The Washington Wizards are in complete rebuilding mode, and it’s something that has been a long time coming for a team that has made the playoffs just once dating back to 2019 while not posting a winning record since 2018.

The Wizards have actually done a solid job assembling an interesting group of young talent, but they have also made some considerable mistakes along the way.

Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley has identified one trade in particular that Washington probably could have executed better: the Kristaps Porzingis deal.

In June 2023, the Wizards sent Porzingis to the Boston Celtics as part of a three-team deal with the Memphis Grizzlies. Washington’s return package? Tyus Jones, Mike Muscala, Danilo Gallinari and Julian Phillips.

“This could have looked better had the Wizards flipped Jones for something during his lone season in the District, but they instead had him pilot a 67-loss season and then leave for nothing in free agency,” Buckley wrote.

And how many of those players are still remaining on Washington’s roster? Oh yeah…zero.

To be fair, the Wizards flipped Gallinari and Muscala to the Detroit Pistons for Marvin Bagley in what constituted a salary-dump trade for the Pistons, and they also dealt Phillips to the Chicago Bulls for a pair of second-round picks.

Jones? He walked for nothing in free agency, which is brutal considering he was the most “valuable” asset Washington recouped in that trade.

Yes, the Wizards were trying to clear some money, but they couldn’t have gotten something for Porzingis?

We know the rest of the story from there. Porzingis starred for the Celtics last season, and while he was injured for most of the playoffs, he returned for a legendary Game 1 performance in the NBA Finals, was solid in Game 2 and then had a Willis Reed-esque moment in Game 5 after re-injuring himself. He ultimately won a championship.

Make sure you bookmark Washington Wizards on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!

After splitting up into divisions, the winners will meet for the overall 4A SPSL championship Friday night.

And it is two teams very familiar with each other – No. 7 Graham-Kapowsin vs. No. 2 Sumner.

The two teams meet at 7 p.m. Pacific time at Sunset Chev Stadium in Sumner. A live feed is available on NFHS Network (subscription only).

SBLive is tracking scores across the state of Washington through Week 9. Stay with us for the latest score and game updates from pregame to teardown. Refresh this post and scroll down for the latest.

PRE-GAME: GRAHAM-KAPOWSIN VS. SUMNER

FIRST QUARTER

Will be updated once game starts.

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About Graham-Kapowsin

Key players— WR/DB Kase Betz, TE Noah Flores, DL Jonathan Haas, OL/DL Kaleb Leatigaga, QB A.J. Tuivaiave.

About Sumner

Key players— TE Carter Cocke, QB Nate Donavan, LB Austin Glivar, WR Braylon Pope, RB Steele Isaacs.

* WEEK 9 WASHINGTON HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL PRIMER

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Longtime Washington Post columnist Hugh Hewitt quit the newspaper on Friday, he told Fox News Digital.

Hewitt, a conservative who hosts a nationally syndicated radio show, had been a contributing columnist for the newspaper since 2017 and has written hundreds of pieces.

“I have in fact quit the Post but I was only writing a column for them every six weeks or so,” Hewitt told Fox News Digital, adding he’d recently offered to write another pro-Trump column for the paper ahead of the election. He informed editorial page editor David Shipley on Friday morning.

His last piece was published on Tuesday, where he called on the MAGA movement to evolve if Trump was elected president again. He was a rare pro-Trump voice at the liberal outlet, whose opinion roster and editorial board lean sharply to the left, but his pieces touched on a wide variety of topics.

WASHINGTON POST STAFFER SAYS MORALE IS DOWN, COLLEAGUES THINK MANAGEMENT IS LYING: ‘A LOT OF SAD HERE’

A clip of Hewitt went viral earlier on Friday when he walked off the Washington Post’s online show the “First Look” with liberal columnists Jonathan Capehart and Ruth Marcus on its “Washington Post Live” platform. It came during a discussion of Trump rhetoric around election integrity.

“Does it seem like Donald Trump is laying the groundwork for contesting the election by complaining that cheating was taking place in Pennsylvania?” Capehart asked Marcus. “By suing Bucks County for alleged irregularities, and this is on top of his continual assertion that if he loses, it’s because of cheating.”

Marcus said Trump had been preparing to blame an election loss on cheating for months.

“No election can be fair in Donald Trump’s mind unless Donald Trump wins it,” Marcus said.

As Marcus went on, Hewitt tried to interject, but Capehart snapped, “Let Ruth finish, Hugh.”

“Well, I’ve just got to say, we’re news people, even though it’s the opinion section,” Hewitt said. “It’s got to be reported. Bucks County was reversed by the court and instructed to open up extra days because they violated the law and told people to go home. So that lawsuit was brought by the Republican National Committee, and it was successful. The Supreme Court ruled that Glenn Youngkin was successful.

JEFF BEZOS ADDRESSES WASHINGTON POST ENDORSEMENT FIASCO, CITES DISTRUST IN MEDIA LED TO ‘PRINCIPLED DECISION’

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks during Turning Point’s United for Change rally on Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024, in Las Vegas. (Madeline Carter/Las Vegas Review-Journal/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

“We are news people, even though we have opinions, and we have to report the whole story if we bring up part of the story,” Hewitt added. “So, yes, he’s upset about Bucks County, but he was right and he won in court. That’s the story.”

After a brief pause, Capehart said, “I don’t appreciate being lectured about reporting when Hugh, many times, you’ve come here saying lots of things that aren’t based in fact.”

Hewitt stood up and said, “I won’t come back, Jonathan. I’m done. I’m done. This is the most unfair election ad I’ve ever been a part of. You guys are working. That’s fine. I’m done.”

With that, he left, leaving a blank corner of the screen while Capehart went back to Marcus to talk about her column saying the stakes of the election were democracy and “decency.”

But then Marcus’ screen froze, and further technical difficulties derailed the show from there. 

Fox News Digital reached out to the Washington Post for comment.

WASHINGTON POST OWNER JEFF BEZOS WANTS MORE CONSERVATIVE OPINION WRITERS AT PAPER: REPORT

Hewitt’s leaving the Post comes on the heels of the decision, at the behest of owner Jeff Bezos, not to endorse a candidate for president this year. The Post’s abdication set off an uproar among staffers and readers, leading to resignations and hundreds of thousands of canceled subscriptions. 

Bezos also has reportedly called for having more conservative opinion writers, so Hewitt’s departure is a blow to that goal.

Conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt. (Getty Images)

The Post was set to endorse Kamala Harris – it hasn’t backed a Republican for president since it began regularly offering White House endorsements in 1976 – before Bezos pulled the plug, citing efforts to rebuild trust with readers skeptical of the media.

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Not a regular columnist for the newspaper, Hewitt had written only seven pieces for the Post in 2024 after penning 48 pieces for it alone in 2023.