The excitement surrounding the 2026-27 Washington Wizards never would have brewed as highly as it has without the season that preceded it.
Before they'd officially won the rights to draft headlining prospect AJ Dybantsa first-overall, or re-signed Trae Young to a long-term D.C. deal, this was just another intentionally-underperforming roster looking to regroup with replenished assets over the summer.
Even then, they weren't without bright spots; Bilal Coulibaly and Will Riley , two of the wings who'd stuck it out through the bitter end of that loss-filled campaign, had surged into potential depth pieces of the near-future with clear signs of improvement as playmaking scorers.
Feb 20, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards guard Will Riley (27) celebrates a dunk with guard Bilal Coulibaly (0) against the Indiana Pacers during the third quarter at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Already through this active preseason, Coulibaly's managed to parlay that springtime momentum into a regular spot on the Wizards' bolstered bench, contributing a reworked jumper alongside his usually-necessary athleticism on defense. Riley, however, hasn't been quite so lucky, slowly slipping further from the key rotation behind more proven alternatives with each passing game.
The chance that he fails to parlay that summer of strong PR into an instant lockdown of Washington's eighth- or ninth-man position feels real, if not downright likely with a few days remaining before the regular season's tip-off. How'd we get here, and what destiny directly awaits the 20-year-old?
Riley's buzz mainly-stemmed from his exciting archetype, a multi-level shot-maker capable of getting downhill and remaining composed despite his slight frame. He never let a lack of relative strength, especially apparent at 6'9, dissuade him from getting to his spots and deploying his crafty footwork in the paint.
He eventually jumped into a regularly-depended-upon scorer for the post-All-Star Break Wizards, rising from a rarely-used third-stringer into a 15.6 point per-game scorer with perfect attendance from February-onward .
His NBA Summer League performance seemed to confirm his well-advised interest in bulking up over the offseason, as he looked as aggressive as ever in attacking the basket whenever openings were there for the taking. And with a new-look roster headlined by a proven talent like Young and no clear backup point guard in place, the window for another Riley jump was theoretically-there.
Unfortunately for Riley, he was far from the organization's only choice as a stringier, more versatile option to grant touches to whenever Young sits.
Dybantsa and Kyshawn George fill out similar selfless niches as capable scorers who'd similarly-flourish with the rock occasionally between their hands, and they each have the meat on their bones and bursts in their steps to make more impact defensively.
Oct 12, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards forward AJ Dybantsa (4) holds the ball as Brooklyn Nets guard Keon Ellis (1) defends in the second half at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
They'll each receive their turns to run the second unit, where they'll frequently play alongside fellow bench hands in Coulibaly, Tre Johnson , Justin Champagnie , Deandre Ayton and Bub Carrington . Each of those pieces were receiving regular burn by the third preseason outing, signs that they were each contributing something that the competitive lineup could instantly benefit from.
While Riley has a year's worth of experience in the bank over Dybantsa and just as much passing expertise as any backup we've mentioned, no one can match the top pick's upside as a win-now chip with as much room to grow as he has. Odds are pointing to Riley's having to wait until spots along the rotation's end open up due to injury, an opportunity that he could easily leverage into more quick-spark production as another helpful creator as we burrow deeper into the 82-game slate.
If he's lucky, he'll make a few opening week appearances that fans are hoping for, albeit in spot segments as a little-used minute-eater. The best version of the rising sophomore will be impossible not to play once he's earned his keep among his fellow up-and-comers , but there's no reason to rush the project in over players that Washington's coaches can more easily mix and match at the season's start.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nba/wizards/onsi as One Wizards Prospect Whose Journey to Rotational Trust May Take Longer than Expected .
