Wizards GM Dawkins Talks Trae, Sarr, Coulibaly, Whitmore
Speaking to Mark Medina of EssentiallySports, Wizards general manager Will Dawkins confirmed that newly acquired point guard Trae Young will remain on the shelf through the All-Star break, but stressed that the team isn’t shutting him down for the season. According to Dawkins, it’s “important” to the team to see how Young meshes with the Wizards’ young players.
“It’s important because Trae has a decision to make,” Dawkins explained. “He’s got the power of choice as a free agent. So you want to make sure that he’s comfortable playing with the young guys, to have the opportunity to play with Alex (Sarr) and to play with Bilal (Coulibaly) and see when they move and how they fit positionally. We have a lot of questions on our team and how we play moving forward. So you want to see that before you make that decision in July.”
Young holds a player option worth nearly $49MM for the 2026/27 season. Given that he has been limited to 10 games this season due to injuries, the four-time All-Star seems more likely to pick up that option than to turn it down in search of a more lucrative free agent contract. However, that’s not a lock, especially if he returns in the second half and plays well down the stretch.
The Wizards would likely look to negotiate a new deal with Young if he opts out this summer. Even if he opts in, he’d be extension-eligible, meaning Washington’s front office could attempt to tack on additional years to his current contract. Dawkins says those conversations haven’t happened yet, but the groundwork has been laid for those talks.
“Yeah, we have good relationships with his reps,” he told Medina. “So we’ve had communication on what it would look like to be a Wizard because he really wanted to be here, and that was important to us. And we want to make sure everybody feels comfortable and builds that partnership and relationship until we have any real conversations.”
Dawkins had more to say about Young and about many other aspects of the Wizards’ roster and rebuilding plan in his discussion with Medina, which is worth checking out in full. Here are a few more highlights from Washington’s GM:
On how he envisions Sarr and Coulibaly complementing Young:
“Very well, to be honest with you. Both of those guys have an opportunity to be high-level defenders individually, but within a team concept as well. They can have a huge impact individually with shutting their man down and making life difficult. But they’re also smart players who can read the game and can play in a defensive system as well. I think their length, their size, their versatility, and their ability to switch is always a positive. They’re always getting bigger, getting better, and getting stronger. So you can imagine what they look like two, three, four, or five years from now in their prime.”
On Sarr’s improvement this season and whether he has a case for All-Star consideration:
“He’s a talented basketball player. We knew he would be able to figure it out earlier on defense. He’s shown that just with his timing, his physicality, and the growth he made this summer. He’s protecting the paint. I would also say he’s living at the rim on both ends. He’s guarding the most shots at the rim, but he’s also blocking the most shots. He’s putting a fear on players. At the same time, he’s more active. He’s changed his shot diet. He’s rolling. He’s at the rim. He’s comfortable finishing through contact with his left hand and right hand. He’s using more physicality to get to the free throw line as well.
“… I think (he’s) pretty close (to being All-Star worthy). When you put him statistically with most centers in the league, especially the centers in the East, if you put a blindfold on it and didn’t have the picture and the name, I think his stats would speak volumes. He would be really considerable.”
On Cam Whitmore‘s productive meeting earlier this season with head coach Brian Keefe:
“(Keefe) basically sat him down and asked him what type of player he wants to be known as and what type of career he wants to have, and who those types of players are. So let’s work on the habits that those players have and basically emulate how they’re playing. I think he bought in, and I’m looking forward toward getting him healthy and back on the floor.”
On whether he expects the Wizards to be a playoff team in 2026/27:
“Next season, I wouldn’t put the ‘playoff’ word out there. We want to get incrementally better every day. I think if we keep up with the work that the guys have put in and continue to develop as players, they’ll rise to the occasion when they’re ready. I know we have a competitive group. So they’ll want to do that sooner rather than later.
“We won’t hold them back. We’ll let them compete and get after it. But I don’t think we’re at the point where we’re ready to push the button, rev the engine, and say it’s a ‘full go.’ We’ll let these young guys develop on their own time. That’s what I’ve done in my past. That’s what (team president) Michael (Winger) has done in his past. We’ll continue along that route.”
