Shams: Wizards in contact with DeMar DeRozan

DeRozan was waived by the Kings in early July, and he has now found a new home for his 18th NBA season. He spent the last two in Sacramento and will remain in the West, though on a more competitive team. DeRozan will have a chance to start, but it is more likely that he is used in a reserve capacity. DeRozan has only come off the bench 12 times in his career, all during his rookie season. He’ll likely take another hit in production due to a minutes decrease next season.

DeRozan’s time with the Kings ended earlier this summer, and there has been speculation about his next stop. Miami, Denver, Cleveland and Washington have reportedly expressed interest in the veteran wing, and there were also reports that Portland was involved. However, according to Stein, the Trail Blazers have not pursued the possibility of signing DeRozan. Given the team’s surplus of perimeter players, it is unsurprising that Portland would not be in the mix for the 36-year-old.

Watkins reportedly suffered the injury during the Wizards’ summer league opener against the Jazz, which explains why he didn’t appear again after playing 20 minutes as a starter in that game. Watkins was selected with the 43rd pick in 2025 and was solid as a rookie, especially down the stretch of the season. Now, there is a chance he misses the entirety of his sophomore campaign. It’s unclear if he would’ve had much of a role this upcoming season, but this solidifies that Bilal Coulibaly and Will Riley will see most of the wing minutes off the bench.

Given how well Dybantsa played in his two appearances in Las Vegas, this was the expected conclusion for the first overall pick in last month’s draft. The 6-foot-9 forward totaled 50 points in his two appearances, most recently recording a 23/7/2/3/2 line in Sunday’s win over the Kings. Dybantsa being ruled out for the rest of summer league will allow the other young Wizards more room to show what they can provide. Fantasy-wise, Dybantsa should be one of the first rookies off the board in drafts, regardless of league format. Will Riley and Tre Johnson are also done for the summer.

The first 38 minutes of this game were relatively quiet for Riley, especially coming off a strong rookie season. However, he came alive late in this game, scoring nine points in the final 2:12 of the fourth quarter, which allowed the Wizards to seal the win. With the Wizards likely competing for a postseason spot this year, Riley will play a smaller role than he did as a rookie, though he’s clearly still progressing as a player.

Unsurprisingly, the six-time All Star will enter free agency as Sacramento looks to the future with a rebuild centered around young talent like Darius Acuff Jr. and Nique Clifford. DeRozan is now free to sign with the team of his choosing. Teams to keep an eye on include the Warriors, Heat, Lakers and Raptors. He could also team up with LeBron James, depending on where James ultimately decides to sign.

The writing has been on the wall for quite some time that the Kings want to kick-start their rebuild by moving on from a few veteran players. With Zach LaVine opting into the final year of a deal that will pay him over $49 million, it will be easier financially for Sacramento to move on from DeRozan, either via trade or the waive-and-stretch provision. According to Iko’s report, DeRozan expects the latter to happen. Only $10 million of his 2026-27 contract is guaranteed, so spreading that money over three years would not significantly damage the Kings’ finances. DeRozan turns 37 next month, but in the right situation he can still provide solid middle-round value in standard fantasy leagues.

Dybantsa entered the 2025-26 season as one of the top prospects in this draft class, and his lone season at BYU did no harm to that status. The 6-foot-9 wing averaged 25.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.4 three-pointers last season, earning consensus first-team All-America honors. Dybantsa shot 51.0 percent from the field, 33.1 percent from three and 77.4 percent from the foul line. An excellent athlete who can score on all three levels and provide some playmaking, Dybantsa needs to become a more consistent three-point shooter. That said, he projects to be a franchise cornerstone for years to come. He’ll join a core in Washington that features young studs Alex Sarr, Tre Johnson and Kyshawn George, as well as veteran stars Trae Young and Anthony Davis. Dybantsa should start from day one and be a strong scoring option.

While the final game of his rookie season was not particularly good, Riley played well more often than not over the last month. The 6-foot-8 wing scored in double figures in 11 of his last 12 games, providing seventh-round fantasy value during that stretch. The Wizards have a lot of young wings on their roster going into the offseason, making it challenging to project Riley’s value in redraft leagues next fall. Not to mention a likely high lottery pick in what’s projected to be a loaded draft. However, Riley is unquestionably worth holding onto in dynasty leagues.

The three veterans won’t be available for Sunday’s season finale. The absences of DeRozan, Westbrook and Monk have benefited Devin Carter, Nique Clifford and Daeqwon Plowden. That will remain the case on Sunday, with Carter coming off a 29-point effort in Friday’s win over the Warriors.