Dissecting how Washington can move up or move back on draft night
The Washington Wizards are in the market for a star, and this year’s NBA Draft could offer just that. The issue: Washington’s lottery luck — or lackthereof — plagued it once again, as the Wizards fell to the No. 6 pick after owning the league’s second-worst record for the second year in a row.
While Washington’s chances at drafting in the Top 3 of the 2025 NBA Draft rest solely on a trade, Wizards general manager Will Dawkins hasn’t been scared to move up for a player he covets.
The Wizards traded up to No. 7 in 2023 to select Bilal Coulibaly, and a year later, moved up two spots to No. 24 to select Kyshawn George. Washington also dealt Deni Avdija to the Portland Trail Blazers in a package surrounding the No. 14 pick, which they used to select Bub Carrington.
Dawkins has also traded out of picks, notably sending the No. 35 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft (Julian Phillips) to the Chicago Bulls for two future second-round picks.
I examined ways Washington could either trade up in search of a star, or trade back in this year’s draft to stockpile future assets.
Trade up: If, and only if, Ace Bailey is the guy
Sixers:
- No. 6
- 2026 first-round pick (worst of LAC, HOU, OKC)
- Khris Middleton
- Marcus Smart
- Saddiq Bey
Wizards:
The title of this trade speaks for itself. Washington should only make this move if they truly believe Ace Bailey is the potential superstar many draft evaluators believe he could be.
Why Washington does it: Moving up to select Ace Bailey, who could develop into the star player this roster desires, would be a major gamble, especially if it means taking on Paul George’s contract, which is one of the league’s worst deals. George, 35, is owed $161 million over the next three seasons and is coming off a tumultuous 2024-25 campaign in which he appeared in just 41 games and regressed on both ends of the floor.
However, adding the No. 3 pick while keeping the No. 18 pick in a loaded draft class is quite enticing and could be just the boost Washington needs to truly ascend in its rebuild. If Washington is ok hurting its cap flexibility over the next three seasons in order to add Bailey, this move makes sense.
I understand Sixers fans will say, “Why would we give up the 3rd pick and an All-Star player for two veterans on expiring deals while moving back in the lottery?” I get that. But when you look at George’s stats from last season and factor in his bloated salary, one name comes to mind: Bradley Beal.
Beal, who’s stats are listed above George’s in the graphic below, is widely considered as having the NBA’s worst contract — one it would take multiple picks to get off of.
George is four years older, under contract three more years to Beal’s two, appeared in 12 less games and shot worse than Beal across the board in 2024-25. So, if you set preconceived notions aside, would Sixers fans make this deal if it involved Beal instead of George? I think they would — if anything, to create cap flexibility for the future while adding additional draft capital — which is why this is the best deal I found involving a trade up to No. 3 for the Wizards.
Why Philadelphia does it: The Sixers would add major depth to their lineup, which, in the Embiid era, has been their Achilles heel. Saddiq Bey is still just 26 years old, and although he didn’t play last season while rehabbing an ACL injury, could prove a solid 3-and-D player off the bench. Smart and Middleton may be past their primes, but both own major playoff experience that could help Philadelphia make a deep run.
The Sixers would add three solid veterans for the price of one, move back just three slots in the 2025 draft (they could still select the prospect they covet at No. 6 as well) and receive an additional first-round pick while getting off one of the worst contracts in the NBA. That seems like a solid move to me, which is why I believe Philadelphia would accept the deal if it’s ready to move on from George and look into the future.
Trade back: If the board is unkind and the deal is too good to pass on
Nets:
Wizards:
Several reports have indicated the Brooklyn Nets’ interest in Oklahoma guard Jeremiah Fears. According to ClutchPoints’ Erik Slater, Brooklyn hosted Fears for a private workout, while other reports have hinted at the Nets’ willingness to move up in this year’s draft, whether that be for Fears or for Rutgers guard Dylan Harper.
Should Fears be available at No. 6, Brooklyn, who owns the No. 8 pick, could get antsy and make a deal with Washington to jump New Orleans and ensure Fears will don the black and white Nets uniform.
Washington will have several prospects it covets in the No. 6 range, including Fears, Tre Johnson and Derik Queen, among others. If the Wizards have multiple prospects in mind at No. 6 and aren’t as high on Fears, whom they’d know Brooklyn would select at No. 6, adding an additional first-round pick in a loaded draft class could prove enticing enough to warrant a slight move back.
The Nets own the No. 8, No. 19, No. 26 and No. 27 selections in the first round, so trading one of their picks to guarantee they get their guy in the lottery makes total sense.
Let us know what you think of these moves in the comments below! Feel free to act as opposing GM’s and share your best counteroffers to the aforementioned trades.
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