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The Washington Wizards are coming off one of the worst seasons in franchise history with No. 2 pick Alex Sarr and No. 14 pick Bub Carrington to prove it.
With Sarr and Carrington joining the roster, and new head coach Brian Keefe taking over after an interim stint last season, the Wizards’ rebuild is expected to begin this fall.
Here’s a look at the most important matchups the Wizards will face this season as the franchise looks to chart a path toward playoff contention.
Wizards 2024-25 schedule details
Season opening: Thursday, October 24 at 7:00 p.m. ET vs. the Boston Celtics
Championship odds: +100000 (bet $100 to win $100,000), by FanDuel
Full program: The full program is available on NBA.com.
The best matches
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In a draft as tight as the 2024 one, with no consensus for the top pick and the Wizards and Hawks reportedly considering both Sarr and Zaccharie Risacher, the first matchup between the two will be one to watch.
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Two of the best big men in the 2024 draft will face off when Donovan Clingan and the Portland Trail Blazers take on Sarr and the Wizards. In the Summer League matchup between the two teams, Clingan had Sarr’s number, so this matchup will serve as a test of Sarr’s development as a defender.
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The rivalry between the Cavaliers and Wizards has lost some of its intensity in recent seasons due to the struggles of the Washington team. Now that these two are supposed to compete Having faced off in the NBA Cup group stage earlier this season, the old rivals are set to clash again in big games this November.
Seasonal forecast
Bradley Beal, Daniel Gafford and Deni Avdija may be gone, but Jordan Poole, Kyle Kuzma and Malcolm Brogdon return for another season as the Wizards’ leaders.
Kuzma led the team with 22.2 points per game last season and is expected to be the team’s biggest offensive driver again in 2024-25.
The Wizards will enter the 2024-25 season under Brian Keefe, who coached the team for the final 39 games of the 2023-24 season. Washington went 8-31 under Keefe, which included a 16-game losing streak and the team’s first three-game winning streak of the season.
Most importantly, Keefe worked to help develop The Wizards now hope he can use that experience to guide Sarr and Carrington in their first NBA seasons.
Unlike the 2024 draft, the 2025 NBA draft lottery features a consensus first-round pick, with Duke newcomer Cooper Flagg expected to lead the way. That draft incentive potentially gives the Wizards flexibility to give their young talent minutes.
Sarr showed some growing pains in Summer League but showed in Australia that he has the potential to become an effective defender, while Carrington could potentially fit in at either guard position. The two will make this team, if not a projected contender, certainly a more interesting team to watch this fall.