Wizards Rumors: Zion, Kuminga, Salary Dumps, Middleton, More
The Wizards‘ trades for Cam Whitmore last summer and Trae Young earlier this month exhibit the front office’s willingness to roll the dice on high-upside players in need of a change of scenery, according to Josh Robbins of The Athletic, who hears from league sources that Washington will likely be keeping an eye out for similar opportunities at this season’s trade deadline.
Multiple sources who spoke to Robbins identified Pelicans forward Zion Williamson as one player who fits that bill. While New Orleans has reportedly told rival teams that Williamson won’t be traded this season, people around the league are skeptical that the former No. 1 overall pick is truly off limits, Robbins explains.
According to Robbins, the general consensus is that the Wizards wouldn’t give up their most valuable assets – including any of their own first-round picks – for a player like Williamson, but their “least favorable” 2026 first-rounder (which will likely be Oklahoma City’s pick) could hold some appeal to the Pelicans.
Robbins stresses that a Wizards trade for Williamson is a long shot and that the idea is mostly based on speculation, but he notes that the Pelicans forward was mentioned by several of the sources he talked to. Another player who fits into the same “distressed asset” category would be Jonathan Kuminga, Robbins adds, though multiple recent reports suggested Washington may not be among the most serious suitors for the Warriors forward.
Here’s more on the Wizards:
- Although the Wizards will monitor the market for another buy-low opportunity like the one for Young, they’re more likely to operate as a “dumping ground for assets” at the deadline, Robbins writes. In other words, Washington – which is operating roughly $30MM below the luxury tax line – would be willing to take on unwanted multiyear contracts if they come attached to young players or draft picks.
- Robbins points to Raptors guard Immanuel Quickley ($32.5MM cap hit this season) and Trail Blazers forward Jerami Grant ($32MM) as a couple examples of players with long-term contracts that their respective teams are looking to move off of. Quickley has three seasons on his deal beyond this one, while Grant has two more (one guaranteed year plus a player option). However, the sense is that neither Toronto nor Portland wants long-term salary relief badly enough to send out draft assets with Quickley or Grant in exchange for Khris Middleton‘s $33MM expiring contract. The Raptors and Blazers would prefer to use those contracts in deals that actually upgrade their rosters, per Robbins. “I think any smart front office would first obviously use those salaries to get better,” one rival team official told The Athletic.
- Most league sources who spoke to Robbins believe the most likely outcome with Middleton is that he remains in D.C. through the trade deadline and then emerges as a buyout candidate.
- According to Robbins, the Wizards will be reluctant to make a trade that would interfere with the development of any of their most important young players, such as big man Alex Sarr, forward Kyshawn George, guards Tre Johnson and Bub Carrington, and wing Bilal Coulibaly. However, Washington has no obvious long-term answer at power forward and should be more open to pursuing players at that position.
- Assuming they don’t acquire this sort of player at the trade deadline, the Wizards are expected to explore the free agent market during the offseason for a big man who can improve the club’s defensive rebounding and provides more rim protection, Robbins reports.
Injury Notes: Garland, Merrill, Heat, Coulibaly, Pritchard
Cavaliers point guard Darius Garland has been ruled out of Friday’s game at Philadelphia due to right great toe soreness, tweets Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. As Fedor notes, Garland’s injury is not a recurrence of the toe ailment that required offseason surgery and has bothered him for several months — the injury is impacting a different toe on the opposite foot.
Cleveland will also be without sharpshooter Sam Merrill on Friday, per Fedor (Twitter link). Merrill is dealing with a right hand sprain, the same injury that caused him to miss 14 games earlier in the season. Both players were injured in Wednesday’s win in Philadelphia.
Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:
- The Heat will be down two key rotation members for Saturday’s game against Oklahoma City, according to Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald (Twitter links). Starting point guard Davion Mitchell will miss his second straight game with a left shoulder contusion, while sixth man Jaime Jaquez Jr. will be out for the second consecutive contest due to a left knee sprain. As Chiang writes for The Miami Herald, Jaquez underwent an MRI on Thursday which revealed irritation in his knee. Mitchell had not received an MRI as of Thursday. Guard Tyler Herro is questionable for tomorrow’s game due to contusions on his toe and rib.
- Forward Bilal Coulibaly, who exited Wednesday’s loss at the Clippers early due to a back injury, will miss the final two games of the Wizards‘ West Coast road trip with what the team is calling lower back stiffness, as Josh Robbins of The Athletic relays (via Twitter). Head coach Brian Keefe said the former lottery pick has returned to D.C. to receive treatment for his back.
- Celtics guard Payton Pritchard is doubtful to suit up for Saturday’s game at Atlanta due to left ankle soreness, per John Karalis of Sports Illustrated (Twitter link). Pritchard, the reigning Sixth Man of the Year, has appeared in all 40 of Boston’s games thus far in 2025/26. Forward Josh Minott will miss his seventh straight contest due to a left ankle sprain, Karalis adds.
Wizards Rumors: Young, Sarr, Carrington, Kispert
Although rival executives have been expecting new Wizards point guard Trae Young to exercise his $49MM player option for 2026/27, he has yet to make a decision on that option, according to David Aldridge, Sam Amick, and Josh Robbins of The Athletic, who say the four-time All-Star is also open to discussing a contract extension with his new team or even opting out in favor of free agency this summer.
If Young did become a free agent, the Wizards would make a “full push” to sign him to a new contract, since they don’t want to lose him for nothing, per The Athletic’s trio. If he picks up his option, the team’s plan would be to talk to Young and his reps to see if he’s happy in Washington, then decide on the next steps from there. An extension, another trade, or Young playing out the final year of his contract would all be options in that scenario.
The Wizards want to assess how several members of their young core – including Kyshawn George, Bub Carrington, and Tre Johnson – respond to playing alongside Young, since that will be a key factor in determining whether the 27-year-old fits on their roster long-term, according to The Athletic’s report. However, it’s unclear how often that will happen in the next few months.
As Aldridge, Amick, and Robbins note, Young has appeared in just 10 games this season due to various injuries – most recently a quad issue – and the team isn’t in a hurry to rush him back. Pointing out that the Wizards have little incentive to win this season because their 2026 first-round pick is top-eight protected, The Athletic’s reporters suggest it’s possible Young will play a “limited number” of games the rest of the way, with the team more focused on his impact in 2026/27 (and potentially beyond).
If the Wizards go that route, it would be similar to what the Raptors did with Brandon Ingram last season. Toronto traded for the forward at the trade deadline and signed him to a contract extension, but with the club in tank mode down the stretch and Ingram still recovering from an ankle injury, he didn’t play until this fall.
Here’s more out of D.C.:
- The Wizards believe they have the sort of defensive personnel that can help make up for Young’s shortcomings on that end of the floor, per Aldridge, Amick, and Robbins, including rim protector Alex Sarr and wing stopper Bilal Coulibaly. The team is also optimistic about the way in which Young may be able to unlock the offensive potential of many of its young players, giving Sarr a pick-and-roll partner and Johnson someone who will get him more open looks.
- While George, Coulibaly, and Carrington have all taken on ball-handling responsibilities this season, George and Coulibaly are forwards rather than point guards, and some members of the organization believe Carrington is better suited to playing off the ball, per The Athletic. That’s one reason why the front office was motivated to make a deal for a true point guard like Young.
- Corey Kispert was “highly regarded” within the Wizards’ organization for his professionalism, according to Aldridge, Amick, and Robbins, but he was viewed as expendable due to the club’s depth on the wing.
Trae Young Rumors: Wizards, Nets, Rockets, Wolves
While Washington looks like the “clear favorite” for Trae Young at this juncture, no trade agreement between the Hawks and Wizards is imminent, according to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints, who suggests Atlanta will continue to explore other trade scenarios involving the four-time All-Star guard in the coming weeks. The Hawks’ talks involving Young have been “minimal” so far, Siegel adds.
