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The Washington Wizards may not have a draft capital war chest like the Brooklyn Nets, but they have the resources to transform their franchise on Wednesday. They made their first trade of the offseason by sending Jordan Poole to the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday, and they're probably not done making deals.
Washington wants to move up for Maryland big man Derik Queen, via ClutchPoints' Brett Siegel.
“Another interesting name whose draft stock is all over the place is Derik Queen. While some view him as a sure-thing top-10 pick in this draft, some teams expect Queen to be on the board when the Hawks and Spurs are picking with the 13th and 14th selections, sources said,” he reported. “Queen is one of the better interior scorers in this draft class, and he has a variety of moves in the low post that make him an intriguing option for many teams to want to add to their frontcourt.”
“If he is still available late in the lottery, the Wizards are a team that will hold significant interest in trading up to acquire him, sources said,” he continued. “Washington owns the 18th pick and has several tradeable players like Marcus Smart and Corey Kispert that could be of value to teams in the back half of the lottery.”
The Wizards have the No. 6 pick as well, but that's too early to take Queen. They'll more than likely draft one of Oklahoma guard Jeremiah Fears, Texas guard Tre Johnson, or Rutgers wing Ace Bailey in that range. The latter player has star potential, while the first two could be their point guards of the future.
However, moving up from No. 18 into the end of the lottery for Queen makes perfect sense. The 6-foot-10-inch, 246-pounder's offensive acumen would complement Alex Sarr's rim protection in the frontcourt, and his post moves would add a new element to Washington's offense.
The Baltimore-bred Queen would not only stay at home with the Wizards, but he'd also play with an old friend.
Bub Carrington, Derik Queen could be Wizards' DMV duo
Washington guard Bub Carrington wasn't shy about who he wanted his team to draft after it received the No. 6 pick in May 12's draft lottery, via Monumental Sports Network's Bijan Todd.
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Bub Carrington was asked on his feelings for what the Wizards should do at No. 6 and hinted HEAVILY that his fellow Baltimore native Derik Queen is high on his list.
He and Queen grew up 3 houses down from each other and would play all the time, he says. pic.twitter.com/KayXKU0ENI
— Bijan Todd (@bijan_todd) May 12, 2025
“I'll reserve that to myself [who should be the No. 6 pick], but I think my Baltimore buddy should come home…I never played on his team, but he was my neighbor; he lived three houses down from me,” he revealed. “I would see him all the time, we played against each other our whole entire lives, went to the same schools, stuff like that. Me and Derik are really close.”
Queen revealed that the feeling is mutual during Tuesday's pre-draft interviews.
Derik Queen opens up about his relationship with Bub Carrington, who wasn’t shy about his desire to play with his fellow Baltimore native after the draft lottery. pic.twitter.com/yPwyiAP0y9
— Joshua Valdez (@joshvaldez100) June 24, 2025
“Growing up with Bub, that's my guy…Love Bub, he had an amazing year last year. Me and him talk,” the 20-year-old said. “We didn't talk after our workout because it was rough, but hopefully I have a chance to play with him…”
Queen's media availability ran out before he could clarify what he meant by “rough,” but it's safe to assume that he didn't publicly slight the Wizards. Rather, he likely meant that his workout with the team was exhausting and drained his social battery, which kept him from hanging out with Carrington.
Regardless, Washington has a chance to flip the No. 18 pick and expendable veterans such as Kispert for a player who fits with the team both on and off the court long-term.
