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There's bad luck, and then there's what the Washington Wizards have experienced since making the Eastern Conference Finals in 1979, when they were named the Bullets. That was the last time they made it that far, and Monday's NBA Draft Lottery result was another episode in their typical misfortune.
The Wizards received the No. 6 overall pick, the worst they could've gotten, and their fans are beside themselves on social media.
“46 SEASONS SINCE WE'VE MADE A CONFERENCE FINALS OR WON 50 GAMES,” @WizardsMuse said. “OUR FRANCHISE GOAT IS WES UNSELD. BUT THE SPURS ARE ONE OF THE BEST FRANCHISES EVER WITH WEMBY. AND WE GET THE SIXTH PICK.”
“Today is the day the NBA broke me as a Wizards fan,” @DCzWall said.
“What happened to my Wizards last night was a got d*mn travesty. I feel even more despondent this morning than I did last night 😥,” @jansjay said.
“The universe hates Wizards fans. Simple as that,” SB Nation's Matt Moderno said.
The Wizards' unluckiness is unfathomable
Washington was tied with the Charlotte Hornets and Utah Jazz for the best chance to land the No. 1 pick at 14 percent, as well as a 52.1 percent chance of placing in the top four. However, the Dallas Mavericks won the lottery despite having just a 1.8 percent chance, while the San Antonio Spurs got the No. 2 overall pick despite their 26.3 percent odds at the top four.
Additionally, the Philadelphia 76ers received the No. 3 pick despite their 42.1 percent top-four odds, meaning that none of the three worst teams got in the top three. The Hornets got No. 4 and the Jazz No. 5.
The Mavericks made the Play-In Tournament two months after trading Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in arguably the most controversial deal in sports history. Now, they've been rewarded with the chance to draft consensus top prospect Cooper Flagg to add to a roster with Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving. Of course, they also made the 2024 NBA Finals.
The Spurs won the 2023 draft lottery and landed Victor Wembanyama, one of the highest-regarded prospects ever. “Wemby” has lived up to the hype thus far, earning Rookie of the Year and All-Star honors in '24 and '25, respectively, and was firmly in the Defensive Player of the Year running before blood clots ended his season this year. San Antonio also landed De'Aaron Fox at the trade deadline, has the 2025 Rookie of the Year in Stephon Castle, and will likely draft star prospect Dylan Harper at No. 2 on June 25.
That's not to mention the Spurs' history: five championships, with four of them in the 21st century, and modern legends such as Gregg Popovich, Tim Duncan, David Robinson, Tony Parker, and Kawhi Leonard helping to form one of the best programs ever.
Finally, the 76ers will probably get to draft Paul George-esque forward Ace Bailey to a team that already has George, Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and Jared McCain, who looked like a Rookie of the Year candidate before tearing his ACL this season. Historically, they've won three titles and made the 2001 NBA Finals with Allen Iverson,
Meanwhile, the Wizards have a roster full of promising young talent, but no stars. Flagg, Harper, or Bailey would've at least given them the chance at developing one, as all three of those players have higher ceilings than anyone on their team. However, the organization suffered yet another gut punch after going 18-64 and missing the playoffs for the fourth straight season.
Washington had better luck last year, as they landed the No. 2 pick after going 15-67. However, that draft class didn't have the same level of top-end talent. The club landed seven-foot stretch big Alex Sarr, who joined Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren as the only rookies to ever drain 100-plus threes and block 100-plus shots in a season this year. While the 19-year-old could develop into an All-Star, he shot just 39.4 percent from the field (30.4 percent 3 PT) and grabbed just 6.5 rebounds per game, so he has a long way to go.
The Wizards will still add talented players this summer, whether it be with the Nos. 6 and 18 picks, through trading, or both. However, the possibility of drafting their first star since John Wall, especially someone with a higher ceiling than him, excited the fanbase amid another season at the bottom of the standings.
Now, Washington fans must deal with another punishment from the basketball gods. It'll take a while for the pain to wear off, but there's still a light at the end of this long, dark tunnel.
In addition to this season's draft capital, the Wizards have a top-eight protected lottery pick next year in a class filled with star prospects like AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer, and Alijah Arenas, son of franchise legend Gilbert Arenas. They'll likely lose enough games to retain the pick, which will help them get enough firepower to contend for the 2027 Play-In.
After that, their young players will keep developing, and they should only go up from there. Patience can wear thin at times like these, but today's struggle will make tomorrow's success feel more special than less-tortured fanbases could understand.