As ESPN first reported on Monday, the Hawks and Young are working together in the hopes of finding a trade partner. Ideally, Siegel writes, that trade partner would be willing to sign Young to a contract extension after acquiring him, though it’s unclear if the Wizards would be on board with that plan.
Exploring the possibility of a deal between Atlanta and Washington, Josh Robbins of The Athletic speculates that Wizards officials may view a hypothetical Young acquisition as a “one-year trial.” In that scenario, Young would presumably exercise his $49MM player option for the 2026/27 season, which Siegel notes is the most probable outcome if he’s not extended before then. An in-season extension would require Young to turn down that option.
As for what a trade agreement between the Hawks and Wizards might look like, Siegel says Washington is seeking draft compensation in addition to Young, while Atlanta would like to add young talent alongside CJ McCollum and his expiring $30.6MM contract. Siegel speculates that the Hawks are likely asking about players like Kyshawn George, Bilal Coulibaly, and Tre Johnson, though he cautions that the Wizards have signaled they don’t want to part with their top young talent in a deal for Young.
Exploring next steps for the Hawks and Young, Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron (Substack link) wonders if there’s a way for both Atlanta and Washington to get what they want out of a deal. For instance, Gozlan suggests the Wizards could include a useful role player like Corey Kispert along with McCollum, while the Hawks could perhaps offer a first-round pick swap.
Here’s more on Young:
- ESPN’s Tim Bontemps examines why the trade market for Young is limited, while in the same article, Kevin Pelton and Zach Kram pose four hypothetical trade offers for the Hawks guard. Bobby Marks’ favorite of the four proposals for Atlanta is one that would send McCollum, Malaki Branham, AJ Johnson, and Oklahoma City’s 2026 first-round pick to the Hawks for Young and a future second-rounder. However, Marks isn’t sure whether the Wizards would make that offer, pointing out that they may want more draft compensation from Atlanta for taking on Young’s potential $49MM salary for next season.
- While the Nets and Rockets have been connected to Young in the past, they don’t have interest in pursuing him at this time, Siegel writes for ClutchPoints. Sam Amick of The Athletic said the same of Sacramento on Monday.
- Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic (Twitter link) views the Timberwolves as an unlikely suitor for Young. As aggressive as Tim Connelly is on the trade market, Young’s $46MM cap hit for this season and $49MM option for next season would make it difficult for the Wolves to put together a package they’re comfortable with — and to accommodate Young on their cap going forward.
Alex Sarr, Bilal Coulibaly Expected To Return Thursday
Alex Sarr is expected to make his return on Thursday against the Spurs from the adductor injury that has kept him sidelined for the month of December. The Wizards released their injury report (via Twitter), which didn’t include either Sarr or Bilal Coulibaly, who has missed the last four games with an oblique injury.
Sarr has played in 16 of the Wizards’ 24 games this season, averaging 19.1 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 3.3 assists in just 29.7 minutes per night. He also has managed to raise his field goal percentage from 39.4% in his rookie season to 51.5% as a second-year big man.
Coulibaly’s season has been derailed multiple times due to injuries. He has only managed to suit up for 12 contests and struggled in that time to find his rhythm offensively, averaging 8.8 points in 27.2 minutes per game while posting career lows in field goal percentage (37.4%) and three-point percentage (26.8%).
Still, the return of the two young Frenchmen will undoubtedly come as a relief to the Wizards, who boast the worst defensive rating in the league by a wide margin. Sarr and Coulibaly are averaging a combined 3.0 blocks and 2.1 steals per game this season and are expected to serve as the backbone of the team’s defensive structure. The two have played just eight games together this fall.
The Wizards’ injury report notes that Malaki Branham is questionable with a right thumb sprain, while Khris Middleton (right knee contusion) and Corey Kispert (right thumb distal phalanx fracture) remain out.
