News Wizards Team Notes

Recap: Citron leads Mystics to 94-83 win over Aces

Washington Mystics v Las Vegas Aces

Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Brittney Sykes sat the game out due to injury but Citron filled in her shoes very well.

The Washington Mystics went into Las Vegas and handled business, knocking off the Aces 94-83 on Thursday night behind another strong performance from rookie guard Sonia Citron, who stepped up in the absence of Brittney Sykes, who had a right lower leg injury.

Citron led Washington’s scorers with 21 points on 7-of-13 shooting, including 3-of-4 from beyond the arc. She added 2 rebounds, 2 assists and a steal in 34 minutes, giving the Mystics steady offense through the first three quarters.

Sug Sutton finished with 17 points and 6 assists, shooting an efficient 7-of-12 from the field while playing the entire game.

Shakira Austin anchored the paint with 11 points and 12 rebounds, including four on the offensive glass. Rookie guard Lucy Olsen chipped in 14 points off the bench, going 5-of-8 from the field and hitting three 3-pointers.

A’ja Wilson led the Aces with 22 points and 5 rebounds. Jackie Young and Chelsea Gray added 13 points each, but Las Vegas couldn’t keep pace with the Mystics’ offensive rhythm and energy.

The win moves Washington to 8-8 on the season and marks one of their most complete performances to date.

The Mystics’ next game is against the Dallas Wings on Saturday, June 28. Tipoff is at 8 p.m. ET. See you then.

Source: https://www.bulletsforever.com/myst...ington-mystics-las-vegas-aces-wnba-game-recap
 
Will Riley scouting breakdown

2025 NBA Draft - Round One

Wizards new draft pick Will Riley on draft night | Photo by Jennifer Pottheiser/NBAE via Getty Images

Illini insider Mike LaTulip analyzes Riley's games so Wizards fans know what to expect from the 21st pick

Mike LaTulip, a former Illinois guard and basketball analyst for the Field of 68 and the Illini Inquirer, joined the Bleav in Wizards podcast to break down the game of new Wizards wing Will Riley. LaTulip fills listeners in on Riley's strengths, areas for improvement, Day 1 readiness, long-term potential, ideal roles, and what his mindset and work ethic are like. This is everything you need to know to get up to speed on Will Riley. LaTulip also weighs in on the additions of Tre Johnson and Jamir Watkins to the Wizards young core and shares a juicy anecdote about the thoroughness of the Wizards front office.

Source: https://www.bulletsforever.com/2025...gton-wizards-mike-latulip-kasparas-jakucionas
 
Report: Wizards acquire Dillon Jones and a 2nd round pick from the Thunder

2025 NBA Finals - Oklahoma City Thunder Championship Portraits

Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images

Washington remains active right after the NBA Draft and right before free agency goes really active tomorrow.

The Washington Wizards made a trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday night, where they acquired Dillon Jones and a future second round draft pick in exchange for Colby Jones, according to Shams Charania of ESPN.


The Oklahoma City Thunder are trading guard Dillon Jones and a second-round pick to the Washington Wizards, sources tell ESPN.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 29, 2025

Washington is sending guard Colby Jones to the Thunder, who will then release him, sources said.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 29, 2025

Dillon Jones just finished his rookie season for the Thunder, the newly-minted NBA champions after winning the 2025 NBA Finals last week. He played 54 regular season games in 2024-25, averaging 2.5 points and grabbing 2.2 rebounds per game. Jones also made 23 appearances in Oklahoma City’s playoff run, which included scoring 10 points in Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Colby Jones played 39 games for the Wizards in the 2024-25, averaging 4 points per game.

Given that the Thunder are expected to waive Colby Jones, this deal appears to be one where the Wizards add another younger prospect and a draft pick in exchange for a younger player who isn’t part of their plans anyway.

It seems like the Thunder are effectively doing this to shave salary to lower future luxury tax payments, even if it’s just incrementally. I guess teams can afford to do things when they are NBA champions.

Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Source: https://www.bulletsforever.com/2025...ty-thunder-nba-trade-dillon-jones-colby-jones
 
Jamir Watkins scouting breakdown

Washington Wizards Introduce Tre Johnson, Jamir Watkins, and Will Riley - Portraits

New Wizard Jamir Watkin poses in his new jersey | Photo by Stephen Gosling/NBAE via Getty Images

Florida State analyst Austin Veazey shares his perspective on the Wizards 43rd pick

The Washington Wizards selected Florida State guard/wing Jamir Watkins at 43, but what should Wizards fans expect from the second rounder? Austin Veazey, basketball writer and editor for Nole Gameday and co-host of the Hear the Spear podcast, joined the Bleav in Wizards podcast to fill fans in on Watkins on and off the court. He discussed Watkins's strengths, areas for improvement, his role at Florida State, his likely NBA role, his potential as a jumbo playmaker, his competitiveness, and whether he's ready to contribute in his first season.

Source: https://www.bulletsforever.com/2025...own-washington-wizards-deni-avdija-herb-jones
 
NBA Free Agency Day 1 open thread

NBA: Indiana Pacers at Washington Wizards

Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

Chat about the first day of free agency here.

Today is the first day of NBA Free Agency in 2025. Starting at 6 p.m. ET, teams can begin negotiating with free agents. Teams cannot sign free agents until July 6, but there will be plenty of time for reports to say who is signing with which teams.

Feel free to to chat about the reported moves below!

Source: https://www.bulletsforever.com/2025/6/30/24458681/nba-free-agency-day-1-open-thread
 
Report: Mystics open to trading Edwards

Washington Mystics v Las Vegas Aces

Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images

With Kiki Iriafen and Shakira Austin playing at a high level, Edwards could be moved out this season.

In the WNBA, midseason trades aren’t uncommon, but they aren’t unheard of either. And this season, it’s possible that the Washington Mystics may be a team that does just that.

According to Kendra Andrews and Alexa Philippou of ESPN, “multiple teams” have inquired about Edwards’ availability to the Mystics — and Washington is listening.

Edwards is in her second season for the Mystics, but is averaging just 4.9 points and 3.3 rebounds per game in the 2025 season. Furthermore, she is in a crowded frontcourt rotation which includes rookie Kiki Iriafen and a resurgent Shakira Austin.

If Washington decides to trade Edwards, they will have to do so by Aug. 7 at 3 p.m. ET. And if Edwards is traded, the Mystics will probably have to request draft picks and/or players whom they could feasibly re-sign in 2026. Trading players will be complicated for Washington because nearly every WNBA player not on a rookie contract is a free agent in 2026. This also coincides with the start of a highly anticipated Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Let us know your thoughts on whether you think Edwards should be traded, and what you think the Mystics could get in return for her in the comments below.

Source: https://www.bulletsforever.com/myst...ton-mystics-aaliyah-edwards-wnba-trade-rumors
 
Edwards and Johnson brush off trade rumors

Minnesota Lynx v Washington Mystics


The Washington Mystics forward and head coach apparently learned about the rumors at the same time as everyone else.

Yesterday, reports surfaced that the Washington Mystics are open to trading Aaliyah Edwards, perhaps by the deadline on Aug 7.

Kareem Copeland of The Washington Post asked Mystics Head Coach Sydney Johnson about the report yesterday at practice. Johnson said that he also just learned about it and was not aware of any discussions regarding Edwards’ future.


Sydney Johnson said he just found out about the ESPN report that the Mystics are in trade talks to move Aaliyah Edwards. Said he cannot comment and “I have nothing to say.” Added that’s not his role or something he’s privy to. pic.twitter.com/hjiAeeBxvM

— Kareem Copeland (@kareemcopeland) July 1, 2025

Johnson also said that he would continue to focus on his “direct communication” with players when in a situation like Edwards’ and focus on what he can control.

Edwards was also asked questions at practice and she said her strategy is to remain with the present.


