Despite aspirations of the front office, the Washington Wizards look more like a lottery team than a play-in team. The Wizards lost their third straight on Sunday, falling to the Philadelphia 76ers 112-93.
Washington has lost seven of its ten games out of the All-Star break. The Wizards now have a 31-37 record and are currently 12th in the Eastern Conference standings, 1/2 game back of the 10-seed, and a spot in the play-in tournament.
Washington’s status this late in the season is a big disappointment for a team that features Bradley Beal, Kyle Kuzma, and Kristaps Porzingis. If there is any solace in the Wizards’ current situation, it may be the fact Washington is gaining odds toward landing a game-changing draft prospect.
The Wizards are tied with the Indiana Pacers and Portland Trailblazers for the 6th-best odds in the NBA Draft lottery. The Wizards have a 7.5% chance of landing the No. 1 overall pick; 7.8% for the second overall pick; 8.1% for the third; and 8.5% for the fourth.
Washington hasn’t had a winning record since the 2017-18 season. Their drop-off has coincided with the Achilles injury to former cornerstone John Wall. In the past four seasons, the Wizards have failed to win more than 35 games in a season.
They have one playoff appearance during that span. Yet this season, Washington is $64 million over the salary cap. Only the Los Angeles Clippers, Milwaukee Bucks, and Golden State Warriors are over the salary cap more than the Wizards. The Warriors and Bucks are the last two teams to win the NBA Finals.
The 7-foot-5 French phenom Victor Wembanyama expects to be the No. 1 overall in the upcoming draft. G-League guard Scott Henderson, Overtime Elite’s Amen Thompson, and arguably college basketball’s best player, Brandon Miller, are also expected to go in the top-four picks.
The Wizards seem steadfast against a rebuild. Beal signed a five-year, $251 million supermax contract last summer. However, Porzingis and Kuzma each have player options for the 2023-24 season. Either could opt for free agency this summer.
While the Wizards strive for the postseason, improving their odds toward a top-four pick may be worthy of discussion. The lottery conversion will get louder with any additional loss down the stretch.
