Joshua Valdez Articles - Page 2

WASHINGTON D.C. — The Washington Wizards lost 122-112 to the Utah Jazz at home on Thursday, but it was a perfect night for the franchise. Between star guard Trae Young’s Wizards debut, the tank standings, and rookie big man Julian “JuJu” Reese’s historic outing, there was plenty to like. Head coach Brian Keefe opened up […]

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Washington Wizards had one of the most dramatic games of their season in Monday’s 123-118 home loss to the Houston Rockets, which included a Trae Young ejection. But third-year guard Bilal Coulibaly’s season-high 23 points (9-16, 5-7 3-point) was the most important aspect of the night for Washington’s development. The 21-year-old […]

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Washington Wizards began the last full calendar month of their season with Monday night’s 123-118 home loss to the Houston Rockets, and they’re close to retaining their top-eight protected draft pick this summer. On top of that, their young core has taken a step forward. For example, rookie forward Will Riley […]

INGLEWOOD — Friday night’s Castrol Rising Stars Challenge was a showcase of the Washington Wizards’ young core, as rookie guard Tre Johnson and second-year guard Bub Carrington competed for Team T-Mac (Tracy McGrady), while second-year forward Kyshawn George competed for Team Vince (Carter). However, the “Wiz Kids” got more benefits than just playing on the […]

INGLEWOOD — The Washington Wizards once again have multiple representatives at NBA All-Star Weekend, but no All-Stars. The organization’s goal is to eventually develop a perennial All-Star like Kevin Durant, who made the cut for the 16th time this season. Wizards wing Kyshawn George admitted on Friday that the 37-year-old is the toughest player to […]

The Washington Wizards are one of several NBA teams that are incentivized to lose right now. They have the league’s third-worst record at 14-38 entering Wednesday’s road matchup with the Cleveland Cavaliers, and they need to finish in the bottom four to guarantee the retention of their top-eight protected draft pick. This season was always […]

The Washington Wizards haven’t had a winning season since 2017-18, but they’re doing everything they can to change that next year. They acquired four-time All-Star guard Trae Young and five-time All-NBA big man Anthony Davis over the last two months, signaling a new era in the nation’s capital. The Wizards got Young from the Atlanta […]

Second-year big man Alex Sarr has established himself as a foundational piece for the Washington Wizards, but he had a forgettable night in their 132-101 home loss to the New York Knicks on Tuesday. Luckily for the 20-year-old, the Wizards acquired 10-time All-Star Anthony Davis (finger) from the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday, who will provide […]

For the second time in two months, the once-obscure Washington Wizards are a main topic of conversation in the NBA world. They agreed to acquire five-time All-NBA honoree Anthony Davis from the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday. The full details are below, per ESPN’s Shams Charania. Wizards get: F Anthony Davis G Jaden Hardy G D’Angelo […]

WASHINGTON. D.C. — After getting demolished by the Los Angeles Lakers at home on Friday, the Washington Wizards won a game that they shouldn’t have won on paper at Capital One Arena on Sunday. It hurt them in the tank standings, but it was a step in the right direction for young Wizards players like […]

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Washington Wizards’ 142-111 home loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night is old news, but Lakers superstar Luka Doncic delivered a timeless message postgame. The 26-year-old, who notched 37 points (13-21 FG, 6-13 3-point) with 11 rebounds, 13 assists, and three steals over 31 minutes, was asked what advice […]

WASHINGTON, D.C. — It’s been a fun 48 hours for the Washington Wizards, as three of their players made the Castrol Rising Stars Challenge for the second straight year on Monday before they beat the Portland Trail Blazers 115-111 at Capital One Arena on Tuesday. Big man Alex Sarr validated his second Rising Stars nod […]

The Washington Wizards stripped down their roster after team president Michael Winger and general manager Will Dawkins took over in 2023, a process that involved trading veteran forward Deni Avdija to the Portland Trail Blazers in July 2024. The 25-year-old is now having a breakout season, as he’s 13th in the NBA with 25.8 points […]

