The Washington Wizards’ rookies were largely written off after an uneven Summer League campaign headlined by Alex Sarr’s 9-of-47 shooting clip. Now, the Wiz Kids are proving that the future is bright in the District.
Bleacher Report, for example, gave Washington’s class an A- grade on Saturday despite giving it a D- after Summer League, via BR’s Grant Hughes. It’s the outlet’s fourth-highest ranking behind the San Antonio Spurs, Philadelphia 76ers, and Memphis Grizzlies.
For starters, Sarr is infinitely better than he was in the summer. The 19-year-old played just two games in February due to an ankle injury, but he’s already made NBA history. He became the second-fastest center to reach 500 career points as a teenager on Feb. 21, behind only Victor Wembanyama. He also has the third-most blocks and defensive rebounds among rookies despite missing time.
Sarr was also a frontrunner for Rookie of the Year before the injury, as he won Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month in December after averaging 13.8 points on 46.1 percent shooting (45.5 percent 3 PT) with 6.3 rebounds and 1.7 blocks across 28.4 minutes per game. The No. 2 overall pick lost momentum after that but got back on track with his 21-point (8-12 FG, 2-4 3 PT), five-rebound, four-assist, two-block, and one-steal performance in Washington’s 125-122 win over the Utah Jazz on Wednesday.
Alex Sarr 21-5-4-1-2, 8/12 FG, +8 pic.twitter.com/y3uWiY8Hae
— Brett Usher (@UsherNBA) March 6, 2025
Sarr’s ability to playmake and stretch the floor as a seven-footer is what makes him one of the franchise’s most exciting draft picks in years. However, the Wizards’ rookie class is special because the French international is only the tip of the iceberg.
Bub Carrington, Kyshawn George, AJ Johnson all promising for Wizards
Carrington, who received Rising Star honors along with Sarr this season, looks to be a high-upside player in his own right. The No. 14 overall pick leads rookies with 29.5 minutes and is second with four assists a night. He’s also sixth with a 34.6 percent clip from deep despite ranking fourth with 4.7 attempts.
Carrington’s been hot recently, as he shot 50 percent from the floor in February and has 16 assists in his last two games ahead of Washington’s clash with the Toronto Raptors on Saturday night. The 19-year-old has also carved out a niche for himself as a mid-range specialist, which isn’t common in today’s NBA.
Bub Carrington pull-up middies
pic.twitter.com/Sqb939gOjv
— Brett Usher (@UsherNBA) January 27, 2025
Then there’s George, who’s been the biggest revelation recently. The No. 24 overall pick has stood out on both ends after struggling early on, shooting 44.4 percent from deep in February and averaging 13.7 points per game in March thus far. For reference, he averaged 5.4 points on 26.7 percent three-point shooting in December.
Meanwhile, George matches Rookie of the Year frontrunner Stephon Castle atop this year’s class with 0.9 steals per game. The 21-year-old more than doubled his steals average from January to February (0.6 to 1.3), and has maintained that in March. He also has at least one block in eight of his last 13 games.
Kyshawn George defensive playmaking pic.twitter.com/DKrKZOeUn5
— Brett Usher (@UsherNBA) March 7, 2025
Finally, Johnson is the most slept-on player in this group. The Wizards acquired the 20-year-old from the Milwaukee Bucks in the Kyle Kuzma-Khris Middleton trade on Feb. 5, and he’s already shown flashes. He’s averaging 20 points on 46.7 percent shooting (45.5 percent 3 PT) in three games for the Capital City Go-Go (Washington’s G League affiliate) and dunked on 2025 All-Star Evan Mobley for his first bucket as a Wizard in the 134-124 loss on Feb. 7. He also finished an acrobatic and-one in the 106-90 loss to the Miami Heat on March 3.
Rookie A.J. Johnson with a tough and-1 late in the Wizards’ loss to the Heat. Johnson only played 4 min., but made an impact on both ends on this play. pic.twitter.com/p23VrXbPgb
— Chase Hughes (@chasedcsports) March 4, 2025
Johnson is raw, as he only played 45 minutes for the Milwaukee Bucks before the trade. However, the No. 23 overall pick’s explosiveness at the rim and jump-shooting ability will make him a productive NBA player once he develops.
Washington’s rookie class doesn’t have the league’s highest ceiling, as Castle, Jaylen Wells, Zach Edey, and others will all likely make the All-Rookie First Team over it. With that being said, Sarr and Carrington are easy bets for Second Team honors, while George and Johnson have the tools to be key contributors over the coming years. Depth is key to success, and the Wizards have it in spades.
The Wizards’ current rookies likely won’t become stars, but they’ll be crucial supporting pieces for whichever star the team drafts, whether it be Cooper Flagg/Dylan Harper this summer or BYU wing AJ Dybantsa in 2026. The foundation that Washington is building will help get the most out of whoever the franchise cornerstone will be, which will help it contend for titles in 2029 and beyond.
In the meantime, Wizards fans are finally seeing player development work at the highest level. Johnny Davis (No. 10 overall pick in 2022) flaming out seemed like it might set the franchise back, but Washington’s new regime has gotten the most out of its young players since trading for Bilal Coulibaly’s draft rights in 2023.
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