Aaliyah Edwards said she didn't know about the report: "I am just trying to stay present in the moment. Focus on the team. Focus on what you need to get done for Thursday. I'm not really looking too much into what's being said online. My focus is here with the team, where my feet…

— Kareem Copeland (@kareemcopeland) July 1, 2025

Asked Aaliyah Edwards about staying in good spirits during a challenging season: "As a competitor, you definitely think about those things. And as an athlete, we go through highs and lows. We have great seasons. We don't have good seasons. We kind of have stall seasons. So my… https://t.co/yvS6kVq7xN

— Kareem Copeland (@kareemcopeland) July 1, 2025

The Mystics’ next game is tomorrow when they play the Minnesota Lynx on the road. It will be interesting to see how the Mystics utilize Edwards over the next few weeks, especially with the trade deadline slowly but surely coming up in just one month.

Source: https://www.bulletsforever.com/myst...-washington-mystics-wnba-trade-rumor-reaction
 
Preview: Mystics play Lynx on Thursday

Minnesota Lynx v Washington Mystics

Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images

Washington beat the WNBA runners up recently and can do so again tomorrow.

The Washington Mystics play the Minnesota Lynx on Thursday night. Here is the preview.

Game Info


When: Thursday, July 3 at 8 p.m. ET

Where: Target Center, Minneapolis, MN

How to Watch: Monumental Sports Network

Injuries


Mystics: Emily Engstler, Jade Melbourne, Sug Sutton (Day-To-Day), Georgia Amoore (Out)

Lynx: Karlie Samuelson (Day-to-Day)

Pregame notes


The Washington Mystics have been treading around .500 this season, but have been having trouble maintaining that level! Tomorrow night, they have a chance, though a small one, to get back to .500, or in other words to a 9-9 record.

The opponent is the Minnesota Lynx, currently one of the elite teams in the league. The Lynx are virtually unbeaten at home. Well, they are unbeaten at home at 8-0!

Can the Mystics upset here? That would be a huge surprise, and give the Lynx their first home loss.

The Mystics are also dealing with multiple nagging injuries, though three of those are GTD, so things could look up for the Mystics. Amoore is still out though which is not ideal.

Let’s see! Let us know what you think in the comments

Source: https://www.bulletsforever.com/myst...gton-mystics-minnesota-lynx-wnba-game-preview
 
Recap: Mystics blown out by Lynx, 92-75

Washington Mystics vs Minnesota Lynx

Photo by Ellen Schmidt/Getty Images

Mystics struggled taking care of the ball and drop this one in Minnesota.

The Washington Mystics lost to the Minnesota Lynx, 92-75 on Thursday night. This game started off very well for the Mystics and looked like they were destined to pull off a big upset, but there was a lot more to this than the early run the Mystics went on.

You can summarize this game with two stats, turnovers and points off of turnovers. The Mystics just could not take care of the ball and the Lynx took full advantage.

Mystics were able to start this one off with an early 10-point lead in the 1st quarter due to poor shooting by the Lynx, who only shot 33 percent in that frame.

Once the Lynx started getting their rhythm offensively the Mystics just could not stop turning the ball over. For the game, they finished with 20 turnovers, which led to the Lynx scoring 28 points off of those turnovers.

The turnovers had a profound affect on the offensive rhythm for the starters. Only Shakira Austin was able to muster double digits from that group. The leading scorer today was Lucy Olsen, who had 19 points on 7 for 10 shooting off the bench. Her activity on the offensive end was a bright spot, but unfortunately it could not counter the Lynx superstar Napheesa Collier who had a game-high 28 points and the rest of her Lynx teammates.

Collier made it a point, especially in the 4th quarter to get the ball and put the Mystics out of this game with 11 of her 28 points in that frame.

Mystics drop another one on the road and will now head home to face the Sky on Tuesday morning at Eagle Bank Arena.

Source: https://www.bulletsforever.com/myst...ington-mystics-minnesota-lynx-wnba-game-recap
 
Report: Wizards interested in signing Kuminga

Golden State Warriors v Washington Wizards

Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images

The Golden State Warriors forward was a young and significant contributor last season. And he could be a big help for Washington if he were to sign.

The Washington Wizards are one of the teams that are in line to sign Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga to an offer sheet, according to Anthony Slate of The Athletic.

