The Wizards are only as good as their future, which is exactly why they spent this year thinking about the next one.



They were patient throughout John Wall’s rehab process; they looked to scoop up young players other teams were giving away; they poured time and resources into draft picks — all so they could slide into next season with higher hopes than they had for this one. Now, I’ve scrounged up my conch to summon my one colleague most qualified to evaluate the position the franchise is in today and where it stands to be tomorrow: John Hollinger.



Hollinger, who is now a national NBA writer at The Athletic, was the Grizzlies vice president of basketball operations from 2012 to 2019. For the next two days, he’s talking straight Wizards. We recently had a running conversation about Washington’s young guys and what he thinks of the group’s future. We’re splitting this it two parts.



Part II will publish Tuesday.