The Washington Wizards are in the third year of a full-scale rebuild that’s been light on wins, but bountiful in developmental progress. That process was rewarded on Monday night, when the NBA announced that second-year center Alex Sarr, second-year wing Kyshawn George, and rookie guard Tre Johnson will compete in the 2026 Castrol Rising Stars […]

The Washington Wizards keep hitting two birds with one stone: having competitive performances that foster player development while staying on pace to keep their top-eight protected draft pick. They continued that trend with Saturday’s 119-115 road loss to the Charlotte Hornets, as sharpshooting rookie Tre Johnson notched a career-high 26 points (8-22 FG, 6-15 3-point) […]

WASHINGTON, D.C. — It’s one thing for the Washington Wizards‘ young building blocks to have a good game, and it’s another to do so the same day Monumental Basketball President Michael Winger announced that the front office will evaluate which players it will keep over the next six to 18 months as the team progresses in […]

Ever since the Washington Wizards traded veterans CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert to the Atlanta Hawks for star guard Trae Young on Jan. 7, their young core has been tasked with leading the team on the floor. However, the organization also must learn how Young (knee, quadriceps) will mesh with the “Wiz Kids” when he […]

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Washington Wizards haven’t won a game since trading veterans CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert to the Atlanta Hawks for injured star Trae Young (knee, quadriceps) on Jan. 7, but Monday’s 110-106 home loss to the Los Angeles Clippers was their best performance since then. Second-year center Alex Sarr led the way with […]

The Washington Wizards have lost six straight games, but Saturday’s 121-115 road defeat to the Denver Nuggets was the most encouraging of the bunch. Second-year wing Kyshawn George continued his breakout season with a team-high 29 points (10-20 FG, 5-8 3-point), five rebounds, a team-high seven assists, a game-high three blocks, one steal, and just […]

The Washington Wizards will try their luck in the NBA Draft Lottery again this year after missing out on generational superstar Victor Wembanyama in 2023 as well as star prospects Cooper Flagg and Dylan Harper in 2025. Luckily for the Wizards, Kansas guard Darryn Peterson, BYU forward AJ Dybantsa, and Duke forward Cam Boozer have […]

The Washington Wizards took a low-risk swing this past offseason when they sent two second-round picks to the Houston Rockets for Cam Whitmore, a 2023 first-round pick who is supremely athletic and explosive when driving to the rim. However, the 21-year-old wing has been out for weeks with a blood clot in his shoulder named […]

The Washington Wizards almost certainly won’t have an All-Star for the fifth straight season given their lack of wins, but the Rising Stars Challenge is a different story. Second-year forward Kyshawn George visited the NBA TV panel on Tuesday and explained why he deserves to be selected for the latter competition this year. Kyshawn George […]

The Washington Wizards have made a habit of absorbing unwanted contracts in exchange for draft capital and/or rookie contract players since General Manager Will Dawkins and President Michael Winger took over in the 2023 offseason, but they changed course with Wednesday’s Trae Young trade. This time, they sent CJ McCollum’s expiring salary and Corey Kispert’s […]

It’s exciting for a success-starved team like the Washington Wizards to land a player of Trae Young’s caliber in any case, but it’s especially satisfying for fans when a franchise icon analyzes the situation on its broadcast network. That’s what five-time NBA All-Star John Wall did after Young’s introductory press conference on Friday. Wall, who […]

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Friday night’s Washington Wizards-New Orleans Pelicans matchup had several storylines that normally would have been the center of attention in Wizards World, but four-time All-Star Trae Young’s introductory press conference before the game was the main topic of discussion. Therefore, Washington’s 128-107 loss was a footnote in one of the franchise’s most […]

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Thanks to four-time All-Star Trae Young, the Washington Wizards are a hot-button topic in the NBA landscape for the first time in years. They agreed to send veterans CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert to the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for the star point guard on Wednesday, but they didn’t officially announce the […]

