Latest news with #WashingtonWizards
Washington Post
a day ago
- Sport
- Washington Post
Why the Wizards picked Tre Johnson and Will Riley
Amid the elation of Bub Carrington's buzzer-beater to win the final game of the 2024-25 regular season, with teammates swarming him on the court and dumping water over him in the locker room, a dark lining emerged for the Washington Wizards. Washington and the Utah Jazz had been tangling for the worst record in the league for most of the season and entered the season's last day tied.
CTV News
2 days ago
- Sport
- CTV News
Will Riley of Kitchener, Ont. selected in first round of NBA draft
Rising basketball star, Will Riley, in his hometown of Kitchener, Ont. in 2024. (Spencer Turcotte/CTV Kitchener) A basketball player from Kitchener, Ont. is headed to the big league. Will Riley, 19, was selected 21st overall in the first round by the Utah Jazz on Wednesday night. But he won't play for the team, as he was traded shortly after to the Washington Wizards. Riley attended both Grand River Collegiate Institute in Kitchener and Preston High School in Cambridge. He also played with the K-W Vipers basketball club. will riley kitchener basketball The 6-foot-8 forward then moved the Phelps School in Malvern, Pennsylvania where he was flagged as a standout on the hardwood. In early 2024, the then 18-year-old was named MVP out of the 40 best high school players in the world, outside of the United States. That announcement was made during the NBA All-Star weekend in Indianapolis. Riley then moved on to the NCAA and the University of Illinois, where he played one season for the Illinois Fighting Illini. During those 35 matches, he averaged 12.6 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.2 assists. will riley Will Riley announces where he'll be playing basketball on June 23, 2024. (Hannah Schmidt/CTV Kitchener) Riley is only the 22nd Canadian since 2011 to be drafted by the NBA in the first round. He is also the second basketball player from Kitchener to play for the league. Jamal Murray was drafted by the Denver Nuggets in 2016 and still plays for the team. Like Riley, he is also a former student of Grand River Collegiate Institute.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Washington Wizards Starting Lineup Is Full Of Old-School Veterans
Washington Wizards Starting Lineup Is Full Of Old-School Veterans originally appeared on Fadeaway World. The Washington Wizards are quietly reshaping their identity, not with flashy youth or a superstar trade, but by loading up on seasoned veterans to anchor a rebuilding franchise. Advertisement With the recent trade that sent Jordan Poole and Saddiq Bey to the New Orleans Pelicans in exchange for CJ McCollum and Kelly Olynyk, the Wizards' starting five now looks more like a '2017 All-Star reserves' lineup than the youthful rebuild many expected. The projected starting lineup heading into the 2025–26 season is: PG - Marcus Smart SG - CJ McCollum SF - Khris Middleton PF - Kelly Olynyk C - Alex Sarr Each of these names, aside from rookie big man Alex Sarr, has been in the league for a decade or more. The Wizards aren't building a title contender this season. They're playing the long game and using this collection of grizzled veterans as a bridge to a more promising future, both financially and on the court. Advertisement Marcus Smart, now 31, was traded midseason from Memphis last year and appeared in just 34 games due to injuries. He averaged 9.3 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 2.5 assists, shooting 44.0% from the field and an impressive 39.2% from three. Though still respected as a defensive stalwart, his availability has been a concern, playing only 54 games over the last two years. He's entering the final year of his contract and could very well be flipped by the deadline if a contender needs backcourt depth. CJ McCollum, age 33, is in the last year of his deal and is coming off a quietly efficient season with the Pelicans, averaging 21.1 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 4.1 assists. He shot 44.4% from the field and 37.3% from deep, proving he still has something left in the tank. For McCollum, this year is about proving he can still contribute meaningfully, either to earn a final major payday or land with a playoff-bound team next summer. Advertisement Khris Middleton, acquired in the trade that sent Kyle Kuzma to Milwaukee, exercised his $33 million player option this offseason. The 33-year-old forward is coming off his worst statistical year in nearly a decade, 10.