Kuminga averaged 15.3 points and 4.6 rebounds per game for the Warriors, who made the second round of the Western Conference Playoffs in the 2024-25 NBA season. He is a restricted free agent, so the Warriors could match an offer sheet. Alternatively, they could sign-and-trade him to another team.

Before anyone gets too excited about Kuminga being a Wizard next week, he is also coveted by numerous other teams. And according to Ali Thanawalla and Tristi Rodriguez of NBC Sports Bay Area, Kuminga was also listed as the subject of a possible sign-and-trade with the Sacramento Kings.

I’m not sure what’s going to come of this rumor. But we’ll see what happens over the weekend. Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Source: https://www.bulletsforever.com/2025...rriors-jonathan-kuminga-nba-free-agency-rumor
 
NBA Free Agency Day 5: Exploring what the fans think about moves so far

House Lawmakers Work On Final Passage Of Signature Budget Bill

Photo by Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images

Also, Happy Birthday USA!

First, Happy Independence Day! Enjoy the barbecues, the brunches and the fireworks!

You may be feeling a little … bored that the Wizards aren’t trading everyone or signing people left and right. But for a team that is still rebuilding AND is above the soft salary cap, there just aren’t many moves to be made. We’re just waiting for Malcolm Brogdon to find his next landing spot and then see who, if anyone, the Wizards sign to the midlevel exception.

Of course, there are 29 other teams in the NBA and some are making noise. According to this week’s SB Nation Reacts surveys results, fans believe that the Dallas Mavericks (27 percent), Atlanta Hawks (26 percent) and Denver Nuggets (20 percent) had the best start to free agency.

In a second questions, a plurality (39 percent) respondents to the national survey also believe that Myles Turner will have the biggest impact on their new team. Turner signed with the Milwaukee Bucks, effectively becoming Damian Lillard’s replacement.


Here are this week’s SB Nation Reacts survey results. This week’s question’s are focusing on NBA Free Agency so far. pic.twitter.com/NhQrWSsO1G

— Bullets Forever (@BulletsForever) July 4, 2025

Feel free to debate the results below.

Finally, use this thread to monitor what happens with NBA Free Agency today. Hopefully front offices and NBA reporters alike can enjoy the day off with their families like the rest of us. But you never know what happens!



FanDuel is an SB Nation/Vox Media partner.

Source: https://www.bulletsforever.com/2025...agency-day-5-national-sb-nation-reacts-survey
 
Report: Wizards acquire Cam Whitmore

Screen_Shot_2025_07_05_at_7.34.39_PM.0.png


Washington sent a pair of second-round picks to Houston for the 20-year-old wing

The Washington Wizards acquired F Cam Whitmore from the Houston Rockets in exchange for two second-round picks, per ESPN’s Shams Charania.


The Houston Rockets are trading Cam Whitmore to the Washington Wizards for two second-round picks, sources tell ESPN. The deal gives Whitmore a tremendous opportunity for an increased role as he turns 21 on Tuesday and returns to the DMV area. pic.twitter.com/8BaBsVxjN2

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 5, 2025

Washington traded a 2026 second-round pick (via Chicago) and a 2029 second-round pick (via Sacramento) to Houston to acquire Whitmore, as reported by The Athletic’s Joshua Robbins.

Whitmore, who turns 21 on Tuesday, averaged 9.4 points and 3.0 rebounds on 44.4% FG and 35% 3pt in a limited role with Houston last season.

The Wizards add a talented, high-upside wing to their plethora of wings. Whitmore joins a young core of players 21 years old and younger that includes: Tre Johnson (19), Will Riley (19), Bub Carrington (19), Bilal Coulibaly (20), Alex Sarr (20), AJ Johnson (20) and Kyshawn George (21).

Houston selected Whitmore with the No. 20 pick in 2023. Washington now rosters nine first-round picks from the previous three NBA Drafts, which is impressive considering only three of those picks were their own and six were acquired via trade.

