For all of the relentless losing they sustained, the 2025-26 Washington Wizards had no shortage of come-up stories. And their positive development trends went well beyond prospects like Tre Johnson and Will Riley for whom the franchise rolled out the red carpet; even margin contributors like Julian Reese managed to take advantage of their more-limited opportunities, proving that they, too, can hang with Washington's in-house big leaguers while offering necessary skillsets.
Sharife Cooper was the sole two-way player who stuck around on that halfway-guaranteed road to NBA minutes all season, as the Wizards' second-round draftees in Tristan Vukcevic and Jamir Watkins each earned full deals as the campaign progressed, but that's not to say that Cooper disappointed.
In fact, he earned the respect of Wizards On SI reporters Bryson Akins and Henry J. Brown amidst his journey from a cloutless benchwarmer into a nightly on-ball option.
"I will admit, Cooper surprised me this season. I had very few expectations for him, and even thought that Dillon Jones should have had his spot during preseason. Cooper, however, quickly silenced my opinion, as it seems I was not familiar with his game. The two-way guard played with a clear chip on his shoulder and was enjoyable to watch during the tanking games.
"Cooper is an offense-only guard. He can shoot and finish around the rim despite his small stature and is a good facilitator. This was a season where he showed out, surely making some rebuilding teams think about signing him to a standard deal. His only caveat is the fact that he is not a good defender."
Mar 16, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards guard Sharife Cooper (13) has shot blocked by Golden State Warriors center Kristaps Porzingis (7) during the first half at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-Imagn Images | Brad Mills-Imagn Images
"This is not saying Cooper does not try on defense; the effort is there. He is just so much smaller than everyone else that it makes it difficult for him not to be a negative on that end. This is something that cannot be fixed unless he magically grows three inches taller at 24 years old. The defensive IQ is there; the ability to be a good defender may never be, simply because of his height.
"Still, this was a good season for him. He ended up averaging 8.1 points on 51.4/38.2/83.3 shooting splits. Pretty efficient numbers from him, along with a good three assists a night off the bench. The problem is that if he does not return to Washington on a two-way deal, then another team in the league is going to pick him up on a standard contract." - Bryson Akins
"Cooper still has a year of two-way eligibility remaining, and few Wizards fans would be opposed to welcoming he and Reese back for another go-around in D.C.
"The 24-year-old guard's breakout sophomore season was a huge step up from the time he spent as a rookie all the way back in 2021-22 on another Trae Young -led operation in the early-decade Atlanta Hawks. This time around, with Young making just a few limited appearances on a Wizards team that desperately needed playmakers and rim-challengers, Cooper showed out as a helpful bench piece to remember through the offseason.
"While stringier backcourt shooters like Bub Carrington and Tre Johnson chose to linger out by the perimeter, Cooper refused to let his short stature impede his slashing. He converted over 70% of his attempts between 0-3 feet, a range of the court that made up for a third of his field goal attempts over 41 in-season appearances."
Apr 4, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Washington Wizards guard Sharife Cooper (13) drives to the basket as Miami Heat guard Dru Smith (12) defends during the second half at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images | Jim Rassol-Imagn Images
"That ambition paid dividends when he combined the handle with his passing, where he averaged three dimes per game and 6.4 per 36 minutes. He may not be complete enough on either side of the ball to meaningfully factor into the Wizards rotation come this fall, but Cooper's presence certainly wouldn't hurt Washington's aim of improving as a ball-moving offense." - Henry J. Brown
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nba/wizards/onsi as Wizards 2025-26 Player Grades: Sharife Cooper .
