Did you know the Washington Wizards haven’t had an end-of-season award winner since Gheorghe Muresan won the Most Improved Player Award (MIP) during the 1995-96 season? That means Washington hasn’t had a hardware winner in almost 30 years. However, Washington now has three players who have a real chance to win some major hardware after the 2025-26 NBA season. Who are they, and what could they be in contention for?
Wizards Have 3 Potential Award Winners Next Season
Washington’s revamped roster hasn’t quite put the league on notice yet; however, with a strong 2025-26 campaign, things could turn for D.C. rather quickly. Alex Sarr, Bilal Coulibaly, and Tre Johnson could lead the national revolution the Wizards have been looking for since the John Wall–Bradley Beal era.
Alex Sarr
Sarr’s rookie year was average, but he still managed to land on the All-Rookie First Team at the end of the season. However, this summer, he’s put on quite a display. He broke the Summer League block record and then transitioned to international play. Sarr played excellently in France’s debut game of the summer and has made the final 12-man roster for EuroBasket 2025.
Sarr could position himself for two possible awards: Most Improved Player and Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY). He’s already shown the improvement all summer. Sarr’s last season was criticized for being too conservative in the paint, not being physical, and getting beaten down low on the glass. Recently, he’s shown off a new mentality in the paint, not just being physical, but getting boards over two or three opponents.
For his DPOY campaign, Sarr is a more than capable defender already. It’s all about growing his numbers, and part of that comes with the physicality. Last season, Sarr finished 14th in blocks and added 0.7 steals as well. For a rookie, these numbers are decent. With the summer stretch that Sarr is having so far, he should easily be able to push these numbers higher easily. DPOY won’t be an easy award to win, but Sarr could pull it off with a stellar campaign.
Bilal Coulibaly
Coulibaly is entering what some believe could be a do-or-die season in Washington. Coulibaly’s Wizards tenure depends on a solid campaign this year, and that pressure should make him blossom or freeze. With a position battle that could heat up if he’s not producing, he’s going to need to make a big jump. That being said, if his jump is extreme, he’ll be right there in the MIP race as well. Coulibaly has the skillset; it’s all about being more consistent and being that key defensive presence that the Wizards need at the forward position.
Last season, Coulibaly’s shooting splits took hits, even with more shot attempts from both inside the arc (+3.7) and from outside (+0.9). The hope is that Coulibaly can thrive under the pressure the media is putting on him. He’ll once again be a major piece of Washington’s game plan every night and needs to contribute significantly. Offensively, Coulibaly has to show signs of improvement, or he could find himself on the wrong side of the negotiation table come the trade deadline.
While he’s struggled with consistency on one end of the floor, the other sees the exact opposite. Coulibaly’s defense is outstanding, and he could even see a bigger bump if his minutes don’t see a reduction. Last season, Coulibaly averaged 1.3 steals a game, with a 0.9 win share and a 120 defensive rating. He’s known as the Wizards’ lockdown forward and should look to increase those numbers this season.
Tre Johnson
The newest addition to Washington’s plans has a real opportunity to win Rookie of the Year (ROTY). Johnson is an outstanding scorer who will most likely receive the majority of looks whenever he’s on the floor. Johnson’s offensive game makes up for his lack of defense. However, he’ll need both of those to take home some freshman hardware.
Johnson has a slight edge over other draftees like Cooper Flagg, Dylan Harper, and Ace Bailey. He is coming into Washington at a time when there is no true first option available in the scoring category. With the Jordan Poole–CJ McCollum trade this offseason, the front office dealt their true number one. In retrospect, it was possibly to clear the way for Johnson in his first season.
Flagg has Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving, who will return in January. Harper has Victor Wembanyama and De’Aaron Fox. Bailey is arguably the number one in Utah, but the Jazz lack other substantial offensive threats like Washington. Johnson should come in averaging numbers similar to Poole in his first season if Washington hands him the keys. For Johnson, it’s all about seeing the ball go through the net while getting other players around him going. If he can do that successfully, he’ll find his name at the top of the ROTY race quickly.
The Last Word
Washington’s front office has done a marvelous job to this point in their rebuild. While these players are the only ones named, the Wizards have a number of players who could sneak into some conversations if they can build on last season. Wizards fans should be excited, as this may be one of the last few true rebuild seasons, and some real contention will be coming soon.
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