• Loading stock data...
Thursday, April 24, 2025

As Wizards Hit Historic Low, Leonsis Calls Season ‘Very Productive’

The Wizards are on pace for one of the worst records in NBA history—but Zach Leonsis showed support for the team’s strategy in an interview with Front Office Sports.

Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

As the buzzer sounded in Capital One Arena on Saturday, Wizards rookie Bub Carrington bowed his head and pumped his fists. Washington overcame a career-high 56 points from three-time MVP Nikola Jokić to beat the 2022 NBA champions.

Carrington’s celebration showed more relief than triumph. The win snapped a 16-game losing streak for the Wizards, which teased at the record 28 straight losses the Pistons established last year. 

But the Wizards are still exhibiting historic levels of futility. The following night, Washington lost by 28 points to the Grizzlies, bringing their average point differential to -16.2, the worst in NBA history. Their 3–19 record translates to a .136 win percentage on pace for the seventh-worst record. This follows a season in which the team won just 15 of 82 games.

However, the losses appear to align with the strategy laid out by Monumental Sports & Entertainment, the Wizards’ parent company. In a new in-studio interview with Front Office Sports, Zach Leonsis, president of media and new enterprises—and son of owner Ted Leonsis—emphasized his trust in the direction of the team’s front office.

“I’m very confident in our front office’s plan,” Leonsis told FOS. “They presented a 200-slide presentation at one point about a multiyear process. … I think we’re making the most of it.”

Tanking, which is essentially deliberately losing, is not new in the NBA. The purpose is to manufacture a better shot at winning the NBA draft lottery to select a young building block to escape from the cellar. The 2025 draft is expected to be chock-full of franchise-altering talent at the top.

Teams don’t admit to tanking—though there are signs, like playing very young players to expedite their development. At one point earlier this season, four of the five Wizards starters were under 21. (One of their three wins came with that starting lineup.)

So while a tanking team isn’t compiling wins, the organization can believe it’s still taking positive steps.

“While our win-loss numbers aren’t particularly great this season, I actually think we’re having a very, very productive season elsewhere,” Leonsis said.

There’s merit to Leonsis’s comments. Monumental Basketball president Michael Winger and Wizards GM Will Dawkins both spent time in the front office of the Thunder, who used a long-term approach through the NBA draft and some shrewd trades to build their last two successful eras: one led by Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, and the current one anchored by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, and Chet Holmgren.

There is also precedent in D.C. for drastic change. The Wizards were swimming in the NBA’s pool of mediocrity for half a decade, battling for play-in berths and eighth seeds. They signed John Wall and Bradley Beal to massive supermax deals that stifled their future flexibility. 

However, a plan centered on tanking does not guarantee long-term success. Just ask the Sixers, the leaders of the “Trust the Process” movement. They have yet to make a conference final since their infamous tanking run in the early- to mid-2010s.

A multiyear tank also tests the commitment of a team’s fan base—and the Wizards already hold the longest conference finals drought in the league. Washington is 27th in attendance, the same as last year, and even guard Jordan Poole admitted after Saturday’s win that he’s been trying to get fans “more engaged.”

It doesn’t help that late last year, Monumental threatened to move its teams—which include the NHL’s Capitals and WNBA’s Mystics—to Virginia following funding disagreements with D.C. officials. That seems to be settled, and Leonsis told FOS the organization takes “a lot of pride in being part of downtown D.C.’s comeback.”

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Apr 14, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; a general view of the stadium during a game between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Boston Red Sox at George M. Steinbrenner Field.

Rays See Sharp Attendance Drop in Temporary Home Amid Uncertainty

Some amenities are praised, but home attendance drops at the temporary site.
Flau'jae Johnson
exclusive

Flau’jae Johnson Says She Will Return to LSU

The transfer portal closed Wednesday.
Fordham

Fordham Hit With Rare NIL Era NCAA Sanctions

The Rams were hit with recruiting violations stemming from a Times Square photo shoot.

NFL Draft Hosts: D.C., Denver, Buffalo Among Future Contenders

Pittsburgh will host in 2026, but 2027 and beyond is to be determined.

Featured Today

Apr 5, 2025; San Antonio, TX, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Cooper Flagg (2) reacts after a three point basket against the Houston Cougars during the first half in the semifinals of the men's Final Four of the 2025 NCAA Tournament at the Alamodome.

Cooper Flagg’s Timing Is Perfect for the NBA and USA Basketball

The projected No. 1 pick just declared for the draft.
Apr 14, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Paige Bueckers is interviewed by ESPN after being selected with the number one overall pick to the Dallas Wings in the 2025 WNBA Draft at The Shed at Hudson Yards
April 21, 2025

ESPN’s WNBA Coverage Mirrors the League’s Stunning Growth

“I don’t think we stand still in our coverage of women’s sports,” says Rowe.
Mar 16, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) celebrates with guard Isaiah Joe (11) after score in the fourth quarter against the Milwaukee Bucks at Fiserv Forum.
April 20, 2025

Unorthodox OKC: The Thunder Redefined Tanking to Become NBA’s Best

A rebuild years in the making has OKC in the driver’s seat.
Mar 13, 2020; Augusta, GA, USA; The front entrance at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Ga., Friday morning. The Masters Tournament has been postponed due to coronavirus concerns.
opinion
April 20, 2025

What’s It Like to Play Augusta? A Day on the World’s Most..

Inside a round at the most exclusive club in the world.
Nico Harrison

Nico Harrison Says Luka Trade Backlash Surprised Him

The Mavericks GM spoke about the trade—in front of cameras—Monday.
April 18, 2025

High-Priced Suns Have a Frustrated Owner, Few Good Options

Phoenix missed the playoffs with an NBA-high $210 million payroll.
Dec 9, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) watches as center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) celebrates after making a three point basket to clinch a win against the Toronto Raptors near the end of the fourth quarter at Scotiabank Arena
April 19, 2025

Same Owner, New Knicks: New York’s Remarkable Rebound

The franchise’s renaissance didn’t happen overnight.
Sponsored

Game On: Portfolio Players Stories, Brought to You by E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley

This week, Two-time Super Bowl Champion and CBS NFL analyst Logan Ryan joins us to talk the business of sports on our third installment of Portfolio Players.
Monte McNair
April 17, 2025

Flailing Kings Fire GM After Losing Play-In

Monte McNair helped the team end a 16-year playoff drought. 
April 16, 2025

Leafs vs. Senators: Old Guard Meets New Money in Battle of Ontario

The Maple Leafs-Senators clash has many David-and-Goliath themes.
Apr 9, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Bradley Beal (3) dribbles the ball against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the first half at Footprint Center.
April 10, 2025

Suns Will Miss the Playoffs Despite Having NBA’s Highest Payroll

The team’s luxury tax bill exceeds other teams’ full salaries.
April 9, 2025

Man City Blinks: Fan Pressure Halts Ticket Increases in Rare Move

The powerful club will not raise ticket prices next season.