After being the laughingstock of the NBA for much of the past season, the Washington Wizards fans can perhaps have something to cheer for again. Fifteen years after winning the lottery and drafting John Wall, the Wizards might have the best odds to land Cooper Flagg this time around. History says that the Washington Wizards will end up with the No.1 pick in the draft.
15 Years Later, Wizards Fans Have Something to Believe In
The Washington Wizards have selected the No.1 pick in the NBA draft four times in franchise history. Two of those times came when the team played in Chicago, and were known as the Chicago Packers and Zephyrs. Of the remaining two picks, only one led them to playoff success, John Wall.
They won the lottery for the first time as the Washington Wizards in 2001 when they selected Kwame Brown. For years, he was the poster child of draft busts. Then, in 2010, the Wizards won the lottery again, and this time, they selected Wall.
He spent nine years in Washington. During his time there, Wall led the Wizards to three Eastern Conference Semifinals appearances. The team made the playoffs four times.
Will the pick they select in the 2025 draft have the same success? Let’s wait and see!
Washington Wizards Can Win the Lottery
In 2019, the NBA flattened the lottery odds for the first three teams. Since then, the team with the worst record in the league has yet to win the lottery. This year, the Washington Wizards can continue that trend and get the No.1 pick as the second-worst team.
In the last six years, the team with the second-worst record in the league has won the lottery three times. In 2023, Houston and San Antonio had the same record, but due to the tie-breaker, the Spurs were considered the third-worst team. Nevertheless, they had the second-worst record in the league.
We can also put an asterisk to the 2019-20 season. It was a shortened season due to COVID-19. The Timberwolves finished with the third-worst record, but they had the same amount of wins as the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Nevertheless, history says that the Washington Wizards, with the second-worst record in the league, might have the best lottery odds. Per NBA rules, the teams with the three worst records have the same chance, 14%, to win the lottery and earn the No.1 pick.
Can Will Dawkins Turn the Wizards Around?
Washington hired Will Dawkins to serve as their GM in June 2023. Since then, he has completely gutted the roster and stockpiled assets. He has been one of the more active general managers on the trade block.
In January 2025, Bobby Marks of ESPN ranked the Wizards as the team with the seventh best future draft capital. The Wizards have eight incoming first-round picks, six of their own, and two outside picks. But they also have 17 second-round picks.
They have three young players to build around in Alex Sarr, Bub Carrington, and Bilal Coulibaly. The Wizards also have some veteran players they can trade for future draft picks, and their payroll looks amazing. As of right now, they have only $89 million tied in salary for the 2026-27 season. If they nail their draft pick this year, the Wizards can turn things around soon. They haven’t had a winning record since the 2017-18 season.
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