The Wizards still own 14 second-round picks through 2032. The 2026 second-round pick they sent to Houston was acquired in 2023 when they traded the No. 35 pick (Julian Phillips) to Chicago for a pair of future second-round picks. The other pick they sent to Houston, 2029 second-round pick they acquired by trading Jonas Valanciunas at last year’s trade deadline, completed the deal.

Whitmore is a Maryland native, attending Archbishop Spalding High School before playing college ball at Villanova. ESPN reported that Houston worked with Whitmore to find a preferred destination and ultimately landed on the young Wizards, who provide Whitmore a better chance at earning legitimate playing time.

Washington now rosters 16 standard contracts. They’ll need to get that number down to 15 by opening night, which makes corresponding moves likely.

The Wizards have a plethora of depth at the wing position in Khris Middleton, Bilal Coulibaly, Kyshawn George, Justin Champagnie, Corey Kispert, Will Riley, Dillon Jones, Jamir Watkins, and now, Whitmore.

This trade will be folded into the Jordan Poole trade from June 24, per Varun Shankar of The Washington Post.


This will be folded into the Jordan Poole to Pelicans trade, per source. https://t.co/6QOl3Fa3xm

— Varun Shankar (@ByVarunShankar) July 5, 2025

Source: https://www.bulletsforever.com/2025/7/5/24462253/wizards-acquire-cam-whitmore-trade
 
Report: Wizards sign Watkins to two-way deal

Screen_Shot_2025_07_06_at_10.19.49_PM.0.png


Watkins was selected with the No. 43 pick in this year’s draft

The Washington Wizards signed No. 43 pick Jamir Watkins to a two-way contract, per HoopsHype’s Mike Scotto.


The Washington Wizards and No. 43 pick Jamir Watkins have agreed to a two-way deal, league sources told @hoopshype. pic.twitter.com/E6Kl347kYw

— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) July 6, 2025

Watkins, who turned 24 on Sunday, was selected by the Wizards with the No. 43 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.

The 6-foot-5 wing averaged 18.4 points and 5.7 rebounds last season at Florida State after spending his first two collegiate seasons at VCU. Watkins shot 42.7% from the field and 32.1% from 3-point range in 2024-25.

Watkins hangs his hat on the defensive end, often picking up 94 feet to disrupt opposing guards. The 24-year-old averaged nearly two steals per game as a junior at FSU before tallying 1.2 steals per game last season.


Jamir Watkins: Defensive menace
pic.twitter.com/3UzV5s9FwU

— Greg Finberg (@GregFinberg) June 27, 2025

Watkins joins Jaylen Martin as Washington’s official two-way players. St. John’s guard Kadary Richmond was reportedly signed to a two-way deal following June’s NBA Draft, as Chris Haynes reported, but the team hasn’t made that transaction official.

If Richmond does join the Wizards on a two-way deal, Washington would have filled all three of its two-way spots. That’s important to note when considering the future of forward Tristan Vukcevic, who played last season on a two-way contract.

Washington reportedly tendered a two-way qualifying offer to Vukcevic, as Keith Smith reported on June 29.


The Washington Wizards have tendered a two-way qualifying offer to Tristan Vukcevic.

Vukcevic will now be a restricted free agent on July 1.

— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) June 29, 2025

With Watkins signed to a two-way deal, it’s possible Vukcevic returns to Washington on a standard NBA contract, although that would take the Wizards’ roster to 17 standard contracts — team’s must be at 15 standard contracts by opening night.

Source: https://www.bulletsforever.com/2025/7/6/24462792/report-wizards-ink-jamir-watkins-to-two-way-deal
 
Iriafen and Citron make 2025 WNBA All-Star Game

Dallas Wings v Washington Mystics

Photo by Jess Rapfogel/Getty Images

Washington has TWO players. But where is Sykes?

On Sunday, the WNBA named the reserves for the 2025 All-Star Game. Two Washington Mystics players, rookie guard Sonia Citron and rookie forward Kiki Iriafen, were named. WNBA head coaches voted for the reserves but could not vote for their own players. So Mystics head coach Sydney Johnson did not vote for his own players.