Injury Notes: Curry, Green, Johnson, Morant, Booker, Green, Gafford, Williams, Poole
Good news for the Warriors. Stephen Curry is no longer on the injury report, according to ESPN’s Anthony Slater (Twitter link). Curry hasn’t played since Nov. 26 due to a quad injury.
The future Hall of Famer will suit up against the Timberwolves on Friday but two Golden State frontcourt players won’t be available. Draymond Green will miss the game for personal reasons, while Al Horford continues to be sidelined by a nerve issue in his back.
Here’s more injury-related news:
- The Wizards list four prominent players — Bilal Coulibaly, Corey Kispert, Alex Sarr and Khris Middleton — as out for their game against Cleveland on Friday (Twitter link). However, one key player isn’t on the injury report. Lottery pick Tre Johnson, who has been sidelined since Nov. 21 due to a hip flexor, is expected to suit up.
- The Grizzlies list seven players as out for their against Utah on Friday. Star guard Ja Morant isn’t one of them. Morant is considered questionable to play. A right calf strain has sidelined him since Nov. 15.
- Suns star guard Devin Booker will return either Sunday against the Lakers or next Thursday against the Warriors, according to Arizona radio host John Gambadoro (Twitter link). Booker hasn’t played since Dec. 1 due to a groin injury. Jalen Green, who has only played two games this season due to a hamstring strain, is tracking toward a return just after Christmas, Gambadoro adds.
- The Mavericks list big man Daniel Gafford as doubtful to play against Brooklyn on Friday due to right ankle injury management, Grant Afseth of the Dallas Hoops Journal tweets.
- The Trail Blazers’ Robert Williams (illness) and Yang Hansen (facial contusion) won’t play against New Orleans tonight, the team’s PR department tweets. Both players were originally listed as questionable.
- Jordan Poole is available to play for the Pelicans tonight, the team’s PR department tweets. He has been out since Nov. 4 due to a left quad strain.
Wizards’ Coulibaly Expected To Miss 3-5 Weeks With Oblique Strain
December 4: Coulibaly is projected to miss three-to-five weeks as a result of his oblique injury, according to sources who spoke to Grant Afseth of RG.org.
December 3: The Wizards are preparing to be without forward Bilal Coulibaly for multiple weeks due to a right oblique strain, according to The Athletic’s Josh Robbins.
As Robbins writes, the Wizards have yet to set a formal timeline for the injury, but Varun Shankar of The Washington Post notes (via Twitter) that while timelines can vary for oblique strains, an absence of multiple weeks should be expected.
Coulibaly suffered the injury during Tuesday’s game against the Sixers and was able to play about nine more minutes after the injury occurred.
The former seventh overall pick has had a hard time staying healthy this season, missing eight of Washington’s first 20 games. He missed the start of the season while recovering from a torn ligament in his thumb and four more games in November with a left calf contusion.
Coulibaly has struggled with his offense since returning to play, averaging 8.8 points per game on .374/.268/.771 shooting splits. Robbins notes that Coulibaly’s defense has been massive for the Wizards, who are ranked 30th in that category and don’t have many above-average perimeter defenders to put around Alex Sarr, who is also currently injured with an injury of his own (an adductor strain).
Southeast Notes: Whitmore, Coulibaly, F. Wagner, Howard, Sexton
The Rockets were thrilled when Cam Whitmore was still on the board at No. 20 in the 2023 draft, but his two seasons in Houston were marked by inconsistent playing time with occasional flashes of brilliance. With the Wizards visiting Toyota Center tonight, coach Ime Udoka told reporters there was a “number crunch” working against Whitmore, writes Danielle Lerner of The Houston Chronicle.
“We’ve kind of always had depth since I’ve been here, and he kind of got caught in that shuffle,” Udoka said. “And then just some of the things we stressed offensively, defensively for improvement we wanted to see (from) him and he’d be a little up and down with that. But happy for the opportunity he’s getting now and hopefully takes advantage of that.”
It likely would have been even harder for Whitmore to earn regular minutes in the wake of the Kevin Durant trade, so the Rockets opted to deal him to Washington in July in exchange for a pair of second-round picks. Whitmore got off to a slow start with his new team, but he has scored 19 and 20 points in his last two outings.
