The Washington Wizards have quietly emerged as one of the most exciting young teams in the NBA.
They made a pretty surprising move to trade away Jordan Poole along with Saddiq Bey and the 40th overall pick, bringing back C.J. McCollum, Kelly Olynyk, and a second-round pick in the deal. With a young core headlined by Alex Sarr, Bilal Coulibaly, Bub Carrington, and AJ Johnson in place, they have a chance to accelerate their road to contention sooner than many expect. Washington holds the sixth and 18th picks in this year’s NBA Draft to help with this process.
This article will evaluate their options for the No. 6 pick as teams begin to hone in on their selections. Ace Bailey is currently the favorite on DraftKings Sportsbook at -110 odds.
Ace Bailey (-110)
The most polarizing player in this draft class and arguably in the modern draft era, Ace Bailey seemed pegged to be the third pick just a few weeks ago. But, Bailey’s camp has been strategic in their pre-draft process with no regard to what the pick number is. Rather, he seemingly wants to go to a place where he can have plenty of shot volume and a chance to be “the guy” from day one. He is the only American prospect to not have worked out publicly for any teams and cancelled a workout with the Philadelphia 76ers, who hold the third pick, after the organization made arrangements and plans.
Luckily, the Wizards are in a spot where they can offer this type of opportunity. Bailey averaged 17.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.3 blocks and 1.0 steals during his lone year at Rutgers. Standing 6-foot-7, he is a tough shot-maker with three-level scoring potential, but questions about his shot selection and lack of playmaking need to be sorted out in the short term. There has been plenty of speculation and veiled reports linking the Wizards as Bailey’s desired location, and he is the type of superstar swing that makes a lot of sense for them based on the context of their timeline.
Jeremiah Fears (+350)
One of the beneficiaries of Bailey’s allegedly-intentional slide has been Jeremiah Fears. The Oklahoma guard is one of the youngest prospects in the draft class and doesn’t turn 19 until October, but he has plenty to offer in the short term. During his one-and-done season, he averaged 17.1 points, 4.1 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game. He shot just 28.4% from beyond the three-point arc and is slender in his 6-foot-2.5 frame. He also turned the ball over 3.4 times per game. Still, there is some serious juice when he gets downhill to take guys off the dribble and he is unafraid on the court. Fears got better as the season went on and averaged 22.4 points, 5.4 assists and 2.6 turnovers per game over the final eight games. This would be more of a long-term selection, but Fears could be the point guard of the future for Washington.
Tre Johnson (+550)
Another promising one-and-done prospect coming out of Texas, Tre Johnson has a case as the best shooter in the draft. You do not break scoring records previously set by Kevin Durant by accident, but this is exactly what Johnson did as he averaged an SEC-best 19.9 points per game along with 3.1 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game. Johnson leaves plenty to be desired on the defensive end but shot 39.7% from beyond the three-point arc on 6.8 perimeter shots per game. He can shoot off movement and off the dribble, and Texas’ offense was built upon creating looks for him. With plenty of high-level athletic defenders already on the roster, Washington has the ecosystem to cover up his defensive shortcomings. Johnson also holds a near 6-foot-11 wingspan, which should eventually translate to at least neutral defensive impact. On a team currently starved for scoring, Johnson could fill it up in a major way.
Khaman Maluach (+700)
Likely the first big man to come off the board, Khaman Maluach has a different outlook than most draft prospects, with him first picking up a basketball at age 13. Measuring over 7 feet tall with a nearly 7-foot-7 wingspan and 9-foot-6 standing reach, the saying goes that you cannot teach size. During his one-and-done season at Duke, Maluach averaged 8.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game in just 21.2 minutes per game. He shows some intriguing touch, connecting on 76.6% of his free-throw attempts, and shot 4-for-16 on three-point attempts this season. Defense will always be his calling card at the NBA level, but Maluach fits the defensive identity that the Wizards have established and could further take them down this path if they desire.
Kon Knueppel (+900)
Another Duke product to make the list, Kon Knueppel is projected to go higher and holds -250 odds on DraftKings Sportsbook of being the fourth pick. Knueppel is as sure a bet as you will find in the pre-draft process. He averaged 14.4 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.0 steals per game while knocking down 40.6% of his three-point attempts and leading the ACC in free-throw percentage at 91.4%. While there are concerns about his athleticism and defensive potential at the NBA level, he had impressive measurements at the Draft Combine and fared well defensively in college. Having Cooper Flagg and Maluach behind him is as great a set-up as a player could ask for and likely better than any NBA team will offer in this context. However, the tape speaks for itself and he showed some intriguing upside when Flagg was sidelined by injury. Knueppel will likely be off the board at this point, but he is a win-now player who can fit on any roster.
The Bet: Ace Bailey (-110)
The Washington Wizards are not a market where there is a ton of value on the board, and I expect Ace Bailey to be selected with the sixth pick. His camp’s desire to get him to Washington has become the worst-kept secret in the league. While his pre-draft process has been questionable, it will be a blank slate when he enters the league and Washington offers him the situation he desires.
For the Wizards, Ace Bailey will be their best bet to be the go-to scorer they need and still fits their identity of long and athletic wings. Adding him to the core of Coulibaly and Sarr has intriguing potential, and the youthful roster can grow together. This feels like a fit that makes sense for both sides, and history will tell if Bailey’s camp was correct in their assessment of what is best for him.
