Wizards Should Chase Duke Superstar

The Washington Wizards are in need of a high pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.

Jeremy Brener | Oct 3, 2024

Apr 2, 2024; Houston, TX, USA; McDonald's All American East forward Cooper Flagg (32) controls the ball as McDonald's All American West guard Valdez Edgecombe Jr (7) defends during the first half at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images / Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

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Washington Wizards

Going into the upcoming season, the Washington Wizards are among the teams in the NBA most likely to obtain the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 draft.

The top pick in next summer's draft is an important one, as it will give one team the chance to draft Duke freshman Cooper Flagg, one of the highest-rated prospects of the last several years.

Flagg may not be on the same level as Victor Wembanyama, but he could emerge towards becoming one of the league's best players during his career.

That's why Bleacher Report writer Eric Pincus thinks the Wizards, among other non-contending teams, need to make the move for Flagg early in the season.

"While 20 teams play past Game 82 due to the play-in tournament, this year, some may prioritize the other direction. Those who aren't going to compete at a high level have a clear goal: chasing Cooper Flagg via the NBA draft lottery," Pincus writes. "The Duke guard/forward is still just 17 years old, but he's super talented. Unfortunately, only one franchise will be able to draft him, and the odds for the three bottom teams are 14 percent apiece (12.5 percent for the fourth-worst). The takeaway: The losing needs to start on day one."

The Wizards won't be guaranteed the top pick even if they do tank. An example of that was proven this past season when the Atlanta Hawks, a Play-In Tournament team, were awarded the No. 1 overall pick despite having very low odds to win the lottery.

That being said, in order to get the best possible chance at Flagg, the Wizards need to be bad over the course of the entire season, so Washington needs to get that started in the season opener on Oct. 24 when the team takes on the defending champion Boston Celtics.

Make sure you bookmark Washington Wizards on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!

Published Oct 3, 2024

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.