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Bradley Beal is headed to Phoenix, ending the shooting guard’s 11-year stint with the Wizards and leaving Deni Avdija, a first-round pick only three years ago, as the longest-tenured member of Washington’s overhauled and virtually unrecognizable roster. Beal, the No. 3 pick in the 2012 NBA draft, departs as the second-leading scorer in franchise history behind Elvin Hayes. With Miami’s Udonis Haslem retiring, he was one of five NBA players who had been with the same team since 2012 and ranked fifth on the list of longest-tenured athletes in D.C. sports, which is due for an update.

In keeping with past methodology, this list is based on consecutive seasons in D.C. following a player’s on-field debut for Washington. For previous versions, see here: October 2009, December 2010, March 2012, August 2012, March 2016, June 2018, May 2021.

1. Alex Ovechkin: Finished his 18th season (Debut: Oct. 5, 2005)

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Ryan Zimmerman’s retirement in February 2022 moved Ovechkin to the top spot. The No. 1 pick in the 2004 NHL draft signed a five-year contract in 2021 that could keep him in Washington until the end of his career. After eclipsing 800 goals and then passing Gordie Howe for second on the NHL’s all-time goals list last season, Ovechkin is 72 shy of matching Wayne Gretzky’s record.

2. Nicklas Backstrom: Finished his 16th season (Debut: Oct. 5, 2007)

No one has assisted on more of Ovechkin’s goals than Backstrom, who arrived in D.C. two years after Ovechkin’s rookie season. Limited to 86 games over the past two years because of hip surgery, Backstrom is signed through the 2024-25 season.

3. John Carlson: Finished his 14th season (Debut: Nov. 20, 2009)

Washington’s first-round draft pick in 2008 signed an eight-year, $64 million contract after the Capitals won the Stanley Cup in 2018. The defenseman missed three months after taking a slap shot to the right side of his head in December, and his absence was one of the main reasons the Capitals missed the playoffs for the first time since 2014.

The Wizards have a long history of wasting second-round picks

4. Stephen Strasburg: In his 14th season (Debut: June 8, 2010)

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The Nationals right-hander hasn’t appeared in a game since last June, when he attempted to return from surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome. As he continues to deal with severe nerve damage, there’s increasing doubt that the 2019 World Series MVP will ever pitch again. The No. 1 pick in the 2009 MLB draft has pitched in eight games since Washington signed him to a seven-year, $245 million contract in December 2019. Victor Robles, who made his MLB debut on Sept. 7, 2017, is the Nationals’ longest-tenured position player.

5. Tori Huster: In her 11th season (Debut: April 14, 2013)

The 33-year-old midfielder and former Florida State star became an original member of the Washington Spirit when the team selected her with its second pick in the 2013 NWSL supplemental draft. Huster, who serves as the president of the NWSL Players Association, finished the 2022 season as one of five players who had been with the same NWSL club since 2013. She hasn’t played since she tore her Achilles’ in the 2021 playoffs, which culminated in the franchise’s first title.

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6. Tom Wilson: Finished his 10th season (Debut: May 10, 2013)

Wilson has established himself as one of the most hated players in the NHL since he made his debut for the Capitals during the 2013 playoffs. He is due to become an unrestricted free agent after next season but hopes to remain in Washington for the duration of his career. “Everyone knows I want to be here,” Wilson told reporters on breakdown day in April, when he also revealed he fractured his ankle in December. “No matter what happens, I want to help this city win games.”

7. Evgeny Kuznetsov: Finished his 10th season (Debut: March 10, 2014)

Kuznetsov has failed to match the success he had when he scored a league-best 32 points in the playoffs en route to the 2018 Stanley Cup title, including one of the greatest goals — and celebrations — in franchise history. He scored only 12 goals last season, during which a Russian television outlet reported that he requested a trade. The 31-year-old winger, who is signed through 2025, maintained he is happy in Washington. “But you never know,” he added. “It’s not always on me.”

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8. Steven Birnbaum: In his 10th season (Debut: June 7, 2014)

The D.C. United defender and captain, a first-round pick in 2014 out of California, signed a two-year contract extension in April that will keep him in Washington through 2025.

9. Tress Way: Finished his ninth season (Debut: Sept. 7, 2014)

Way has started every game for Washington since he was claimed off waivers from the Bears in August 2014. He earned his second Pro Bowl nod in 2022, when he was tied for second with 37 punts downed inside the 20.

10. Natasha Cloud: In her eighth season (Debut: June 5, 2015)

After starting her college career at Maryland, Cloud transferred to St. Joseph’s and was a second-round pick of the Mystics in 2015. She helped Washington win the 2019 WNBA title while emerging as one of the league’s biggest activists off the court. Cloud opted out of the coronavirus-shortened 2020 season to focus on social justice matters before returning in 2021. She averaged a career-high 10.7 points per game last season.

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11. T.J. Oshie: Finished his eighth season (Debut: Oct. 10, 2015)

The first player on this list not drafted by Washington and the sixth and final player remaining from the Capitals’ Cup-winning team, Oshie played seven seasons with the St. Louis Blues before being traded to D.C. in 2015. The fan favorite, who has two years remaining on his contract, scored 19 goals in 58 games last season. Oshie’s former Capitals teammate Dmitry Orlov, who made his Washington debut in 2011, ranked fifth on this list when he was traded to Boston in February.

12. Elena Delle Donne: In her sixth season (Debut: May 14, 2017)

Another D.C. transplant, Delle Donne arrived in 2017 via a blockbuster trade with the Chicago Sky. In 2019, she became the first player in WNBA history to shoot at least 50 percent from the field, 40 percent from three-point range and 90 percent from the free throw line in a season. She was named MVP that year, which ended with the Mystics’ first championship. Delle Donne opted out of the 2020 season because of health concerns and was limited to three games in 2021 because of a back injury.

13. Russell Canouse: In his seventh season (Debut: Aug. 13, 2017)

Canouse, a Lancaster, Pa., native who launched his soccer career in Germany as a teenager, returned to the United States when he signed with D.C. United in August 2017. The 28-year-old midfielder is signed through this season.

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