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The Washington Wizards are one of the worst NBA teams today. And after several losing seasons, the Wizards will be selecting with the sixth overall pick at the upcoming 2025 NBA Draft. But while the Wizards will once again pick within the lottery after selecting Alex Sarr in 2024, the franchise has made a couple of draft day mistakes that fans should be concerned about.
Check out the gallery.
10. Nick Young – 2007
Nick Young was one of the most polarizing figures in the NBA. While he possessed talent as a lethal scorer, Young also committed his fair share of controversies off the court. He was one of the controversial figures of the dysfunctional Wizards squad. Furthermore, while he was a reliable scorer, Washington might've been better off using their first-round pick on Marc Gasol, who was selected in the second round that year.
9. Otto Porter – 2013
Otto Porter turned out to be a solid two-way player in the NBA. However, his “Otto-Pilot” moments tended to overshadow the impact he brought to the court. However, the biggest reason he's part of this list is the fact that Washington passed up on two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo. While the Wizards may not have developed Giannis as well, the Greek Freak is clearly a franchise player over the former.
8. Johnny Davis – 2022
The 2022 NBA Draft was deep with serviceable talent, including the likes of Jalen Williams, Jalen Duren, Mark Williams, Andrew Nembhard, and Christian Braun. However, the Wizards used their ninth overall pick on Johnny Davis, who has clearly been a forgettable prospect for a rebuilding squad. In three seasons in a Wizards uniform, Davis has only put up 3.5 points per game.
7. Jared Jeffries – 2002
Jared Jeffries carved out an 11-year NBA career. However, he wasn't worthy of the 11th overall pick by the Wizards. In fact, Jeffries was a role player at best, averaging just 6.1 points per game for Washington. To make matters worse, the Wizards passed up on better talent like Tayshaun Prince, Luis Scola, and All-Star Carlos Boozer.
6. Chris Singleton – 2011
In hindsight, the Wizards basically wasted a first-round pick on Chris Singleton. The 6-foot-8 forward out of Florida State was selected with the 18th overall pick at the 2011 NBA Draft, a selection that could've been used on eventual superstar Jimmy Butler. But instead, Singleton could only stay in the NBA for three seasons before taking his career overseas. He averaged just 4.1 points per game in his entire NBA stint with Washington.
5. Kenny Green – 1985
The 1985 NBA Draft marked the first time the league applied the NBA Draft Lottery. Clearly, the former Bullets squad weren't ready for it, as they selected Kenny Green with the 12th overall pick. Green only lasted for two seasons in the NBA while playing for Washington and Philadelphia. The Wake Forest standout averaged just 4.4 points per game throughout his NBA career. To add insult to injury, the Utah Jazz selected NBA superstar Karl Malone a pick later.
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4. Jarvis Hayes – 2003
The 2003 NBA Draft class is considered to be one of the deepest as it was headlined by no other than LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh, and Dwyane Wade. With the last pick within the Top 10, the Wizards used it on Georgia star Jarvis Hayes. Hayes' career would be derailed by injuries. And with exception to his sophomore year, Hayes never lived up to the bill.
3. Trading away the fifth overall pick – 2009
The Minnesota Timberwolves were the poster boys for their draft misses at the 2009 NBA Draft. However, let's not overlook the fact that the Wizards also dropped the ball on this night. Originally tapped to select with the fifth overall pick, the Wizards traded it to acquire veterans Randy Foye and Mike Miller. But while they provided some offense, they were nowhere near the caliber of Stephen Curry, the best shooter in the world, who was taken with the seventh overall pick.
2. Jan Vesely – 2011
The influx of European talent was starting to grow in the NBA, and the Wizards decided to jump in at the 2011 NBA Draft, when they selected Jan Vesely with the sixth overall pick. The Czech Republic star was a walking highlight reel in the Euroleague.
However, it would only take Washington three seasons to realize he couldn't translate his game in the NBA, where there were more athletically gifted players. Basically, the Wizards fumbled their first-round picks at the 2011 NBA Draft, missing not only on Jimmy Butler but also the likes of Klay Thompson, Kemba Walker, and Kawhi Leonard.
1. Kwame Brown – 2001
One of the worst first overall picks in NBA history, the Wizards probably want to erase the fact that they drafted Kwame Brown at the 2001 NBA Draft. With the assistance of Michael Jordan, the Wizards front office believed that Brown would become the face of the franchise for the years to come.
However, the 6-foot-11 prospect out of high school turned into a bust, averaging just 7.7 points per game for Washington. On the bright side, he did carve out a 12-year NBA career by becoming a reserve big man for several teams.