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 3.4 assists while shooting a paltry 27.7% from beyond the arc. Injuries and inconsistency have clearly caught up with him, and like the rest of this group, he's playing for one last payday or redemption shot in free agency. Kelly Olynyk, 34, has bounced around the league in recent years but remains a solid stretch big. Last season, split between Toronto and New Orleans, he averaged 8.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.9 assists, shooting an impressive 41.8% from deep and 50.0% from the field. He brings leadership and shooting, both of which will be valuable for a young frontcourt partner like Alex Sarr. Advertisement And then, there's Sarr, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft and the lone cornerstone of the future in this starting unit. As a rookie, Sarr averaged 13.0 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.5 blocks while shooting 39.4% from the field and 30.8% from three. He's still raw but has all the tools to be a defensive anchor and multi-level scorer in the modern NBA. With Poole out of the picture, Sarr becomes the clear focal point for Washington's developmental timeline. They surely can't be as bad as last season, when they had the second-worst record in the NBA with an abysmal 18–64 mark. This version of the Wizards might not contend, but with seasoned leadership and some young spark, they should at least present a more stable, competitive product night to night. The Wizards also boast a collection of intriguing young talent — Corey Kispert, Bilal Coulibaly, Kyshawn George, and the No. 6 overall pick in the upcoming draft, which could potentially be Ace Bailey if his stock continues to slide. Advertisement Any of these young wings or guards could push for starting minutes if the veterans are moved or sidelined. The Wizards Will Have A War Chest In The 2026 Free Agency Ultimately, the true genius behind Washington's sudden pivot might not be found on the court this season but on the books. The Wizards are projected to have close to $100 million in cap space by the summer of 2026. With Smart, McCollum, Middleton, and Olynyk all coming off the books after this year, the franchise will be in a position that very few teams in the modern NBA have: nearly a clean slate and a mountain of cap flexibility. That kind of financial freedom, coupled with a few foundational young pieces and a war chest of draft assets, is the skeleton of a rebuild done right. The 2026 free agent class could include All-Star-caliber talent, and with the right pitch, Washington might become an unlikely destination, especially if Sarr or Coulibaly makes the leap. Advertisement In the meantime, the Wizards will lean on old legs to stabilize a young locker room, hoping that the veterans' professionalism helps set the tone for a franchise with eyes on a much brighter, cleaner, and richer future. Related: 9 Blockbuster Trades That Could Happen On 2025 NBA Draft Night This story was originally reported by Fadeaway World on Jun 25, 2025, where it first appeared.
Winnipeg Free Press
2 days ago
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
Will Riley first Canadian selected in NBA Draft, traded from Jazz to Wizards
NEW YORK – Will Riley was the first Canadian selected in this year's NBA Draft. The Kitchener, Ont., was taken 21st overall by the Utah Jazz. Riley was then traded to the Washington Wizards for Walter Clayton Jr. Clayton had been drafted three spots earlier, 18th overall. Riley averaged 12.6 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game as a freshman for the Illinois Fighting Illini. Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. The six-foot-eight small forward started nine games and played 35. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 25, 2025.