“Going to a new situation with a young team, it’s going to take a little bit of time, and just him being young in his career as well, but (he has) all the talent and potential in the world,” Udoka said. “And so just to kind of see what he did the last two games, and that’s what Cam has done when he gets regular opportunity.”
There’s more from the Southeast Division:
- Wizards coach Brian Keefe said forward Bilal Coulibaly is making progress toward returning from a bruised left calf, per Varun Shankar of The Washington Post (Twitter link). Shankar adds that Coulibaly was doing “limited work” at the end of this morning’s shootaround. He’s missing his fourth straight game tonight, and Keefe didn’t offer a timetable for when he might be ready to play.
- Magic forward Franz Wagner plans to wear a mask “for a couple games, probably” after suffering a broken nose on Monday, according to Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel. Wagner wasn’t listed on the injury report for tonight’s game in New York, and his teammates aren’t surprised that he decided to keep playing. “He looks savage with the mask,” Paolo Banchero said. “Unfortunate that he has the nose injury, but Franz is a warrior. He’s not going to sit out for nothing. I didn’t even know he broke the nose.”
- Jett Howard has barely been used for most of the season, but he played 19 minutes in Monday’s win over Portland, Beede adds in the same piece. The forward’s NBA future is uncertain after the Magic declined his fourth-year option, but he’s determined to find ways to help the team. “I’m just trying to stay mentally level as much as possible and just control what I can control,” Howard said.
- Collin Sexton has been a valuable addition for the Hornets, but hasn’t been seeing many minutes during crunch time. Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer explores the reason for that.
Southeast Notes: Suggs, Spoelstra, Cavs/Wizards, Coulibaly
Magic guard Jalen Suggs underwent season-ending surgery in March to remove a cartilage fragment in his left knee, then spent the offseason recovering from that procedure and going through a lengthy rehab process. The 24-year-old didn’t appear in any preseason games last month, and has been on a minutes restriction to open 2025/26, averaging just 19.6 MPG through seven contests.
Jamahl Mosley was asked on Friday when Suggs might be cleared for an increased workload, but Orlando’s head coach gave an evasive answer, as Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel relays (via Twitter).
“You’d like to try and ramp him up a little bit more but you want to be careful for the long haul of the season, being smart with it,” Mosley said. ” … The more we can get his minutes up, the better it’ll be because then there’s a routine and a continuity that can happen when you’d have similar lineups on the floor.”
Despite the relatively limited amount of playing time, Suggs has been very productive this season, averaging 11.0 PPG, 4.4 APG, 3.1 RPG and 1.7 SPG on .551/.448/.909 shooting. The former No. 5 overall pick also has the best net rating differential on the team (+14.5 when he’s playing; -5.9 when he’s not).
Here’s more from around the Southeast:
- Erik Spoelstra‘s home burned down in a fire early Thursday morning. On Friday, the Heat head coach said he was grateful for the community’s support in the wake of the devastating blaze, per Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. No person was injured in the fire, nor was the family’s dog. “I just want to thank everybody for this overwhelming support,” Spoelstra said, with his sons on either side of him as he spoke and his daughter in his lap. “The South Florida community has just been absolutely remarkable. People reaching out, wanting to help. It’s obviously been something that’s uniquely challenging for our family, but Spoelstras are resilient.”
- There was a scoring error during Thursday’s game between the Cavaliers and Wizards, the NBA announced in a press release (Twitter link). With 8:15 remaining in the second quarter, Wizards guard Tre Johnson made both of his free throws, but the first was recorded as a miss. The final score and statistics have been corrected, according to the league. The error didn’t materially impact the game, which Cleveland won in lopsided fashion (148-115 after the correction).
- Wizards forward Bilal Coulibaly missed his second straight game on Saturday with a left calf contusion, tweets Josh Robbins of The Athletic. The French wing, who was selected seventh overall in the 2023 draft, was out for the first four games of the season while recovering from thumb surgery.