2025 NBA Draft: What the Wizards selections may look like Wednesday night
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Washington Wizards hold the No. 6 and 18 overall selections in the 2025 NBA Draft at 8 p.m. Wednesday. Here are a few prospects that may land in D.C.
Before the draft, the Wizards made a significant roster move in a trade with the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday. The Wizards traded away Jordan Poole, Saddiq Bey and the No. 40-overall pick in the 2025 draft. In return, they received CJ McCollum, Kelly Olynyk and a future second-round pick.
What does this mean?:
After the trade, the Wizards gained roughly $100 million to spend next offseason. The move allows the team to go after big-name free agents, thus making this draft important.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - MAY 12: Dallas Maverics have officially won the in NBA Draft Lottery with 1.8% pre-lottery chance to win the pick in Chicago, Illinois, United States on May 12, 2025. San Antonio Spurs got the second pick, Philadelphia 76ers got 3
What to expect at No. 6 pick
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Ace Bailey is the most logical pick for the Wizards. Bailey was a projected top three overall selection throughout the 2024-25 season. As a freshman at Rutgers, he averaged 17.6 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game. The forward shot 46% from the field and 34.6% behind the arc.
Even with his impressive stats, Bailey is sliding after a disappointing NBA Draft Combine performance and concerns over his pre-draft process. Rutgers listed Bailey at 6-foot-10, but at the combine he measured 6-foot-7. He declined invites to work out for teams in his projected draft range and expressed he wants to join a team where he could be an instant star, according to Jeff Goodman from the Field of 64.
If Bailey falls to No. 6, the Wizards are a no-brainer selection as he has tremendous upside, only turning 19 in August.
Jeremiah Fears
NBA Draft: Wizards trade Poole to Pelicans, gaining McCollum and Olynyk
Just a day before the NBA Draft, the Washington Wizards traded guard Jordan Poole to the New Orleans Pelicans. This may not feel like a major move in terms of where these teams rank compared to the rest of the league, but it does give the Wizards an absurd amount of cap space, projecting around $100 million in 2026.
As the Wizards moved on from Jordan Poole, the team should be eyeing another guard to run the offense while providing a scoring spark alongside Bub Carrington. In his freshman year at Oklahoma, Fears made the SEC All-Freshman Team, averaging 17.1 points, 4.1 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 1.6 steals. He showed up when the Sooners needed him to, averaging 24.2 points in the final five games of the season.
Fears is a project type prospect as his stats were impressive, but have room to improve. He only shot 28.4% from three-point range and averaged 3.4 turnovers per game. Under the veteran presence of McCollum and Marcus Smart, Fears is a logical selection.
Khaman Maluach
This may come as a surprise, but it is hard to deny a seven-foot-two center who turns 19 in just under three months. In his lone season at Duke, he averaged 8.6 points, shooting 71.2% from the field, 6.6 rebounds and 1.3 blocks. He is an elite rim protector and high lob threat with a 9-foot-8 standing reach and 7-foot-5 wingspan.
Maluach fits the prototype of lengthy international prospects the Wizards have selected in previous drafts. He will pair well with the 2024 No. 2 pick Alex Sarr, creating a dynamic frontcourt. Mauluach will upgrade a weak Wizard defense that ranked 27th in the league in defensive rating, 119.12, and 26th in points allowed, 120.45.
What to expect at No. 18 pick
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Danny Wolf
Under the assumption that Bailey or Fears are the Wizards pick, Wolf would be great value at No. 18. The Michigan center is listed as a 7-foot flat on its website. Not only did he showcase his scoring, averaging 13.2 points in his junior season, he was a playmaker with 3.6 assists per game.
Wolf shot efficiently at 49.7% from the field and 33.6% from three, while leading the Big Ten in defensive rebounds per game with eight. He fits the mold of being a solid NBA big man with room to grow as a shooter and passer, making sense for the Wizards to take a chance on him.
Thomas Sorber
The freshman from Georgetown won't have to adjust to playing in Capital One Arena, where he averaged 14.5 points on 53.2% from the field and 8.5 rebounds. He ranked third among Division I freshmen with eight double-doubles, even with season-ending foot surgery on Feb. 26.
Sorber did most of his work in the low-post, while showing the ability to cause havoc on defense, averaging two blocks per game. Scouts view him more as a defensive-minded center with upside on the offensive end, fitting in well with the Wizards' defensive need at the center position.
Liam McNeely
McNeely is fresh off a season where he was named the Big East Freshman of the Year, averaging 14.5 points, 6 rebounds and 2.3 assists at Uconn. His 31.7% three-point percentage does not tell the full story as he attempted 5.4 threes a game.
The Wizards seem to have full trust in Carrington to lead the offense and look to find his future back-court mate. McNelly has polished offensive skills with his main strength as a catch-and-shoot threat. His 86.6% free throw shooting shows his shooting potential.
All predictions are made under the assumption that the Wizards keep their selection, not make trades.
The Source: Information from NBADraft.net and Basketball-Reference.com/ was used to write this report.