The Wizards' Hunt for Another Lottery Pick: What's Worth Trading and Who's Worth Scouting?

The Washington Wizards have been rumored to be planning a maneuver to add another high first round pick, and the options regarding the players on the table as potential outgoing assets and draft targets are worth running through.

Jan 11, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Washington Wizards forward Justin Champagnie (9) with guard Will Riley (27) against the Phoenix Suns at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Washington Wizards couldn't have asked for a better result out of last month's live NBA Draft Lottery drawing.

After years of toiling away in repeatedly ending up lower in the selection order than fans hope, their luck finally came through at a fortunate junction. With a talented 2026 class lying ahead, the Wizards will get to choose their favorite talent of the bunch at first overall, but that doesn't mean they're satisfied with this luxury alone.

Remember, this is a Wizards team who's grown accustomed to running up their rookie roundups every summer. It's been three years since they exited a draft after making just one first-round decision, and as the order presently stands, they'll have to wait over a day until getting back on the clock at No. 51. So when Yahoo Sports' Kevin O'Connor reported that Washington's team-builders are on the hunt for the rights to another first round chip, fans had reason to believe that the prospect-rich are angling to get richer.

“The Wizards want another lottery pick”

Per @KevinOConnor pic.twitter.com/tjHiFlUINU

— Alex🪂 (@MrCongee) June 18, 2026

These are still just rumors, though with next week's draft rapidly approaching, outsiders should buckle up for another instance of the Wizards catching the rest of the league by surprise. Beyond the raucous debate pertaining to who they'll pick at No. 1, it's still worth considering who's on the table as potentially-outgoing trade pieces, as well as which prospects seem up their alley.

Which Wizards Assets are Worth Offering?

Should Washington be eyeing a lottery spot somewhere after 10, the range O'Connor is suggesting, that means that it's tried dealing with somewhat-competitive veteran units like the Miami Heat and the Golden State Warriors. They won't need all of the Wizards' core draftees to facilitate a deal, but expect the price tag to be worth a top-14 talent.

Who could be on the table? With presumed starters in Alex Sarr, Kyshawn George and promising rising sophomores like Tre Johnson and Will Riley emerging off of their own respective bids for key minutes in the fall, it would be safe to cross those hand-molded prospects as throw-ins options for multiple-players-for-one swaps.

Jan 29, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards forward Kyshawn George (18) celebrates with center Alex Sarr (20) during the first half against the Milwaukee Bucks at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images | Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

Bilal Coulibaly is as good of a recent draft pick as a suitor could squeeze out of D.C.; still a work in progress while falling to Washington's second unit as a victim of the Wizards' wing-flation, he's worth his minutes as an impactful defender with athletic and rim-running upside.

Bub Carrington could also be a name to monitor with Trae Young soaking up more of the Wizards' high-end point guard possessions, just like how fellow fan-favorite Justin Champagnie may have to watch his back. He, too, faces an uphill climb amidst the subtly-crowded depth chart, and his value as a cheap rebounder and defender has blossomed from a LeaguePass secret into relatively-common knowledge.

Anthony Davis has sustained as the roster's most popular trade target given the veteran's onerous contract and his out-of-sync timeline, though the mega-deal he's currently playing on will surely hold the Wizards back from recouping similar amounts of money while also acquiring a second lottery pick. He's not out of the trade rumor forest just yet, but any swap he's involved in will require more moving parts than your average pre-draft exchange.

Which draft picks could change hands? The Wizards control all of their own first round picks through the next seven years, a real advantage to boast as Adam Silver's recent round of meddling rule tweaks loom. They could spend those assets themselves, send them away for superior talent or, better yet, part ways with gifts they'd previously received from others around the game.

Jun 3, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; NBA Commissioner Adam Silver speaks to the media before game one of the 2026 NBA Finals at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images | Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images

We're mainly looking at some of the resources that Washington has loading over the remaining 2020s. Specifically, the second-best finish among 2029 landing spots between the Boston Celtics, Milwaukee Bucks or Portland Trail Blazers or, alternatively, one of the Phoenix Suns' first round swaps they recouped from the infamous Bradley Beal trade.

Parting with the ability to benefit directly off of another franchise's mismanagement is nice, but dealing in terms of second-party assets ultimately holds less risk than if the Wizards were to mortgage their own direct future. Still, if the pick slot is desirable enough, brace for one or several draft rights to change custody in the event of a sudden Washington deal.

Which Late-LotteryProspects Should Wizards Fans Know About?

Washington locals won't have enough time to research and transition the same debates they've saved for the No. 1 pick over toward a hypothetical second swing deeper in the first round, nor are the still-impressive talents occupying that range worth that same level of worry.

Considering how easily starting bigs in Davis and Sarr have bruised, though, it's hard not to get excited about the front court depth that the late-lottery has to offer. Third-string forwards and centers litter the fringe-top 10, potentially gifting one more rotational player to bolster the Wizards' lack of interior strength and hurting defense.

Mar 5, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Injured Washington Wizards forward Anthony Davis (M) watches from the bench against the Utah Jazz in the first halfat Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Yaxel Lendeborg has long-since bloomed into the star of the lottery's back half. The Michigan forward is an older prospect who's shrugged off the typical age concerns that trail 23-year-old draftees with a late-blooming shooting game that compliments his two-way physicality, and can easily fit into the Wizards' big man rotation as a small-ball stretch option.

He's no enigma, with many other league-wide scouting departments having already wrapped up their Lendeborg reporting. He's favored to land with a squad more experienced than the young Wizards, but he'd give Washington everything it needs out of an instant-impact role player.

2026 Yaxel Lendeborg pic.twitter.com/JDqikQ67r8

— Pitless (@pitlessball) April 7, 2026

Fellow Wolverine Morez Johnson Jr. fits a more standard role as the rim-running glass-cleaner who'd work well alongside the lob-throwing Young, as does Hannes Steinbach. Even if the latter player isn't the same well-rounded defensive weapon as either of the recent NCAA national champions, he offers shooting indicators that suggest he can help salvage the enormous lineup's potential spacing dilemma.

One other wild card I've spent much of draft season circling in this range has been Jayden Quaintance, though his lingering injury history has brutally damaged his stock over the last month of pre-draft conversations.

A knee injury he sustained as an Arizona State Wildcat followed him all the way to similarly-mascotted Kentucky, where he missed just about all of his sophomore year in his lingering physical struggles. Even if his invitation to the draft's green room got lost in the mail, Quaintance offers the most dynamic defensive versatility of anyone in his class, and remains an intriguing second-tier storyline of the draft night that's to come.

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