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It was hard for Washington Wizards fans to avoid the feeling of despair when their team drew the No. 6 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery on May 12, the lowest selection it could've gotten. However, the Wizards still have the capital to make draft day a fruitful one on June 25.
Falling outside of the top-three picks eliminated their chance of getting a free pass at Cooper Flagg and/or Dylan Harper, the unquestioned top prospects of this class, in that order. But the third and most polarizing star is still attainable.
Ace Bailey, who played with Harper at Rutgers this past season and was the highest-ranked recruit in the program's history, has one of the most tantalizing skillsets in the country.
The 6-foot-7.5-inch (barefoot), 202-pound wing can consistently make any shot on the floor, including heavily contested/fadeaway looks. Paul George comes to mind as a comparison, but so does Michael Porter Jr..
Bailey has little playmaking chops at this point and will likely depend on teammates to help him create space to start his career. However, the 18-year-old's measurables, including his 7.5-foot wingspan, will help him defend guards and forwards, providing potential two-way value.
Bailey's shot selection as well as his lack of dribbling and passing (averaged just 1.3 assists with the Scarlet Knights) have all received criticism, but his scoring ability (17.6 points on 46 percent FG, 34.6 percent 3 PT) gives him the star potential that the Wizards need.
Washington has no shortage of young talent, as Alex Sarr (First Team All-Rookie), Bub Carrington (Second Team All-Rookie), Bilal Coulibaly (two-time Rising Star), Kyshawn George (114 made three-pointers), and AJ Johnson (No. 23 overall pick) are all still in the early stages of their development. However, they're considered more as supporting pieces than potential superstars.
Bailey, for all his flaws, would have the highest ceiling on the Wizards' roster if they acquired him. The off-ball wing is projected as a top-five pick, which means they'd likely have to trade up to get him.
Washington could also stand pat at No. 6 and get someone like Texas guard Tre Johnson or Oklahoma guard Jeremiah Fears. Those would be safe picks, but nobody else would have Bailey's level of explosiveness and potential at that spot.
What should the team give up in a trade package?
Wizards should make a deal with 76ers or Hornets
It's a foregone conclusion that the Dallas Mavericks will take Flagg at No. 1, and either the San Antonio Spurs or a team that trades up will get Harper at No. 2. Moving up for the latter player would be a dream for Washington, but it would likely take a haul of picks and players that the front office wouldn't want to send out.
However, sliding up to No. 3 is doable. The Philadelphia 76ers, who hold the pick, are rumored to be interested in Duke guard Kon Knueppel as a “play-now guy,” via The Ringer's Tate Frazier. They could theoretically trade back and select the Wisconsin native, who's projected to get picked in the back half of the top 10, to maximize value.
Enter the Wizards. General manager Will Dawkins has traded up in each of his first two drafts, and he won't hesitate to do it again if he believes in a projected top-five player. For the sake of this scenario, let's say that the former Oklahoma City Thunder executive will stop at nothing to get Bailey in the District of Columbia.
The safest route to take in that case would be acquiring the No. 3 pick from Philadelphia to make sure that nobody else snags the 2025 Big Ten All-Freshman selection. Here's a trade that makes sense for both sides:
Wizards get:
- 2025 No. 3 overall pick
76ers get:
- 2025 No. 6 overall pick
- 2025 No. 40 overall pick (via PHX)
- 2026 first-round pick (worst of LAC, HOU, or OKC)
- 2026 second-round pick
Although spending four picks on one player is expensive, there are only 15 standard and three two-way roster spots during the regular season. At this point, Washington has enough young supporting pieces to develop, so it makes sense to let go of a couple extra draft selections to land a potential franchise-altering talent.
Additionally, it would still keep its top-eight protected 2026 pick in this scenario, which it would convey to the New York Knicks in the unlikely event that it doesn't finish near the bottom of the standings again next season. The club would also keep its No. 18 overall selection, which it could possibly use on players like Colorado State forward Nique Clifford or Georgetown big man Thomas Sorber. Meanwhile, the 76ers would get to take Kneuppel while also adding capital.
Another possibility is Dawkins watching how the top of the draft plays out on June 25. If Philadelphia chooses Johnson at No. 3, for example, the third-year GM could slide up to No. 4 for a cheaper price.
Of course, this would mean that the Charlotte Hornets, who hold that pick, wouldn't covet Bailey as much as the Wizards. Here's a potential deal if that were the case:
Wizards get:
- 2025 No. 4 overall pick
- Grant Williams
Hornets get:
- 2025 No. 6 overall pick
- 2025 No. 40 overall pick (via PHX)
- 2029 first-round pick
- Saddiq Bey
- Colby Jones
The key here for Washington is keeping all of its 2026-28 picks, as it should be a more competitive team by the 2029 draft. The Hornets would also acquire more draft capital, save $5.3 million toward the cap, and get a player in Bey who averaged 13.7 points and 6.5 rebounds for the Detroit Pistons in 2023-24.
Pulling off a trade for Bailey wouldn't guarantee success for Washington, but it would at least give the long-tortured franchise a chance of developing its first star since John Wall and Bradley Beal.