There’s no telling how long star point guard Trae Young will play basketball in the nation’s capital, but he’s the Washington Wizards’ first “box-office” hooper since John Wall and Bradley Beal. That’s exciting for a city that hasn’t seen its NBA team reach the conference finals since 1979, when the squad was named the “Washington […]

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Washington Wizards took down another playoff-caliber squad on Tuesday night behind a 23-point, seven-rebound, and five-block performance by second-year center Alex Sarr, exemplifying how far the young core has come. The Wizards are now 5-2 in their last seven games and 7-5 in their last 12 after beating the Orlando Magic […]

Veteran point guard Trae Young’s days with the Atlanta Hawks are numbered, and the Washington Wizards can leverage that situation to aid their rebuild. However, they should only trade for the four-time All-Star if they don’t give up anything important in return. NBA insider Marc Stein reported on Monday that the Wizards “have emerged as […]

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Second-year Washington Wizards center Alex Sarr has established himself as one of the best players in his draft class this season, but he didn’t play that way in his team’s 141-115 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday. The biggest reason was four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert, who […]

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Washington Wizards keep winning, but Friday’s 119-99 victory over the Brooklyn Nets might have been their easiest of the season thus far. While veteran forward Justin Champagnie scored a season-high and team-high 20 points (9-12 FG, 2-3 3-point) to go with seven rebounds, one steal, and one block over 25 minutes […]

The Washington Wizards are not only playing with joy, but rookie sharpshooter Tre Johnson made history just over two months into his first season. The 2025 No. 6 overall pick made a franchise-rookie-record nine straight three-pointers between Monday’s 115-101 loss to the Phoenix Suns and Wednesday’s 114-113 win over the Milwaukee Bucks, per the team’s […]

WASHINGTON D.C. — The Washington Wizards still haven’t fully unleashed rookie guard Tre Johnson as he heals from his hip flexor injury, but he’s making them look smart for drafting him anyway. The 19-year-old scored a career-high 24 points (9-12 FG, 5-5 3-point) with one rebound, two assists, and one steal over 25 minutes during […]

WASHINGTON D.C. — The Washington Wizards are either beginning a long-term shift or experiencing a temporary hot streak, but they’re certainly playing better than they were at the beginning of the season. Part of that is because second-year center Alex Sarr and oft-injured guard Bilal Coulibaly have each started over the last three games, which […]

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Perfection is usually impossible, but the Washington Wizards were close to perfect in their 138-117 home win over the Toronto Raptors on Friday. That’s partially because third-year guard Bilal Coulibaly had his best game of the season after returning from a sprained ankle on Tuesday. The 21-year-old opened up post-game about how […]

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Washington Wizards wing Cam Whitmore hasn’t played since his team’s 146-101 loss to the Boston Celtics on Dec. 4, and it’s unclear when he will return. The 21-year-old has been diagnosed with a blood clot named “deep vein thrombosis” in his right shoulder, via ESPN’s Shams Charania. “Washington Wizards forward Cam Whitmore […]

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Washington Wizards own the NBA’s worst record at 5-22, but the development of young players like Tre Johnson and Bub Carrington is why their rebuild remains exciting. Johnson opened up to ClutchPoints about how he’s improved offensively this season after tying his career-high with 19 points (6-10 FG, 3-6 3-point) in […]

It’s only a matter of time before New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson plays for another team, and the Washington Wizards should use him to advance their rebuild. The Wizards are developing their young core as they lose enough games to make sure they keep their top-eight protected 2026 first-round draft pick, but this season […]

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Washington Wizards have resorted to “Finding Nemo” references to keep themselves sane amid a 3-19 start, but Saturday’s 131-116 loss to the Atlanta Hawks was a step forward after a 45-point loss to the Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown-less Boston Celtics on Thursday. Nothing was more encouraging for the organization’s future […]