Washington Wizards

 

The Washington Wizards are an American professional basketball franchise based in Washington, D.C. The team competes in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Eastern Conference’s Southeast Division. Founded in 1961 as the Chicago Packers, the franchise has undergone more name changes and relocations than almost any team in NBA history, progressing from Chicago Packers (1961-62) to Chicago Zephyrs (1962-63) to Baltimore Bullets (1963-1973) to Capital Bullets (1973-74) to Washington Bullets (1974-1997) before finally becoming the Washington Wizards in 1997.

 

The Wizards won their only NBA championship as the Washington Bullets in 1978, defeating the Seattle SuperSonics in seven games. Despite featuring Hall of Fame players, including Wes Unseld, Elvin Hayes, Earl Monroe, and more recently, Gilbert Arenas and John Wall, the franchise has endured prolonged periods of mediocrity and rebuilding. The team name change from “Bullets” to “Wizards” in 1997 was initiated by owner Abe Pollin due to Washington, D.C.’s high gun violence and homicide rates, making him increasingly uncomfortable with the violent connotations.

 

As of February 2026, the Wizards are in the midst of a youth-focused rebuild following the recent trade for Trae Young. Under the ownership of Ted Leonsis (via Monumental Sports & Entertainment), the leadership of General Manager Will Dawkins, and the fourth-year coaching direction of Brian Keefe, the team holds a 14-38 record and sits 14th in the Eastern Conference.

Chicago Packers and Zephyrs Era (1961–1963)

 

The franchise began in 1961 as the Chicago Packers, the NBA’s first expansion team since 1950. The name referenced Chicago’s meatpacking industry, as their home arena, the International Amphitheatre, sat next to the Union Stock Yards. However, the name proved extremely unpopular with Chicago fans who resented the connection to the NFL’s Green Bay Packers, bitter rivals of the Chicago Bears.

 

The inaugural 1961-62 Packers finished 18-62 despite selecting center Walt Bellamy from Indiana with the first overall pick. Bellamy won Rookie of the Year, averaging 31.6 points and 19.0 rebounds per game, but the franchise struggled competitively and financially.

 

After one season, ownership changed the name to the Chicago Zephyrs and moved to the Chicago Coliseum. Former Purdue star Terry Dischinger won Rookie of the Year in the team’s only season as the Zephyrs, but the franchise finished 25-55 and continued losing money.

 

Baltimore Bullets Era (1963–1973)

 

In 1963, the franchise relocated to Baltimore and became the Baltimore Bullets, adopting the name from a previous BAA/NBA franchise that had operated from 1944 to 1954. The team was purchased by Abe Pollin, Earl Foreman, and Arnold Heft for $1.1 million during the 1964-65 season.

 

The Bullets’ breakthrough came in 1964-65 when they made the playoffs for the first time in franchise history, upsetting St. Louis 3-1 before losing to the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals. In 1968, Baltimore selected center Wes Unseld from Louisville with the second overall pick. Unseld became the first player since Wilt Chamberlain to win both Rookie of the Year and MVP in the same season.

 

The 1970-71 Bullets, featuring Unseld, Earl Monroe, and Gus Johnson, won their first division title and advanced to the NBA Finals, where they were swept by the Milwaukee Bucks led by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Oscar Robertson. Despite the loss, the franchise had established itself as a championship contender.

 

Washington Bullets Era and Championship Glory (1973–1997)

 

In 1973, the team moved to Landover, Maryland (in the Washington metropolitan area) and became the Capital Bullets for one season before adopting the Washington Bullets name in 1974. The franchise played at Capital Centre (later US Airways Arena) from 1973-1997.

 

The 1974-75 Bullets finished 60-22—the best record in franchise history—and reached the NBA Finals as favorites but were swept by the Golden State Warriors. The disappointment fueled determination.

 

The 1977-78 championship season proved improbable. Despite an unimpressive 44-38 regular season record, the Bullets upset higher-seeded teams throughout the playoffs to reach the Finals against Seattle. After losing Game 1, Washington won the next three games before Seattle evened the series at 3-3. In Game 7, Unseld recorded 15 points and 9 rebounds, earning Finals MVP honors as the Bullets won 105-99. The championship brought Washington D.C. its first major professional sports title in 36 years—a distinction that still stands as the city’s only NBA championship.

 

The Bullets returned to the Finals in 1979, again facing Seattle. After winning Game 1, Washington lost four consecutive games, failing to defend their title. The franchise remained competitive through the mid-1980s with players including Jeff Malone, Moses Malone, and Bernard King, but never returned to championship contention.

