The Wizards brought a talented roster to Las Vegas. Here’s how each player fared.
The Washington Wizards assembled a talented 2025 NBA Summer League roster, which included seven first-round picks from the previous two NBA Drafts.
Although the Wizards appeared poised to make a run at the Summer League title, modern-day injury-management and injury-prevention tactics took precedent after Washington’s second contest. Second-year Wizards Alex Sarr, Bub Carrington and Kyshawn George were shut down for the final three games, and rookies Tre Johnson (hamstring) and Will Riley (thumb) missed the final three contests due to injury.
While Wizards fans were surely disappointed to catch just two games of Sarr, Carrington and others on the floor together in Vegas, it opened the door for some lesser-known names to get increased playing time.
Did those players impress or falter in those minutes? Did Washington’s Summer League veterans look a step above the rest? How did the rookies perform?
These questions and more were answered below in this year’s addition of “Summer League grades.”
Tre Johnson: A+
It’s been rare for Washington’s top pick to prove that they’re a step above the competition in Summer League. Johnny Davis failed to generate any semblance of offense in 2022, Bilal Coulibaly struggled offensively in 2023 and Alex Sarr shot 0-for-15 in a Summer League contest last July.
Tre Johnson ended that run in 2025.
The No. 6 pick looked even better than advertised, scoring in a plethora of ways. Johnson exuded confidence from beyond the arc, draining 45.4% of his outside jumpers. That wasn’t all, though. Johnson got to the rim, scored from the mid-range area with jumpers and floaters, and got to line 10 times across two games.
The Texas product looked unusually comfortable in Vegas for a 19-year-old rookie. While Johnson didn’t do much to ease critics’ defensive concerns — his effort was at least noticeable on that end — his offensive talent spoke for itself.
While Johnson appeared in just two contests after missing Washington’s final three games with a hamstring injury, he made the most of his time. Wizards fans are right to be excited about Johnson’s potential.
Kyshawn George: A
George proved effective as a 3 & D wing during his rookie season, and that skill set was on full display in Las Vegas. The 6-foot-8 forward was the best player on the court against Phoenix, dropping 24 points and seven rebounds on 10-for-18 shooting.
George’s active hands and defensive instincts were showcased to the tune of four steals per game across two appearances. The Miami product locked down his assignment on several key possessions, which made Wizards fans giddy for his upside on the defensive end.
While George had his moments, he certainly wasn’t perfect. Foul issues — George tallied five personal fouls in each game — were still commonplace. George’s defense is impressive, but defending without fouling remains an important adjustment for the second-year forward. Another blemish was his 3-point shooting, making just four of his 17 attempts.
While George’s outside jumper was inconsistent in Vegas, his defense remained steady and his offense flashed against Phoenix, which is the reason for his high grade.
Alex Sarr: A-
After an embarrassing 2024 Summer League, which included an 0-for-15 shooting performance that caused some skeptics to draw comparisons to draft busts such as Kwame Brown, Sarr’s 2025 Summer League couldn’t prove much worse.
Washington’s No. 2 pick didn’t dominate like prime Shaquille O’Neil, but he didn’t look like the player who drew Kwame Brown comparisons a year ago, either.
Sarr enjoyed a solid 15-point, four-rebound opener against Phoenix before erupting against the Brooklyn Nets for 16 points, 12 rebounds and eight blocks, which tied an NBA Summer League single-game record. The second-year forward swatted shots from the weak side, in the trail position and while defending the post. His defensive acumen — a major reason Washington selected him No. 2 — was on full display.
While Sarr impressed on the defensive end, his offense still left some wondering: Why doesn’t he just go up strong? While Sarr was active on the offensive glass, he still appeared hesitant to go up through contact, often euro-stepping or fading away from interior defenders, which created difficult shots that often went awry.
Jamir Watkins: B+
Watkins would’ve earned an “A” for his defense alone if it weren’t for his poor shooting performance.
The No. 43 pick was selected, in part, because of his impressive on-ball defense, which was on full display in Las Vegas to the tune of a Summer League-best four steals per game.
Watkins popped for 10 stocks — seven steals and three blocks — against Philadelphia. The Florida State product also flashed his rebounding ability, averaging five boards per game, which included a few put-back dunks.
The young wing shot just 33.3% from the field and 21.9% from 3-point range. While Watkins’ shot was inconsistent, the looks he generated were good, and he got to the line nearly three times per contest.
Watkins’ best offensive performance came in the Summer League finale, tallying 23 points, eight rebounds and five steals in Washington’s 94-85 victory of the New York Knicks.
Will Riley: B
Riley was selected by Washington as a high-upside wing who could stretch the floor with his outside shooting. After a quiet five-point opener on 2-for-6 shooting against Phoenix, Riley’s jumper flashed against Brooklyn, tallying 16 points on just six shots.
The Illinois product shot 5-for-6 from the field, including 3-for-4 from three, in a contest that saw him score from all three levels. While Riley’s jumper looked smooth, his ability to put the ball on the deck was a nice surprise, leading to a pair of and-1 opportunities.
