f—-ing know,” Perkins said on the Road Trippin podcast. “Does Bron have love for the game of basketball? Absolutely. But Bron has been doing this s—t since the age of f—–ing 12. Do you know how hard it’s going to be for him to walk away from the game of basketball?</p><p>“But he gets to do it on his own terms. I didn’t want to go outside. You know why? Because I didn’t want to go outside and go places where people would be like, ‘Oh Perk, who are you with now? ‘Uh, nobody. I’m just working out, waiting on a call.’ I didn’t want to answer those questions.</p><p>Wall and James’ retirements illustrate opposite ends of the NBA star spectrum.</p><h2>Kendrick Perkins opens up on retirement after John Wall announcement</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/LeBron-James-John-Wall.jpg"><figcaption>Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p>Injuries plagued Wall following a promising start to his career with the Washington Wizards. The former No. 1 pick had a brief stint with the Houston Rockets from 2020 to 2022. He signed a two-year, $13.2 million contract with the Los Angeles Clippers ahead of the 2022-23 campaign.</p><p>However, he struggled to regain his form during the first half of the season, averaging 11.4 points, 2.7 rebounds and 5.2 assists on 41/30/68 shooting splits. The Clippers traded him at the deadline to the Rockets, who waived him. Despite several attempts at a comeback, Wall was unable to land another NBA deal, forcing him into retirement.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/john-wall-nba-on-prime-move">Wall will serve as an analyst for the NBA on Prime</a> team next season.</p><p>Meanwhile, like many other all-time greats, James will go out on his own terms. The 21-time All-Star is entering his age-40 season with the Los Angeles Lakers. However, he’s still playing at an elite level, averaging 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 8.2 assists on 51/38/78 shooting splits over 70 appearances last season.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NBA news: Kendrick Perkins gets real on dark side of NBA retirement

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/washington-wizards/wizards-news-washington-signs-ex-kentucky-star-john-wall-retirement');   ga('set', 'title', 'Wizards make move on ex-Kentucky star after John Wall retirement');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Former-Washington-Wizards-guard-John-Wall.jpg"><figcaption>Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Wizards make move on ex-Kentucky star after John Wall retirement</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-19T17:51:54-07:00">August 19th, 5:51pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-19T18:14:55-07:00">August 19th, 6:14pm</time><address><a>Benedetto Vitale</a>Benedetto Vitale is an avid sports writer who is an expert at covering the NFL, college football, NBA, and UFC. He graduated from the University of Oregon in 2016 with a film degree but has since dedicated his career to sports writing.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-news-john-wall-announces-retirement">John Wall officially announced his retirement</a> from the NBA on Tuesday morning after sharing a heartfelt post on Instagram. Despite not being on the Washington Wizards’ roster since the 2018-19 season, the organization <a href="https://x.com/ChrisBHaynes/status/1957934817053667373" rel="noopener">managed to acquire</a> a former Kentucky basketball star on the same day Wall retired.</p><p>Reports indicate that the Wizards are signing former Kentucky forward Skal Labissiere, according to NBA Insider Chris Haynes. Labissiere, who is 29 years old, should have a chance to compete for a roster spot this offseason. He’ll likely be in contention for a backup role as a potential power forward.</p><p>“Free agent forward Skal Labissiere has reached an agreement with the Washington Wizards, his agent Daniel Hazan of Hazan Sports Management tells [Chris Haynes].”</p><p>Labissiere was in the NBA from 2016 through 2020, playing for the Sacramento Kings and Portland Trail Blazers during that time. He then took a three-year hiatus away from the league before rejoining the Kings last season. However, Labissiere only played in four games for the Kings last season.</p><p>Now, he finds himself in Washington with a new opportunity. The Wizards have an incredibly young roster. So, there is a chance the front office and coaching staff decide to keep him for the 2025-26 campaign, as he brings some experience to the table. At the very least, he can serve as a mentor for some of the young players while the club continues to focus on rebuilding. Or, he could bring competition to the younger guys during the offseason in preparation for the upcoming season.</p><p>As for John Wall, he ends his career with 11 years’ worth of experience. He spent of which <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/nba-news-bradley-beal-immediate-reaction-to-john-wall-retirement">with the Wizards</a> before playing one with the Houston Rockets and one with the Los Angeles Clippers. Wall’s career numbers were rather solid, as he averaged 18.7 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 8.9 assists per game while owning a 43.0% field goal percentage and shooting 32.2% from beyond the three-point line.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Wizards make move on ex-Kentucky star after John Wall retirement

