The Washington Wizards are still in the early stages of a rebuild. They added three first-round picks to their roster in the 2024 draft and are trying to amass young talent. It will be a slow process in the nation’s capital, but there are already enthusiasm for one of the talents of teenagers.
The Wizards’ Jordan Poole problem isn’t going away. The 6’3″ point guard has three years left on his contract and was ranked among the NBA’s worst players last season by several leading indicators. Washington is years away from competing and will likely have to wait until Poole comes out of their books.
Expect the franchise to be active before the deadline. They’d like to turn some of their veterans into draft capital, and there will be plenty of competition for the first overall pick in the 2025 draft. Washington owes its pick to the Knicks with top-10 protection, so expect them to finish near the bottom of the standings. Here are five current Wizards who could be traded before the Feb. 6 trade deadline.
The Mavericks traded Holmes and a 2024 first-round draft pick to Washington for Daniel Gafford before the 2024 trade deadline. Gafford played a key role in Dallas’ run to the NBA Finals while Holmes found additional playing time in Washington. He struggled to get a consistent run for two straight years, but the 30-year-old averaged 7.1 points and 6.1 rebounds in 18.7 minutes per game over 18 games with the Wizards.
The franchise kept him on the roster this offseason. He had a $12.9 million player option, but he declined it in favor of a two-year, $25.9 million extension. Holmes is only eligible for $250,000 for the 2025-26 season, but will make $12.6 million this year.
The Wizards will consider using the 30-year-old as a go-to player in a trade. Richaun Holmes won’t be the opposition’s primary target. Washington signed Jonas Valanciunas as its starting center, but Holmes could be the key to making the math of a deal work.
He’s far from the only veteran the Wizards will make available before the deadline as the franchise tries to stockpile assets.