New York Times
2 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Wizards pick Gators guard Walter Clayton Jr. at No. 18, will trade draft rights to Jazz: Source
By Ngwa Numfor, David Aldridge and Sam Vecenie The Athletic has live coverage of the 2025 NBA Draft Walter Clayton Jr., once an unranked high school recruit, is now a first-round NBA draft pick. The Washington Wizards drafted the 22-year-old guard out of Florida with the No. 18 pick Wednesday night. The Wizards have agreed to trade Clayton's draft rights to the Utah Jazz for this year's 21st and 43rd picks, plus two future second-round picks, a team source told The Athletic. Advertisement In 2025, the Florida Gators became the first national championship team of the past 20 years to win it all despite trailing by nine or more in each of the final three rounds of the tournament. That's thanks in large part to Clayton Jr. His 134 total points (22.3 per game) are the most by any player in an NCAA Tournament since 'Cardiac' Kemba Walker in 2011. Clayton comes from an athletic household. His mom, Cherie, played softball and basketball in high school, and his dad, Walter Clayton Sr., also played high school basketball. But there was a time when it didn't look like the 6-foot-3 guard would ever step on the hardwood in college, as opportunities to showcase his skills were limited by the COVID-19 pandemic. His only offers to play basketball came from mid-major schools such as Jacksonville, East Carolina, and Iona. On the other hand, Clayton Jr. was a four-star football recruit who received offers from schools like Notre Dame, Florida State, Georgia, Nebraska, and Tennessee. Despite that, Clayton chose basketball, eventually committing to play for Rick Pitino at Iona. In two seasons, Pitino oversaw Clayton's transformation from a recruiting afterthought into the MAAC Player of the Year and the apple of many high-major eyes. After Clayton's sophomore season, Pitino finally got his shot back in the big leagues at St. John's. Instead of following Pitino to Queens, Clayton returned to the Sunshine State, where his parents, longtime girlfriend and his daughter, coupled with a pitch from Gators head coach Todd Golden, eventually led him to don the orange and blue. I've long loved Clayton as a player, and he has been featured on The Athletic's Big Board within the top 45 throughout the entire season, even before the explosive end to his collegiate career. But his improvements over the last three months of his college career have rightfully pushed him into first-round status. His ability to play more consistently at pace with his hoppy cadence to find his shot off two feet has made him lethal to deal with defensively. He's an underrated athlete in terms of explosiveness and balance. He competes on defense and is strong, even if his size will create limitations. Advertisement It's easy to see Clayton developing into a high-end scorer off the bench in the NBA, and there is upside beyond that if he proves capable of improving his ball-screen reads and becoming an even better passer. It's hard to find scoring guards with this kind of pull-up gravity, so Clayton should rightfully be sought-after. — Sam Vecenie College assistant coach No. 5 (his team played Florida): 'I did a terrific job (on the scout), when they kicked our ass (laughs). You can't speed him up. To me, you can talk about being able to play fast. Tremendous pace. Has NBA size for the (guard) positions. Built to do it, good base. When you see him make sidestep 3s that are really difficult, I think he's really powerful in the hips. He's an NBA shot maker. He does it with confidence. And there's very few guys that can do it. They take big shots. He takes and makes. His ability to create separation is great. Good range. And he's sneakier than you think going downhill. We didn't think he was a great finisher. This would be my only concern: How competitive is he? He was one of the guys we would go at. Who gets tired? Who will give in? We didn't think he was a guy who would really guard. Walter was a load to handle at the offensive end.' Western Conference Scout No. 1: 'I liked him at (Iona). Since then, he's gotten better. Because when the game is on the line, that's when he shows up. Because he can score the ball. He knows who he is. He's confident as hell. He can also make plays. He's a score-first point guard (who) can pass. Plays hard, plays the right way. And he fits in with this new NBA.' Eastern Conference executive No. 1: 'Great kid, all-time great kid. Tough as hell. Needs to go to the right team. He's not a point guard. He's like a tough, powerful combo guard. I like him more than I did a year ago, but I'm not sold he's going to be quite as good as people think. What a great kid. He's a little bit undersized. But he's strong. Nobody thought Jalen Brunson was going to be what he is, either. You never know.' Eastern Conference executive No. 3: 'I like him as a scoring point guard. He has to play the point. And in today's game, the point guard has to be able to score. But you also need to be able to involve your teammates and get them good shots. He does that occasionally, but not on a consistent basis. The other thing is that because he has to have such a large offensive load, the defensive intensity is lacking at times. I think he has the ability to do it, but not at a consistent level. He isn't going to have the usage level he did at Florida. Clayton was the point guard for Florida. But he also had to be the scorer. He was in that dilemma of whether to look for his shots or help his teammates get good shots.' — David Aldridge This story will be updated.