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/nba-stories/nba-news-bradley-beal-immediate-reaction-to-john-wall-retirement');   ga('set', 'title', 'Bradley Beal’s immediate reaction to John Wall retirement');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/John-Wall-2-talks-to-guard-Bradley-Beal-3-against-the-Atlanta-Hawks.jpg"><figcaption>© Brett Davis-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Bradley Beal’s immediate reaction to John Wall retirement</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-19T10:36:47-07:00">August 19th, 10:36am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-19T10:36:47-07:00">August 19th, 10:36am</time><address><a>Julian Ojeda</a>Julian Ojeda is an Orlando-based sports journalist with 3 years of professional writing under his belt, specializing in both NBA and NFL coverage. A devoted Orlando Magic fan, he deftly balances fervent fandom with insightful reporting, possessing a keen eye for compelling narratives.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Los Angeles Clippers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Former <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-news-john-wall-announces-retirement">Washington Wizards guard John Wall officially announced his retirement</a> from the NBA on Tuesday in an emotional Instagram post. In the wake of the announcement, longtime teammate Bradley Beal <a href="https://x.com/ClutchPoints/status/1957848700761305165" rel="noopener">shared a heartfelt message</a> reflecting on their time together in Washington.</p><p>“Congratulations to my brother @JohnWall on retiring from the NBA,” Beal posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. “Family 4L and one of the most elite, dominant, and game-changing figures the league has ever seen. Thank you for welcoming me with open arms and pushing me to the best I can be. There is no BB without Dub! Thank you, brother! Enjoy the next chapter! #DCbackcourt!”</p><p>Wall, 34, was selected No. 1 overall in the 2010 NBA Draft by the Wizards and spent the majority of his 11-year NBA career with the organization. He also played for the Houston Rockets and most recently the Los Angeles Clippers. A five-time All-Star, Wall earned All-NBA honors once and was named to the NBA’s All-Defensive team in 2015.</p><p>His peak came during the 2016-17 season, when he averaged a career-best 23.1 points and 10.7 assists per game, finishing seventh in MVP voting. That year, Wall led the Wizards to a 49-win campaign — their highest since the 1978-79 season — and a trip to the Eastern Conference Semifinals.</p><p>Wall played 647 career games, averaging 18.7 points, 8.9 assists, 4.2 rebounds and 1.6 steals per contest. He shot 43% from the field and 32.2% from three-point range.</p><h2><b>Bradley Beal reflects on end of iconic Wizards ‘DC Backcourt’ era with John Wall</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/John-Wall-2-celebrates-with-Wizards-guard-Bradley-Beal-3-against-the-Detroit-Pistons.jpg"><figcaption>© Geoff Burke-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Beal, now 32, spent nine seasons alongside Wall in Washington before the two paths diverged due to trades and injuries. The duo became known as “DC Backcourt,” with Beal developing into a three-time All-Star during their run. Beal recently completed his second season with the Phoenix Suns and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-clippers/clippers-news-bradley-beal-need-ring-declaration-signing">joined the Clippers earlier this offseason following a buyout</a>.</p><p>In 53 games with Phoenix last season, Beal averaged 17 points, 3.7 assists, 3.3 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 49.7% from the field and 38.6% from beyond the arc.</p><p>Wall’s departure from the league marks the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/washington-wizards/wizards-news-congratulate-john-wall-retirement">end of an era for the Wizards franchise</a>, which had leaned on the Wall-Beal tandem as the foundation of its roster for much of the 2010s. Their chemistry and on-court synergy helped restore competitiveness to Washington and provided multiple postseason appearances during their partnership.</p><p>No formal retirement ceremony has been announced, but Wall’s social media farewell signaled a clear end to his professional basketball career.</p><p>“DC backcourt” remains a defining chapter in both players’ careers, with Beal’s tribute reinforcing the deep bond they developed through years of success, adversity, and mutual respect.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Bradley Beal’s immediate reaction to John Wall retirement

