The Wizards front office will have their pick of several talented players with the second pick.
As most fans are surely aware by now, the Wizards will have the second pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. We recently discussed many of the options they will likely consider on the latest Bleav in Wizards podcast but below are the names you’ll probably want to become familiar with between now and June 26th.
Rookie Scale offers a consensus big board that averages the rankings from the most reputable draft boards to show a composite look at where players are currently projected. Everyone listed on their Top 10 seems like to at least be evaluated by the Wizards at this point.
1) Alex Sarr, 7’0, center, Perth Wildcats, draft age: 19.2
2) Nikola Topic, 6’7, guard, Red Star, draft age: 18.9
3) Zaccharie Risacher, 6’9, wing, Bourg, draft age: 19.2
4) Donovan Clingan, 7’2, center, Connecticut, draft age: 20.3
Photo by Kamil Krzaczynski/NBAE via Getty Images
5) Reed Sheppard, 6’2, guard, Kentucky, draft age: 20.0
6) Matas Buzelis, 6’10, forward, Ignite, draft age: 19.7
7) Rob Dillingham, 6’1, guard, Kentucky, draft age: 19.5
8) Stephon Castle, 6’5, guard, Connecticut, draft age: 19.7
9) Ron Holland, 6’7, wing, Ignite, draft age: 19.0
10) Cody Williams, 6’7, wing Colorado, draft age: 19.6
Photo by Jacek Boczarski/Anadolu via Getty Images
Atlanta seems primed to take Sarr with the first pick, leaving the Wizards with their choice of the remaining field. If it were up to me, Castle and Risacher would be my favorites pending things like workouts, interviews, and physicals. Their high-end defensive potential and ability to fit in well with others offensively would be appealing to me from a roster construction standpoint.
A big playmaker like Topic would also be interesting and near the top of my list. However, I would wait to see how the injury he suffered yesterday plays out and would do a thorough medical evaluation considering he’s been injured twice this season already.
Williams and Holland seem like the type of guys this front office would be intrigued by so I would expect them to get long looks as well. Buzelis may also fit into that category as well given his positional size and versatility. Clingan, Sheppard, and Dillingham are all talented players in their own right but they don’t seem to fit the same general profile the Wizards executives have historically prioritized.
Who would be at the top of your wish list if Sarr goes #1?