Washington’s roster-building philosophy came into sharper focus this week, and the latest moves appear to be a continuation of the next phase general manager Will Dawkins described following the team’s additions of Trae Young and Anthony Davis earlier this year.
In the span of a few days, the Wizards acquired center DeAndre Ayton from the Los Angeles Lakers, brought back forward Khris Middleton through a sign-and-trade with Dallas, and re-signed Young, reinforcing the team’s commitment to surrounding its young foundation with proven veteran talent.
In a recent one-on-one conversation with Double Take Sports, Will Dawkins explained that Washington’s January and February moves represented a turning point in the rebuild.
“I would say what we did in January and adding in February with Trae [Young] and Anthony Davis probably ended the deconstruction phase,” Will Dawkins said. “At that point, we were so confident in our young players that we had already in the last three drafts, we were going to be more competitive anyway.”
With that foundation in place, Dawkins described the organization as entering a new stage.
“Now we’re starting our ascent, I think that’s how I would define it,” Dawkins said.
That ascent is centered around building something sustainable, with Washington balancing young talent and veteran leadership.
“We’re starting to climb to achieving what our goal is, sustained success, and we’re here to make sure that happens for our fans,” Will Dawkins said.
With Alex Sarr entering his third season and No. 1 pick AJ Dybantsa set to join the roster as a rookie, Washington isn’t simply adding established names. The Wizards are surrounding their young core with players who have experience navigating the expectations that come with winning basketball.
Ayton Brings Size and a Proven Track Record
The Wizards acquired Ayton from the Lakers in exchange for guard Jaden Hardy and two future second-round picks. The move gives Washington a proven interior scorer and rebounder to pair with its young frontcourt pieces.
Ayton, the first overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, has played 470 career games across stints with Phoenix, Portland, and the Lakers. His career averages of 15.8 points, 10.1 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 1.0 block per game come with a .599 field goal percentage that ranks eighth-best in NBA history.
Last season in Los Angeles, he posted a career-high .671 mark from the field across all 72 games, averaging 12.5 points and 8.0 rebounds.
Durability and consistency have defined Ayton’s career. He has averaged a double-double in seven of his eight NBA seasons, a feat matched by just six players league-wide since 2018.
That kind of reliability alongside Anthony Davis and Sarr gives Washington real depth in the frontcourt and provides the type of veteran presence a young roster needs.
The cost was Hardy, a promising but still-developing guard who appeared in 23 games for Washington after arriving via a February trade with Dallas, averaging 12.6 points per game.
Middleton Returns Bringing Championship Experience
Middleton’s return to Washington comes with a different type of value.
He originally arrived from Milwaukee in a February 2025 trade, started 48 games for the Wizards, and averaged 10.4 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 3.3 assists before being dealt to Dallas roughly a year later as part of the deal that brought Anthony Davis to Washington.
Now, via a sign-and-trade agreement that sends D’Angelo Russell to Memphis as part of a larger six-team deal, Middleton is back in D.C. on a three-year contract.
What Middleton brings isn’t just familiarity. It is a résumé most rosters cannot replicate.
A three-time All-Star (2019, 2020, 2022) and member of Team USA’s gold medal-winning roster at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Middleton started every game during Milwaukee’s 2021 championship run.
Across 839 career games, he holds averages of 16.1 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 3.9 assists, numbers that rise when the stage gets bigger.
In 80 playoff games across nine postseason appearances, Middleton has averaged 20.6 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game.
That postseason track record matters for a young Wizards roster still learning what sustained winning requires. Veteran presence is one thing; a player who has consistently produced when the games matter most is another.
The Bigger Picture
The additions of Ayton and Middleton do not change who Washington is ultimately building around. Instead, they provide structure around a young foundation.
The Wizards enter the season with Young running the offense, Davis anchoring the frontcourt, Sarr continuing his development, and Dybantsa beginning his NBA career as one of the most anticipated prospects in recent draft history.
Ayton and Middleton give that group proven professionals to lean on, both on the floor and in the locker room.
Will Dawkins also made it clear that Washington is trying to build a team identity that opponents feel every time they come to D.C.
“Not a lot of easy nights when you come to DC,” Dawkins said. “You’re in for a dogfight.”
It’s a deliberate approach: pair high-ceiling youth with proven veterans who understand what a deep playoff run requires.
Whether it translates to wins this season remains to be seen, but the intent behind Dawkins’ roster construction is no longer in question.