 

The Wizards Era (1997–Present)

 

In 1997, owner Abe Pollin changed the team name from Bullets to Wizards, citing the violent connotations of “bullets” in a city plagued by gun violence and high homicide rates in the early 1990s. The franchise simultaneously moved to the MCI Center (later Verizon Center, now Capital One Arena) in downtown Washington.

 

The late 1990s and early 2000s featured brief success. The 1996-97 Bullets, led by Chris Webber, Juwan Howard, and Rod Strickland, finished 44-38 and made the playoffs for the first time in nine years. Following the name change, the Wizards struggled before hiring Michael Jordan as president of basketball operations in 2000.

 

Jordan came out of retirement to play for the Wizards from 2001-2003 at age 38-40. While his presence generated tremendous interest, he was relatively ineffective on the court (averaging 21.2 points but missing the playoffs both seasons) and retired permanently in 2003. Despite Jordan’s legendary status, owner Pollin shocked the sports world by not retaining him as president, citing poor management decisions.

 

The Gilbert Arenas-John Wall Eras (2004–2017)

 

The mid-2000s brought renewed hope with guard Gilbert Arenas, who signed as a free agent in 2003. Paired with Antawn Jamison and Caron Butler, the Wizards made four consecutive playoffs (2005-2008), marking their most sustained success since the championship era.

 

However, Arenas’ career derailed following a 2009 locker room incident involving firearms, resulting in suspension and trade. The franchise entered another rebuild.

 

In 2010, the Wizards selected guard John Wall first overall. Wall developed into a five-time All-Star and franchise cornerstone, forming a dynamic backcourt partnership with shooting guard Bradley Beal (drafted 2012). The Wall-Beal duo led Washington to four playoff appearances (2014-2018), including back-to-back semifinals losses to Indiana and Atlanta.

 

Wall’s chronic knee and Achilles injuries ended his Washington tenure. He was traded to Houston in 2020 for Russell Westbrook, who was subsequently traded to the Lakers before playing a game in Washington.

 

The Current Rebuild (2019–Present)

 

Bradley Beal remained the franchise’s centerpiece, making three All-Star teams and signing a five-year, $251 million contract in 2022—the largest in franchise history. However, in June 2023, Beal was traded to Phoenix in a three-team deal.

 

The Wizards committed to a full rebuild, selecting French center Alex Sarr second overall in 2024 and Texas guard Tre Johnson sixth overall in 2025. Both have been named to the 2026 Rising Stars roster, along with second-year guard Kyshawn George.

 

Trae Young and Anthony Davis Trades

On January 9, 2026, the Washington Wizards signaled a massive shift by acquiring four-time All-Star Trae Young from the Atlanta Hawks. In exchange for the elite playmaker, Washington sent veteran CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert to Atlanta. The deal reunited Young with executive Travis Schlenk, who originally drafted him in 2018.

However, the Wizards weren’t finished. On February 4, just before the deadline, Washington completed a second blockbuster for Anthony Davis. To land the 10-time All-Star from the Dallas Mavericks, the Wizards sent out a package including Khris Middleton, Marvin Bagley III, and multiple draft picks.

These moves represent a high-stakes “buy-low” strategy. Both Young (knee) and Davis (hand) have faced injury setbacks this season, and neither is expected to suit up significantly before the All-Star break. By pairing these superstars with a young core featuring Alex Sarr and Bilal Coulibaly, Washington hopes to go from rebuild to playoff contention as soon as the 2026-27 season.  

Ownership and Front Office

 

Ted Leonsis owns the Wizards through Monumental Sports & Entertainment, which he acquired control of in 2010. Monumental also owns the NHL’s Washington Capitals, the WNBA’s Washington Mystics, and operates Capital One Arena.

 

Will Dawkins serves as General Manager. Brian Keefe, who took over as head coach during the 2023-24 season, is in his fourth year leading the team.

 

Arena and Championships

 

The Wizards play home games at Capital One Arena (formerly MCI Center, Verizon Center), a 20,356-seat venue in Washington’s Chinatown neighborhood that opened in 1997. The arena is shared with the Capitals and Georgetown University basketball.

 

The franchise has won one NBA championship (1978 as Washington Bullets) and appeared in four Finals (1971, 1975, 1978, 1979). Washington has made 28 playoff appearances in 65 total seasons and won seven division titles.