The Wizards have plenty of extra second-round picks at their disposal and finding diamonds of the rough could be the blueprint for the franchise, Chase Hughes of Monumental Sports Network writes. Jordan Poole, Kyle Kuzma and Tyus Jones were late first-rounders and Daniel Gafford was a second-round selection, Hughes notes, and they had to earn their second contracts.
Those players could show future late selections how to make their mark.
“There are so many players that come into this league and they’re given the keys from day one… I had to go take it. I had to have irrational confidence in myself,” Kuzma said. “That kind of just took me on my entire journey. I think it’s all about taking things. You can be patient and have poise, but at some point there’s another dude on the team who wants to be where I want to be.”
We have more on the Wizards:
- After signing a four-year rookie scale extension worth $55MM, Deni Avdija seems a lot more relaxed and confident. Against Memphis on Saturday, he made two of his three 3-point tries and finished with 10 points, six rebounds, two steals and two blocks, Josh Robbins of The Athletic notes. “I feel really confident in it,” Avdija said of his 3-point shot.
- While they’ve gone into a full rebuild, the Wizards do believe they’ll be fun to watch this season. Poole said as much after defeating the Grizzlies in the home opener. “You can feel that [D.C. fans] like basketball,” Poole told Hughes. “They love basketball, they love the entertainment and we’ve got some entertaining players. It will be really exciting.” Poole, acquired from Golden State, energized the fans in his home debut with 27 points.
- Gafford is listed as questionable for Monday’s game against Boston due to a left ankle sprain, Robbins tweets.
It doesn’t sound like Kuzma is ready to teach other people how to take his spot…
Kuzma is probably the corniest dude in the league lol. Guy makes me literally shake my head when he speaks/posts I swear haha.
Wizard’s focus this year should be… let Kuzma and Poole cook. Develop Kispert, Davis, Avdija, and Coulibaly. And hopefully end up with the #1 overall pick. No one on this roster can be the best player on a championship team, so they have to find that guy.
Find trade partners for Jones, Wright, Gallinari, Muscala, and Gill and get more picks.
I’d hang on to Gafford and Shamet and move them next year as expring deals.
At best Poole and Kuzma could be the third best option player that’s how far away they are but agree with a lot of what your saying.
However I’d keep Jones, he’s a solid point guard. Not spectacular at all but he plays the right way and is a good role player.
I agree Jones is a good role player, but at 27 and a 14M expiring deal, I think his contract has more value to them in a trade for a salary dump or injury replacement move than anything.
Like a Oladipo + a couple SRPs for Jones.
The WIZARDS already have several young players to develop and I think it is more important for them to have a solid, veteran PG who turns the ball over little and is not selfish, to help their young players develop than 2 SRP
Jones and the fact that he is a solid decision-maker, who doesn’t turn the ball over, is very key to a lineup with a pair of wild cards in Poole and Kuzma.
I mean, wouldn’t it be more key to land the 1st or 2nd overall pick and get Holland or Buzelis?
Wizards have a track record of terrible draft picks what makes you think they will do better in the second round then near the top of the first….
Johnny Davis 10th overall last year
Corey Kispert 15th in 2021, 1 spot above Sengun and 2 spots above Trey Murphy.
Deni Avidja 9th overall 2020, 3 spots above Tyrese Haliburton
2019, 9th overall Rui Hachimura over Cam Johnson, PJ Washington and Tyler Herro. Not to mention they have Rui away for Kendrick Nunn and some second round picks….
2018 Troy Brown was taken 15th, he’s now on his 4th NBA team. Had they tried to trade up 10th was Mikal Bridges, 11th was SGA, 12th was Miles Bridges and 14th was Micheal Porter Jr.
Imagine had they drafted correctly,
Haliburton Herro Trey Murphy and Duren
2012 they hit on Bradley Beal 3rd overall and 2010 with John Wall 1st overall but that’s over a decade ago now. Washington suck at drafting and developing. They grabbed Kuz once he shown bits and pieces in LA and they’ve grabbed Poole after he shown bits over at GSW, same with Jones he showed stuff behind Ja in Memphis.
Not big enough city to lure top tier talent, not run well enough to get the draft decisions right either. A recipe for being mediocre
What you said is correct. They now have and entirely NEW front office, hopefully they will draft better and make smart trades.
Wizards have been a middling franchise for so long. I don’t think paying Deni was smart, he hasn’t produced to where they had to pay him. Kuzma and Poole are not leader types but Washington maybe a place for them to work on being leaders.