Wizards To Select Eighth Overall in 2023 NBA Draft

The Wizards may be facing the most important Draft selection in years

Carita Parks | May 16, 2023

Wizards To Select Eighth Overall in 2023 NBA Draft /

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Washington Wizards

The Washington Wizards received the eighth overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft during Tuesday night’s Draft Lottery in Chicago. The Wizards were represented onstage by Head Coach Wes Unseld Jr.

“We will be able to add a young and talented player to our roster with the eighth overall pick,” said Unseld Jr. “We began working on improving our team immediately after the season concluded and we’re looking forward to adding another player that can contribute while developing in our system.”

The Wizards held a 32.91% chance of getting the eighth overall pick, the highest odds for the team prior to the unveiling of the draft order. This marks the first time the team will pick eighth in franchise history.

Many Wizards fans were hopeful that luck would be on their side with the number one pick somehow landing in the team’s favor. However, the Wizards odds of landing the number one pick was very slim at 6.70%.

According to Inside the Wizards staff writer Tyrone Montgomery, it has been quite some time since the Wizards had the number one overall pick. The last time they did, they selected a player who everyone seems to miss in John Wall in 2010.

Now that the Wizards are a lock for the eighth overall pick, this may be one of the most important draft picks in awhile. Ted Leonis made it clear with the firing of President and General Manager Tommy Sheppard that it is a new day for the franchise. With the search for a new general manager, the Wizards are in dire need of a game changer in the front office and on the court via the NBA Draft.

These questions and more will be answered when the 2023 NBA Draft takes place on June 22 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY.

Published May 16, 2023

CARITA PARKS

Carita Parks is the founder and editor-in-chief of Double Take Sports, an online sports platform featuring in-depth feature interviews, personal athlete stories, game analysis, and inside access to top sporting events. As a credentialed sports journalist, Carita has covered major events such as the NBA Draft, NBA Playoffs, WNBA Draft, WNBA Finals, Super Bowl, NFL Draft, NFL Honors, and more. Her current work includes regular coverage of the NFL, WNBA, and NBA, including the Washington Wizards, Washington Mystics, and Washington Commanders. Carita’s articles and interviews have appeared on a variety of platforms including USA Today’s CommandersWire and more. Throughout her journey as a reporter, Carita has interviewed many prestigious names in sports and entertainment to include: John Wall, Bradley Beal, Kyle Kuzma, Natasha Cloud, Elena Delle Donne, Lamar Jackson, Christian McCaffrey, Patrick Mahomes, Jemele Hill, and Snoop Dogg. As a sports insider, Carita has been invited to provide expert analysis on podcasts, radio, and television shows. She also co-hosts a ‘The Triple W,’ an all female Wizards podcast, and a DC sports podcast called ‘The Breakdown.' Carita has a Bachelor of Science in Communications and Masters in Business Administration. She is a member of Women in Sports and Events – DC Chapter and the National Association of Black Journalists.