As we’ve previously noted on this site, the Wizards have a particularly bad streak, every championship team since 2017 has included a former Wizard on its roster.
Look at the list:
2024 (Boston Celtics) — Kristaps Porzingis
2023 (Denver Nuggets) — Jeff Green, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Thomas Bryant, Ish Smith
2022 (Golden State Warriors) — Otto Porter Jr., Gary Payton II, Chris Chiozza
2021 (Milwaukee Bucks) — Bobby Portis
2020 (Los Angeles Lakers) — Jared Dudley, Dwight Howard, JaVale McGee, Markieff Morris
2019 (Toronto Raptors) — Jodie Meeks
2018 (Golden State Warriors) — JaVale McGee, Nick Young, Shaun Livingston
2017 (Golden State Warriors) — JaVale McGee, Shaun Livingston
If you limit the run to just Finals appearances, Shaun Livingston was on the 2015 and 2016 Warriors teams that blew a 3-1 Finals lead to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Rashard Lewis played for the 2014 Miami Heat, and Juwan Howard and Mike Miller joined him on the 2013 Heat; Howard and Miller were also on the 2012 champion Heat.
Caron Butler, a year removed from the end of his five-year Wizards tenure, won a championship with the Dallas Mavericks in 2011 alongside DeShawn Stevenson, Brendan Haywood, and Brian Cardinal, who played five games for the Wizards in 2003. That trio beat former Wizards Juwan Howard, Mike Bibby, and Mike Miller on the Miami Heat.
Rasheed Wallace of the Boston Celtics had played for the Washington Bullets in 1999, as did Rashard Lewis and Tyronn Lue of the Orlando Magic in 2009. Kwame Brown, the Wizards’ former first-round choice, played for the Lakers in 2008, and Larry Hughes was LeBron James’ teammate when the Cleveland Cavaliers were defeated in the 2007 NBA Finals.
Jerry Stackhouse was on the 2006 Dallas Mavericks. Darvin Ham, Rip Hamilton, Ben Wallace, and Rasheed Wallace were all on the 2004 and 2005 Detroit Pistons. Someone named Aaron Williams was on the 2003 New Jersey Nets. Mitch Richmond was on the 2002 Lakers, and Greg Foster was on the 2001 Lakers.
This means that the last NBA Finals not to feature a former Washington Wizard on either team was the 2000 Finals contested between the Lakers and the Indiana Pacers.
Speaking of the Pacers, their incredible streak that has lasted since 2001 is certain to continue, as either the New York Knicks or the Pacers will be in the NBA Finals. Former Wizards Landry Shamet and Delon Wright are now on the Knicks, while Thomas Bryant and Quenton Jackson are on the Pacers.
The Wizards haven’t been in the NBA Finals since 1979, so it’ll be a long time before they compete.