NBA Draft: Wizards Options with No. 2 Pick

Who could Washington select with their highest draft pick in years?

Connecticut Huskies guard Stephon Castle (5) celebrates after a foul call during the NCAA Men’s / Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY

Nearly a year ago, the Washington Wizards finally pressed the reset button, shipping off Kristaps Porzingis and Bradley Beal to opt for a rebuild through the NBA Draft.

Now, they’ve landed the No. 2 overall pick, and will be looking to add talent for the foreseeable future.

Here are a few options Washington could consider at No. 2:

Nikola Topic, Red Star

Topic has come on as one of the higher ceiling ball-handlers in the class this year, boasting a 6-foot-6 frame with a cerebral, EuroLeague-style game.

There’s a chance he blossoms into a star with high-IQ passing and feel for the game, or he could function as a high-floor, mistake-free guard. Or even a wing if the shooting comes around.

Regardless, Topic is sure to get a good look from Washington in the pre-draft process.

Matas Buzelis, G League Ignite

Despite a down year in the G League, Buzelis still offers a ton of translatable skills as a 6-foot-9 wing.

Washington General Manager Will Dawkins recently said the team will be looking to develop players for the future, and Buzelis as a wing able to put the ball on the floor, pass, shoot and defend is an intriguing project.

Stephon Castle, UConn

At 6-foot-6, Castle was pivotal to the Huskies repeating as champions. He mostly played on the wing, offering stingy point of attack defense, connective passing and a good slashing game.

Castle could blossom into a full-time lead guard, similarly to his high school role, and the Wizards could be the ones willing to take that shot and develop him.

Zaccharie Risacher, JL Bourg

A French wing, Risacher has come on as one of the top picks in the class, showcasing shooting and defensive prowess at 6-foot-9 in a very good LNB Pro A league.

He already has baseline NBA skills, but could elevate to even more with development on his ball-handling and passing, which are workable. Washington likely wants some star potential with their No. 2 pick, so they’ll need to decipher whether Risacher has that.

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