Options for the Washington Wizards in the 2023 NBA Draft

With the eighth-best draft odds, Washington will have plenty of options come draft night 2023.

The Washington Wizards haven’t exactly put together a pristine track record of drafting in the past few seasons. But with the eighth-best lottery odds, they’re slated to be in the range for some immediate, day-one contributors.

Here are some options for the Wizards in the 2023 NBA Draft:

Cason Wallace, Kentucky

After their shaky 2022 NBA Draft, a high-floor option could be good for Washington. And Kentucky combo guard Cason Wallace offers just that.

He’s likely the best perimeter defender in the class and pairs nicely with go-to scoring option Bradley Beal.

If the Wizards are going to stay in limbo between fully winning or losing, they might as well take one of the best defenders in the class and call it a draft.

Cam Whitmore, Villanova

If Washington is looking to move forward into another era soon, Whitmore could be a solid piece to kickstart that.

A hyper-athletic straight line driver with premiere potential down the line as a shot creator and maker, Whitmore is a big upside swing, but could pay dividends.

The Wizards would have to lean hard into his development as a passer and playmaker, defender and outside scorer, which might not be in the cards with roster laden with win-now assets.

Ausar Thompson, Overtime Elite

One half of the Thompson Twins duo, Ausar is an elite athlete, defender and still growing in plenty of key areas.

Thompson feels like a great middle-ground pick between a fully win-now prospect and a project. He’s got a translatable game with hounding on-ball defense and superior athleticism, but offers upside as an eventual top scoring option and playmaker, too.

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