The Washington Wizards haven't had much success in the last two decades, despite name changes, identity changes, and even a two-year stint from Michael Jordan. With years of mediocre success, Wizards owner Ted Leonisis intends to announce the franchise moving to Virginia, according to Adrian Wojnarowski.
"Monumental Sports and Washington Wizards owner Ted Leonsis plans to join Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin in Alexandria, Va., for a news conference on Wednesday to unveil plans for a proposed new arena complex and entertainment district for Wizards and NHL’s Capitals."
The Wizards have been playing in Washington since 1973, completing their 50th year in the city this season. The city will sorely miss having a basketball team to root for, but this move could take up to 2028 to execute.
The official intention to move the franchise will be announced on Wednesday, at a news conference with Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin on Wednesday morning. The primary motivation behind the move is to move to an 8,000-square-foot campus site in Alexandria, Virginia. The complex will host not only the Wizards but also the NHL's Washington Capitals. Lawmakers have approved the arena project in Northern Virginia, but a final vote of the state's full general assembly is required to allow the project.
Leonisis had put pressure on officials in D.C. to make a new arena complex for the city's sports teams, suggesting an investment of $600 million in public funds. Instead, it seems Virginia may provide that and land not only an NBA franchise but also an NHL franchise.
Arena-related income is becoming a major driver of profits for teams around the NBA. We just saw Mark Cuban sell a majority stake in the Mavericks with the hope that the new owners can build a resort complex where the team can play games but also give fans integrated gambling and staying experience at the on-site hotels.
The Wizards Hope To Improve Their Team By Then
A lot of changes are happening in the NBA after over a decade of having stability with 30 teams. The last team to relocate their franchise ere the OKC Thunder, which took the Seattle SuperSonics to make this happen. With the NBA possibly looking at an expansion after 2025-26, a lot of new cities are soon going to become hubs of basketball.
The Wizards wouldn't want to spend their next five seasons losing in D.C., with a fanbase that knows the team may leave soon. They've committed to building their team around the likes of Jordan Poole and Kyle Kuzma, with their partnership not yielding any progress for the franchise. They are 3-19 this season, with Poole in particular having a dreadful season. If they want this team to go to Virginia with hype behind it, they'll hope the roster has been majorly improved.
Poole has made a fool of himself on the court multiple times. Kuzma is playing solid basketball, but it's clear he's miscast as a No. 1 option and will thrive when he's a role-player on a contending squad. Trading both of them and putting together a young core that can develop into a contender by the time the Wizards have to move should be a priority.
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