Every NBA Team’s Best New Weapon for the 2024-25 Season | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats & Rumors

Malcolm Brogdon isn’t nearly as important to the Washington Wizards’ bigger picture as Alex Sarr and Bub Carrington. But this is all about picking the best new weapon for 2024-25. And he’s entering the season better than either of them.

Washington will feel a playmaking drop from Tyus Jones to Brogdon. That’s great news for Carrington’s chances at Rookie of the Year. The Wizards should lean on him to lead the offense from the start.

But Brogdon himself is a driver of offense, literally. He averaged more drives in Portland (12.3) than Tyrese Haliburton in Indiana (12.1) last season and played nearly four minutes less per game. It’s a skill that can be applied anywhere, including Washington.

The same goes for Brogdon’s shooting. He’s had a couple of inconsistent seasons on his resume, but he’s a career 39.4 shooter from long range and has made 41 percent of three-pointers in each of the past two years.

That efficiency could be tough to maintain for the Wizards, to be sure. Brogdon has expanded his offensive range with more difficult 3-pointers, but he’s most comfortable firing the catch. He made 51.8 percent of his spot-up 3-pointers last year. Washington doesn’t have a true passer to line him up unless Carrington, Bilal Coulibaly or Jordan Poole pops up.

Still, the plug-and-play nature of Brogdon’s offense, combined with his ability to share minutes with other guards, makes him a safe bet. If you’d rather bet on Carrington’s vision, Sarr’s defense, Washington trading Brogdon before the season starts, or barely using him when it does, go ahead and roll the dice. Pretty much anything can happen this early in a team’s rebuild.