Analyst: Wizards Perfect Fit NBA Draft's Biggest Name

The Washington Wizards could draft huge talent.

Feb 5, 2025; Syracuse, New York, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Cooper Flagg (2) shoots against Syracuse Orange forward Petar Majstorovic (6) during the first half at the JMA Wireless Dome. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-Imagn Images / Rich Barnes-Imagn Images

The Washington Wizards are the worst team in the NBA going into the All-Star break, but that gives them the best odds to acquire the No. 1 overall pick in the draft lottery this spring.

This year is a good one to win since Duke freshman forward Cooper Flagg is the likely top selection.

ESPN draft analysts Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo believe Flagg is a good fit for the Wizards if they were to snag the No. 1 overall selection in the 2025 NBA Draft.

"While other prospects have seen their production decline in conference play, Flagg has emerged as the best player in college basketball, and he has a chance to cement his legacy at Duke with a Final Four run," Givony writes.

"He's the country's most competitive and versatile defender, and he has a stranglehold on the No. 1 pick conversation with the myriad ways he affects winning despite turning 18 in December. How he handles the spotlight moving forward will tell us more about whether he projects as "merely" an All-Star, or if, as some scouts suggest, he can develop into one of the NBA's most impactful players."

The Wizards lack that true No. 1 option on the roster. At the moment, that's Jordan Poole, but as we saw with the Golden State Warriors, he was a role player when they won the championship three years ago. The Wizards need a player like Flagg if they are going to be taken seriously as a potential contender someday.

"The Wizards were active during last week's trade deadline, using their flexibility to take on salary and add to their growing stockpile of draft picks. Those decisions won't change their calculus picking near the top of the lottery," Givony wrote. "Flagg would be a tone-setting player around whom Washington could center its rebuild, and his growth in the shot-creation department has to be interesting to the Wizards, given the need for a playmaker to lead the team (on that note, Dylan Harper will surely be attractive to them as well). A long-term defensive front line of Flagg, Alex Sarr and Bilal Coulibaly could give opposing teams real problems."

The NBA Draft Lottery is scheduled for May 12.

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