The NBA Draft is mere hours away, and the Washington Wizards’ rebuild is set to begin with the ninth overall pick in the draft. The Wizards are in an inevitable spot picking No. 9, however, there are still some gems that can help progress the future of Washington.
Whoever, the Wizards take with the pick will need to be an impact in the short-term and be part of their cornerstone long-term. Six-time All-Star John Wall could miss the entire 2019-20 season as he recovers from a torn Achilles. Coincidentally, the upcoming season will be the first for Wall with his super max salary of $37.8 million that will escalate to $47.3 million by 2022-23.
The Wizards already have a payroll of $90 million for 2019-20 season with only five guaranteed contracts on the books. That leaves them with $19 million of cap space with as high as 10 open roster spots and a grocery list of pending free agents, including Tomas Satoransky and Thomas Bryant.
Hitting on their first-round pick is imperative to say the least. Here are the five best options for Washington to pick with their first-round pick.
5. Bruno Fernando – Center – Maryland
Embed from Getty ImagesOne can only hope Cam Reddish is at the top of the Wizards’ wish list. And being that he would most likely already be selected somewhere in the top-8 picks, the Wizards should be considering trading down an additional pick or two.
Outside the top-8 prospects, the remaining pool of draft picks are up for interpretation. Trading back several spots could still land a quality player, especially if Washington is looking for bigs. With the Boston Celtics having the 14th and 20th overall picks, they may want to package something to move up.
If so, Bruno Fernando could be a fit for the Wizards. The former Maryland Terrapin is a strong rebounder standing at 6-foot-10. He is athletic and can attack the basket. He also has great footwork, and plays well on the block.
He can take other bigs off the dribble and he also can shoot in spacing. He would be a strong fit for pick-and-roll and has the tools offensively play in the high post and be a good distributor.
He is more NBA ready than Sekou Doumbouya, who multiple mock drafts suggest the Wizards taking at No. 9.
4. Goga Bitadze – Center – Republic of Georgia
Embed from Getty ImagesIf Reddish is not there at No. 9 and trading back is an option, picking Goga Bitadze a couple of spots back would be ideal. The Georgian has a huge upside. One that channels Portland’s Jusuf Nurkic.
Bitadze is a versatile big man, who has the skill set to operate in spacing and on the perimeter. He can pass, and shoot, and can play in the post with athleticism that is needed from a big in today’s modern NBA.
While Doumbouya appears to have more upside, Bitadze may be less than a project.
Besides, he will be motivated after Thursday’s viral moment of him being ignored by the media while sitting next to Zion Williamson.
3. Nickeil Alexander-Walker – Guard – Virginia Tech
Embed from Getty ImagesWith Wall potentially out for most or all of next season, the Wizards need another guard. Beal is becoming a lead ball handler which may mean Washington needs depth at the guard position.
That leads to another scenario in which the Wizards trade back and to land the better valued player. That could be combo guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker out of Virginia Tech. Seems all the best options for the Wizards is trading back with Reddish not being available.
Alexander-Walker is comfortable playing both guard positions. He has the adequate ball handling skills to run the offense and his jumper could rival Beal’s.
Alexander-Walker shot 38.3 percent from three in two seasons at Virginia Tech. He led the Hokies with 16.2 points per game in 2018-19. He could potentially be a poor man’s Bradley Beal, which is a huge compliment.
With that said, he can play off the ball like Beal does with Wall on the floor. He can also be a lead ball handler much like Beal is now. He gets open with the ball and without, off screens, and playing with the pick-and-roll.
Defensively, he is solid. He can defend either guard positions. The NBA is always trying to copy the success of the top teams such as the Golden State Warriors and Toronto Raptors, who both have a good deal of two-way guards.
2. Rui Hachimura – Forward – Gonzaga
Embed from Getty ImagesThe best option for the Wizards staying at No. 9 with Reddish off the board is not Doumbouya, but forward Rui Hachimura of Gonzaga.
The Japan native has a huge upside has developed nicely in three years with the Zags. He started all 37 games last season, leading the team with 19.7 points while shooting 59.1 percent from the field. He also averaged 6.5 rebounds.
While he took had 36 three-point attempts last season, Hachimura shot an impressive 41.7 percent. The small volume showed a glimpse of how well he can develop and force NBA defenders to respect his shot.
At 6-foot-8, he is a score first power forward that can stretch the floor. He must improve his passing and play on the block but the seeds are there. His progression in each year at Gonzaga shows the desire to improve.
While he struggles defensively, his offense could help off-set any struggles early on. With the Wizards possibly losing out on Bobby Portis, Hachimura could be a solid settlement to replace long-term at forward.
1. Cam Reddish – Guard/Forward – Duke
Embed from Getty ImagesThe best-case scenario for the Wizards is that Cam Reddish somehow falls in the draft. He is arguably the best player after the top-5 prospects in the draft.
Yes, he didn’t have an impressive freshman season at Duke, as he struggled to find his footing on a loaded team. Keep in mind, Reddish was playing out of his natural position. He developed as a primary ball-handler, but when he got to Duke he was asked to alter his game.
Reddish played on the wing off the ball to give Zion Williamson more spacing on the floor, allow RJ Barrett to be a secondary ball-handler, and Trey Jones was already set to be the primary point guard.
With the Wizards, Reddish would get his opportunities to play with the ball in his hand. And the spacing created by opposing defenses towards Bradley Beal would create more opportunities for Reddish to play his style of play. Plus Reddish has the potential of being a lock-down defender.
Unfortunately, there’s a great chance Reddish won’t be available at No. 9, as scouts are certain to see the Paul George comparisons when considering all the above factors.
