August 17, 2026
Geoff Burke/IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Sixers had two memorable road wins against the Washington Wizards last season.
After acquiring Jaylen Brown and LeBron James in the same offseason, Sixers President of Basketball Operations Mike Gansey has set his new team up to be a full-blown championship contender.
The only problem: Ahead of the 2026-27 season, the Eastern Conference is shaping up to be as competitive as ever.
Over the next two weeks, PhillyVoice will be examining the 10 teams in the Eastern Conference that pose the greatest threats to James, Brown, Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe and the Sixers.
Up first: the Washington Wizards, whose high-profile acquisitions of Trae Young and Anthony Davis at last season's trade deadline set up for an exciting 2026-27. Even more encouraging to Wizards fans: Their team landed the No. 1 overall pick, used to select BYU wing AJ Dybansta. The Wizards suddenly have loads of talent.
Can the Wizards compete right away, even in a loaded conference?
SCOUTING THE SIXERS' COMPETITION
Technically, the Wizards already had Davis on their roster by the end of last season, but since the 10-time All-Star did not play a single game after being acquired from the Dallas Mavericks he is still on this list:
| Added | Retained | Lost |
| Anthony Davis | Trae Young | Jaden Hardy |
| AJ Dybansta | D'Angelo Russell | |
| Deandre Ayton | ||
| Khris Middleton |
Washington may have added an enormous amount of talent relative to last year's roster, but it is worth noting the Wizards' starting point: an NBA-worst record of 17-65 last year. Retaining Young required a four-year commitment worth well more than $200 million; that deal is instantly being viewed as one of the most onerous contracts in the NBA.
In swapping Jaden Hardy for Deandre Ayton, the Wizards acquired a quality backup center whose presence allows them to keep Anthony Davis and Alex Sarr on the floor together however much they want. They brought back Khris Middleton after buying him out at last year's trade deadline; he will be a valuable leader for the team's many young players.
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Washington has an extremely talented starting five – a mix of three youngsters and the aforementioned pair of veterans – but also intrigue beyond that:
| PG | SG | SF | PF | C |
| Trae Young | Kyshawn George | AJ Dybansta | Anthony Davis | Alex Sarr |
| Bub Carrington | Tre Johnson | Bilal Coulibaly | Khris Middleton | Deandre Ayton |
| Will Riley | Cam Whitmore | Justin Champagnie | Tristan Vukčević |
All eyes will be on Dybansta, whose scoring upside gives him the chance to be a franchise-altering player. But how much will he get to play with the ball in his hands on this team? Young is about as ball-dominant as it gets, and there are other mouths to feed, too.
In addition to Dybansta, the Wizards have a slew of impressive young swingmen. Kyshawn George should be the favorite to start given the strong two-year start to his NBA career, but Tre Johnson is a year removed from being a mid-lottery pick and Will Riley popped in a major way last season. Even Bilal Coulibaly, whose career to date has been somewhat disappointing, remains a legitimate NBA prospect on the wing.
There is no doubt this team is talented on paper. But of 11 teams definitely trying to win games in the Eastern Conference, it is hard not to slot the Wizards into 11th for now. There are so many questions – how the spacing will work, whether or not Davis is going to be consistently available (or traded midseason) and which depth pieces emerge as reliable – but this is an interesting blend of youth and experience.
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The Wizards do not have any former Sixers on their roster, though reserve forward Justin Champagnie is the twin brother of Julian, exiled by the Sixers for Mac McClung years ago and now a high-quality starting wing for the San Antonio Spurs.
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