Here are your 2025 @ATT WNBA All-Star Reserves!

Sonia Citron, @washmystics
Skylar Diggins, @seattlestorm
Rhyne Howard, @atlantadream
Kiki Iriafen, @washmystics
Kelsey Mitchell, @indianafever
Kelsey Plum, @LASparks
Angel Reese, @chicagosky
Alyssa Thomas,… pic.twitter.com/dw4lXbb3Hj

— WNBA (@WNBA) July 6, 2025

I am not surprised that two Mystics players, most notably Iriafen, made the All-Star team. I was pleasantly surprised that Citron made the team, not because she didn’t deserve to. But it was because I expected Brittney Sykes to make the team.

And then … yeah … Sykes didn’t make the team. She is the most notable snub from this list. Hopefully she comes in as an emergency reserve.

On Tuesday, captains Caitlin Clark and Napheesa Collier will do a fantasy-style draft of the players who made the team. You can watch this on ESPN at 7 p.m. ET

Source: https://www.bulletsforever.com/myst...-citron-named-reserves-brittney-sykes-snubbed
 
Wizards announce 2025 Summer League roster

Screen_Shot_2025_07_07_at_4.35.51_PM.0.png


The Wizards’ roster contains seven first-round picks from the previous two NBA Drafts

The Washington Wizards announced their 2025 NBA Summer League roster on Monday, which features a plethora of first-round picks.


The Wizards have announced their 2025 Summer League roster, which features seven first-round picks from the previous two NBA Drafts: pic.twitter.com/i7wMTPiCcO

— Greg Finberg (@GregFinberg) July 7, 2025

Washington’s roster features seven first-round picks from the previous two NBA Drafts:

2024:

Alex Sarr (No. 2)

Bub Carrington (No. 14)

AJ Johnson (No. 23)

Kyshawn George (No. 24)

Dillon Jones (No. 26)

2025:

Tre Johnson III (No. 6)

Will Riley (No. 21)

The roster also includes No. 43 pick Jamir Watkins and reported two-way signee Kadary Richmond.


Let’s take a look at the rest of the roster:​


Leaky Black, 26, spent the 2024-25 season with the Capital City Go-Go, appearing in 33 games. The 6-foot-6 forward averaged 8.4 points and 5.0 rebounds on 39.8% 3pt.

Liam Robbins, 25, went undrafted in 2023 and spent 2024-25 on a two-way deal with the Milwaukee Bucks, appearing in 13 NBA games. The 7-foot center played college ball at Vanderbilt.

Zeke Mayo, 22, played last season with the Kansas Jayhawks, averaging 14.6 points and 4.8 rebounds on 42.2% 3pt. The 6-foot-4 guard signed an Exhibit-10 contract with Washington after going undrafted in 2025, as Bullets Forever’s Matt Modderno reported.

Akoldah Gak, 22, went undrafted in 2022. Gak played last season with the Cairns Taipans of the NBL, averaging 6.3 points and 5.6 rebounds on 51% FG. The 6-foot-11 forward also played 12 games in the G League for the Mexico City Capitanes, where he averaged 4.7 points and 3.7 rebounds.

Keshon Gilbert, 22, went undrafted out of Iowa State, where he averaged 13.4 points and 4.1 assists on 48.4% FG. Gilbert is known for his pesky defense, averaging 2.0 steals per game as a junior and 1.7 steals per game as a senior. The 6-foot-4 guard signed an Exhibit-10 contract with the Wizards, as Matt Modderno reported.

Jonathan Pierre, a 6-foot-9 forward out of Belmont, signed an Exhibit-10 contract with the Wizards after going undrafted in 2025. Pierre averaged 13.8 points and 6.3 rebounds on 36.9% 3pt in 2024-25.

Washington’s Summer League coaching staff:​


Head coach: J.J. Outlaw.

Assistant coaches: T.J. Sorrentine, Cody Toppert, Alexis Ajinca, James Fraschilla, Pete Fusilero, Kevin Gallagher, Lucas Monroe.