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/washington-wizards/wizards-news-congratulate-john-wall-retirement');   ga('set', 'title', 'Wizards congratulate John Wall on retirement');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Wizards-point-guard-John-Wall-2-celebrates-on-the-court.jpg"><figcaption>Geoff Burke-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Wizards congratulate John Wall on retirement</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-19T08:48:59-07:00">August 19th, 8:48am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-19T08:48:59-07:00">August 19th, 8:48am</time><address><a>Rexwell Villas</a>Rexwell Villas is an experienced sports writer covering a variety of sports, including the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, and college football. He's a Communications Arts graduate from the University of Santo Tomas in the Philippines, and he claims to have JR Smith's conscience with his shot selection. He has won a basketball, a baseball, and a football championship in fantasy all within a year.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>One of the most electrifying guards to ever play the game of basketball <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-news-john-wall-announces-retirement" rel="noopener">has finally decided to call it quits</a>. Former Washington Wizards star point guard John Wall <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DNinStPv2sI/?hl=en" rel="noopener">announced his retirement</a> from the NBA via a post on social media on Tuesday.</p><p>“To my family, my mom especially, thank you for all your sacrifices,” Wall said in a video post on Instagram. “I hope I made you proud. To my teammates, trainers, and coaches, thank you for believing in me. And to the fans, you made me feel unstoppable.”</p><p>Wall then shared that he’s ready to move on from basketball.</p><p>“Today I’m stepping off the court, but not away from the game,” the former Kentucky Wildcats star added. “Basketball will always be in my life. As new opportunities present themselves, I feel now is the time to walk confidently into my next chapter. Thank you for every cheer, every moment. Retired, but never done, I’m doing it the Wall way.”</p><p>The Wizards, who welcomed Wall to the NBA by <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/washington-wizards/wizards-10-greatest-players-in-franchise-history-ranked">taking him first overall</a> at the 2010 NBA draft, <a href="https://x.com/WashWizards/status/1957821026709999826" rel="noopener">shared a message</a> for him following his huge career announcement.</p><p>“One of our franchise all-time greats. The definition of an era. A lasting legacy. A forever Wizard. Congratulations on your retirement, @JohnWall 💙” Washington’s post on X (formerly Twitter) read.</p><p>Wall played for three teams during his tenure in the NBA, but he will always be associated first with the Wizards. He played his first nine seasons in the league with Washington, during which he earned all five of his NBA All-Star nods. Over his stint with the Wizards, Wall averaged 19.0 points, 9.2 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 1.7 steals while shooting 43.3 percent from the field across a total of 573 games. He had four trips in the NBA playoffs with the Wizards, including three appearances in the second round of the postseason.</p><p>Injuries have taken so much from his potential to do even more in the NBA, with a torn Achilles resulting in his absence in the entire 2019-20 campaign. He resurfaced in the league in the 2020-21 season with the Houston Rockets before sitting out the 2021-22 stretch. In what turned out to be his final season in the league, Wall appeared in 34 games with the Los Angeles Clippers.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Wizards congratulate John Wall on retirement

