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.
Injury Notes: Mavs Bigs, Curry, Reaves, Coulibaly, Nets
The Mavericks have been shorthanded in the frontcourt as of late, and that will likely continue for at least another game. According to Christian Clark of The Athletic (Twitter link), Anthony Davis is listed by the team as doubtful for Friday’s matchup against the Grizzlies, while Dereck Lively II will remain out for a sixth straight game.
Davis has missed the Mavs’ past three games after exiting the October 29 matchup against the Pacers in the first quarter. Prior to that, he was averaging 25.0 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 1.8 steals per night, though Dallas was off to a slow start, with a 1-3 record in the full games he played.
Lively has only played three games this season and averaged 5.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 3.0 assists. He’s averaging a career-low 17.0 minutes per contest in the early going, despite starting all three games.
The Mavs are currently tied for the worst record in the Western Conference at 2-6.
We have more news on injuries around the league:
- Stephen Curry will miss the Warriors‘ NBA Cup opener on Friday against the Nuggets due to an illness sustained on the team’s recent road trip, reports Anthony Slater for ESPN. Slater writes that Curry began feeling symptomatic heading into the team’s matchup with the Suns on Tuesday, and admitted post-game that he felt drained in the second half. Curry will not travel with the team, but instead will stay in the Bay Area and prepare for Sunday’s game against the Pacers. Draymond Green, who has a rib contusion, is listed as probable, while Jimmy Butler is questionable due to a lower back strain. Kerr said that both players are hopeful to suit up against Denver after sitting out Wednesday in Sacramento.
- Lakers‘ coach JJ Redick says that Austin Reaves is “TBD” for the team’s next game on Saturday against the Hawks, reports Dave McMenamin (via Twitter). The club is being cautious as Reaves looks to return from a groin injury. McMenamin notes that Reaves tested the injury prior to Wednesday’s contest with the Spurs, but the medical staff ultimately decided to keep him sidelined.
- Wizards‘ third-year wing Bilal Coulibaly is listed as out for Friday’s game against the Cavs, notes Josh Robbins of The Athletic. Coulibaly, who missed the team’s first four games while recovering from thumb surgery, exited the contest on Wednesday with lower left leg tightness. Robbins adds that Khris Middleton is available to play after missing the previous two games.
- The Nets will be missing Cam Thomas against the Pistons on Friday after he suffered a left hamstring injury, writes Brian Lewis of the New York Post (Twitter link). Rookies Nolan Traore, Ben Saraf, and Danny Wolf are also out while on assignment with the team’s G League affiliate, though Drake Powell has been upgraded to questionable from his ankle injury. Terance Mann, who is dealing with left shoulder soreness, is probable to play.
Wizards Notes: Coulibaly, George, Lottery, Wall, Haywood
Third-year Wizards forward Bilal Coulibaly had an impressive season debut in Thursday’s loss to Oklahoma City, as Josh Robbins of The Athletic details.
Coulibaly missed the entire preseason and the first four games of 2025/26 after undergoing surgery last month to repair a torn ligament in his right thumb. The 21-year-old suffered that injury while playing for the French national team at EuroBasket 2025.
Coulibaly, who will be eligible for a rookie scale extension next summer after having his fourth-year option for 2026/27 exercised, recorded 16 points, eight rebounds, four assists, one steal and three blocks in 24 minutes against the Thunder. While the statistics speak for themselves, the manner in which the French wing produced was an encouraging sign for the Wizards, Robbins writes.
“I’ve worked too much to be passive and all that,” Coulibaly said afterward. “I’m just trying to be as active as possible this year. Every possession, everybody’s got to feel me. I think it will be a really good step up.”
The seventh overall pick in the 2023 draft, Coulibaly was immediately reinserted into the starting lineup, with Bub Carrington moving to the bench. Head coach Brian Keefe likes the defensive versatility of Coulibaly, Kyshawn George and Alex Sarr, and believes they can eventually form the “backbone of a top defense,” according to Robbins.
“He thinks we are guys that can really defend and be on top of the league at some point,” Coulibaly said.
Here’s more on the Wizards:
- George, who will get more on-ball reps with the starters now that Carrington is running the second unit, recently spoke to Grant Afseth of RG.org about a number of topics, including what has led to his strong start to the season. The 21-year-old guard/forward says he hasn’t just been working to improve his on-court skills, but his leadership as well. “I think it ties into the player I want to be in the future — one of the best,” George told Afseth. “And I think to be one of the best, you’ve got to be a leader and you’ve got to be aggressive on the court. I worked a whole lot during the offseason. I was in Washington most of my offseason for a reason, and I think now it’s just about me putting it into practice in the game.”
- While it’s promising that George, Sarr, Coulibaly and Tre Johnson, among others, appear to be taking steps forward in their development, the Wizards will still need lottery luck next year if they hope to find a star-level talent, contends David Aldridge of The Athletic. As Aldridge observes, the 2026 draft class is considered very strong at the top, with Darryn Peterson, A.J. Dybantsa and Cameron Boozer all viewed as having considerable upside.
- Former Wizards star John Wall and ex-Wizards big man Brendan Haywood have joined the team’s local broadcasts as analysts on Monumental Sports Network, as Scott Allen of The Washington Post relays (subscriber link).
Wizards Pick Up 2026/27 Options On Six Players
9:59 am: The Wizards have officially exercised those six options, the team confirmed in a press release.
7:54 am: The Wizards will exercise their team options for the 2026/27 season on the rookie scale contracts of six players, according to Josh Robbins of The Athletic (Twitter link). Those players are as follows:
- Alex Sarr (third year, $12,370,680)
- Bilal Coulibaly (fourth year, $9,240,012)
- Cam Whitmore (fourth year, $5,458,310)
- Bub Carrington (third year, $4,900,560)
- AJ Johnson (third year, $3,237,120)
- Kyshawn George (third year, $3,108,000)
Coulibaly and Whitmore were selected seventh and 20th overall, respectively, in the 2023 draft, while Sarr (No. 2), Carrington (No. 14), Johnson (No. 23), and George (No. 24) were drafted in 2024. In total, they’ll earn roughly $38.3MM during the 2026/27 season.
While Johnson, who was acquired from Milwaukee in last season’s Khris Middleton/Kyle Kuzma trade, has only seen garbage-time action so far this season and Coulibaly has yet to make his season debut following offseason thumb surgery, the other four players in this group are either starting or have regular roles off the bench for Washington through four games this season.
George and Sarr, in particular, are off to strong starts. George, the team’s leading scorer, has averaged 20.3 points, 9.3 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.5 blocks, and 1.3 steals per game and made 53.8% of his three-point shots; Sarr has put up 19.5 PPG, 8.8 RPG, 4.5 APG, and 2.0 BPG.
Coulibaly and Whitmore will now become eligible to sign rookie scale extensions as of July 2026 and would reach restricted free agency in 2027 if they don’t sign new contracts next year. The Wizards will have to decide next fall on fourth-year (2027/28) options for Sarr, Carrington, Johnson, and George, assuming they’re all still on the roster by that point.
Rookie scale team option decisions for 2026/27 are due on Friday. We’re tracking all of them right here.