Source: https://www.bulletsforever.com/2025/7/7/24463359/washington-wizards-nba-summer-league-roster
 
Wizards make excellent trade for Cam Whitmore

Houston Rockets v Los Angeles Lakers

The newest Washington Wizards forward, Cam Whitmore grabbing a rebound last season with the Houston Rockets. | Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images

I’ll start with this: I love the Wizards trade for Cam Whitmore. He might or might not become a good player, but he’s young (entering his age 21 season), athletic, and was cheap to acquire (Washington paid two second round picks). As Matt Modderno said on his podcast, this is exactly the type of move a rebuilding team should make.

My stat-based draft prospect tool, Ye Olde Draft Analyzer (YODA for short), liked Whitmore a lot. He ranked eighth in his draft class, and his score in YODA would have ranked in the 10-12 range in this year’s group.

For reasons that aren’t entirely clear, he plummeted on draft night, falling all the way to the 20th pick where he was selected by the Houston Rockets. He immediately ran into the kinds of obstacles that often afflict promising youngsters selected later in the first round — a loaded roster, and a team that wanted to win and didn’t have a lot of minutes to devote to the development of a 19- or 20-year-old.

In the 1,600+ minutes he’s gotten as a pro, he’s been kinda-sorta okay. His overall performance was solid as a rookie (PPA: 73) and slipped a bit (PPA: 67) in year two. That’s not as worrisome as it may seem. Most of his numbers were “about the same” in both seasons. His rebounding went up, his per minute assists nearly doubled, and his turnovers crept up a bit.

That 67 PPA is not a concern — prospects who enter the NBA at 19 (like Whitmore did) often don’t make significant jumps in year two. Their bigger jumps come in years three and four. My career forecaster thinks he has a solid decade of above average production in his future, including multiple years in the sub-All-Star range (meaning: borderline/arguable case for being an All-Star).

Is that possibility worth a couple second round picks? You bet.

Last thing: I ran Whitmore’s 2024-25 season through my Statistical Doppelganger Machine, which weighs several stat categories and produces a list of player seasons “most similar” to the reference player.

Here’s the list:

  1. Naz Reid, 2019-20, MIN — This was Reid’s rookie year. Since then, he’s established himself as a valuable reserve with the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Wizards would be happy if Whitmore became a high 80s PPA (Reid’s peak so far is 88) reserve.
  2. Ryan Anderson, ORL, 2009-10 — I feel like fans might feel disappointed by this comp, but I urge you to recall how good Anderson was becoming before he injured his back and suffered a devastating personal tragedy. In his era, he was the platonic ideal of the stretch-four. The Wizards would be ecstatic if Whitmore could become as productive as the pre-injury/tragedy Anderson was.
  3. Trey Lyles, 2018-19, DEN — This was Lyles’ age 23 season, which was actually one of his worst. The following year he went to San Antonio and had what would be the best year of his career. Five years later, he’s still a useful reserve forward who’s reasonably competent from three-point range, and an above average rebounder.
  4. Rodney White, 2003-04, DEN — Year three of White’s non-stellar career. He peaked with a 70 PPA the following season. While the number are similar, Whitmore is already ahead of where White was as a player.
  5. Jordan Hamilton, 2012-13, DEN — This was year two of Hamilton’s career, which started with promising signals and then fizzled. Three subpar seasons after this one, Hamilton was out of the league.

After this, the doppelganger machine provides another season from Naz Reid, followed by names like Moritz Wagner (in Orlando), Kevin Knox (yikes), and Charlie Villanueva (eh). A little further down the list is Jonathan Kuminga’s rookie year, and Jaren Jackson Jr.’s 11-game third year.

What does this tell us about the likelihood that Whitmore reaches his potential with the Wizards? Not much — the comps are mainly for entertainment value. The better information is from his actual performance the past couple years in Houston, which while not great, was also not bad for someone his age.

There’s a chance he could become a very good player for Washington.

