After several years of mixed results when picking late in the lottery and in the middle of the first round, the Wizards should aggressively try to move up from No. 10 in this year’s draft, David Aldridge of The Athletic argues.
Aldridge suggests specifically targeting the No. 3 pick and making any assets besides Bradley Beal and Kristaps Porzingis available, including a future first-round pick and some combination of recent first-rounders Rui Hachimura, Deni Avdija, and Corey Kispert. If the Rockets’ asking price is too steep, the Wizards should shift their focus to the No. 4 pick, says Aldridge.
I’m skeptical that the Wizards will be able to pry No. 3 away from Houston, given the relative consensus on the top three prospects in this year’s draft, and I’m not sure how eager they should be to give up any future first-round picks, given their current roster situation. But Aldridge believes it would be worth it to roll the dice to land a player like Paolo Banchero or Keegan Murray.
Here’s more from around the Southeast:
- The Heat won’t make any changes to their starting lineup for Game 6 of the Eastern Conference, head coach Erik Spoelstra told reporters today (Twitter link via Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel). That means Kyle Lowry and Max Strus will continue to start, despite calls to bench them.
- In a mailbag for The Charlotte Observer, Roderick Boone considers whether Deandre Ayton is a realistic free agent target for the Hornets, looks at where their head coaching search stands, and discusses what to expect from 2021 first-rounder Kai Jones going forward.
- Kai Sotto, a draft-eligible center from the Philippines, had a workout with the Magic on Thursday, tweets Khobi Price of The Orlando Sentinel. Sotto played in Australia’s NBL last season after initially committing to the G League Ignite in 2020. He didn’t end up playing for the Ignite due to travel and COVID-19 complications.
Hey Houston, will you take my garbage for the No. 3 pick? No? Hey Sacramento, will you take my garbage for the No. 4 pick?
Kuzma and the developing 1st round picks are Garbage. You knowledge of the Wizards and probably the NBA is what is GARBAGE!
Rockets won’t trade #3 for #10.
Kings?
Historically, it would take two additional 1st’s (they can be protected) added to #10 to get to #3. Likely the same for #4.
WSH should make their bid along those lines and leave their players out of it. Unless HOU specifically requests them. If those players are just guys that WSH believes are equivalents, then they should do separate trades with other teams sending them those players for the additional 1st’s needed.
“After several years of mixed results when picking between late in the lottery and in the middle of the first round,…”
Excuses. The Wizards just haven’t drafted well. Don’t make it sound like they NEEDED a higher pick to have a shot at making good selections. They need fresh blood in the scouting department.
Rui was a bad pick from the start. Deni, who I was a fan of then and still am now, should not have been taken over Haliburton or Vassell, to name a few. And Kispert was about as dumb of a pick as you can make. Why would a team with no ceiling go with a low-upside shooter there instead of going for someone like Sengun?
That said, moving up isn’t a bad idea if the price would be right.
I had both Hachimura and Avdija much lower on my board those years. I had them taking Maxey the year they took Avdija. I had those other 2 you mentioned already gone on my board, but ya, both would have been better options, obviously. I’m actually fine with the Krispert pick b/c he helps them on the wing, which has been an area of need for a long time, but you could also say that might not have been the play had they taken Vassell
Right now, they need a playmaking guard that can defend, and defense at the 4, and to retain certain guys they added last offseason, or even upgrade there, if possible. If he is still there moving forward, I’d like to see Hachimura used more at the 5 in certain lineups, as I’ve been saying for q couple of years
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