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/nba-news-john-wall-announces-retirement');   ga('set', 'title', 'John Wall announces NBA retirement in emotional IG video');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/John-Wall-watching-an-NFL-game.jpg"><figcaption>© Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><h1>John Wall announces NBA retirement in emotional IG video</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-19T08:21:27-07:00">August 19th, 8:21am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-19T13:55:48-07:00">August 19th, 1:55pm</time><address><a>Brett Siegel</a>Brett Siegel joined ClutchPoints as a credentialed NBA insider and reporter in May 2023 after previously covering the NBA for Fastbreak on FanNation and NBA Analysis Network, as well as working with Louisville Basketball. From playing to coaching to covering the game as a media member, Brett has been involved with the game of basketball from many different perspectives. Breaking the news of various free agent signings, yearly NBA Draft news and other key stories around the league, Brett is always on the phone, getting the latest news and rumors around the NBA. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @BrettSiegelNBA.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Houston Rockets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>John Wall has officially <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DNinStPv2sI/?hl=en" rel="noopener">announced his retirement</a> from the NBA. The 34-year-old made the announcement in an emotional Instagram farewell message on Tuesday.</p><p>“I’ve been chasing the ball since I could barely walk. Driveways, parks, packed gyms, 5 a.m. workouts — I gave this game everything I had,” Wall said in his retirement video on Instagram.</p><p>“From Raleigh, to Kentucky, to the league — every jersey I’ve worn meant more than just wins and stats. It was about representing something bigger, and it’s something I couldn’t do without you.</p><p>“To my family, my mom especially, thank you for all your sacrifices. I hope I made you proud. To my teammates, trainers, and coaches, thank you for believing in me. And to the fans, you made me feel unstoppable.</p><p>“Today, I am stepping off the court but not away from the game. Basketball will always be in my life. And as new opportunities present themselves, I feel more confidently to walk now into my next chapter.</p><p>“Thank you for every cheer, every moment. Retired but never done. I’m doing it the Wall way.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">"I gave this game everything I had."</p><p>John Wall announcing his retirement on IG 🙌<a href="https://t.co/FxROxwuqko">pic.twitter.com/FxROxwuqko</a> <a href="https://t.co/NXv7RM4rDt">https://t.co/NXv7RM4rDt</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1957824570557141037?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 19, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>After being the first pick by the Washington Wizards in the 2010 NBA Draft out of Kentucky, Wall went on to play 11 seasons in the NBA. He spent the first nine years of his career with the Wizards and was named an All-Star for five consecutive years, from the 2013-14 season to the 2017-18 season.</p><p>In addition to his nine years with Washington, Wall also played for the Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Clippers.</p><p>Unfortunately for Wall, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/nba-news-john-wall-drops-painful-admission-past-mental-health-struggles">injuries plagued him throughout his career</a> as he missed multiple seasons because of his battle with serious leg and knee ailments.</p><p>During the 2018-19 season, Wall was ruled out in December as a result of a heel injury. Upon undergoing season-ending surgery, Wall developed an infection from the incision made during his heel surgery and then suffered a torn Achilles when he slipped in his home.</p><p>Wall missed all of the 2019-20 season with the Wizards before ultimately being traded to Houston in 2020 for Russell Westbrook. He only played in 40 games during the 2020-21 season because of his battle with injuries and returning to the court after his Achilles battle.</p><p>The veteran guard did not play at all during the 2021-22 season with the Rockets, as he and the organization mutually agreed for him to sit out while the team rebuilt its roster with young talents.</p><p>In 2022, Wall signed a two-year contract with the Clippers in free agency, but he only played in 34 games during the 2022-23 season, his last in the NBA. The Clippers traded Wall back to Houston before the trade deadline that year, and the Rockets subsequently waived him.</p><p>Wall retires as a five-time All-Star, one-time All-NBA selection, and a one-time All-Defensive team selection. He finished seventh in the MVP voting during the 2016-17 season after averaging a career-high 23.1 points and 10.7 assists per game.</p><p>That season, Wall led the Wizards to 49 wins alongside Bradley Beal, the organization’s most wins since the 1978-79 season when the then Washington Bullets went 54-28. Washington also made the 2017 Eastern Conference Semifinals for the third time in a four-season span.</p><p>The Wizards have only made two playoff appearances since 2017, losing in the first round each time. Since Wall’s departure in 2019, the Wizards have gone 162-310, the second-worst record in the NBA over the last six seasons.</p><p>In 647 career games, Wall averaged 18.7 points, 8.9 assists, and 4.2 rebounds per game while shooting 43.0 percent from the floor. He will <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/washington-wizards/wizards-10-greatest-players-in-franchise-history-ranked">forever go down as one of the best players in Wizards history</a>.</p><p>Wall holds the Wizards franchise records for most assists (5,282), most assists in a single season (831, 2016-17), and most steals in team history (976).</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

