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 achieving their goal of 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 spoke about fellow rookie Tre Johnson's growth following their 134-125 loss to the Toronto Raptors on Saturday night.

“He’s an amazing player, obviously. He’s also a really good teammate, he wants to see guys succeed,” the 20-year-old said. “He’s always gonna encourage guys, and he’s also gonna tell you what you’re doing wrong, which I appreciate in a teammate. He’s a great kid, amazing work ethic. He’s always in the gym, always one of the last guys in there with me. Always competing…”

Riley may not have intended to compliment himself while complimenting Johnson, but he did just that when he specified that his teammate is “one of the last guys in [the gym] with me.” The “with me” part is the highlight of the statement, as it signals commonality between the two rookies.

While the cliche of professional athletes working around the clock to get better is as old as time, the work ethic is yielding results for both players. Johnson is third among 2025 draftees with a 37.4 percent 3-point clip (minimum five attempts per game), and Riley averaged 14.6 points on 47 percent shooting (37.5 percent 3-point) with 4.3 rebounds over 27.1 minutes in February, the first month in which he averaged 20-plus minutes.

Washington is in the business of losing games this season, but these statistical accomplishments are long-term wins. They represent growth, as Riley shot 38.2 percent (31.8 percent 3-point) in January, and Johnson has improved his playmaking since the beginning of the campaign.

Johnson was the Wizards' reward for tanking last season, when they were led by veteran guard Jordan Poole and a rookie Alex Sarr. They received the No. 6 overall pick in the draft lottery, which was the lowest selection they could've gotten after finishing with the NBA's second-worst record (18-64). They missed out on star prospects Cooper Flagg and Dylan Harper, but Johnson's deadeye shooting and promising playmaking could make him a potential upper-echelon player in his own right once he hits his prime.

Meanwhile, getting Riley was the result of last season's Marcus Smart trade with the Memphis Grizzlies. Memphis gave Washington a 2025 lottery-protected first-round pick for absorbing Smart's unwanted salary, which became the No. 18 overall selection after it beat the Dallas Mavericks 120-106 in its second Play-In Tournament game, clinching a playoff spot. The Wizards then traded back to No. 21 on draft night and selected Riley.

Between tanking to raise its floor in the lottery and leveraging cap space in trades, Washington added two building blocks to a young core including Sarr, second-year wing Kyshawn George, second-year guard Bub Carrington, and third-year guard Bilal Coulibaly. In addition to developing those players this season, it acquired stars Trae Young and Anthony Davis. Young will make his Wizards debut on Thursday at home against the Utah Jazz, per ESPN's Shams Charania.

Additionally, Washington is on track to retain its 2026 lottery pick, as it has the NBA's fourth-worst record (16-44) with 22 games left. It must finish with a bottom-four record to guarantee the retention of the pick in a class with superstar prospects like BYU's AJ Dybantsa, Duke's Cameron Boozer, and Kansas' Darryn Peterson.

It's been a difficult road for long-suffering Wizards fans. The team hasn't had a winning season since 2017-18, and it's bottomed out each year since general manager Will Dawkins and president Michael Winger took over in the 2023 offseason. But Washington will finally be ready to win next season, and that's partially because of Johnson and Riley's development.

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Danny Wolf makes hilarious Will Riley admission

Washington Wizards guard Will Riley (27) controls the ball against the Philadelphia 76ers in the second quarter at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
© Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

Riley had a career day in Washington's 127-113 road loss to the Brooklyn Nets on Feb. 7, notching 27 points (10-19 FG, 4-6 3-point) with three rebounds, three steals, and two assists over 45 minutes. The Wizards used an eight-man rotation full of backups, as it was in their best interest to lose against a fellow bottom-feeder like the Nets, but the native Canadian's performance was another step forward.

Brooklyn rookie Danny Wolf spoke to ClutchPoints about Riley postgame.

“Obviously he's a talented player,” the former Michigan Wolverine said. “Credit to him, he played 45 minutes tonight, which is not easy to do in the NBA…He’s got a lot of tools. When he was at Illinois they kicked our butt. He’s a good player.”

Wolf wasn't lying, as Riley and the Fighting Illini beat the Wolverines 93-73 on March 2, 2025. The latter player notched 13 points (6-12 FG, 0-4 3-point) with four rebounds and five assists, and he later won Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year honors.

Riley has shown off his shitfiness as a jumbo shot creator this season, and his improvement as a catch-and-shooter from long range bodes well for his future. The 6-foot-9, 180-pounder could stand to add some muscle, which would help him overpower defenders inside. But the Nets game and his general ascension in February showed what he can already do with extended playing time.

Up next for the Wizards is a road date with the Orlando Magic on Tuesday.