Wizards Land Former Top 5 Pick in Mock Trade

The Washington Wizards could acquire a former top prospect before the trade deadline.
Jan 16, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward Isaac Okoro (35) reacts after a play against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second quarter at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
Jan 16, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward Isaac Okoro (35) reacts after a play against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second quarter at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images / Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
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The Washington Wizards have the opportunity to add some talent before the Feb. 6 trade deadline.

While the Wizards are viewed as sellers on the market, they may have the opportunity to pick up a lesser player on a better team and give them an opportunity to flourish.

The Athletic's Sam Vecenie suggests a three-team deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors. In the trade, the Warriors get Anthony Gill from Washington, the Cavs get Kevon Looney from Golden State and the Wizards get Isaac Okoro from Cleveland.

"The Wizards get to be the beneficiary of two teams avoiding the luxury tax. Okoro is an NBA rotation player who can help them in their most significant need area," Vecenie writes.

"The Wizards have somehow not fielded a defense above league average since 2015-16. This year, they’re dead last in defensive rating, allowing nearly 120 points per 100 possessions. Okoro would enter their rotation immediately and be able to lift their defense on some of the best players in the league. Bilal Coulibaly does a great job doing that for the Wizards for the time he’s on the court, but shifting him off those players more often might actually help allow him to focus more on his offense and grow on that end of the court."

Okoro, 24, was the No. 5 overall pick by the Cavs in the 2020 NBA Draft and he has helped build the team back up to contender status. However, the additions of Max Strus and Caris LeVert make Okoro's role in the Cavs' grand scheme a little less prominent.

Acquiring Okoro would give the Wizards someone who can guard the best player on the opposing team. Putting Okoro next to Coulibaly on the wing would give the Wizards a strong defensive presence on the wing, instantly making Washington a better team.

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Jeremy Brener
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.