Source: https://www.bulletsforever.com/2025/7/8/24463492/wizards-make-excellent-trade-for-cam-whitmore
 
The Wizards trade Kelly Olynyk to the Spurs for Malaki Branham, Blake Wesley, and a second-round pick

San Antonio Spurs v Toronto Raptors

Former Spurs Blake Wesley and Malaki Branham interact with Keldon Johnson after a game | Photo by Cole Burston/Getty Images

Olynk, an infamous “Wizards killer” from the 2017 playoffs, leaves without ever playing a game for Washington

The Washington Wizards are trading Kelly Olynyk to the San Antonio Spurs for Malaki Branham, Blake Wesley and a 2026 second-round pick (least favorable of Dallas, Philadelphia, Oklahoma City), according to Shams Charania of ESPN.


The Washington Wizards are trading Kelly Olynyk to the San Antonio Spurs for Malaki Branham, Blake Wesley and a 2026 second-round pick (least favorable of Dallas, Philadelphia, Oklahoma City), sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/JWiOF2nzq2

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 8, 2025

Branham and Wesley are both entering their fourth season in the NBA after playing limited for the Spurs thus far. For more analysis of their respective games, check out the latest episode of the Bleav in Wizards podcast where I covered their production thus far and strengths and weaknesses.

Source: https://www.bulletsforever.com/2025...malaki-branham-blake-wesley-second-round-pick
 
Recap: Mystics beat Sky in nail-biter 81-79

WNBA: Chicago Sky at Washington Mystics

Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

The Mystics were without injured Amoore, but got a huge win!

As the Washington Mystics try to climb back up to .500 in the standings, this home game was huge. The Chicago Sky were 2-5 in their last seven games and were desperate for a win to save their season from being a tanking one.

With less than a minute remaining in regulation, Brittney Sykes drained a three to put the Mystics up 77-74. The Sky responded with a deep three by Rachel Banham to tie the game at 77 a few seconds later.

An unsuccessful coach challenge by the Sky saved the day for the Mystics at that point and a big layup by Shakira Austin gave the Mystics the lead.

The Sky tied again with some free throws.

Then Austin hit a pair of free throws with two seconds remaining to seal the victory.

The game was very close throughout — a dramatic contest for a Tuesday matinee game.

Austin led the Mystics with 15 points, Sonia Citron added 13 and Kiki Iriafen 11. Both Citron and Iriafen recently were named All-Stars. Iriafen is still in her rookie year, which bodes well for the Mystics future.

For the Sky, Angel Reese had 22 and Elizabeth Williams 20, but Chicago got little scoring production from the bench. The Mystics bench beat the Sky’s 22 to 11.

The Mystics next play the Aces on Thursday.

Source: https://www.bulletsforever.com/2025...al-score-washington-comes-up-big-in-81-79-win
 
Preview: Mystics play Aces on Thursday

Washington Mystics v Las Vegas Aces

Photo by David Becker/NBAE via Getty Images

The Mystics play another game in Fairfax.

Game Info


When: Thursday, July 10 at 7:30 p.m. ET

Where: Eaglebank Arena, Fairfax, VA

How to Watch: Prime Video / Monumental

Injuries


Mystics: Georgia Amoore (Out)

Aces: Megan Gustafson, Cheyenne Parker-Tyus (Out)

Pregame notes


The Mystics are playing well recently. They just beat the Chicago Sky in a nail-biter, and are now one game under .500 at 9-10.

On the other side, the Las Vegas Aces are 9-9.

Whoever wins this game will have a better record, and the Mystics will edge up in the standings with a victory. Moreover, with the season series at 1-1, whoever wins this one also will have a good chance at the tie-breaker (the fourth and last game is scheduled for late August).

Shakira Austin and Brittney Sykes are playing well. Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen just got named All-Stars. A lot to be optimistic about if you are a Mystics fan.

Optimism aside, this will be a tougher challenge than squeaking a win against the Chicago Sky at home. The Aces are a better team right now. The Mystics did have a great win almost two weeks ago against the Aces on the road. But they also lost to them back in May.

Here are the highlights from the recent win, back in Vegas:

Source: https://www.bulletsforever.com/myst...gton-mystics-las-vegas-aces-wnba-game-preview
 
Back
Top