Story By: Sol Tucker
Photos By: Sol Tucker
Washington, D.C–
As we approach the last week in September, the Washington Wizards are set to go on the road to Toronto for the first preseason game of the season against Toronto, one week from Sunday on October 6th. Do they have what it takes to contend in the Eastern Conference this season?
Gone for this season is Deni Avdija who was dealt to Portland, in what the Wizards just earlier last season said wasn’t going to happen. Avdija had some great games during the second half but failed to become that pivotal scorer that the Wizards had hoped he would emerge into by the end of last year.
Washington won the No. 2 pick and selected Alex Sarr and Brian Keefe returned as head coach. Now these are some of the unknowns at this point. Sarr had a rough go at it during Summer League in Vegas but could develop into a solid role player with his size and be a big help for Kyle Kuzma, who many experts thought would be dealt in the off-season, but here we are one week away from pre-season, and he is still here as a huge part of this team.
Keefe who returns to the helm for the Wizards seemed to have good chemistry toward the end of last season and helped the Wizards out of the worst cellar they had seen in over 40 years. Can he be the guy that finally gets it done and makes this team a playoff contender once again?
Several other unknowns going into the start of training camp are whether the Wizards get a deal done for Corey Kispert.
The deadline for the Wizards to set a deal is Oct. 21, the day before the 2024-25 NBA season kicks off. Is this good strategy or should they look to get something done during the pre-season?
What is it going to take to get it done for Kispert? Our sources familiar with NBA contracts say a deal in the four-to-five-year range, $44-48 million could be a win for both sides. Kispert has emerged as the guy who can get you 18 to 20 points consistently with the right group on the court with him at the same time. They need to lock him in before the regular season opener.
Washington will open with four of its first six games in the Nation’s Capital, with trips to Atlanta for the first road contest of the season on Oct. 28 and an international meeting with the Miami Heat in Mexico City on Nov. 2, coinciding with traditional “Día de los Muertos” (Day of the Dead) celebrations locally. Washington will be making its fourth trip to Mexico City and first for a regular season matchup (1995, 1995, 2000 – all exhibitions). The Wizards’ last international trip for a regular season contest came in 2019, when the team faced the New York Knicks in London.
Washington will also compete in the Emirates NBA Cup games, which will take place in November and December, with games at Atlanta (Nov. 15), vs. Boston (Nov. 22), vs. Chicago (Nov. 26), and at Cleveland (Dec. 3). The Emirates NBA Cup knockout round will take place with the quarterfinals on Dec. 10-11, semifinals on Dec. 14, and championship on Dec. 17. Teams that do not qualify for the knockout round will play two regular season games on Dec. 12-13 and Dec. 15-16, with opponents to be determined.
Stay tuned, as there is a lot to process for this team over the next few weeks before the regular season opener on October 24th against the Celtics.
