During a preseason interview with a local outlet, Washington Wizards guard Bub Carrington probably revealed a bit more than he should have out loud.
While answering the very last question of his conversation with WUSA9, the 2024 NBA Draft first-round pick let something slip that was definitely better left unspoken. Carrington, who played 164 professional games before he turned 21 years old earlier this summer, was very open during this one-on-one exchange.
Earlier in the sit-down, Carrington said it "wasn't easy" to play for the Wizards when they weren't reaching perfection on a losing team during his first two seasons in the league.
He later discussed his new teammate, No. 1 overall pick AJ Dybantsa, as together they look forward to the new campaign
where they would "finally" become unlocked in a young core. He said they're being "told to win" and "not hold back" now.
Carrington explained he is looking forward to changing his narrative because it was "no secret" what they "had to do" the last couple years with everything the franchise was doing. He elaborated:
"We're very talented. We just haven't been told to be go be the best version of yourself ... We've all, in a way, been held back just because, like you said, we were trying to get AJ Dybantsa. That's no secret. That's no secret. But now, no one has handcuffs. Everyone has shackles free."
According to Carrington, this group is a playoff-caliber team with the new culture. But in the process, the league office and the Wizards' front office was probably not thrilled with that answer.
The league has recently issued fines between $100,000 and $500,000 to the Indiana Pacers and Utah Jazz for blatant non-competitiveness. With new policy change, those infractions can fetch up to a $10 million fine.
The NBA has also instituted new draft lottery reform to combat tanking for better draft picks, like Carrington alluded to in Washington, for future seasons and beyond.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Bub Carrington confirmed Wizards' tanking efforts: 'That's no secret'
