May 14, 2025; Chicago, Il, USA; Dylan Harper talks to the media during the 2025 NBA Draft Combine at Marriott Marquis Chicago. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images David Banks-Imagn Images

Why Wizards Shouldn’t Mortgage Future for Dylan Harper

Originally posted on Washington Wizards on SI
By Tyrone Montgomery | Last updated Jun 22, 2025 7:00 AM ET

When people aren’t having much success in life, they tend to get desperate. Desperation can hurt you in the end if you don’t make wise decisions. We have seen countless companies fall into desperation. Nine times out of ten, the bad decisions made by those companies when desperation kicked in caused bankruptcy or even a forced closure. The Washington Wizards have to be careful when it comes to their desperation to have success in the league.

The Wizards have been one of the worst teams in the NBA over the years. They have traded away many good players. What’s frustrating is that they never had a great player. They haven’t had much success in landing the top pick in the drafts over the years. The Wizards are star hunting as they still are unsure if they have a franchise player on their team. Dylan Harper is a player the Wizards are considering mortgaging the future over.

The Washington Wizards are reportedly willing to trade some ‘surprising names’ in an effort to move up to the No. 2 pick, per @GrantAfseth

“Holding picks No. 6 and 18 in the first round, the Wizards have explored trade-up scenarios in hopes of securing one of the top backcourt… pic.twitter.com/r4NaAIYEeq
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) June 20, 2025

With the number six pick in the draft, the chances of the Wizards landing Harper are slim to none. They would have to make a trade with the San Antonio Spurs, as Harper is expected to be a lock at the number two spot. To trade up, they would of course have to include their sixth overall draft pick, but they would have to include a young player on their team already. If you’re managing the Spurs, you probably would ask for Bilal Coulibaly or Alex Sarr. Making that deal doesn’t make much sense as they were both key pieces for the Wizards this past season.

The Wizards should pride themselves on the depth they have gathered and keep the core together. The key is to keep adding to it. They can do that by staying with their sixth overall pick. They may even be able to land Harper’s teammate, Ace Bailey, as he is expected to drop in the draft. Mortgaging the future for Ace Bailey isn’t the best decision for the Wizards.

This article first appeared on Washington Wizards on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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