Ted Leonsis plans to make Wizards 'championship caliber' originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
With the Washington Wizards playing much better with Russell Westbrook and Bradley Beal at the helm, they have a chance to qualify for the NBA Play-In Tournament and then from there possibly make a run in the playoffs as a low seed.
But with two stars in their prime, the Wizards will certainly hope to accomplish much more than that in the coming years. Team chairman Ted Leonsis said during a press conference on Friday he's committed to building around Beal and Westbrook and, hopefully, taking the organization to the next level in the near future.
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"I’ve had a conversation with Russell Westbrook. What more records can he win? We have to continue to invest and make the Wizards championship caliber," Leonsis said.
"Bradley Beal believes in that. Those are two great players. One is No. 1 or No. 2 in the league in scoring, the other leads the league in assists. He just broke the all-time record in terms of triple-doubles."
Leonsis discussed all of his pro sports teams on Friday and in his 30-minute discussion mentioned how the Caps, Mystics and Wizards District Gaming all won championships in recent years. The Wizards, meanwhile, haven't won a title since 1978 and haven't even reached the conference finals since 1979.
Related: Ted Leonsis asked about Scott Brooks' contract future
This offseason could put the Wizards at a crossroads of sorts with Beal and Westbrook, as the two are under contract through two more seasons, but have player options for the 2022-23 season. Westbrook is also 32 years old and won't be in his prime forever.
That could add some urgency to this summer, as the Wizards figure out how to capitalize on what they have built so far. They may have to weigh the goal of winning against maintaining salary cap flexibility and in developing young players.
"We’re really committed to world class athletic performance and building championship teams. Frankly, that’s what you will expect, that’s what the community expects. We’re doing that," Leonsis said.
