Mar 4, 2025; Fort Worth, Texas, USA; Baylor Bears guard VJ Edgecombe (7) reacts against the TCU Horned Frogs during the first half at Ed and Rae Schollmaier Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Wizards Snag Several Falling Stars in Mock Draft

Originally posted on Washington Wizards on SI
By Henry Brown | Last updated Jun 12, 2025 7:00 AM ET

As much of a gut punch as it was for the Washington Wizards to get stuck with the sixth pick in the 2025 NBA Draft lottery, they're far from out of contention in their attempt to land a prospect with star potential.

A fan base-wide belief persists that they'll snag the best player available near the midway point in the lottery, likely a player that one of the five teams ahead of them passed over for their own reasons. No Ceilings, a draft-based media site, has the Wizards getting luckier than they could have imagined in their mock draft entering the final two weeks before the big night.

They're predicting that the Wizards land Baylor guard VJ Edgecombe with the sixth pick, a two-way athlete who's been projected to go as high as No. 3 in the class, and as the No Ceilings crew points out, "Edgecombe provides an infusion of athleticism and defense that would pair nicely with their current core."

Questions about how the off-ball guard's game can blossom continue to bounce around, but his profile as an athletic playmaker on both ends of the floor couples well with his flashes as a spot-up shooter.

VJ Edgecombe defensive tape.

28.6% (!) dFG when guarding P&R ball-handlers + 33.3% (!) dFG on isolation plays — one of the best defensive guard prospects in recent memory. pic.twitter.com/g8PCIpHVqC
— Mohamed (@mcfNBA) June 5, 2025

Someone who answers a lot of those doubts about on-ball creation is the Wizards' second projected first round pick, Jeremiah Fears. The Oklahoma point guard has long been rumored to end up in the lottery due to his downhill scoring ability and potential as a distributive point guard, but No Ceilings sounds prepared for other teams to succumb to worries about his shooting and defensive acumen.

Such a draft slide would be another incredible stroke of luck for Washington.

"This would probably break an all-time record for fastest pick ever sent in by an NBA franchise," the mock draft says. "Despite Jeremiah Fears generating buzz as a potential Top 10 selection, Fears falls through the cracks and the Wizards front office starts doing backflips in the war room."

jeremiah fears' strength and physicality really pops on tape, he'll bump and bruise bigger and older defenders to create and hold advantages on drives

the film reflects his 51.8 FTr, which ranks 2rd among guards in the 2025 draft, trailing only john tonje pic.twitter.com/UFZqlPekvx
— ben pfeifer (@bjpf_) June 11, 2025

He and Edgecombe could fill in for each other's weaknesses, resulting in multiple top-ranked guard prospects joining the team entering the third year of their careful rebuild. Adding Adou Thiero with their lone second round pick at No. 40, another athlete to insert into Washington's young ranks as icing on the cake for arguably the Wizards' most fortunate mock draft finish yet.

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

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