The Washington Wizards have spent years trying to find their footing in the NBA Draft, and for a long time, it felt like they were swinging and missing far too often. Picks that didn’t pan out, questionable decisions on draft night - it all added up to a franchise stuck in neutral, frustrating a fanbase hungry for progress.
But something has shifted in D.C. Lately, the Wizards have started to show signs that they might finally be getting it right. And that shift began with the 2024 NBA Draft - a class widely considered one of the weakest in recent memory, yet one that may end up marking a turning point for the franchise.
The headliner, of course, was Alex Sarr. Taken with the No. 2 overall pick, Sarr came in with high expectations despite the uncertainty surrounding the class.
And so far, he’s looking like a legitimate building block - a long, athletic big with defensive instincts and flashes of offensive polish that suggest he could be a cornerstone piece moving forward. In a draft where few picks felt like sure things, Sarr already looks like a win.
But if Sarr was the expected prize, Kyshawn George is the unexpected gem - and maybe the more exciting story right now.
George, a late first-round selection, has taken a noticeable leap in his sophomore season. He’s showing the kind of two-way upside that has evaluators rethinking where he should’ve gone on draft night.
According to NBA Draft analyst Sam Vecenie, if the 2024 class were redone today, George would easily crack the top 7 or 8 - maybe even the top 5. That’s the kind of rise that turns heads around the league.
What makes George’s emergence so significant isn’t just his individual growth - it’s what it says about the Wizards’ front office. For a team that’s struggled to find value in the draft, hitting on a player like George in the back half of the first round signals a major shift. It’s the kind of savvy scouting that can accelerate a rebuild and change a franchise’s trajectory.
The comparison to what Sam Presti has built in Oklahoma City might feel lofty, but the blueprint is there. Stack up enough high-upside, undervalued talent, and suddenly you’re not just rebuilding - you’re building something sustainable.
The Wizards aren’t there yet, but they’re finally laying the foundation. With Sarr and George looking like long-term pieces, the franchise has something it hasn’t had in a while: a real sense of direction. If the front office can keep finding value like this - whether at the top of the draft or in the margins - Washington might just be turning the corner.
It’s early, and there’s still a lot of work to be done. But for the first time in a long time, there’s reason to believe the Wizards are on the right path.