Riley’s slender build — 6-foot-8, 186 pounds — created some mismatches defensively when guarding stronger opponents. While Riley didn’t exactly do much to ward off the pre-draft defensive concerns, he wasn’t a defensive liability, either.
Like Johnson, Riley missed the final three games due to injury, sporting a warp on his thumb while watching his teammates from the bench.
AJ Johnson: B
If you’re a box-score watcher who simply stumbled upon Johnson’s consecutive 20+ point outings, you’ll likely think this grade is harsh. If you actually watched the games, you probably saw what I saw, which was a 20-year-old guard still finding his way as a facilitator and creator.
Johnson’s speed in the open court, ability to race past defenders on drives to the rim and occasional marksmanship from beyond the arc were some positives seen in Las Vegas. Johnson’s best showing came against Utah, where the guard scored a game-high 25 points on an efficient 10-for-16 shooting, including 2-for-5 from three.
The former No. 23 pick served as Washington’s point guard after Carrington was shut down, experiencing some highs and lows in those lead-guard minutes. Johnson got caught in the air with nowhere to pass the ball on several occasions, which resulted in a few turnovers. He also pressed a bit early in Summer League, forcing shots and passes that weren’t open.
If you believe in Johnson’s upside, it’s fair to come away from Vegas optimistic about what the young guard could become. Conversely, if you’re a bit skeptical of Johnson’s lead-guard abilities, you’re critiques weren’t necessarily countered in Vegas, either.
Keshon Gilbert: B
If I had to describe Gilbert’s game in one word, I’d call it “fun.” Gilbert seems to always be around the ball, whether it’s grabbing rebounds amongst the trees, locating open teammates or flying down the court in transition.
The Iowa State product had his best game of Summer League against the Knicks, tallying 15 points, eight rebounds and five assists on 7-for-13 shooting. Gilbert is a prime Go-Go candidate who could easily earn a two-way deal in the future.
Bub Carrington: B-
After Washington traded Jordan Poole to New Orleans, the point-guard keys were handed to Carrington, who at 19 years old, has many admirers in the Wizards’ front office as a potential lead guard.
Carrington started at PG in his two 2025 Summer League appearances. His first showing — a four-point, five-assist outing against Phoenix in which he shot just 1-for-9 from the field — wasn’t his brightest moment. The former No. 14 pick didn’t turn the ball over, but he struggled to affectively run Washington’s offense.
Game No. 2 against Brooklyn — a 102-96 Wizards win — was a much better showing for Carrington, who scored 17 points on 5-for-7 shooting (3-for-4 3pt) to pair with six rebounds and three assists. The second-year guard scored in a variety of ways, including transition threes and mid-range jumpers.
Carrington committed five turnovers against Brooklyn, which put a slight dampener on an otherwise solid outing.
Leaky Black: C+
Black, 26, was the oldest player on Washington’s Summer League roster. While Black’s shot has improved throughout his pro career, shooting 39.8% from three with the Capital City Go-Go last season, his jumper was inconsistent in Vegas.
Black had some highs, like his 3-for-3 shooting performance against Brooklyn, and some lows, which included a combined 5-for-16 shooting against Philadelphia and Utah.
The 6-foot-6 forward graded on the higher side due to his rebounding, defense and court vision. Black’s best game came against Utah, where he tallied 10 points, 11 rebounds, four blocks and two steals.
The North Carolina product projects as a likely Go-Go starter next season.
Akoldah Gak: D+
Gak didn’t seem to offer much on the offensive end in terms of shot creation, shotmaking or offensive rebounding. His defense didn’t jump off the page, either.
However, the Wizards seemed to play well when he was on the floor. Washington embarked on a 19-0 run against Utah with Gak on the floor. The team was also 16 points better with Gak on the floor against New York.
Liam Robbins: F
This grade may seem harsh, but apart from a 2-for-2 start from 3-point range against Philadelphia, Robbins’ Summer League was one to forget.
The 7-footer struggled to move his feet defensively and often got caught in the air while defending the post. Robbins didn’t rebound well for his position and often got beat on the defensive glass.
Additionally, Robbins’ offense was woefully inefficient, shooting just 22.2% form the field and 23.1% from three.
Players I didn’t see enough of in limited minutes to accurately grade:
Kadary Richmond
Richmond, who went undrafted out of St. John’s, flashed impressive court vision at times in Las Vegas. The playmaking guard appeared in just two of the five games, tallying a total of four points and five assists. His jumpshot, which was one of the reasons for his draft slide, looked a ways away from being competent. Richmond is a potential Go-Go candidate who could make the jump to a two-way or standard deal in the future if he drastically improves his jumper.
Zeke Mayo
Like Richmond, Mayo appeared in just two games at Summer League. The difference was Mayo’s playing time, earning just 17 minutes total in Vegas. The Kansas product didn’t score and attempted just one shot despite his 3-point prowess. While Mayo’s potential as a 3-point specialist remains, he didn’t showcase much, if anything, in Summer League.
Let us know your thoughts on Washington’s Summer League roster in the comments below!
