Washington Wizards Select Illinois' Will Riley: What He Brings

The Big Ten's reigning Sixth Man of The Year is heading to Washington (byway of Utah), as he was selected 21st in the NBA Draft

Jun 25, 2025; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Will Riley arrives before the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

At Wednesday night's NBA Draft, the Washington Wizards (through a trade with the Utah Jazz) selected Illinois' Will Riley with the 21st overall pick – one spot after fellow Illini Kasparas Jakucionis.

With the 21st pick of the NBA Draft the @utahjazz select Will Riley (@WillRiley_7)!

2025 #NBADraft presented by State Farm LIVE on ABC & ESPN! pic.twitter.com/37wxf4EN0q

— NBA (@NBA) June 26, 2025

Here’s what the Jazz can expect to get out of Riley:

Illinois on SI NBA Draft scouting report: Will Riley

Few players in college basketball – freshman or otherwise – went on heaters the way Riley did last season. The definition of a microwave scorer, Riley has every scoring tool in his kit: pull-ups, step-backs, side-steps, fadeaways, etc. With his 6-foot-8 frame and quick release, Riley can essentially get his shot off at will – an ability that should translate fairly seamlessly to the next level.

A true three-level scorer, Riley has a crafty handle and takes advantage of his long strides to get downhill. Equally effective with either hand around the rim, he can finish in a variety of ways. Riley has excellent touch on bunnies and push shots, and he loves to use the glass – especially on the right side.

Extremely active, Riley is a “right place, right time” kind of a guy – an invaluable and unteachable skill. An instinctual cutter, he can sneak behind defenders (and sometimes right in front of their faces). At the very least, he forces opponents to keep their heads on a swivel. Riley's activity also pays off on the offensive glass, as he does an excellent job of crashing. 

Developing as a facilitator as the season progressed, Riley – who had tunnel vision at the start of the year – turned himself into a solid secondary playmaker for the Illini. At times, Illinois even ran its offense through Riley, putting him on the ball in pick-and-roll situations – and he flourished. Riley went from teetering on the edge of black hole status to now being firmly in the “willing passer” category.

But Riley is still prone to falling back into his old habits. With such a well-rounded scoring package, he can get comfortable taking questionable shots – whether they’re falling or not. In turn, his percentages suffered, as Riley shot just 43.2 percent from the field and 32.6 percent from deep.

Defensively, Riley gets back-cut too often, but one can rarely question his level of effort. His slim frame (185 pounds) remains a prevalent question mark, but his level of physicality is never up for debate. There are also worries surrounding his athleticism – both laterally and vertically – but it’s worth noting that Riley only recently turned 19 and has a body that appears to be steadily improving.

Come back to Illinois on SI for news, analysis, social media reactions and more coverage of Illinois in the NBA Draft.

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