John Wall announces NBA retirement in emotional IG video

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/nba-rumors-2026-draft-class-could-fuel-tank-race');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Star-studded 2026 draft class could fuel tank race');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Darryn-Peterson-and-Cam-Boozer.jpg"><figcaption>Pamela Smith-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Star-studded 2026 draft class could fuel tank race</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-14T11:01:32-07:00">August 14th, 11:01am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-14T15:39:15-07:00">August 14th, 3:39pm</time><address><a>Erik Slater</a>Erik Slater is the credentialed Brooklyn Nets beat reporter for ClutchPoints. He's a graduate of Lehigh University and the Newhouse School of Communications at Syracuse University, as well as a Lehigh Football and Syracuse Football alum.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Brooklyn Nets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Less than two months removed from the 2025 NBA Draft, front offices are <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/3-potential-superstars-headline-way-too-early-best-prospects-2026-nba-draft">turning their focus to next year’s group of prospects</a>. Cooper Flagg and Dylan Harper fueled a heated NBA tank race last season. Several highly touted prospects atop the 2026 class — including Kansas’ Darryn Peterson and BYU’s A.J. Dybansta — could <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/45946735/nba-free-agency-2026-preview-lebron-trae-names-storylines-watch" rel="noopener">have a similar effect</a> on the 2025-26 campaign.</p><p>“NBA teams are excited for the 2026 draft class, creating an interesting subtext for rebuilding and tanking teams. Coupled with the perception that the 2027 draft is much weaker, there will be a lot at stake come lottery time in the spring,” wrote ESPN’s Jeremy Woo.</p><p>“The headliners of the 2026 class are Kansas guard Darryn Peterson (ESPN’s current No. 1 ranked prospect) and BYU wing A.J. Dybantsa, who NBA teams regard as the two strongest contenders at the top.</p><p>“I’d handicap Peterson as the slight frontrunner as he’s considered one of the most dynamic scoring guard prospects to enter the college ranks in some time and built momentum with a strong high school senior season.</p><h2>Will Darryn Peterson, A.J. Dybantsa fuel another tank race this season?</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Darryn-Peterson.jpg"><figcaption>Kevin Whitlock-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p>While much can change during the college season, the top of the 2026 draft class is drawing similar hype to Flagg and Harper. Darryn Peterson and A.J. Dybantsa appear to have an early lead atop the group. However, Boozer and Ament are also regarded as premier prospects.</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/nba-rumors-why-2027-draft-looks-like-a-dud-after-star-studded-2026-class">strength of the 2026 class should lead to another closely monitored tank race</a> this season. The Utah Jazz have the NBA’s lowest projected win total at 18.5, while the Brooklyn Nets and Washington Wizards are tied for the second-lowest at 20.5.</p><p>The NBA’s flattened draft lottery odds — implemented to dissuade teams from tanking — have been a hot topic following this year’s drawing. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/2025-nba-draft-lottery-winners-losers-after-mavericks-no-1-pick">The Dallas Mavericks landed the No. 1 pick</a> despite having a 1.7 percent chance.</p><p>Meanwhile, the San Antonio Spurs jumped from the eighth-best odds to the second pick, while the teams with the top-three odds (Jazz, Wizards, Hornets) all dropped outside the top four.</p><p>Yet, there’s still value in finishing towards the bottom of the standings. The team with the NBA’s worst record can fall no lower than the fifth pick, while the second-worst cannot fall lower than sixth, and so on.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

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Wizards News: Get the latest Washington Wizards news, scores, stats, standings, fantasy games, and more from ClutchPoints.

Latest Wizards News

Wizards’ Bilal Coulibaly expected to miss beginning of season after thumb surgery

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