Dylan Harper and the Wizards' Lost Hypothetical

The Washington Wizards can take a peek into a dreamy, if unhelpful, hypothetical amidst the San Antonio Spurs' ongoing playoff run.

Mar 21, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs guard Dylan Harper (2) looks over in the first half against the Indiana Pacers at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images | Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images

With Washington Wizards fans bracing for this weekend's NBA Draft Lottery reveal, most beleaguered locals can't help but reflect on unlucky tragedies past stemming from this exact annual ordeal.

This time last year, the Wizards had to settle for one of the great heartbreaks of the live humiliation ritual when their top-two odds could only guarantee that they'd fall no lower than No. 6, which is naturally where they ended up. The franchise convincingly pivoted in turning to Tre Johnson as a shooting and scoring draftee worth prioritizing, but he was never propped up as one of the headliners of this draft cycle.

Feb 19, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards guard Tre Johnson (12) looks on against the Indiana Pacers during the first half at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-Imagn Images | Brad Mills-Imagn Images

Most of us will automatically consider Cooper Flagg as the "one who got away," the unquestioned prize of '25 whom the Wizards didn't end up getting remotely close to competing for. That luxury went to the Dallas Mavericks, who managed to saunter right up to one of this century's best prospects directly off of the heels of dumping Luka Doncic.

As nice as he, or Rookie of the Year challenger Kon Knueppel, would have been alongside Washington's already-established young corps, Dylan Harper managing to similarly slip from the Wizards' grasp will especially bother a choice group of Washingtonians. He, contrary to his aforementioned peers, is still actively playing in aiding the San Antonio Spurs' playoff push, further nagging Washinfans looking for a change of fortune over the coming days.

Jun 25, 2025; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Cooper Flagg and Dylan Harper shake hands on stage before the 2025 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Harper's Fit and the Wizards' Ideal Draft

The Wizards aren't rash enough to order their top draft needs based on fit, nor were they last year with their less-expansive prospect pool. The best player available was what they were after, especially in a class as talented as last summer's.

Only the most biased Rutgers donors were claiming that Harper was ahead of Flagg on their respective draft boards, but he'd locked in his consensus top-two spot about as convincingly as his Duke counterpart had clinched the general lead. He offered a completely different flavor of star bet; unlike the two-way forward, famous for his versatility and knack for picking up new skills on the fly, Harper shined as the table-setting scoring and distributing guard who'll always have playmaking value.

He's exactly the archetype that the 2025-26 Wizards needed. Alex Sarr, Kyshawn George, Bilal Coulibaly and friends are all talented, but they're each best-maximized as dependents unto a more talented focal point, respectable defenders and play-finishers who can't support entire offenses like Harper had in college. Here are the shooters he needs to open up the middle of the floor, where he can find the runway for the floaters and rim attempts that the stringier Wizards can't.

All of this was clear even then, and it's already proven exactly the case before the up-and-coming point guard's finished up his maiden campaign.

Dec 18, 2025; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs guard Dylan Harper (2) drives to the basket against Washington Wizards forward Marvin Bagley III (35) during the first half at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images | Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

The strategically-diligent Wizards' season likely wouldn't have been spared from the 17-65 record they'd ultimately succumb to considering management's focus on bolstering their teardown and draft-focused window, but the possibilities that come attached to this imagined change in fate are near-endless.

That lack of playmaking, especially among the youth, was evident immediately upon the season's top-off. The shoot-first Johnson is no point guard, nor is Bub Carrington as he continues to navigate his own struggles in locating a long-term role for himself. This void would end up inspiring the Wizards' surprising trade for Trae Young, an older, more experienced multi-level scorer and passer to fill the niche that Harper could have occupied.

There's no use wondering about the pairing that wasn't now, especially as Harper continues making magic alongside fellow freshly-drafted studs in Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle. He's gone, and the Wizards have their own path to follow. But while they square up for a new era of slightly-more competitive basketball alongside whomever else they scoop up in next month's selection process, it's hard not to think about one of the great missed opportunities in recent franchise history.

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