How Should Wizards Spend No. 18 Pick?

Jase Richardson was one of the better guards in college basketball, a high-feel off-ball weapon who was able to dominate with his smooth lefty jumper and decision-making with and without the ball in his hands.

He should, by all accounts, be one of the first 14 players taken off the board, even at his 6-foot-2 height, but his lack of an invite to the NBA's draft night Green Room is something to monitor.

The Wizards should consider themselves really lucky if Georgetown's Thomas Sorber slips from the late-lottery spot he's projected to get picked at, one of the more talented bigs in his class. He's a good hub passer, can play solid rim protecting defense and offers some raw shooting indicators, an interesting bet to play alongside the more wily Alex Sarr in Washington's frontcourt.

Nique Clifford is another player to keep an eye out for if things don't go his way, as he's the rare older prospect to hear first round draft buzz. He had a bit of a slow start, but looks like one of the most versatile guys in his class as an all-around forward capable of finishing, defending, passing and, potentially, shooting.

Option B: Upside, Upside, Upside

The range of the draft between the end of the lottery and the final picks of the first round is loaded with big swings for the Wizards to take, with several prospects from the NCAA and overseas looking like tantalizing candidates to one day win Most Improved Player.

There are several players who check the "long," "athletic" and "raw" boxes that Washington's scouts have been known to look out for, with Joan Beringer and Noah Penda standing out as two of the draft's most versatile defensive prospects who each have some way to go before they're productive NBA scorers.

Beringer's been mocked with less consistency as Penda, with the French 18-year-old's background scaring some teams away from his potential. The ABA phenom only picked up a basketball for the first time three years ago, but some evaluators view his lack of long-term experience as a clean slate to work with, with his motor, wingspan at nearly 7'5'', 9'3'' standing reach and rapid improvement seen as positive signs for such a gamble.

Penda offers similar defensive value, albeit with a bit more feel. He lacks Beringer's raw physical measurables, but the slightly-older prospect spent his last year defending against every position and holding his own in a top-tier French league.

College basketball offered a few of its players who fill this archetype in its most recent season.

Asa Newell was one of the top-ranked prospects entering the fall, having spent his senior year of high school at Montverde Academy alongside fellow likely draftees in Cooper Flagg, Derik Queen and Liam McNeeley, and showed off his athleticism, finishing, intensity and shooting indicators in a one-and-done season with the Georgia Bulldogs.

Will Riley was another quick riser over the course of the winter, having entered the college game without Newell's appeal. He blossomed into one of the better downhill scoring forwards in the prospect-heavy Big Ten at Illinois, demonstrating inspiring feel and passing to go along with his NBA-ready height at 6'8. Riley's still on the skinny side, but he's noted by many as one of the better star bets worth taking just outside of the lottery.

Option C: Continue Adding to Washington's Wing Supply

Kyshawn George was arguably Washington's most inspired draft pick in the 2024 Draft. Don't let his exclusion from the All-Rookie Teams fool you, he's a safe bet to have a decade-long career as a shooter and competitive defender.

There are other players just like him waiting to be picked at some point after the lottery, young guys with growing portfolios as athletic scorers and versatile body types to fit in all over NBA courts.

Carter Bryant is arguably this draft's purest play-finisher from the wings, a bucket who does the vast majority of his work off of assisted buckets. He can shoot and finish down low at an inspiring clip and looks to defend with some real versatility, inspiring team that he'd be willing to buy into a complementary role.

Cedric Coward looks like he can do a little more on his own, a smooth scorer with potential to get more done on his own, but he lacks Bryant's sample size after being hampered with a shoulder injury. He's won fans over late in the draft cycle with an intensity that not everyone knew he had, already demonstrating the winning mentality expected of lottery picks.

Another wing who saw a late rise was Adou Thiero, a freak athlete who offers some captivating 3&D potential. His jumper has shown some promising signs in the past, if marred by inconsistency, and he's already shut down plenty of his future draft contemporaries during his stint at Arkansas.

Option 4: Trade the Pick

The Wizards seem fearless about wheeling and dealing their draft assets with the main event standing within a day away, having thrown the No. 40 pick into the Poole deal to currently leave them without any second-round draft capital.

There's always a shot that these Wizards could trade up to a more desirable selection spot, having already done so in each of this version of the Washington front office's two seasons running the draft. #18, and potentially #6, could make for fascinating trade bait with the first round so close by if they feel strongly about one of the prospects slotted to get taken off the board before they have a chance.

If the Poole trade showed us anything, it's that they'll do anything it takes to set themselves up for the future, meaning no stone can be left unturned in predicting their next moves.