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2025 NBA Draft Will be Pivotal for the Rebuilding Wizards
Jul 14, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Washington Wizards forward Alex Sarr (12) shoots against the Houston Rockets during the first quarter at Thomas & Mack Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

At the 2024 NBA Draft lottery, the Washington Wizards lucked out, rising to the No. 2 overall pick and eventually choosing their top talent in big man Alex Sarr.

Despite his down Summer League, Sarr is still a coveted piece, and the 2024 NBA Draft is set to propel the team forward into a new era. But the 2025 NBA Draft is going to be make-or-break for the Wizards, to some degree.

So far in their rebuild, Washington has added a few longterm contributors in Sarr, Bilal Coulibaly, Bub Carrington and more in the project column. But the 2025 draft — which experts think is armed with as many as five top talents — is going to be the pièce de résistance to the team’s rebuild.

Names like Cooper Flagg, Ace Bailey, Dylan Harper and more would immediately send the core to the stratosphere in terms of potential talent. And the Wizards are sure to be in the mix for those names with their 2024-25 product.

But on the flip side, missing out on that group, or missing on a pick, could be catastrophic to turning the corner as a winning franchise.

Luckily, the remodeled front office seems to have the team on the right track for the first time in several seasons. While the squad is set to blow anyone away in the win column, they are set to develop a budding group of NBA risers while also adding top picks.

For now, fans will sit back and watch the development of the team’s youngsters. But the 2025 draft will be looming.


This article first appeared on NBA Draft on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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